New Ride

I picked up a "throw away" stroller at a consignment store last weekend. I've been needing something to take on airplanes with me that I won't be devastated about if I lose. This one fits the bill. It has a nice big basket underneath, cupholders for the adults, snack/cup tray for the kiddo, and seems to push nicely. I wish it folded in an umbrella style, but for $35 you make do. :) Originally $140, so I think I got a great deal!

Vroom Vroom - all ready for the Big Easy!

Joseph hiding the Pirate Parrot in the basket

The basket is at the perfect height for Joseph to help push!

Thred Up!

I heard about Thred Up, new clothing swap site for kids from one of my favorite bloggers a few weeks ago. The idea is that you list groups of your clothing by season/size/gender, put it all in a medium flat rate USPS box, and when someone picks it, you mail it off to them using pre-paid postage from the site. You get to pick a box for every box someone picks of yours (you get a freebee when you start), and when you pick one, you pay the $13 for the shipping.

It sounded pretty cool, and I've gotten serious about de-cluttering around here, so I sorted through Joseph's things and listed 5 boxes of clothes.

So far I've received two boxes. Both have had pretty high quality items (Janie and Jack, Gymboree, Hanna Andersen, Polo, Carters, etc...), but the box I got today was a total jackpot! All of it is size 2T, so it should fit this in the winter/spring/summer seasons next year.

Two cute button up short sleeved shirts and a pair of chinos

Three adorable sweater vests (so preppy!)

One little boy suit (are you kidding me!?!) - So adorable

Four long-sleeved button up shirts

You should seriously consider signing up for this website if you have kids. It definitely seems worth it. It's a bit of a mystery what you'll get (the first box had nice stuff but wasn't totally my style) but it costs very little. If you get two or three nice things you are way ahead! It's a fast alternative to consignment shopping, and much better (and more environmentally friendly) than paying full price!

Plus, I need someone to grab my boxes so I can select more! Keep an eye out for infant boy boxes from Jennifer C.

Sammy, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Sammy

I'd like you all to meet Sammy. I do not know if it's a fluke, but Joseph started sleeping better about a week after I picked Sammy up for him in a fit of desperation at Toys'R'Us.

Sammy is an "Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse". His belly lights up and he plays classical music for 5 minutes. He works. Joseph wakes up now, we go in, put him on his side, cuddle Sammy up to him, turn the tummy on, and pat his back. That's it. He goes back to sleep! I still feed him if it's been more than 3 or 4 hours, but we now have another option for in between!

Seriously, Sammy the Seahorse is changing our life. Sad, but true. I am slightly ashamed to admit it, but I should know by now. Fisher Price is usually right. Joseph loves everything they make, much to Mama's chagrin.

Strolling Success!

This morning the three of us went out for a walk together. It was so nice! I can't wait till T.J. is done with this awful project at work so that we can do it more often in the evenings - even at 9am it was pretty warm and sticky.

Joseph did really well. He stayed awake for about 20 minutes or so before the motion lulled him to sleep. He still doesn't seem totally enthralled about being in there - the seat just doesn't seem very comfortable in my opinion - but he was interested in seeing the world go by.

Here are Joseph and T.J. on our way out:

The BOB is here.

It is as beautiful as I'd imagined. Unfortunately, Joseph didn't think much of it. The kid has no taste.

I think we need some sort of snuggler device so he feels more cozy. The seat is HUGE (it can carry a 75lb kid.)

Moms, tell me how you got your child to love the stroller. I had high hopes of taking it on museum free day tomorrow!

We did it! We bought a stroller.

Observe, the beauty of the Bob Revolution:


Perfect for jogging, trail-walks, or just going to the store (if it has wide aisles!). A mall stroller, it is not, but we didn't want a mall stroller. I can't wait till this baby shows up on our steps! Only 7-10 days to go. Haha.

Irish Baby

Look what I found at the Dollar Spot at Target:



Haha, note the empty ice cream bowl and the knitting supplies. My two loves. By the way, this ice cream is the best ice cream ever. OMG. Dying.

