The Fluff is Back!

I'm happy to report that Kylee is now back in all of her amazing and wonderful fluff!  She's been teething.  Which has caused her to be a little fussier, to nom nom on anything she can get her hands on, to wake up during the middle of the night, and caused some icky, nasty diapers.  So..we made the dreaded switch into disposables until Kylee's bowels got back on track.  I tell you..clothes don't even look right without the bulkiness of fluff coming off the back.  Babylegs don't look nearly as cute paired with a disposable diaper.  It was just a week of sadness in this house.  BUT..last night things went back to normal and Kylee went to bed in a super stuffed and wonderful cloth diaper!  I am not telling everyone they have to cloth diaper..although if you're willing to listen..I'm willing to try and convert you.  I promise.. you won't be disappointed.  I just don't know how people can use disposables day in and day out.  Kylee had leaks EVERY SINGLE DAY.  My trash smelled like a petting zoo.  I wasted money that just went straight into the trash covered in poop.  It was terrible.  But..I can breathe easy now.. WE'RE BACK IN CLOTH!

Yogurt Unsupervised!

ATTENTION:

Never leave a container of yogurt unsupervised.. or you may end up with...

  

One VERY tired cutie covered head to toe in yogurt! (And the carpet suffered a little as well)..

All I could do was laugh, grab the camera, and a wet rag.

Lesson learned!

Winter Wonderland...

Or not.  At least not the Wonderland part.  More like a nightmare.

This Monday we were blessed to get a couple of inches of snow in the Big O.  It wasn't terrible.  Nothing a quick shovel couldn't fix.  Not big deal, right? WRONG!  It was just the preshow.  Tuesday the snow started falling.  And falling it did.  It snowed, snowed harder, stopped for 2.5 minutes, and picked up with a vengance.  It was crazy out there.  I was one lucky girl though.  I got to go to work that night.  Across town. Yeah..you're jealous, I know.  By the time I was heading out to work we had about  20 feet 8-9 inches of snow on the ground.  I got stuck at the bottom of our hill.  I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant drive.  I figured once I got to the interstate though it wouldn't be too bad..wrong again!  I got stuck twice on the interstate.  In fact I got stuck 7 times getting to work.  Two of those times required me getting out and digging around my tires to get out.  It was terrible.  I had to walk up the giant hill to get up to work because my car looked at it and gave me a quick "F U"...

But on a brighter note.. Wednesday morning Tim did get to stay home so once I FINALLY got home from work that morning we all had a snow day together.  We're not the bundle-up-to-go-get-frostbite kind of family so we didn't go out and play.  BUT I did bring some snow inside for Kylee to play with (and taste..until she realized it was SO cold).  We stayed in pajamas and cuddled up a lot and played.  It was a perfect day.  Thursday came and brought another snow day..Kylee had another pajama day with her buddy Jimmy and they played with wrapping paper tubes and we listened to Christmas music!  Friday morning..OUR STREET FINALLY GOT PLOWED!  No more getting stuck just trying to get off of our street. 

Needless to say..it was been a very cold and snowy week.  Have I mentioned it's not even officially Winter yet?  Be gentle Mother Nature..be gentle.

RG Giveaway!

What is RG you ask? WELL.. Rockin Green is only the greatest soap on the face of the Earth!  I use it mainly to wash my clothdiapers.  It comes in two (soon to be three) formulas..classic rock and then soft rock.  Soft rock is for those with sensitive skin.  It comes in a million different amazing scents.  I've tried quite a few myself and I have yet to find one I don't love.  Anyways..The Inquisitive Mom is hosting a giveaway for a 45/90 load of soap.  I want this win because I love my Rockin Green and you can never have to many bags. Ever.  Seriously. It's great stuff. Great!

Did you hear?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will be playing tonight in the BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP game!! That's right folks. Tonight the Huskers will be laying out a big old hand of DOMINATION to the Texas Longhorns. Let's Go Huskers!! GO BIG RED!!!

Thirsties Craving!

The sweet mama over at Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for an amazing Thirsties Fab Fitted and Duo Wrap of their choice in color and size. I just ordered my first Thirsties diaper on Black Friday and am awaiting it's arrival. I have heard SO many awesome things about this company and their diapers. The leg gussets are top notch and the color options you get with these diapers are so bright and fun! Who doesn't want a chance to win a diaper that comes so highly recommended? I know I'm hoping to get this win..but alas the point of this blog post is to spread the world about this giveaway and get Monkey Tales more entries for the giveaway. )So.. head on over to Monkey Tales and enter to win your very own Fab Fitted diaper and Duo Wrap!)Good luck!

Happy 1st Birthday Kylee Lynn

Dear Kylee Lynn,

It's hard to believe that a year has already gone by. It's hard to believe that every day you are growing more into your own person. It's hard to believe that while you'll always be my baby, you are no longer a baby. What's not hard to believe..is that I love you with every fiber of my being.

I never thought I was a woman put on this Earth to be a mother. I didn't know if I had it in me. I was nervous. I was scared. Then God blessed me and showed me my destiny. To be the best mother I could be. To you.

November 18, 2008 was the scariest and best day of my life. Of course, in Kylee fashion, your entrance into this world was nothing short of dramatic. You were a fighter. I was thankful. It was a few hours before I could hold you, but when I could, I walked through pain and tears to you. I scooped you up and knew you were meant to be mine. It's cliche..but true... I never knew I could fall in love with someone at first sight. But that's how it happened.

It was tough in the beginning. I felt like I was fighting a loosing battle. Nursing. Sleeping. Soothing. I thought all these things would come naturally. I was wrong. But, we learned together and grew.

Watching you grow has been one of the best experiences of my life. Your first smile. Your first coo. Rolling over and sitting up. Crawling and standing. Solid foods and teeth. And now my baby girl.. you are our walking, talking, self-feeding, independent little girl. I'm so glad I've been able to see all of the things you have achieved and I look forward to watching you grow even more.

Sweet baby girl I thank you. For being the best daughter a mother and father could have. For being the reason I smile every morning. I thank you for making me the mother I am today. Happy 1st Birthday to you..my girl.

Love Always,

Mommy

Suck It Up!

