Off to Grandma's We Go!!

Well, we're all back home safe and sound (though some of us a little worse-for-wear than the others.) Acy and I decided to take a little Babymoon and go up to Grandma's Marathon in Duluth (northern Minnesota) while baby stayed with Nani and Bapa at the cabin in Alexandria (along with his Auntie Beth, Uncle Jim and cousins!)

Acy's alive after running 26.2 MILES at Grandma's Marathon and finished with a very respectable time of 4 hours and 20(something) minutes, though I think having only run about four times this year before hand is taking a bit of a toll on him- he's walking kind of like he just got off a horse after riding a day. But he finished and in my books, that's amazing! Overall, I think he actually really enjoyed himself, despite his disappointment in his time. We were able to have some yummy appetizers the evening of the race with some well-deserved beers (at least on their part), we had breakfast at our usual coffee/pancake house (The Vanilla Bean) and Masa and Acy had some time together after the race and that afternoon to happily rehash the individual times for each mile, where they struggled, etc. Ahhh, the bromance continues.

I, happily, decided not to go to the finish line this year and stayed at the campsite where I caught up on my sleep, read half of my book (The Magicians) and listened to my music while having a gentle breeze pass through my tent and over my bare feet. It was perfect- much better than having to go through the stop-and-go, one-lane traffic to get into Duluth, find a parking spot and successfully park, walk about two miles myself, see them finish (hopefully) only to lose them in a crowd of about 15,000 people and have to find them again after they exited the runner's area= HEADACHE!! So it all worked out; I got to relax and enjoy my day alone and Acy and Masa got to be the crazy fools they are and run in 50 degree, slightly rainy and windy weather.

Instead of spending the last day relaxing and recouperating from the race, we had to drive back that morning after a delicious breakfast to attend a wedding at 2:30 Sunday afternoon. So we got home around 12:30, jumped in the shower, threw on some decent clothes and jumped back in the car (where I proceeded to poke my eyes with my mascara as I tried to put on makeup) to drive to downtown Minneapolis and hop on a boat that would take us on a little "cruise" up and down the Mississippi while we saw Acy's friends from Origami get married!! It was a lovely wedding and the weather held up perfectly for it- a little cloudy and humid but the sun peaked out and there was a gentle breeze off the river.
When we got home last night at 10 we were ready to crash but couldn't help but sneak down to see our baby (who was awake and crying actually) and smother him with kisses. There really is no feeling in the world like seeing your baby, your heart again. I missed him and today he's spending time with daddy (daddy even took him to his work for a little while so he could put in an order for fish) but tomorrow he's all MINE again- and I'm very happy about that for once!!

And, as always, I must speak about my cloth diapers- I had to run over to Peapods again after I dropped baby off at Auntie Beth and Uncle Jim's house (they were super sweet and took TJ to the cabin with them so we didn't have to drive two and half hours out of our way) because I had to pick up some more Bac-Out and Rockin Green laundry detergent. I was intrigued in hearing that Rockin Green is now a "remix" and that their formula is slightly different so we'll have to see how that compares. I also couldn't resist the Econobum trial-pack in green that comes with a shell and three pre-folds. I also, then, had to pick up another Duo cover in Bluebird, a Duo set that comes with two pads, and a Thirsties hemp insert- all just to try them out, ever the explorer in this world of cloth diapering.

Now, I need an opinion! How do you feel about someone putting a drying-rack out on the deck on sunny days (bringing it in after the day and not as a permanent fixture) to sun-bleach their clothes? What if said deck was in view of the road?

El Cabino

You all may know that my parents have a cabin up in Alexandria and that I've already spent a ton of time up there, but it's great to get out of the citys, be around other people/family and even have a little help with TJ since I'm basically a single parent five out of seven days. Last weekend I carted TJ back up to the cabin after being home only a few days to celebrate my dad's birthday. As usual, we had delicious food, TJ got his Nani and Bapa fix and I was able to get a few more hours of shut-eye while they watched him for me. The weather really couldn't have been any better- it was sunny pretty much all three days I was up there and the weather was warm but not terribly humid which allowed me to go for walks every day and we also took TJ on his first boat ride!

Not especially happy about this...

I think we need to take him out a few more times before he'll feel really comfortable (and maybe get him a bigger life jacket as this one crowds his face too much.)