Baby's first Terrible Towel, and other goodies

Grandma and Grandpa Curran sent DomerBaby his/her first Steeler's Gear after the Super Bowl (T.J.'s family is from Pittsburgh, and like all good Pittsburghers, they are very supportive of their professional ball teams!):

Steeler's Bib

Terrible Towel (the Pittsburgh version of the Homer Hanky)

My friend Alysa stopped by last week and spoiled DomerBaby with some presents:

An organic lovey:

And what I am sure are the fanciest onesies DomerBaby owns.
And appropriately decorated, too, given the amount of sugar this Mama consumes!
The best part was what she brought for ME - the most delicious chocolate bar ever made:
Milka With Hazelnuts and Raisins!!!

Holy cow! 4 weeks to go!

Can you believe it??? 36 weeks is another "milestone" in my head. We are now one month from our due date!!! Insanity, I tell you.

I had a prenatal appointment at the hospital midwives office today. I saw a brand new midwife - she just graduated. She seemed very nice and knowledgeable. She took quite a bit of time with me answering questions and chatting about my pregnancy. The fundal heigh measure is still right on track, so that's good. I think I surprised her because she was able to hear the baby's heart rate right away just with her stethoscope. They are so used to the doppler, that she wasn't sure she'd be able to get it. Luckily I can point out right where Charlotte gets a good tone, so she had no problems at all!

My blood pressure was nice and low today, 110/70, so I feel that my risk of HELLP remains low. Yey! We redid the bloodwork to see if my platelets were still falling, so I'll find that out on Monday.

Cute baby item of the day: Baby legs! I bought a couple pairs on clearance at Target the other day, and I plan to make a couple of pairs this weekend with some cheap knee-highs I picked up.

Here's a pair I bought:



And here is one reason why they are great - no need to remove for diaper changes!


And no, this doesn't make legwarmers OK for adults. Sorry Deb.

More cool baby gear!

This is pretty late in coming, sorry! Here are some things we received from our shower in MN:

Baskets from Mama... they will match our crib bedding if I ever pull the trigger on purchasing it. Eventually we'll put up shelving for the baskets, but for now they reside on baby's dresser and hold all the random stuff I don't know what to do with! They matched our moses basket that Mama bought and that we had to send back to RH Baby (sob!). She also got us several organic baby items, a super cute sling, etc...:












Post-Baby wine glass from Debbie (the only gift *I* received, despite T.J.'s insistence that all baby items are "for me"):






































Wool longies and soakers from Teresa. Every cloth diaper Mama I know is UBER jealous! If law doesn't float her boat she could make $$$ in the hand made baby gear sector.















Various blankets and supplies. This baby will be spoiled with all the cuddly fabrics around it!













Not pictured: HUNDREDS (it seems) of cute items from friends and family. I can't possibly post everything, but THANK YOU all so much for your generosity. I'm sure there will be a LOT of cute DomerBaby pictures in his/her outfits and playing with toys and books in the coming months!

From the birth kit

Here is the mini hat from the birth kit! I can't believe how tiny newborns must be. I'm sure I'll be thankful they are though.

(Yes, I am a weirdo and drew a face on my hand.)

More good stuff to come!

End to Children's Thrift and Handmade Stores

I'm trying to raise awareness about the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which goes into effect on February 10, 2009. It's supposed to protect consumers from harmful chemicals being found in children's goods (pthalates and lead, for example), but the way the law is written it includes anyone who sells used or handmade items, as well. The testing would cost several hundred to a few thousand dollars PER ITEM, making it impossible for thrift stores and places like Etsy sellers to comply to the law.

If you are interested in this topic, you can read more about it here or here.

How You can Help (from this blog):

Please write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade and used toys. Use the sample letter or write your own. You can find your Congress Person here and Senator here .

It only takes a minute, and the effects really are far reaching. You won't be able to legally sell, consign, or donate your own children's clothes under this law, much less buy from these outlets.

Oooh, got more baby stuff today!

