Cloth Diapering is for me! I think...

Okay, so I considered cloth diapers for Cohen. I thought since most of our moms used them, I could use them too. And they are WAY better these days then just using a "burp cloth" and pins. I never really researched too much into cloth diapers, so I just went for the regular disposables. I am going to use cloth diapers with this kiddo though. I've done a lot of research and cost-comparison between cloth and disposables. Here is what I've discovered. 

*It is an initial investment of around $350 for enough diapers and liners for 1 week, but they can be used for more than one child.
*Most brands are adjustable from 7-35 pounds so they will grow with my child.
*They decrease diaper rash from 70% to around 10%.
*They come in cute colors and patterns.
***The obvious...They are so much better for our planet. We recycle everything at our house. If it can be recycled, we do it. Chad is so great about this too. So cloth diapers are an obvious choice for our recycling family.

      The hard part is going to be getting Chad on board with this. He won't mind the initial cost because he is all about saving money, and he realizes how much money we saved with Cohen by me nursing him for 11 months. The problem is going to be getting him to actually use cloth diapers.
      I'm going to buy a few now to test on Cohen. He gets diaper rash every time he eats citrus fruits so I want to see if it really does decrease the risk of diaper rash. He also has solid poo, so that will be an easy start to test how easy they are to clean. And Cohen only needs his diaper changed about 5 times a day versus the 12-18 times per day of a newborn. So I am off to Babies R Us tomorrow to buy 4 cloth diapers with my 20% off coupon to "test" on the Co-bug.
      I'll let you know how it goes....

Baby Proof



We have managed to avoid putting up a baby gate...until Saturday. Cohen really became mobile around Christmas. So we kept him from getting into the entry way and up the stairs by putting this enormous Rubbermaid thing that houses our Christmas tree at the end of the carpet. He never tried to move it and did not seem to even realize that there was a possibility that he could get past it. Well all that changed on Thursday. I watched him push and pull on the thing, while he grunted and his face turned red. After three minutes or so, he had pushed it enough that he could squeeze past it. He turned and looked and me, I said "No, Cohen" but he giggled and ran to the stairs and started climbing up them. We played this game a few more times that day, each time it taking him 3-4 minutes to "escape." 
Saturday I was at work and Chad called me around 8am. He rarely calls me at work, so when he does I know he needs something. He said, "Kelly, Cohen keeps escaping. What do I do?" I laughed and told him to put up the baby gate that we had stored in the garage.  A little while later, Chad texted me a picture of Cohen on the outside of the gate, looking very perplexed. The next picture Chad sent me was of our cat Oops sitting on the outside of the gate looking equally confused. Having the gate up has made it much easier to keep an eye on him.
     Speaking of baby proof. I am thinking/hoping that God makes uteruses baby proof. My stomach has definitely taken on the "pregnant" look in the past few days. And it is at the exact height as Cohen when I am changing him on the changing table. He kicks and squirms when I change his diaper and manages to kick my stomach about 5-10 times per day. I hope the baby doesn't get jarred too hard. I can only imagine what the poor little baby is thinking as he hears Cohen's cranky attitude when he first wakes up, then feels a swift kick to his house.
     Cohen is SO BUSY. He does not stop ever. He is constantly on the move, and has NO CLUE that the television exists. I'll admit, I have never thought highly of allowing your child to watch TV, and had planned to never let my child watch TV before he was three. However, my great friend Rowena has a boy almost the same age as Cohen. She can put Woodson in a pack and play, put a baby show on, and he will watch TV while she sneaks in a shower, cooks dinner, whatever. I went to have lunch with her at her house and thought, "Ooh, how nice to be able to get stuff done. I'll try that." So I put Cohen in the pack in play with Woodson with a baby show on the TV. Woodson watched the show and giggled. Cohen started throwing all the toys out of the pack in play and screamed. I realized that my ideal plan of no TV, was not a great idea. I can't even pee without my toddler holding onto my leg saying "up" or "momma." Maybe one day he will sit down and watch a kids' show so I can have a few minutes to myself.  Chad and I have already decided that teachers are going to tell us that Cohen has ADHD. I feel like the definition of ADHD is "boy." Boys are so busy and rowdy. I love how curious and busy he is, even if it wears me completely out. 