We both really love it up at the cabin (I mean, who wouldn't really) and I'm looking forward to a fun summer, especially because Jimmy and Beth will be up there fairly often as well with my adorable little nieces! Hope everyone else got a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather before it got smoking hot (103 here I believe.) Thank goodness for air conditioning!

Thanks for stopping by!

He may not have liked the boat but he loves the swing!

Growing The 'Stash'

So....since starting cloth diapering, I've become a bit of an addict. I check at least three of the cloth diaper online stores every day to see if they have anything on sale or any great deals or new prints that I just can't pass up or, if I'm to be completely honest, pretend to add things to the virtual shopping cart but not checkout and actually spend the money but still get the pleasure of having purused everything and picked out my wants. It's bad...really bad.

We now have our stash of 24 BumGenius 4.0 snap one-size pockets, 1 Flip cover, 1 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap cover, 4 GDiapers (in medium though so we really will have to upgrade those sooner rather than later) 2 Swaddlebee's econosnaps, 2 prefolds, and 12 birdseye flat diapers. You may have noticed that I've left out the 6 CuteyBaby diapers but that's because they're my least favorite of my lovely stash and will only be used in emergencies I think (the velcro keeps poking baby no matter how we try and secure it- he's too squirmy.)

In addition I've also built up a nice supply of accessories- two wet bags, two pail liners, two sticks of GroVia, 3 dozen cloth wipes, and 3 regular snappis and 1 toddler snappi. This kid wants for nothing beacuse I just want it all!!! More specifically, I want to try/collect them all!! That's where I feel a little awkward...has cloth diapering become my hobby?

I also would like to note that hubby has been completely supportive but weary of how much money we're actually saving (not unjustifiably admittedly.) Although I'm using the savings toward buying more (and so not really saving a whole lot) I am trying to compensate for using more water/running another load of laundry by line drying all the diapers so that we're still conserving some energy if not water.

I did read taht the more of a stash that you have, the larger the likelyhood of it lasting through another child because you're rotating between so many diapers they don't get worn out as quickly. That helps ease my conscious a little...

Mama Moto/Our Favorite Things!

Mama Moto's taking over the blog for a second just for a bit of guilty pleasure in the form of one of those survey thingys....You may now skip down to the botton of this entry if you choose.

Three Names I Go By:
1. Mol
2. Snickers
3. Ellen
*Note: Name not necessarily applicable but used all the same

Three Jobs I've Had:
1. Swim instructor in my backyard pool
2. English instructor in Japan
3. Sales associate (glamorous no?)

Three Places I Have Lived:
1. Woodbury, Minnesota
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Hamada, Japan

Three Places I Have Been:
1. London, England
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Singapore

Three of My Favorite Foods:
1. Tofu (that's right, Tofu!)
2. Lobster
3. Tuna sushi/sashimi/nigiri

Three Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1. Toshi being able to talk
2. Working again
3. Having another child!

We now resume our origional posting----

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS (ala Sound of Music)

A blog for those of you that are thinking about having a baby, are preggo, or just want to compare and share what's great for ruling your children's lives-ermm...taking care of your precious little ones.