Suck it Up Oreck Halo!... Please. Seriously. Suck up all the dirt and icky germs and yuckness that live deep down in my carpet! Oreck has a top of the line wonderful vacuum that I believe was made for ME and my family! It has a feature that actually kills germs, bacteria, mites, flea eggs and more. With my messy daughter my carpets have definitely seen better days.

The Halo is great because it is the only vacuum that uses Oreck Halo Ultraviolet Technology to kill many microscopic germs that can live and breed on your carpets and hard floor surfaces. Now.. doesn't that just call out to you? Still not impressed? Well did you know that there can be more germs on household floor surfaces than on toilet seats, kitchen counters, and bathroom tiles combined. Yeah.. gross, huh? Well the Halo will get rid of those nasty germs for you without using ANY harsh chemicals. Now I know you're convinced!!

So head on over to Eighty MPH Mom's awesome blog and enter to win one of these sweet vac's for yourself. I bet your carpets will be in tip top shape in no time! But don't enter too often because I need this vacuum. No, really. I do.

Boo! It's a Bug!

A ladybug that is!!!

The cutest ladybug to ever crawl this Earth if I do say so myself.

This year was Kylee's first Halloween and I was so excited to see how she was going to react to all the ghouls and goblins, witches and monsters, Octomoms and Michael Jacksons...you get the picture. I was hoping she wouldn't be scared and would love seeing all the costumes and the decorations.

Before hitting the road to go knock on doors and beg for sugary treats, we carved Kylee's baby pumpkin. She wasn't much into the carving but she loved sticking her hands inside and feeling the "guts" and seeds. I think her favorite part though was rubbing those said "guts" into her hair. (Secretly I think she just wanted to play in the bathtub.)

After a nice bath and cleaning up we went out trick or treating to a few different houses and then showed her off to a few friends. She loved it. Didn't cry or scream once. (Until she got hungry). She even helped her cousin hand out some candy!

She also got to experience chocolate for the very first time and I'm pretty sure it was love at first sight. She cried when her mini Hershey bar was gone and longed for another all night long.

Then next morning when she got up she enjoyed playing in her "winnings" and surrounded herself with chocolate, suckers, tootsie rolls, and candy bars. I imagine it was something that closely resembled Heaven. Sugar Heaven. Yummy Heaven.

PC for Kylee!

So I'm in the process of attempting to win a baby friendly PC for Kylee. Why would I want to do such a thing? Well.. probably because our PC and laptop are tired of being beaten up by her precious little fingers, delicate head, and cute feet. They've had their share of abuse and then some! So when I found out that the lovely ladies over at Blogger Mommies was hosting a giveaway for a PC that is BABY FRIENDLY.. I jumped up and down for joy and jumped right on entering. Added bonus that the giveaway ends on November 9th..which is RIGHT before K's birthday, so when I win.. I hope they have quick shipping!

So what exactly makes this PC so baby friendly? Well.. let me tell you! Easy PC allows children to use a computer, safely and easily, with a special keyboard that is designed for their small hands, and special software programs that have phenomenal educational and play value. So not only is it stimulating their minds but it's also saving your wallet! Most PCs these days are $600+ and you have to sell your arm and possibly your leg to get one in this economy. Well.. Easy PC retails for about $70 and comes with the First Steps software so you can play it straight out of the box. So your wallet will get a break as well as your own keyboard.

My daughter loves playing at the computer and I'll let her listen to music on it or bang the crap out of the keys type in a word document or something. My computer would like a break though and I'm hoping this Easy PC will be in our household for Kylee's birthday this year. But..because I have to blog to spread the word.. head on over to Blogger Mommies and enter.. but not too much.. because this win is meant to be ours!

One, Toooo, Teee

So I have discovered that Kylee will count to three if you start by saying "One" and hold up a finger. I used my camera to catch it on video so the quality isn't stellar.. but it sure is darn cute! I say "One" and she says "Tooooo" "Teee" !!! Love it, don't ya? I figured. (Oh and please ignore the fact that I need a manicure something fierce and terrible.)

Wait! What?

Wait! Are you trying to tell me that my baby girl is going to be 11 months old tomorrow? What? Are you positive about that? I'm pretty sure I just gave birth to that big headed and big hearted babe with a big attitude not that long ago.



Wait! So that means I have ONE month to get all of her birthday plans in order. I don't do well under pressure. I never have. What am I going to do? Well.. besides stress until my hair falls out.. I'm going to get my ass in gear and finalize some things and order some things and wipe my tears away while doing it all.



One thing I am mucho excited about is the long awaited day where I didn't have to buy formula anymore. What person in their right mind likes shelling out a kidney and a right arm every month to buy powdered milk in a can? Not I... Not I... and on that note..I wanna throw out a big thanks to my boobs for failing me.. Nice job!



We're going to start using the sippy cup more and slowly taking away the bottle. I'm just waiting for Kylee to realize that a sippy is waaaaa-aaaay cooler than a stinky old bottle. But you know Kylee.. she does what she wants...when she wants..how she wants. But our goal is to cut the bottle shortly after she turns 1.



WAIT! What was the point of this post again? I mean aside from the fact that I've neglected this blog for how many days now.. The point of this blog was to inform you all that my baby girl is going to be 11 months old tomorrow and I'm not ready.




Wait! What's that? Yes.. we already had our first snow. Yes..I went and bought my cutie some winter snow attire that very same day. Yes...it all melted the next day. Nebraska........

Spring, Summer, WINTER?!

Well.. it's not really Winter right now. I was clearly being dramatic and what else is new? Although it's not Winter..these nipple freezing cold temperatures sure could lead someone to believe that Fall has taken to hibernating for the year. We have no snow, but we're waking up to high 30's and lower 40's and crazy strong winds.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons because I love opening the windows and getting the fresh, cool, crisp air moving through my house. Well..in these temperatures if we open the windows not only is it bone chilling air that comes in, but a small tornado starts in my house because the winds are so strong. I also thought I would be able to sit out back and enjoy a few drinks with Tim this time of year without dying of heat stroke or acquiring the ever sexy swamp ass. Alas..that idea is out the window too. You get blown away or frozen to your seat if you sit outside at night now.

