3 Months Old

 It is hard to believe that Owen is already 3 months old in age and 6 months old in clothing.  2 weeks ago he was fitting snugly in 3 month clothing, then we tested out the 3-6 month last week and that worked, then this week he is fitting into his 6 month.  I tried to throw him in some 3 month pajamas the other night (just to see) and it was a fat guy in little pj's moment.  It is crazy that 3 months ago this little peanut had no control over his neck and could hardly see.  Now he is looking all over the place and smiling at the world.  He is also grabbing at everything and putting it into his mouth. 

During the past three months, Barret and I have also learned a few things.

 We have learned how to properly put on a diaper - but still have some bloopers.  This picture is from the past weekend and I primarily blame the disposable diaper for this blowout (have not had such issues when using cloth, but had to pop him in a disposable because diapers were still wet).  We have also learned that babies love to poop and pee while getting their diapers changed, and this fact does not change at 3 months.  Second, clipping fingernails is a dangerous endeavor.  I had heard horror stories and refused to do it, so I would just peel his nails to get them trimmed.  This is an imperfect system and Barret was sick of getting scratched so decided to use the dreaded clippers.  This resulted in a shocking amount of blood, 30 minutes of tears, and Barret asking if we needed to take Owen to the ER.  I will stick with my method. We have obviously learned a ton more than this along the way, but those are the ones freshest in mind.  Thankfully Owen will have no memory of our many mishaps.

I have gone full granola this past month and started taking Owen to yoga.  There was a groupon for Blackbird Family Yoga, so figured we could check it out - and it is great.  I was surprised to be slightly sore the next morning, especially because the second half consisted primarily of singing and dancing with your babies.  It was a good time though and good way to get out of the house during this dreadful winter.

 In furthering my attempt to not go too stir crazy this winter, I hosted a ladies who brunch this week.  It was great that so many ladies and babies were able to come over and hang out.  It was also surprising how many  toys we can amass between the five kiddos.  I felt a little bad for Owen, since he is the youngest and only one that cannot even sit up on his own, but then felt better for myself when seeing the other moms having to constantly chase after their kids (sorry Tricia).  Things get a lot more real once they get mobile.  I was somewhat sad when Owen was able to roll from his stomach to his back and thinking that I should no longer leave him on the couch (which I know  you shouldn't do to begin with but am pretty sure everyone has done it).  Oh and Murphy, as usual, always seemed to be there and gave each child a mom at least 20 licks.

Owen is an extremely smiley baby, so every now and then I like to throw in a serious face - just so people know that he has a serious side.

For Ellison (my friend who has a subscription to Cat Fancy) - here is Owen making friends with a cat.  I am not a cat lady, but I do love Freddy (the cat) and so did Owen.  He is going to grow up to really love animals or really hate them.

I have been on a bit of a hiatus and am super behind on trashy tv commentary, but for some reason, Teen Mom 2 just keeps sucking me in.  Leah got engaged and found out she was pregnant on the last episode.  She is actually one of the moms that I think is ok, but I am sorry, if you still have braces you should not be getting married for the second time and pregnant with your third child.  At least wait until you get those braces off!  In other news, it looks like Chelsea may get her GED this year - lets hope she passed that math test.

First Swims and Family Awkwardness

This past week I took Owen swimming for the first time at a public pool with some fellow moms.  Owen liked the water a lot and it was a great time.  Other than the time in the locker room - Owen needed to nurse so we took care of that - which led to him soiling his speedo.  Thankfully, that speedo is tight enough and held the goods in.  However, while I was rinsing his speedo off, I apparently took too long and Owen decided to pee all over himself and the locker room.  I had thought we moved past that stage but was clearly wrong.

The public pool was followed by a weekend at the waterpark at the Dells.

The waterpark was pretty crowded and the pool was cold, but Owen was into the wave pool.  It doesn't really show in this picture, but he liked to have his feet hit by the waves - big smiles when they hit him.  Speaking of his little feet... they are not so little.  He is still fitting into his 3 month clothes but his toes are curled up in 3 month pajamas - big foot.  This trip was also a good reminder to me of how trashy the Dells are.  I always make fun of the Packer games for being an ugly/fat convention but the same can be said about the Dells.  Especially when you are there on a Packer game day.  Nevertheless, it was a fun little getaway and made me feel better about my baby weight.

 So he looks pretty gigantic in this picture - might be time for Baby CrossFit.  Until then, tummy time will have to do.

I love staying home with Owen, but it is January and sometimes it gets a little dull.  Thankfully, I have a baby and a dog to use for my own amusement.  I have found that I will make up random songs, my favorites being "Who's got a wet diaper" and "Why are you so angry, baby."  Which I feel like these are pretty normal things to do.  Perhaps slightly less normal are chasing Murphy with Owen in the flying baby position - a daily activity for us.  This works well because it gets Murphy some action, but now when I carry Owen down the stairs Murphy runs/growls at him.  Both Barret and I also like to dance Owen in front of the mirror in the bathroom - this guy loves looking at his own reflection.

Then there is what I am sure many families do - create awkward family photos.  I have been holding this photo in my pocket for a while, but figured it was time to share it.

