Playing catch up

It has been forever since I sat down to post. Here is where we stand. We moved into our BEAUTIFUL new home in August. What a blessing that has been! Jazz has all the room to run and play that he so needs as a toddler. Here it is January, and we are still unpacking!! The good news is we finally hung some artwork this month!! Moving was a hairy experience as we expected, but we have some great friends who made it bearable (I'm looking at you "strong as ox"). Being in the new house has taught some valuable lessons in baby proofing. First and foremost, NOTHING will keep a determined toddler form doing whatever it is he or she has determined to do. Period. Second, zip ties are a must. We have actually zip tied baby proofing gadgets to give them an added layer of security. Example: the door knob covers. Jazz can't open the door, but he just pops it right off and goes about his business. So John zip tied them to the door. Seems to be holding.

Jazz celebrated his second birthday in our new home!! It was a fabulous party!! He had tons of family and friends to come share his special day. For his birthday we took him to Pump It Up (one of those inflatable bounce house places). He had so much fun...and so did we!!! HIGHLY recommend! He was a little small to do things so I had to help him. So mamma got a work out!! We also took him to the zoo, which is his favorite place to go.

We also had holidays in our new home. It was great to reconnect with family. It was surprising low drama this year. Perhaps it was in respect of loosing my uncle in March. Either way, the children really brought the magic back. I think as a family we were getting to old. We needed little ones to refresh it. Jazz's toy situation is outrageous post birthday and Christmas, and we are looking into new toy organization at the moment.

We are currently potty training at Jazz's lead. We are using the Rumparooz cloth diapers when not in "big boy" underpants or EcoPosh cloth trainers. He does really well out. At home, however, he is too busy to stop and potty. We are still nursing as well, but not nearly as often as before. He even goes some day without nursing at all. He was sick with a fever a few nights ago and refused "Bah-poos". I tried to nurse for him and got maybe a few drops. I was devastated. So I order some Earth Mamma Angel Baby Milkmaid tea to get some stash for sickness. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. That catches us up for now. At least the aspect of life with the little one. I'm going to really try to get posts up more often so I can go in more detail on things we do and what works for us.

Baby Safe Cleaner

I have praised Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner for some time now but have never made it to blog about it. I was using a disinfecting nursery wipe to clean Jazz's high chair, jumperoo, bouncer, etc. but it was getting very pricey. I was also hoping to find something more organic and natural, also. At Toys R Us, we ran across the Seventh Generation Spray and gave it a try. It is WONDERFUL! It even get stuck on, dried oatmeal off the tray! It is great for sticky messes, and even ones that are not baby related! (I cleaned the dryer with it today!) It smells nice and "woodsy". I love that it is botanical and disinfecting! I think my favorite part is that it is safe for food surfaces without even rinsing or wiping!! I bought a small travel spray bottle that I have filled with the Seventh Generation spray to keep in the diaper bag to clean tables and high chairs at restaurants before little hands get on them or to clean dropped toys on the go! Because it is safe on food surfaces without rinsing, I can just spray, wipe, and let Jazz go at it!

Product Kudos: Dish Detergent

Today I noticed that our dishwasher just is not getting Jazz's sippy cups as clean as I would like. There is always a residue, and I frequently see dried milk in the straws and spouts. So, I have made the decision to hand wash the sippy cups. In doing so, I was reminded of how awesome Palmolive Ultra Baby Dish Detergent is!! I have never felt dishes so clean after washing them. I get pretty busy, and unfortunately sippy cups sit with milk in them for way longer than they should. The Palmolive takes it all right off! I love to use on Jazz's toys and teethers. I was thrilled at how well it cleaned my breast pump parts...they actually "squeaked" they were so clean! I like that is is dye free and generally gentle. My only regret is not discovering it sooner! There are many nights I soaked pump parts to get milk off with normal detergents. I will continue to use it after Jazz is no longer a baby/toddler.

How I Came to be a Happy Mommy and About me.

I am a 25 year old stay at home mom. I married my high school sweetheart over four years ago (though we have been together over eleven years). In September 2008, we decided to add to our family. Unfortunately, we were met with a mountain of infertility issues. I have several blood clotting disorders and low progesterone, and my husband has low testosterone and other male factor infertility. We did seven cycles on Clomid and one on Femara, and we were being seen at the Nashville Fertility Center. We had five devastating chemical pregnancies (early miscarriages) before we discovered the need for blood thinners. Then the miraculous happened! On February 13, 2010, an EPT digital said PREGNANT! A natural cycle!!! We started Lovenox and Progesterone immediately. I had a beautiful pregnancy all things considered. I did have severe nausea causing a 23 lb weight loss in the first trimester, and of course I had shots every day and ultrasounds, non-stress tests, and blood work twice a week...but all totally worth it!! October 11, 2010, we were induced. The good news: I had been having contractions for two weeks!! So, I was in active labor already. They gave me pitocin and broke my water anyway, but I did the whole labor and delivery without any pain medication!! A few short hours later with only six minutes of pushing, and my little Jasper Grant took his first breath! 6lbs 6oz, 19 inches!! He did great! Both of his APGAR's were 9!! I had a fabulous recovery as well. I was up walking within the hour of delivery. My only issues were stitches (TMI) and a broken tailbone from Jazz's face (that's what you get for a short delivery). Jazz did have a black eye, would not latch (we will discuss that later) and developed Jaundice with significant weight loss. An extra day in the hospital under the bili lights and we were on our way! Due to my commitment to breastfeeding and Jazz's bottle refusal, I quit my (wonderful) job as a CT technologist at a Nashville hospital to become a full time mom. I don't regret my decision for a second! I love every moment as a mom.

On a personal note:I have a very "live and let live" philosophy. Just because I do something or think a certain way in no way means I think you are wrong for not agreeing with me. I like to think my opinions are pretty reasonable. I comfortably sit on the fence for most issues. I do breastfeed, cloth diaper, baby wear, co-sleep, use reusable bags, and cloth breast pads, but I do not think badly or criticize those who do not. These are my choices. I trust yours are right for you. My religious views are Latter-Day Saint. I tend to be a bit more liberal than the mainstream LDS, though.

Fun Facts: Giraffes are my favorite animal, followed by camels and turtles :) I love to type with exclamations marks!! I love the smell of Magic" the Gathering cards (I sniffed them through labor to relax). I am a complete gamer girl and love my nerd-herd. I play D&D, WoW, and just about any other game. I have one sister who is thirteen. I love to go to the zoo. I could live in Babies R Us! I don't eat beef; I think it tastes yucky. I decorate cakes and enjoy baking.

I hope you enjoy my stories. Most of my life is considered a comedy. People actually come over to watch our wedding video. I love that!! I also hope you find my reviews helpful. If there are specific questions, topics, or items you would like blogged about, just send me a message and I will do the best I can.