So I'm going to go drop an email to Mother Nature real quick and ask her when she's going to stop jerking me around and give me my damn Fall weather. Until she responds though, I will continue to stay cooped up in my house, dressed head to toe (not literally) in anything made of fleece, wool, or heavy cotton and observe "Fall" through the window. Thanks Mother Nature. You suck.

Moby Wrap: Save my Back!

So I have no complaints about our stroller. It's amazing and I looo-oooove it! But..there are times when I want to run into the store for an item or two...or places we go where it's just not very stroller-friendly. Times like this..it would be nice to have something that would make carrying an almost 23lb 10 month old a tad bit easier. So, when I found out that Kelly, from Baby, Naturally was having a giveaway for a Moby Wrap, I was ecstatic! This giveaway is in honor of International Babywearing Week too, of course! So hop on over and give it a go and try to win yourself a Moby Wrap to keep that precious bundle of yours close and comforted.

Fuzzi Fuzzi Fuzzi Bunz!

Yes..that's right I said Fuzzi three times..and that's because..
Over at The First Time Around there's a giveaway going on to win 3 Fuzzibunz OS diapers. That's right folks. Count em.. 1..2..3 diapers! And who doesn't want to win that? I know I sure do! We have one Fuzzibunz in this house, and I love it! We don't have an OS though, and I would LOVE to try them out. So go on over, check it out, enter if you dare, and pray that we you win!

Win Sum Dypaz!

Anyways...

Cloth Diaper Tips is giving away 6..yes 6 bumGenius 3.0 diapers! Which is an amazing offer and even a greater win for one lucky mama (or papa I guess..). So I'm really hoping it's me because we haven't tried the bumGenius diapers yet and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to as I've heard nothing but great things about them. There's a possibility of 5 entries..and I'm hoping that's enough to get me the win! So go check it out..enter..and when I win, cheer me on and if you feel like it send me more free diapers! We love em here!

http://clothdiapertips.com/contest-six-bumgenius-3-0-one-size-cloth-diapers/#comment-644

OH poops!

Yep..that's pretty much what I've been up to lately. Kylee has had the world's worst diarrhea which has also resulted in the world's worst diaper rash. Luckily two days later it's finally starting to clear up and hopefully all the toast I've been putting in this little lady will start kicking in and things will go back to normal. I'm thinking it may be the result of her eating her weight in Chili's food AND teething. I don't care (I do...) what's causing it..I just want it to stop! I've been COATING her butt in rash cream we got from the hospital after I wipe her off w/ some butt cubes spray and a cloth wipe...and slowly we've been getting some progress. Sadly..we have switched back to sposies for the time being because my washing machine doesn't even deserve to be ran as many times as we'd need to if she were in cloth. (We don't have any flushable liners or she would still be in cloth) I kid you not when I say I've been changing her diapers anywhere from 2-4 times PER HOUR! As soon as I hear the dreaded sound..I'm on her like a moth to a flame. Because I know the longer it sits in there..the worst the rash will get. It's a good thing Kylee is a fan of Pedialyte because she's been swimming in it for a day and a half now. We're avoiding dehydration and Kylee thinks she's getting a yummy grape treat. She has been in GREAT spirits though which is why I've decided it's a reaction to something she ate and not a virus. She hasn't had a fever either. I'm not a doctor..but I've decided she's not sick, but her bum is reacting from something her royal chubbiness ate a couple days ago.

In other "medical" news..Kylee will be having surgery on her tear duct to open that sucker up. This poor girl wakes up with her eye matted shut, her eye is constantly watering and gooping, and quite frankly we're both tired of it. It's a really simple procedure with a 95% success rate on the first go. So odds are in our favor. Right now we're just sorting out and dealing with the insurance company to get her approved. We switched insurance companies almost 2 months ago..and so we're trying to get the "pre-existing" crap waved. I tell ya..insurance companies are quite the pain in the ass. If they don't wave this...not only will I be one pissed mama they don't want to deal with...but I think we're just going to have to wait it out until it finally decides to go away. I mean..I've never met someone my age with a clogged tear duct..so I'm sure she'll eventually grow out of it. But it's just something we want to get resolved now because it's getting harder and harder to pin this girl down to wipe crusty booger looking blobs out of her eye just so she can see out of both eyes.

Yummy eye booger creeping down onto her cheek

While I'm blogging, I guess I could give a little update on the chunky angel. She's 22+ lbs now and getting "taller" it seems every day. Or maybe it just seems that way because she's learned to stand on tiptoe and find everything I try and stash away 'out of her sight'. I have contemplated boxing up the whole house except the couch, tv, computer, and her toys. It really has crossed my mind. She's still a crawling machine and gets around quite quickly. She's also thrown some walking into the mix..of course she has to hold onto something to make any distance. Usually she's holding onto someones hand, her walking toy, or objects around the house. She gets around our house just fine independently..she just holds onto everything and the walls. She's starting to refuse the bottle unless she's starving and loves drinking out of her straw sippy cup. She doesn't eat any baby food anymore (except some of the Graduates snacks) and eats pretty much everything we do. Her favorites are toast, bananas, spaghetti w/ meatballs, and hamburgers. This girl loves her meat and breads. She's not a juice girl (which I don't mind at all) but she loves her ice water. She's still very addicted to books and music and her baby friends. I can't believe she's going to be 10 months old tomorrow. I say it all the time..but time is just going SO fast.

Speed Demon!

So we got a walker toy for Kylee from my MOM friend, Lindsay. Let me just say.. Kylee LOVES it! She looks for it when she gets up in the morning, after naps, etc. She has been so fast w/ walking from the very first time she tried it out. Steering on the other hand...she's gonna need some practice..or maybe take some driver's ed. But it's my go to toy when she's being cranky and normally it puts her in a good mood right away. Best $5 I've ever spent. We're working on getting a spare to have for grandma's house, aunt and uncle's house..pretty much anywhere that's not at home. Enjoy the video...Kylee does. She cried when I quit letting her watch it (she LOVES herself) and had her do something else (she watched it seriously 8 times!)


I apologize for the poor quality video..who wants to buy me an actual video recorder so I can stop using my camera? Eh?