1. BumGenius One Size 4.0 - so flipping easy to use and comes in a variety of cute colors and prints! They really make cloth diapering easy-peasy!
2. Jingly Ball-thing - this is perfect for his little hands to grasp, he loves the gentle tinkle sound it makes with the wood on wood and the little knobs are perfect for him to gently chew/teeth.
3. Travel System - I feel like this is a must for all parents and I don't really get why you wouldn't get a travel system honestly. Simply a best buy.
4. Panda Musical Toy - no joke, possibly THE BEST $10 (it was on sale when we bought it) we've spent so far. This keeps my little one entertained for an hour straight which is amazing considering the kid doesn't like suckies.
5. Squeaky Toy - we got this and Sophie as a gift and apparently our child was a dog in another life- he gets ridiculously excited when he hears this thing. I enjoy it because it's made from natural rubber so he gets to chew on something safe. I know, another toy you're thinking but seriously...get one.
6. Aden and Anais Blankets - so you may think blankets are kind of lame to be on the list, but these are amazingly useful blankets...we (tried) to use them for swaddling (our baby was not happy about it but most are), car seat cover from the sun (especially nice since they're so light-weight...I don't feel like my son is going to get sufficated), tummy time blankets and simply as blankets for night (I always have one in the diaper bag since they're actually quite compact.) I also recommend the silky blankets my mom makes...but you can't buy them so they're not officially on the list.
7. Dr. Brown Bottles - when I went to register for TJ I was blown away by all the information and kinds of bottles there are out there. I think I listerally panicked and registered for one of each only to find that I should have listened to all the mothers I knew and recommended these to begin with. They really reduce the air TJ takes in (I can tell by how much gas he has the next day/how fussy he is) and my husband likes that it's a straight bottle (which he says are easy to hold/position unlike the Playtex ones- which are probably my second favorite.) They come in wide-neck if you're nursing to avoid nipple confusion and despite the fact that they come with a tiny bottle brush, they really can go in the dishwasher just fine. Phew...that was a long rec. Guess I feel pretty passionately about it.
8. Play Mat - just an example of something that will be your best friend until baby can crawl as he's entertained for hours at a time by all the things hanging down/that make noise/that he can see and hit, etc. This is also nice because it really carries him through until he's mobile, acting as a cushioned surface as they learn to roll over and teaching them all sorts of things like depth, color, and cause-effect. I can't tell you how proud I was when my little one figured out the ball that the zebra-cat was holding would make noise if you spin it.
9. Flip Video - the simplest video camera out there that'll help you capture all those first and fun moments (like when baby suddenly sneezes sweet potatoes all over you while you're capturing his first bite...yeah...fun...) Easy to upload and share videos and perfect for those little clips.
10. A Partner in Crime - I apologize ahead of time but this is about to get reallly mushy. If you're lucky, like I am, to have someone to share this experience with then you can relate when I say that having someone there to learn everything along side of you and support you is something utterly invaluable and is definitely one of my favorite things to have for this journey called parenthood. TJ couldn't have wished for a better dad (although I'm sure he could wish for more time with him) and I'm lucky to have him as my rock (aka: to have him race home from work with my favorite sushi, put his arm around me and take over for the night when I call him crying saying I broke our baby because he won't stop crying no matter what I've tried to do.)

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I wrap up our favorites with a couple more things that I'd recommend (just not as highly as the above): Boppy, Sandra Boynton Books, Diaper Pail Liner (if you plan on cloth diapering), Sound Machine, Boon Drying Grass 

You can see the little wooden ball thingy!

And there's the blanket!! TJ was only about two months here!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

Oh Boy, My Big 6-month Boy!!

Honey, you are now no longer able to fit into your 9-month clothes- at least not very comfortably- and it's not just because your cloth diapers are a little bulkier than the disposables. It's mainly because you're 28 inches long and 19 pounds and 9 ounces now!!! :O That places you firmly in the 92nd percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight! We definitely don't make small babies in our family though personally I wouldn't want it any other way. Your head is also MASSIVE- 18.25 inches around which is the 97th percentile....can I just say thank you for exploding after you were born! :D

All ready for work!

You're becoming a bit more snuggly with mommy and although you flirt CONSTANTLY with strangers, batting your long eyelashes and grinning from ear to ear especially at women, you have a little bit of a stranger aversion- you like to look but you're not a fan of being transferred to someone you don't know well. However, you LOVE LOVE LOVE your cousins, Bapa, Nani, Uncle and Aunties!! You're sleeping through the night thank goodness!! Unfortunately with your shots you've had a hard couple of nights...actually you may be teething because all this week you've gone down super easy only to wake up and hour later screaming like a banshee!! Man almighty do you scream! You've actually never screamed quite like this so it's been very hard for mommy to hear without being able to do anything but hold you until you calm down (so much for sleep training.) So we're thinking the culprit is either teeth or possibly your cold bothering you. I hope once that's dealt with you'll get back to being your sweet, well-rested self (for the sake and sanity of us all!!)

Developmentally, you've managed to hold yourself up sitting for a few seconds at a time. You're back to rolling and have brought back the raspberries and different vowel and consonents again. Despite your night-time problems, you're an awesome napper and are incredibly happy and delightful in the mornings and when you wake up from one of those stellar naps. Mommy often leaves you in your crib for a few minutes after she hears you because you like you talk and play by yourself for a little while- yay baby!! You've also started to try and push onto your knees and have definitely pulled yourself toward toys just out of reach. You're still so strong-sometimes painfully so when you pull our hair or pinch our cheeks- but it's amazing how interested you are in everything and how much you just want to explore!!