 Here are a few pictures of his first "real" Easter that he could participate it. He had a great time. It is always so fun to be with the Cato/Cochrane family. They are such a happy, lively family.

He hated the ears, but I had to do it!



Out of the gate, ready to get Easter eggs



Not sure what to do with his bucket



Aunt Janice encouraging Co to pick up the eggs



Once he discovered the mini playset in Nana's yard, he was done with eggs

Oh, and Chad said he wanted it publicly known that he HATES Cohen's outfit. I told him that if we had boys I got to dress them until they were two. He never really agreed with me. I always say, "He can wear Polo's and khakis for the rest of his life." I want my boys to wear Jon Jons. It is a CONSTANT battle. And I've got to fight it again with the new baby. I've got my gloves laced up!!

Things I think Every Mom Needs, and Doesn't.

Looking back over the past year I have thought about things that I am SO glad I have, and things that I wish I didn't buy. 
Here are the things that I couldn't have done without.


Summer Infant Swaddle Me blanket is perfect for babies that love to be swaddled.
It will keep them tightly wrapped and warm. Super easy to use.



These bath towels are so plush and warm. They are currently on sale at PBkids.com



I have tried Dr. Brown's (they are hard to clean and leak), Born Free (love them but are difficult to clean),
Avent, and Playtex. These Playtex are my favorite. Super easy to clean and vent will to prevent bubbles
which lead to gassy little tummies.




These are not expensive, but so necessary at 6 months when your little one starts eating
baby food. Most babies who are exclusively breast fed do not have stinky diapers, but once
you introduce formula or baby food, shew-wee.

These sheets are available at Babies R Us. They are perfect for cool nights and come in several colors.

These diaper caddies are from PBkids.com. You need a diaper caddy in the nursery, the living room, your
room, and anywhere else you think you will be spending a lot of time. It is so nice to have everything you need
for a diaper change in each room instead of taking the baby back and forth to the nursery for a change.

My best friend for almost 1 year! If you are considering breast-feeding you MUST buy this pump.
If you buy any other pump you will be disappointed. Promise! I left Cohen for 7 days when he was 5 months old.
I pumped every 3-4 hours for 7 days and it never failed me. Centennial's A Mother's Place  has the best
lactation consultants in town, you can rent this pump there if you don't want to spend $280 on it. If you know you
plan to nurse for 1 year then I would buy it. It's the best money ever spent as a mom.

And some things I personally think are pointless.

1) Bottle drying rack...

Just lay them on a towel on the counter, or let them dry in the dishwasher

2)Bottle warmer...

I got one, but thought it was a waste of time. We just put the bottle in a bowl of hot tap water and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3)Bottle sterilizer...

Who thought of this anyway? If you wash your bottles with organic infant bottle wash, use a bottle brush, and rinse them in hot water there is no need to sterilize after each use. Besides, I am not a fan of heating any type of plastic, BPA free or not.  However, you do have to sterilize the bottles and nipples before the first use. Just throw them in a pot of boiling water.

4) Johnson and Johnson baby products...

I know these have been used for generations, but they are all artificial and have no organic ingredients. (I haven't tried the Natural J&J line yet.) Even my pediatrician said Johnson and Johnson products are bad for baby's skin. Aveeno, Aquaphor, California Baby, and Burt's Bees are MUCH better choices.

** I do LOVE the lavender smell of the bedtime lotion though, so I wipe a bit on Cohen's jammies!

Blessings,

Kelly

It's a BOY!

So it is officially a boy! Chad was going to come to the hospital on Saturday so we could book find out at the same time, but the ultrasonagrapher was so busy that I couldn't tell Chad for certain what time my ultrasound would be. So we decided that I would get an ultrasound on Saturday but instead of looking at the screen to see for myself, the ultrasonagrapher would take a picture of the baby's private area and put it in an envelope so I could take it home and open it with Chad. So that's what we did. We are so excited to have two boys so close in age. It's going to be a difficult, fun, and rowdy ride. Please pray for an uncomplicated, uneventful pregnancy, and a healthy baby. Hopefully no bedrest this time:)

Naming a Child is Difficult. Help!