She's a Smartipants!!

One of my favorite diaper wins from my latest blog giveaway obsession has been hands down.. Smartipants! I was so excited when I found out I won this diaper because I had heard many many wonderful things about it. We chose pink because we don't have any pink diapers and I think my princess looks great in a nice pale pink. Our diaper shipped quickly and I received 1 Smartipants diaper and 2 Smart Sleeve inserts. This is rarely my go to diaper during the day because it's my #1 go to diaper for overnights. Kylee sleeps between 12 and 13 hours a night and this diaper holds up and then some.

So what makes this diaper so great you ask?

WELL... first of all, one of my favorite features is that you don't have to take the inserts out when you put the diaper in the wash..they come out during the wash cycle! So no more touching of the icky and nasty to rescue your inserts.

Smartipants diapers also keep moisture contained AND your babies bottom dry at the same time! I love changing Kylee and seeing that her bottom wasn't just hanging out in a small puddle of her urine (which happens with disposables and a lot of AIO diapers). They are made with “breathable” fibers that are free from any chemicals or irritants which is great against sensitive baby skin. These are also some of the most absorbent diapers we've ever used.

(The only time we've EVER had a leak was when I chose to let Kylee sleep instead of waking her up to change her. She had been in her Smartipants with a single insert for 5 hours when all was said and done. Her bed and clothes were soaked. But keep in mind, we went to a playdate, shopping, and she napped for 2 hours in this diaper. NOT TO MENTION..she drank a whole sippy of water while on our playdate. I'm lucky leaking onto her clothes and bed was all that happened.)

Smartipants are also AMAZING on your bank account, wallet, piggy bank, or whatever else you store your precious earnings in. You can get a 3pk of Smartipants for less than $40.00 and each diaper comes with an absorbent insert. You can't get better quality for a better price anywhere. In fact I dare you to try and find a better diaper at a better price..and when you do let me know. (I don't expect to hear from you anytime soon...)

So needless to say..my family is a HUGE fan of Smartipants. (Even my fiance because they are so easy to put on, snap, and go!) So if you're still putting your baby in horrible disposable diapers and stinking up our already stank landfills... stop. Save our planet and save your wallet. Buy Smartipants. You won't regret it!

Holy 9 Months, Baby!

Well... as usual..time is still flying and my princess is growing older every day. This past week she turned the big 9 months. Well it's not really 'the big'..but putting that in front of 9 months makes it seem more unbelievable and crazy! She celebrated by having a playdate with her boyfriend, Ethan (aka being babysat by his mommy so I could go to a meeting). They had a great time which was to be expected. Those two are just too darn cute together!So what has Kylee been up to lately? Well..she has turned into quite the crawling machine! This girl is fast. One minute she's there..and the next minute she's gone. She has also gotten really good about going from laying, to sitting, to standing, to cruising along the furniture. She can also stand solo for about 5-10 seconds. So it's only a matter of time before she's cruising on her feet. She LOVES to dance. Oddly enough she really loves polka music (I blame that on endless hours at the St. Stan's Polish festival...meh, I guess it could be worse...) and can 'drop it like it's hot' like no other baby I've seen. She REALLY loves books. If you pick up a book and she's insight of you, she will crawl over and sit in your lap. She LOVES to help by turning the pages. This girl also loves nature. She is SO happy and vocal when she's outside and seeing different people. We also think she might be a little boy crazy already. She loves her Ethan but she also giggles and hides her face when she's around boys/men in general. We've also really gotten into cloth diapering with her. Her diaper rash issue has cleared up SO much since the switch too. Not to mention our wallets aren't as bare due to excessive disposable purchases. It's nice. AND as of two days ago, Kylee FINALLY has 2 teeth coming in on the bottom. I still can't picture my baby girl with teeth..like I never thought it would happen or something. She is also starting to sport some hair. SOME being the key word..but it's coming in. Light brown with lots of blonde in it. I can't wait to see it in its full glory. I'm not tooting my own horn or anything (toot toot) but I seriously have one GORGEOUS baby girl! She has also become food crazy. Anytime she sees anyone eating something..she MUST have it. It doesn't matter if she just ate not too long ago..clearly we never feed her..and she has to have everyone else's food. She's too cool for baby food most of the time and wants the real deal. This girl would live on toast, yogurt, and fruit if I let her. But alas..she must also eat meats and grains. I know..I know..what a horrible mommy I am for trying to make her eat balanced meals. I think one day she'll appreciate me for it.



I also think this baby girl is going to be in swim lessons before we know it. She craves her baby pool and stalks the bathroom door until she's given a bath. The second she hears the water running she bolts for the bathroom door and when it's time to come out, she's sad faces and tears. Gosh I love my little water baby.



Anyways..that's 9 month Kylee in a nutshell. Her little personality is growing and developing so much every day and it's so fun to experience. She's such a happy and outgoing baby and I couldn't ask for more. (Although I would like her to stop bullying the smaller babies in our playgroup.....sorry Fi and Alex..) I can't wait to see what the future has in store for our precious hunk of amazing wonderfulness. I know it's going to be great!

Stats

Weight: 21lbs 13oz (90%)

Height: 29 inches (70%)

Head Cir: 47.5 cm. (97%) --yikes!--

Dream Eze AIO Review

So thanks to the Fluff Friday giveaways over at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer website.. I was able to win 2 Dream Eze AIO cloth diapers a few weeks ago. I hadn't tried an AIO on Kylee before and was really excited to see how they held up. So as soon as they were delivered I popped those babies in the washer and gave them two good washings on the hot cycle and dried them. We received a Mandarin and a Blackberry and the color did not fade a bit in the washing machine. After a few hours of waiting..I snapped one on her precious bottom. So..how did they hold up? What are the pros and cons? Well... let me tell you. BUT first, I'll give you a few facts and whatnot on the Dream Eze AIO diaper.

*Convenient -- no pockets to stuff/unstuff.

*Simple to use --great for dads and daycares

*Certified Organic peroxide bleached, cotton inner, no synthetics.