I am super behind on posting (I blame Owen and his growth spurt that we are currently undergoing) but I feel like I would be remiss to not comment on the conclusion of Real Housewives of Miami.  I was surprisingly pleased by this season, but I think they should cut Ana next year.  I wanted to like her because she is an attorney, but she was pretty boring throughout the season and then turned into a super bitch at the reunion.  They should also get rid of Karent - primarily because her name is Karent and I just want to call her Karen.  I get that she is Colombian, but this doesn't even sound like a Hispanic name.  I do, however, love the addition of Lisa.  I feel like I should hate her because she is like 80 pounds and married to a plastic surgeon who is 15 years her senior, but I just cannot. It is sad hearing her talk about her problems with miscarriage and I hope she comes back next season preggers (and fat).  It's hard to be too upset with Miami concluding though, because Beverly Hills and Atlanta are currently airing.  I do not know what I would do without Bravo.

Cloth Diapers

A lot of people ask us about our decision to use cloth diapers and what all is involved in using them - so figured it would be good to do a blog entry about it (and a friend suggested I do so).  We actually didn't put a whole lot of thought into the decision.  One of my friend's uses them and I thought they seemed nice and Barret said he is fine with whatever I decided.  So we went to Nicki's Diapers in Madison - that is after Barret backed into our neighbor's car pulling out of the driveway.  Despite the bad omen, we liked the diapers that they offered at Nicki's and they provided us with a lot of information (I would recommend going there if you are considering cloth diapers and are in the Madison area).

I am by no means an expert in this area, but below are some basics on the diapers we use and answers to questions commonly asked.

The kind that we bought have an insert that snaps into a shell.  We bought about 10 shells and 30 inserts.  The shells will last until he is through potty training - the size adjusts by snaps in the front.  The inserts last for quite a while, but there are three different sizes - so we will need to buy more as he gets bigger. 





How much do cloth diapers cost?  The cost for the shells and inserts was about $200 and the only additional diaper costs in the future will be for bigger inserts.

Do you use a laundry service?  Nope, we throw the diapers in our own washing machine.  I don't know of anyone that uses a laundry service, although I know that they exist.  To me, it would be too much of a pain because I still need to wash his diapers every day - since he blows through about 20 a day.  At some point (hopefully soon) he will go through less and you apparently only need to wash them every 2-3 days.

What about the poop?  People always ask about the poop.  Owen is exclusively breastfed still, so his poop is water soluble.  You do not need to pre-rinse the poopy diapers.  All of the diapers get thrown into the washer - turned to rinse cycle and then go through the regular wash.  Once solids are introduced, the routine will change, but we have not crossed that bridge yet.

Isn't it gross to have poop in your washing machine?  I don't think so, but maybe did at first.  You get over it, or you don't and just use disposable diapers.  One thing that I point out, is poop is going in your washer whether you use cloth diapers or not.  Babies get poop on your clothes.  And Barret likes to add that we wash his boxers that have skid marks on them (and Barret also asked that I include that in this entry - not sure why).

Why use cloth?  This is totally my opinion, but I think they are a better option to disposable diapers because disposables create so much waste.  Some argue that cloth is not as environmentally friendly as some think because of the added energy and water consumption that goes into washing them.  I think that's a valid point, but I haven't noticed a huge spike in our water or energy bills, but I do recall having to empty the diaper pail daily when he was in disposables.  Also, babies in cloth diapers are not supposed to get diaper rash - which - I have friends with babies who have diaper rash and it seems terrible.  Using cloth is also supposed to make potty training easier - because disposables are so absorbent now that babies cannot tell when they are wet.  We only had Owen in disposables until his umbilical cord fell out, but he hardly ever cried when he had a wet diaper.  However, in cloth, he cries almost immediately.  I think it is a combination of the cloth diapers and him just having a very low tolerance for a wet diaper.  Either way, I hope it truly does make potty training easier.

What are the cons?  Washing the diapers can be a bit of a pain.  However, we have a washer and dryer in the basement and it probably takes a total of 10 minutes out of my life.  I suppose there is also the ick factor of washing dirty diapers in your washing machine - but one could use a laundry service or just use disposables if they thought it was so gross.

I actually don't think there are that many cons to using cloth diapers, but I am obviously a fan of them.  I think it is a personal choice and understand it is not for everyone.  However, cloth diapers have come a long way in the past 10 years (no longer do you have to fold and pin them) - so it is not as burdensome as some may think.

Hello 2013 and 2 Month Appointment

I rang in 2012 at the Mexico City Airport.  Barret and I were en route back to the U.S. from our honeymoon in Argentina.  I had a little snafu when booking the flights (thought we were leaving Mexico City at 9 p.m., not 9 a.m.) so we stayed the night in the hotel attached to the airport.  We stayed at the airport because even the natives from Mexico City had warned us about the dangers of the city and taking cabs.  Surprisingly, Mexico City has a very nice airport.  However, we got in kind of late and no restaurants were open.  So we had a tasty dinner of potato chips and donuts from the Seven Eleven and may or may not have made it to midnight.  Needless to say, it was not going to be difficult to top our previous New Year's Eve.