This weekend we're up at the cabin and your cousins are so sweet with you. Lucy's giving you lots of kisses and strokes your head fondly and even Greta's calling your name and comes to investigate how her real-life 'baby doll' is. P.S. Greta's trotting here and there and talking!! It's amazing how many words she knows and comprehends and your older cousin, Lucy, is just a riot!! She's so spunky and loveable!!

On that note, mommy's going to go hang out with the other half of the "Bad-Mommy Club" (Auntie Beth) and go make some "mommy sippy cups" and "milk...milk was a bad choice onesie." I'll have to upload the picture of you and Greta having lunch together...kind of. I'm also thinking my next post will have to be about our favorite things since it's what all the cool kids are doing.

Thanks for stopping by...you stay classy e-world.

TJ in his PJs at 5 Months!

So a monthly post isn't so bad...right? right?! Well not a lot has changed actually. I go up to the cabin with my mom and dad every other week or so to have some adult company (and help if I'm being honest) which is actually very very fun. We watch Big Bang Theory, just relax on the porch, go shopping, etc. Unfortunately my dad has been laid up in bed with a bad pinched nerve in his leg so he's not able to be vertical for very long. We still make the best of it though and it beats sitting at home everyday, all day by myself saying "mamamama" over and over again. I really need to get active in the Woodbury Mom's Club and Early Childhood Education....I'm still waiting for when TJ is a little more chill though..................-_-;

Well, we've started in on the cloth diapers and it's working out really well. After a couple weeks of investigation on which diapers to use, we got a strong recommendation from a friend and went ahead with BumGenius one-size diapers. So far they're great and super easy- just changed like a normal diaper, throw in the cloth diaper "trash" wash after a few days and hang up to dry. Not much different then a regular routine honestly.

We've had no leaks, the diapers are super soft for TJ and, (not-so-)secretly, I love the colors! Mom also helped me out and made a dozen cloth wipes so we're going to give those a try too since you just throw them in the with diapers! We've got 18 BG, 2 GDiapers, 6 CuteyBaby Diapers and some GroVia bum lotion, Thirsties wipe wash (though I'm going to make my own with Tea Tree Oil and Lavendar Oil) and those on the right are some of the 14 cloth wipes mom made- Call me ECO-MOM!!!!

Anywho....baby's starting to roll pretty consistantly both ways so mamma's very proud! He's starting to get into a better sleep pattern (naps at 9, 1 and sometimes 4) and goes down to bed a lot quicker (about 45 mins. from start to end) rather than taking two hours- bleh! He's generally sleeping well two nights in a row (almost 12 hrs.) but then decides that's too nice for mama and wakes us up around 4 on the third night. Still, two out of three nights is not too shabby by my book. (P.S. Thank-you shout-out again to Bethie for recommending Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child -I finally read the chapter on his age group as you can see!)

This month, he's also started doing two of my favorite things -blowing raspberries and finding his feet!! It's sooooo cute to see him sit in his high chair, grab his chubby little feet and then tilt his head to the side, look at you and blow some raspberries (always causing him to smile with delight afterwards!)

Actually, I guess a couple major things happened that I've forgotten about- my little niece/goddaughter (Greta) turned ONE!! It's sooooo amazing how quickly she's grown up. She seemed to learn how to crawl, stand, walk, and talk all within a week (at least that's what it felt like!) She and TJ are finally beginning to acknowledge each other a little more and she's actually very gentle and friendly with him!

Yay cousins!!! Also, the Norman family came over to celebrate Easter which was soooo fun because Lucy can now hunt for eggs!! I had a lot of fun buying, stuffing and walking with her around the house to find them! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures with MY camera but Beth has a few great one on her blog -> Happy Mama Beth

TJ's turned out to be quite the good eater and has plowed his way through squash, sweet potatoes (probably his favorite), peas (his least favorite), sweet peas (is there a difference?) and has just had his first taste of apples today (I have a feeling those are going to be a contender for fav.) He's also up to at least 3 tbsp. rice cereal and then sometimes a little "dessert" of veggies.

We've also learned that he's quite the ladies man/flirt and smiles at pretty much every girl he sees....danger Will Robinson! Here's a picture of him meeting Acy's friend's (Ming and Ai) little girl (Tia) who's almost a year old (though TJ seems to dominate her in weight and height at 5.5 months!) Notice her possessive touch...they're destined to be married :D

P.S. Aren't they so handsome as proud daddies?