*Absorbent. The most absorbent AlO available on the market today

*Waterproof soft TPU outer

*Unique soaker design means your Dream-Eze AlOs will be easy to clean and quick to dry

*Durable snap closures..no worry about fraying

Alright... you still with me? So those are some basic facts about the Dream Eze AIO. The nice thing about AIOs is they're are SO simple and anyone should be able to use them without complication.

Now..how do we like the Dream Eze in this house? Well..I have mixed feelings about them. At first I was ready to toss them in the trash or turn the liners into rags for cleaning around my house because I was fed up with the quality of the diaper. I put one on Kylee for 2 hours and when I changed her the first liner was wet..but not completely soaked and the 2nd liner was barely even damp. I was pretty amazed. THEN came nap time. I figured since the Dream Eze had held up so great for the previous 2 hours, surely it could hold up for nap time. So, I put another one on her bum, put her in her crib, and officially began "Operation Dry Sheets Naptime".. or so I thought... almost 3 hours later I went and got my princess. What did I find? A SOAKED sheet!!! I rescued my daughter from her small lagoon very wet bed and removed her diaper. The top liner was wet, the bottom liner was dry..which led me to believe that my poor tummy sleeper baby had fallen victim to a leak coming straight from the top of her diaper. I tossed both diapers in the washing machine and washed them 4 cycles on hot and dried them again. Next day..repeat Day 1..another leak!! Not as bad..but still wet sheet! Ugh! So I held off on this diaper for nap time for a while and just kept it in the daytime diaper cycle. Well.. today after these diapers had gone through many hot washes..I decided to try one for naptime again. So almost 3 hours later..I go in.. and what do I find? DRY SHEETS!! So I'm guessing these are the kind of diapers that need lots of hot washes before they start becoming absorbant. I'm glad they finally are starting to do their job!

SO..aside from needing many washing before becoming absorbant..what are the other downsides to this diaper you ask? Well... there are only 4 color options to choose from. Which isn't a horrible thing..but I do like some variety in life. Another thing is the elastic that is at the back of the diaper is SO tight that it does leave some markings on my daughter's back. They're not terrible..but it's a reason that I don't grab for this diaper first. Another issue I have is that these diapers take SO long to dry. Which I know is very common with AIOs. But it is something that is a negative in my book.

Dream Eze AIO diapers have a very narrow crotch which I thought I was going to hate and it was going to leak because of this reason. Well..it turns out I have grown to like the narrow crotch and it makes for a better fit. SO.. overall.. this diaper isn't horrible. But it's not the first diaper I go for..maybe the 3rd or 4th. It's great for daytime and naptime but I don't dare use it for overnight.

Piggy Toes

So.. my latest obsession of blog giveaways has been very rewarding to me so far this month. One of my wins was a $20 gift card to Piggy Paint. Piggy Paint is a non-toxic fingernail polish that is designed especially for precious little girls. The best part is.. there's no smelly odors and none of the toxic chemicals that are in other fingernail polishes!

My experience with the people working for Piggy Paint was wonderful! I was having an issue with getting the code for my gift card to work and Laurie Marcolla, the marketing director, remedied the situation immediately without any hesitation. I received our order a few days later and I give major props to her and the company for giving great service to their customers.

ANYWAYS..back to the wonderful product that this post is all about!

Here are the ingredients of Piggy Paint (from their website..so straight from the source!)

Piggy Paint™ Ingredients:
Water, water-miscible acrylic resins and thickeners (well below 100 parts per million), glycol ethers. May contain mica, D&C red lake, ultramarine blue, iron and titanium oxide pigments.

Piggy Paint recommends using 2-3 thin coats and allowing 60 seconds for air drying. For me..I have a 9 month old daughter. Asking her to sit still for 60 seconds is nearly impossible unless she is sleeping. OR...eating! So it was perfect timing that our Piggy Paint was delivered minutes before Kylee was due for her afternoon bottle. So while my little princess was devouring her bottle like a savage consuming her bottle like a lady..I was giving her a little pedicure!

We chose the Fight Breast Cancer gift pack because I loved both shades of pink that came with it PLUS it's for a good cause. It's also very reasonably priced at $16.99 and comes in a very cute package! But let me tell you..this was not an easy decision. Piggy Paint has SO many fun colors!! They have everything from Clouds of Candy (Pastel Blue) to Sleepover Polish (Midnight Black) with some Mac-n-Cheese Please (Vibrant Orange) on the side. So you really can't go wrong in picking out a color because they are all so great! And if you really like living on the wild side..I'm sure you'll love picking one or many of the awesome gift packs Piggy Paint has to offer!

Your order won't be complete though without Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover! This is a must have!

Why is Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover the best choice for your little girl you may ask? Because it's...

Safe

Odorless
Made from natural ingredients
No Acetone

Hypoallergenic

Biodegradable

AND not to mention it comes in a really cute bottle!!

So why are you still reading this? Take yourself on over to the Piggy Paint website and get your many bottles of oh-too-cute fingernail polish and pamper yourself and the princess in your life now.

Look at my princess' precious toes!!

Is it Nap Time Yet?

Well for Kylee it is..which means I can actually sit down and think about a post for more than 2 minutes. She started crawling a few weeks ago...which means nothing is safe and everything is up for grabs. At first it was this really awkward zombie-like-movement crawl and then the next day she was off and gone and we were 'eating her dust' so to speak. And now..she's crawling from dawn to dusk and repeats it all the next day. She is also pulling up onto things and moving along furniture and people..so I've been told it's only going to be a matter of time before she's WALKING..Is it nap time yet? I knew this was all bound to happen but I thought maybe I'd have 1...2...8 years to prepare..boy was I wrong.

In other news...we have joined the cloth diapering world. It all started because of this woman I know..let's call her Megan..who eats, drinks, and breathes cloth. Well maybe she doesn't eat it ..or drink it...but I'm pretty sure she breathes it and lives it. So I started looking around and checking out some fluffy butt covers and decided prefolds and covers were the only thing in our budget. THEN I won this lovely giveaway from here and now I'm addicted to the 'fancy' cloth diapers and live on giveaways and can't wait until I can start building the most amazing and wonderful stash ever! I'm pretty sure part of Kylee's 1st birthday is going to contain gifts of cloth from 'mama' and 'dada'..she'll love it as well as her mama! I've also discovered a love for this soap which smells SO amazing that you pretty much have to force yourself not to eat it..or bath in it..or stick some under your pillow at night just so you don't forget how wonderful it smells. (Okay..that's a bit much, I agree..but I'm telling you...AMAZING!)