This year we had some friends over, played a little Mexican Train Dominoes and ate some food.  Although it may not seem so from this picture, I think we all had a good time.  Owen did not quite make it to midnight but this was the first time in several years that I did!  Perhaps it was Barret's interesting stories on first experiencing puberty that kept us awake.

2012 was a great year - found out I was pregnant, had Owen, sold our first house, and returned to living in Madison full time.  It seems hard to believe that 2013 would be able to top 2012 - but I thought the same about 2011 and here we are.  I am anxious to see Owen grow over the next year and see what other fun is in store for 2013.

Speaking of Owen growing, he had his 2 month appointment today.  He and his diaper look gigantic in this lovely picture snapped at the doctor's office, but we learned that he is in the 68th (13 lb 8 oz)  percentile for his weight and 56th percentile for height (23.5 inches).  His head is in the 85th percentile and I was worried that he may be developing elephantitis, but the doctor said they don't really worry about those numbers until they are off the charts.

He then had to get 3 shots in his legs and an oral dose.  It was pretty terrible.  His first shot in the hospital he hardly noticed, but we did not have the same luck.  The doctor recommended that I nurse him while he gets his shot, but Owen was not tricked by such tactics.  He stopped nursing as soon as the first shot was given and continued to scream in my face until it was all over.  He was not a happy camper, but it is obviously much better than having him get Polio.

Despite having the cutest fan cheering them on, the Badgers were unable to pull off a Rose Bowl victory... for the third year in a row.  Pretty disappointing - but that has been the Badgers this season.  Usually I don't care too much, because I have already moved on to Badger basketball by this point, but that looks to be even more disappointing this year.  At least the Vikings are still out there - and they never disappoint...

Here are just some pics of Owen hanging out. 

A lot of my shows have been on hiatus with the holidays, but Teen Mom 2 has hung in there.  I do not understand how Chelsea still has not gotten her GED.  It has been 3 seasons of her trying to get her GED.  She is no longer working part time at the tanning salon and I get that taking care of a kid is a lot of work, but getting a GED is not that difficult.  If all you have to do for 3 years is keep your child alive and get your GED - you should be able to accomplish both those goals.  Get it together, Chelsea.

In other Teen Mom 2 news, resident train wreck Jenelle got married and there was word that she is already divorced (a mere 26 days later, which would beat Kimmy K's record).  Apparently, she is still married, but it is not to my beloved Kiefer or even the boyfriend she is currently living with on the show.  Nor is it the guy she was engaged to after the guy on the show - it is someone totally different who I have never heard of.  It is getting more and more difficult to keep up with this celebrity gossip.  Thankfully, I don't need to worry about getting my GED on top of this.

Christmas 2012

We drove up to Minnesota for Christmas this year.  The car ride was actually not that bad.  I rode in the back to change diapers when necessary and we only needed to stop once.  Barret is no longer allowed to change diapers in the car.  The first and last time he attempted to do so, Owen ended up with poop on his face, foot, and shirt.  Not to mention the poop that also ended up on the car seat and Barret's shirt.  Thankfully, I did not have any blunders and the drive up was pretty nice.  Murphy kept a very watchful eye on Owen for the trek.

Before heading up to Minnesota, we were able to see some friends who were back in Madison for the holidays.  Owen found a kindred spirit in Tatum.

On Christmas Eve, our friends Roger and Amanda hosted a brunch.  Murphy was super into Roger and photobombing pictures this holiday season.

 This squirrel outside of Amanda's place also had a good Christmas Eve - he took down an entire donut and provided some free entertainment for us.

My family is not too crazy about Christmas traditions - we just try to get together.  Growing up, we always went to my grandparents and celebrated on Christmas Eve.  We tried to do that again this year, but ran into a few obstacles.  First, my aunt (who lives with my grandparents) informed us that she may have the chicken pox the night before Christmas Eve.  Needless to say, we did not want to take our 2 month baby there anymore.  Thankfully, we had two little cabins booked at the casino near where my grandparents live.  We weren't really sure what we were going to do to celebrate Christmas, but decided to just head up to the casino and see what happens.  My grandparents weren't able to make it to our cabins on Christmas Eve because they were not feeling well.  We decided to have dinner on our own while Barret played Christmas music on his phone.  Then my mom and Holly decided to go to the casino until about 2 in the morning.  Barret and I went to sleep.  Waking up Christmas morning, it was 10 below.  I had forgotten how much colder Minnesota is than Wisconsin and had actually forgotten how cold temps below zero was.  I hope to not be reminded again in the near future.  Fortunately, my grandparents were feeling better Christmas morning and able to make it to our cabin and meet Owen.  I do not get to see my grandparents too often any more, so it was great to be able to spend Christmas morning with them.  However, I kind of hope this is not the making of a new Christmas tradition....

Murphy continued on his photobomb escapade.

Owen is either going to grow up really loving dogs or really hating dogs. 

Being the first grandchild on both sides, he got plenty of presents this year.  We are excited to celebrate Christmas with him next year when he will be able to understand a bit more what is going on and perhaps open his own, many presents.