T.J.'s lower left front tooth is starting to rear it's ugly little head so I think that's making the Teej a little more cranky than normal though he's uber happy baby right after waking up from his naps!! We'll keep truckin'

Aaaaannnnnd I think that pretty much wraps up this month. Masu Sushi and Robata (the restaurant that Acy works in) is still booming and he's finally getting a day off at least a week- thank GOODNESS!! Alex (the Executive Head Chef) was on Kare-11 this morning pitching/cooking the food so feel free to take a gander and check it out - Masu Sushi and Robata Interview I'm lucky I get to reap all the benefits of having a chef as a husband:

Miso, robata fare (grilled chicken, corn, pork belly, fried scallops, etc.) and tuna sashimi with wine...y'know you're jealous :D

Other than that....Need....sunshine.....badly..... But thanks for stopping by! See you again soon (in a month?)

The Teej Months 3 & 4

Sorry for the looooong delay in updating but things have been a little crazy to say the least the last month and a half:

Firstly, baby is alive and thriving and keeping mama plenty busy. At three months, he started off rolling to the right from his tummy,but he's since gone 99% left!! These days he's only managing to roll over once a day but he still manages some pretty impressive push-ups (puts me to shame!) As he's gotten older, he's also become a better sleeper- still not great but there are glimpses of hope! My favorite night was when he slept 9pm-9am. Ahhh....8 hours of straight sleep for me never felt so good. TJ has also started to laugh in earnest which makes those times that he gets up during the middle of the night easier to pass. When he laughs, everything's ok. Even when he smiles, it just makes your heart melt (one of the family members-maybe my dad- said when he smiles, he smiles with his whole face and it's totally true! :D)

Bumbo Smiles!

At his four-month appointment, he weighed in at 17.01 lbs. and 25.5 inches long. He's in the 95th percentile for each of the three stats so he's quite the big boy!! I'm a self-confessed nerd and we went straight from the check-up to Target to get some baby food (the moment I've been waiting for!!) Though he started off a little shakey with only a couple teaspoons of rice cereal, baby's now up to 3 tablespoons of cereal once a day and also half a jar of baby food-we started with sweet potatoes...YUM!- I'm so proud. He's also drooling up a swimming pool for us and waking up during the night so we may have a teether on our hands! I love his babbling and squealing

Big Boy in the Bumbo!

Roll Up! ^.^

I'm getting the hang of this mom-thing but I'm also very lucky and happy to have Beth and my brother. We've actually set up a weekly date-night where I get to ask all my questions over some delicious dinner, wine, cheese and Big Bang Theory (with a little Jimmy picking.) It's also great to get to see Lulu and Greta and my are they growing fast and get cuter every time!! Now that my parents are back from Florida though, I've been going up to the cabin quite often with them. It's so nice to have so much amazing support and help and also some adult company during the days.

It's been especially great because Acy has been helping to open a new restaurant in Minneapolis called Masu Sushi and Robata. Since it's just starting out he's been having to work long hours (8am-3am) and although he's enjoyed helping with the concept and menu, it's been quite stressful for him to be away from his family so much and we miss him. It's so cute to watch Toshi and Acy when they do get time together though. Toshi gets so happy and excited and Acy's just like a big kid as well. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that we knew, going into this project, that it was going to be hard for a couple of months. I guess it really does make me appreciate the time I get to spend with him as well. Anyway, if you want to check out the restaurant and menu for funsies the website is http://www.masusushiandrobata.com/!

Unfortunately this last month has been made even harder with the passing of my closest cousin, Cissy (Zita), who lost her battle with depression. I kind of crawled into a hole and avoided answering the phones and emails so although it may sound lame, it's another reason why I haven't ventured to enter another blog. Again, I'm lucky to have such great friends and family here and the pain is still too fresh to talk about right now but we're working through it and the Celebration of Life that we had for her helped the healing along.

That's My 'Ster

So while these last couple of months have been way up and way down, I'm looking forward to a more quiet month hopefully. Feel free to weigh in on cloth diapers for me and also answer this question for me- can I start giving baby fruit purees after three days of the same veggie or do I have to stick with veggies for a while?