In other news outside of cloth diapering... I have been going crazy (only somewhat) trying to come up with ideas for Kylee's 1st birthday party. Yes..it's a little over 3 months away but this isn't something you can just throw together overnight. I've already found a lovely boutique online that I'm going to be ordering her dress from in a couple of months and I've talked to my friend Jess about cake/cupcake ideas..but I still haven't decided anything official and I don't want to stress and pull out my hair the closer her birthday gets and I have nothing planned other than a BEAUTIFUL dress and amazing friends and family who will celebrate with us. I've been thinking pink, light purple, and maybe even a pale yellow as colors and a cupcake theme... but then I also love the idea of ladybugs and butterflies and I know this amazing lady..Jess..who could for sure help me create an amazing cake if I ask nicely.. Again..no idea. So what have the 1st birthday parties for your little ones been like? Did you go big? Small? Did you have a theme? Or just colors? Save my sanity..

Gro Baby

I would really like to try out the Gro Baby company. The blackberry shell set looks very appealing! What I love about Gro Baby is that they have snap in soaker pads and reusable outter shells. I like simplicity with quality and Gro Baby seems to have that. My daughter has eczema and very sensitive skin and I think Gro Baby will do a great job in preventing diaper rash as well as keeping her little bum comfy due to the soft organic cotton inside of their diapers. My sweet baby girl also has a narrow waist but very chunky thighs and I think Gro Baby would be an amazing diaper when it comes to preventing leaks because their diapers have adjustable snaps to get that snug but not too tight fit. I would be very pleased if I was able to receive a Gro Baby from the offer going on at http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby%E2%84%A2-ic-11_16.html . I think my daughter would also be very pleased!

Growing Like a Weed

Yes..that would be my daughter. The world's most beautiful, humorous, and amazing "weed". Only she's not really a weed. But she sure is growing like one. I'm very excited to get her stats next month and see just how much she has grown. I know my arms get sore after about 4.5 seconds of carrying her around. She's looking taller and her brains are clearly growing because her noggin is getting somewhat bigger.

Along with her growing..her love of food is blossoming as well. This girl LOVES to eat! Her favorites include Cheerios, berry applesauce, toast, steamed broccoli, and yogurt. We occasionally still do stage 3 foods but she's mostly eating whatever we eat. (Usually because when she sees us eating she starts a small riot..demanding our food in her belly). She does really great with her sippy cup too and loves ice water. She's not a fan of juice..which I don't mind at all. She's still working on her pincher grip because she's having difficulty getting her cheerios from her hand into her mouth. It's a work in progress.

She is also working on crawling. It's SO close to being there. She makes the crawling motion and will even move a small distance. But she hasn't made consistent crawling motions. It's only a matter of time..and while I am excited...it also means that absolutely nothing will be safe any longer. She really loves to walk. Of course she isn't doing it by herself but she loves it when you hold her hands and let her walk with you. Down the halls...outside in the grass..at the park...in the bathtub..pretty much anywhere her feet touch. She has almost got the hang of pulling herself up too. I'm really intrigued to see what this next month brings us.

One thing she does JUST FINE is screech scream so loud it makes our eyes and ears bleed vocalize. She babbles mostly but does say "dada" "dad" "mum" (what is she, British?) "no" "eye" (which is what she repeats after you say hi to her five thousand a few times) and ""oh". It's so sweet! She also screams, yells, hollers, and whines with no problem. It's not so sweet!

I say this all the time... BUT..I really can't believe 8 months have already gone by. I really can't believe she will be a year old in 4 months. I really can't believe my baby is getting so big. Everyone always says to cherish the times when they are this little because it goes so fast. It really does. I feel like I've blinked a few times since leaving the hospital with her..and here we are. Being a mother...especially to this baby girl...it's the best a most wonderful experience I've ever had. I never imagined I would love being a mother this much. It is my greatest accomplishment in life and I can't imagine existing without her (and Tim..but this IS Kylee's post after all... lol). Here's to hoping life slows down a little bit..and I stop blinking.

I love you Kylee Lynn. Always. Forever.

Blog Giveaways

SO I'm hoping to join the world of blog giveaways. I've seen and entered into some really awesome ones. (Currently I'm hoping to win one my friend Jessie is doing for a 3pk of Fuzzibunz cloth diapers!!)

Right now I'm in contact with the Kid O company in New York (that has GREAT toys and products..especially if you like toys with great design and wonderful educational purposes!). I'm hoping to be able to do a giveaway on their Bilibo toy. It's a pretty basic looking toy but is definitely an imagination stimulator! You should head on over to their site and check out what they have to offer..I'm sure you'll be sucked in like I was.

So..what's your favorite giveaway that you've done OR your favorite giveaway you've entered?

Mine is a toss up between Jessie's current giveaway (because I'm REALLY thinking about CDing) or a SKR giveaway I entered a while ago.

Happy 4th of July

From our family..to yours! We hope yours was fun-filled and amazing!!

Well I have to say July 4th of 2009 goes down in the books as one of the COLDEST and WETTEST I remember in my 24 years of life. The morning started out chilly with drizzle. I had to work for a few hours in the morning. Which wasn't awful. I went with some of the clients who didn't go home for the holiday to lunch. Then I went home and rested up for what was going to be a long night. We all got dressed in our patriotic colors! Tim wore red..for valor and hardiness. Kylee wore white.. for purity and innocence. I wore blue.. for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. We're proud Americans like that!

We were going to go to the Ralston Parade. Seeing as how it's like the largest Independence Day parade in the state..HOWEVER..the weather wasn't very parade friendly and I didn't want to drive in the slowest moving traffic to find a parking spot millions of miles away from the parade route only to be rained out.. So we stayed home and enjoyed each others' company and just vegged in our pj's and watched some tv.