I received the diapers I posted about a couple weeks ago - and they are so cute! I showed them to T.J., and he was able to tell right away that they were "different" from the fitted diapers we have so far. So impressed. I was showing him how you put an insert in the pocket part, and he got all excited and said we should get ShamWow towels to stuff with! So funny. It's actually a great idea, though I've heard that microfiber can be hold onto odors, making natural fibers like hemp or bamboo a better choice. He was so excited though, that maybe we'll get some.

We also bought some adorable organic things (I know, I know, but they were ON SALE):

Organic bumble bee soft teether:

Organic veggie crate clutch/teething toys:

T.J. has already named all the veggies. We have Mikey the Mushroom, Cathy the Carrot, Randy the Radish, and Billy the Bean. He is very angry that I posted the names he made up - but I can't help it. It makes me all mushy when he gets involved!

And last but not least, the organic Moby Wrap! I got to see one in action last weekend when I saw my friend Kat and her adorable baby Marion. Marion hung out in it for the better part of 3 hours while we chatted in Starbucks, smiling, sleeping, and barely a cry when she was sleepy! I'm sold! You can wear it a million different ways, I can't wait to try it with a baby!


So, no more baby purchases till after the shower, I promise! Haha

Look what we got!

It is very comfortable! We got an extra cushion set with it (blue denim), so we're covered for boy and girl. LOL. Although the pink gingham that T.J. is sitting on goes surprisingly well in our living room w/ the couch and dining room walls being that burgundy color.

We got it for about 85% off the retail price by buying on Craigslist.com - and it's ecofriendly, since we're reusing! (remember the old 3 R's - reduce, reuse, recycle?).

In other cuteness news, Grandma and Grandpa Monn got the baby a cute Moses basket and stand that we can use as a bassinet and travel bed when DomerBaby is new - or longer if we have a peanut like T.J. was! I'm so excited to use it! (our bedding is brown and green - not pink!

Alaska Made!

One of my great friends, Emily, sent us a baby care package that we received today!

Emily lives in Alaska, and she sent us some awesome Alaska-wear, including some adorable onesies with brown bear and moose, tiny socks to keep baby warm, a froggie outfit, and of course a pair of carharts! DomerBaby will be all set for playing outside!
We love all the cute things she sent for DomerBaby, but especially the hand-knit sweater!

Emily is the person who taught me to knit. She's much more talented than me, though - I never graduated from hats and scarves. Haha. I'm glad I know so many talented artistans

Hopefully we'll be able to bring DomerBaby up to visit Alaska sooner than later, but luckily we'll get to see Emily and her husband Kyle next August at another dear friend, Taylor's wedding!

Gifts Galore!

Last weekend when we were up in Chicago, Teresa and Taylor showered DomerBaby with cute gifts. And they even fit in my little suitcase (good job, ladies!)

From Taylor, we received a bedtime bathset: a bathrobe, slippers, and burp clothes in "soapasaurus" - the hood even has little stegasaurus plates! so cute! I can't wait to give DomerBaby a bath and wrap him/her all up in that (and take a picture, of course!

Teresa's been hard at work knitting and sewing for DomerBaby. You know, in all her spare time while she moved to Japan! Apparently knitting helps when she's stressed, which explains the plethora of items I know have!

She made two sweaters - one in cream and green, and the other in an orange/yellow/white. I love that DomerBaby already has a versatile wardrobe! Who says you have to just use pastels?


She did a "sea themed" wool soaker in turquoise with fishes on the bum (awwww). The soaker goes over a cloth diaper as a waterproof cover - they are extra nice because the diaper "breathes" better than with a PUL (polyeurathane laminate) cover.

Finally, she surprised us with a gorgeous white blanket that I'm already terrified to touch, much less put DomerBaby on!

I'm sure I'll get over that eventually... I guess when DomerBaby is born and I'm brainwashed into thinking that the baby is prettier than anything it may poop/puke/pee on! Teresa assures me it's machine washable.

So thank you ladies! We really appreciate it!

And thanks to everyone else who has given us gifts so far... I didn't have the energy to take pictures of everything we've received, but I'm starting to see how babies take up so much room! Eek!