Cohen after our day at the park.



Cohen waves everytime I put a camera in his face lately. This doesn't look much like a wave though!

 We are now 14.5 weeks pregnant. The second trimester has begun and we should know the sex of this little sprout this weekend! I have only gained 1 pound which I am thrilled about! I am still wearing my normal clothes and jeans. I wore my regular jeans until 20 weeks with Cohen, but your uterus typically "grows" faster with subsequent pregnancies, so we will see. I hate the chubby pregnant look that lasts until about 26 weeks when you can definitely tell there's a baby bump. I'm looking forward to the cute pregnant belly. I really enjoy being pregnant. It annoys me greatly to hear women whining about being pregnant. I want to say, "Suck it up!" So many women would love to be throwing up everyday, peeing on themselves when they sneeze, and having agonizing back pain. It is a blessing to be pregnant, and many women do not get to experience that blessing.
So we are having difficulties coming up with a boy name. Our favorite name is Sutton. That was our second choice for Cohen. I love, love, love Sutton. However, I think Sutton and Cohen are way too similar? What do you think? Honestly. I really would like input from everyone. We have 2 other boy names that we agree on if we don't use Sutton.
Thanks for reading my honest rambling:)
Blessings,
Kelly

We Shall See...

I am 14.1 weeks today. When I was pregnant with Cohen I was 99% sure he was a boy at 13 weeks, and then 100% sure at 15 weeks. There is a reason doctors make you wait until at least 18 weeks to see the sex of the baby. Girl parts can look like boy parts on ultrasound if you look too early. I've had friends that were sure they were having a boy only to discover at 18 weeks that it was a girl.
So with all that said.... at 14 weeks it appears to be a boy this time, too! I think another boy would be so much fun for Cohen, and so easy for us as a family considering these babies will be 19 months apart. I will feel pretty certain it is a boy by 16 weeks if we are able to get good views between the legs. So we shall see.... Of course a girl would be wonderful as well!
We realize how wonderfully blessed we are in so many ways. God is good!

Who has the crazier family....?

Chad and I have been "together" for 11 years this week!! I put that in quotes because we had an on-again, off-again period in college. Chad is the city boy who lived in the heart of Green Hills his whole life, and I grew up in the countryside of Fairview. Our families are definitely different; mine are country folks who eat goat for Christmas dinner, and his, well they would never serve goat for dinner. I do have a large family. My dad is one of five, and my mom is one of eleven.
Chad seems to think that my family is crazy. There does seem to be some odd or funny thing happening to someone in my family monthly. And there has been several occasions over the years that he has said, "Kelly's family is crazy." Well, on Friday night Chad was sure he had the "proof" that my family was crazy.
I was watching Dateline, and Chad was on the phone with his brother and looking on the Internet. Dateline was about a double murder story in Georgia. About halfway through the show a woman appears on screen that I am sure is my aunt. I immediately pause the TV. This is how our conversation goes.

Me: Chad, that is my aunt on TV. (pointing to TV)
Chad: Hold on, Kyle. I'm gonna have to call you back. Apparently Kelly's aunt is on Dateline.
Chad: Kelly, are you sure? What did she do? Did she kill someone?

I unpause the TV and yep, it's my aunt. It even says her name. Thank goodness she was not involved at all in the double murder, just had to testify in the murder trial because she was the alleged killer's real estate agent.
I call my mother as soon as a commercial comes on because this aunt is on her side of the family. This is how our conversation goes.

Me: Mom, are you watching Dateline?
Mom: Yes, why?
Me: Did you see Aunt Christie on there?
Mom: Yes
Me: Mom, were you not going to tell me that your sister-in-law was going to be on Dateline?
Mom: Well, I forgot about it until your Nanny called and reminded me about it.

I will add that my mother seemed to be unfazed that someone in our family was on TV! So in the end, this little story does not "prove" that my family is crazier. My aunt is sweet and normal, as is the rest of my family. Chad seemed to be a little let down that her appearance on Dateline was not more exciting.