Later in the day we went down the street to Tim's sister and brother-in-law's house for a BBQ and some fireworks. (With hoodies, fleece jammies (Kylee), and blankets in tow) Kylee enjoyed some green beans and rice and shared some Cheerios with her cousin (it was too cute). The rest of us enjoyed burgers, hot dogs, chips, pasta salad, and corn on the cob. I won't tell you that I ate two hamburgers and two corn on the cobs. Because THAT would be just down right disgusting. But, in my defense, I didn't eat a big lunch because I was preparing for the fabulousness of grilled food. (Not that I need to justify my "diet"..I'm just saying...) I was preparing for Kylee to go into a full blown meltdown because after waking up at 1:30 that afternoon..she hadn't had another nap..Needless to say..I was surprised! She was still going strong at 9:30 last night after only having like a 10 minute "nap". The fireworks didn't scare her..she LOVED watching them. The big booms made her jump, but didn't scare her. She enjoyed watching everyone and chatting it up. We got home about 9:45 and she was more than ready for a "ba-ba" and "ni-night". Our neighbors had other plans though. They were up doing fireworks until about 2am. Poor baby girl didn't get very good sleep at all. Just as she would start to doze off..BOOM!!! But overall..our first family 4th was quite the success. We'll see if she's loving the fireworks as much next year (her almost 2 year old cousin was NOT loving them).

Store Brand vs Name Brand

So I've never considered myself a "Name Brand Snob"..you know..people who refuse to buy anything other than name brand products. Now forgive me if this is you. There's nothing wrong with name brand. I buy name brand products too. But it just drives me crazy when someone refuses to buy store brand (even if they haven't tried it) JUST because it IS store brand. I always give something a chance. Hey, if it's going to save me money..why not? If I don't like it..then I just will keep buying the name brand. Simple enough.

I remember before having Kylee..I asked my MOM group about the big difference between name brand and store brand diapers. I was thinking to myself..why not save some cash and just buy the cheap diapers. They all hold poo right? Name brand diapers aren't lined in gold or anything..so why pay more? Well shortly after Kylee was born I found out that store brand (at least WalMarts) diapers are about as useful as a parka in the summer. They were horrible. She leaked all day, every day. That was the end of store brand diapers.

Then the other day I sent Tim (bless his heart) to pick up a wipe refill pack (Pampers Sensitive all the way)..he came back with some Kroger-ish brand. Hmm..I figured..why not. give it a try. I might has well been wiping her butt with my own hand..slightly damp. These were the driest, thinnest wipes I've ever used. We went through them much faster than our usual brand because you had to triple them up just to avoid getting her lovely teething/eating solids poo on your hands. I was so happy today to pick up a refill at the store. And an added bonus..Pampers is making Sensitives Thick now! Sweet days!

So diapers and wipes MUST be name brand. Papmers to be specific. But there are things I will buy store brand. Milk is almost guaranteed to be store brand (unless there's an out-of-this-world sale on Roberts) because milk is milk. I can't taste the difference so it doesn't matter to me. I also buy Kylee's cereal puffs store brand but usually Gerber food (believe it or not..it's cheaper than the store brand at Bakers). I have Tim buying cheaper beer and smokes these days (yes..he's back to smoking..........) because Budweiser wants your soul and first born these days for a 12 pack and Marlboro is only accepting kidneys and small intestines these days in payment. Screw that! You wanna poison your body baby...you're going to do it cheaply. Right?

Papers towels and toilet paper are a name brand must. My backside demands it..and I'd rather use 1 towel on a spill than 8 plus the mop. Tissues too...my nose is sensitive and I HATE having the uber red and flaked up nose during allergy time because I'm wiping my nose with a brillo pad disguised as a store brand tissue.

But anyways..this whole post came about because this older lady whining in line at Bakers this morning at the price of her cans of diet drink (SlimFast)..well...there is another brand..a cheaper one you could..*gasp*..try! I swear..Kroger doesn't put rat poison in their products anymore it's okay to try them. Who knows..you may actually like them (since most things don't taste any different then a name brand) and your wallet may be thanking you.

Thanks for listening to my rant. Next time you're hitting the store..try the store brand of something you usually buy name brand. I dare you.

Never Pleased

sat⋅is⋅fac⋅tion [sat-is-fak-shuhn]

–noun
1.
an act of satisfying; fulfillment; gratification.
2.
the state of being satisfied; contentment.
3.
the cause or means of being satisfied.

Blah, blah, blah, etc, etc...

Basically I have found that I'm having a hard time finding this lately. Satisfaction, that is. I've decided that I may be somewhat greedy needy particular in how I like things.

I did quite the research looking up and asking about different banana bread recipes. Finally picked one that looked promising..and made it. Now, it's not HORRIBLE. It's not even bad to be honest. It's just not the slice of perfection that I had envisioned in my head. I was satisfied..but I know there could have been improvement.

The weather. I hate the rain and clouds but I love the cooler temperatures that usually come with said weather. I hate the rain and clouds but I also hate when it's flesh-frying hot outside and I burn off breakfast and half of lunch just going to check the mail. Again..not satisfied with this summer weather business. (I think my daughter is taking after me as well..uh oh)

My appearance..it's high time that I start burning off this baby weight that I've been holding onto like Octomom to her "celebrity status"...Yes..I've been holding onto it THAT tight! I've finished mechanically breastfeeding (aka pumping) so I don't need to eat as much as I was trying to keep up my supply..so I just need to get to it so I can start wearing some of my old clothes that have been taken hostage by spider webs and dust bunnies on the top shelf of the closet. Body = not satisfied.

Along with my appearance..I am most definitely not pleased with my diet. As much as I wish Hershey w/ almond bars were equivalent in calories to say.. a carrot stick.. it's never going to happen. So I actually need to pick up that carrot stick and say goodbye to Hershey, amatuer-baked banana bread, and all the other less than good-for-me foods I've been shoving into my mouth the last few months. Diet = not satisfied (but it sure is yummy)

My housekeeping/motherly/wifely duties have also been getting neglected lately (I have been blaming this on an awful work schedule..but it's time I take responsibility for my lack of ambitions.) It's time to stop piling and hiding laundry and actually.. *gasp* get it downstairs to the laundry room. Dusting needs to happen before those dust bunnies which I mentioned earlier start carrying away my chunky princess. Ugh! Just thinking about tackling the neglected things in my house make me want to toss my cookies. You can say with absolute certainty that I am less than satisfied in this department.

So I guess in order to acquire this desired satisfaction ... I should probably remove myself from this comfy, welcoming computer chair and find my way to a broom, mop, and hazmat suit. Right? Okay then...

OH, and here's my chunky princess!!

She's not satisfied either..

Ignorance is Breeding

So this whole post is going to be one giant rant. So if you're not into listening to me bitch about how tired I am of ignorant people...you may want to direct your browser elsewhere.

I think of myself as a pretty easy going person. I tend to educate the uniformed rather than jump down their throats. I said I tend to..it doesn't ALWAYS happen. But..I realize..not everyone knows everything about all things. Myself included, of course. But give me a freakin break..are you going to tell me you weren't raised learning respect, common courtesy, and learning how to ...keep-your-damn-mouth-shut-if-what-you're-going-to-say-could-be-offensive?? I mean..it seems pretty simple to me. It's something I plan on teaching my own children. But apparently...not every family thinks the same way.

The purpose of this post is that I am SO tired of informing people of how I am related to Kylee..my daughter...the life that was conceived and GREW INSIDE OF MY BODY!! Not that it's any of their business. I could be her hired nanny or her kidnapper...but NO, I am her mother. Yes..I am biracial...yes she has her father's skin tone..which believe it or not..happens to be WHITE (most of the year anyway..unless I force him out into the evils known as ..sunshine). Now, just because you see me composed of olive skin and black hair...and a beautiful baby girl with light brown/blonde hair and pale skin...this does NOT mean I am:
A> Her babysitter
B> Her ADOPTED mother
C> An extended family member (i.e. her aunt)

So please...to save your face from meeting a fist...NEVER..I repeat NEVER..question a relationship status of someone based solely on their skin color. It's tacky and disrespectful. So when I'm at Wal-hell please don't look at my daughter and say.."Look at all the yummy food your babysitter is getting you..you're a lucky girl!" ...because I will jump over the damned register and beat your face into the dirty, mucked up floor you stand on day in and day out. I mean..seriously..who says that?!?! Also..never ask me if I adopted her. You look like trash and you sound like trash and I will pass my baby to the person standing nearest to me and I will repeat the attack I blessed the Wal-hell cashier with. No joke.

I would never in my LIFE ever ask anyone some of the questions I've been asked about how I'm related to my daughter. Never. Yes. I am a BI-RACIAL mother who had a baby with a WHITE man..and believe it the f$#@ not..my baby did get BOTH of our DNA's...and she did come out with my eye shape..but her father's color. My lips but her father's chin. My face shape..but her father's skin tone!! Holy shit balls! Can you believe it? Now crawl back in the whole you manifested from..and leave me and my "complicated" family alone. Thanks!

Life After 6 Months

So..it's pretty much been decades weeks since I've last blogged. The reasoning for that? Well..it seems lately whenever I attempt to sit down for longer than 10 minutes in Kylee's presence..all hell breaks loose! She has turned into a beast demon challenge of sorts.. I understand the poor girl is in pain and is cranky due to the fact that teeth are wanting to bust through her gums at any minute. But holy funk..give a mama a break! She's got a small case of baby PMS as well. Sweet... Happy/Sad Laughing/Crying Baby/Monster. It's been oh so wonderful.

On an amazing note though..she has said MOM twice!!! Both times were when she was angry and yelling..but nonetheless..her first word! Did I have my camera on and set to video? No..believe it or not..I dont sit around with the camera pointed at Kylee every minute of the day. Although..that IS an idea..since daddy isn't believing that Kylee has uttered her first words. Jealousy is ugly..very ugly. She's also doing a commando crawl ...backwards...but a "crawl" regardless. She gets some pretty good distance doing so. Which means...BABY PROOFING..here we come...awesome.. I mean I thought it was enough that we weren't leaving knives, blades, lighters, box cutters, etc laying around but now we have to actually put some serious work and effort into keeping this bundle of joy safer? Alright...but ONLY because she's so damn cute!

At her 6 month check up this dear sweet baby was 18lbs 14oz (90%) 26.5 inches long (75%) and had a melonhead that's 45cm around (95%). My baby girl has quite the head full of lots of smart brains. She also has some of the cutest leg rolls this side of the Mississippi. Anywho..she did alright getting her shots. She definitely gave the nurse a piece of her mind. The Doctor found a murmur while listening to her heart so we had to go to Children' Hospital (again...) and have an echo done. Fear not..it is nothing life threatening. They hope that she'll grow out of it or that it will at least become less apparent.

Kylee now loves sleeping 12ish hours a night. Which is pretty much amazing. She also takes 2 naps a day..or one really long one. Depending on the day. She also loves playing with her younger cousin, Jackson. I have a feeling they're going to be the best of friends. He's not so fond of her loving his toys though. But he sure loves wearing her sunglasses. We have discovered though that Kylee HATES dogs. Especially the loud,barky kind. She cries and tries to get away. Which means we hopefully never have to own a dog ever again. I love looking and playing with dogs. But I would much rather own a cat. They pretty much take care of themselves and don't demand constant attention.

So I'm pretty sure that Kylee has become as much of an addict to the camera as I am to taking her picture. The second she hears the camera turn on..she looks to find out where it's at. When she realizes it's pointed at her..she's ALL smiles..what have I created?

I have also started the slow process of weaning her off of breastmilk. I am ready to have my body back and start working on getting it into some sort of shape other than..blob... She will have had 7 months of it by the time I "quit" and I feel that's adequate enough and she's not going to die or stop thriving because of it. Now if I took away her yogurt..that might be a differnt story..that girl is SERIOUSLY addicted. I think if I let her have it more than every other day for breakfast she might all together refuse anything but it.

So..there's Kylee to date pretty much. It's been a great 6 months. I can't believe how fast it has gone. She's such an amazing and precious baby. I can't believe how blessed I am to have her in my life. I look forward to watching her grow and develop as time goes on. But for now..I'm going to enjoy the cuddles, kisses, and giggles!