I've officially fallen off the coolness wagon. I'm over the deep end. I've lost my way. Yes, 'potty' has officially entered my vocabulary.
I wish I could have seen my face as the word effortlessly fell off my tongue. My mind wondered if it could actually betray itself in such a manner. After all, I've despised this word for years. And every time I'd hear another mother say 'potty' I'd nearly break out in hives.
This morning as Preston was playing in his Exersaucer, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Mommy will be right back. She has to go POTTY." What the hell is wrong with me?
Any good parent knows that it would be inappropriate to teach their child to call the toilet 'the shitter' or 'the can'. But we aren't even at that stage. Preston doesn't know what I'm saying, so why would I ever utter the word? That hideous word.
The only logical thing to do is reprogram my brain and replace 'potty' with 'the throne'. I can picture it now...Preston in preschool...raising his tiny hand and asking..."May I go to the throne?"
8.28.2008
8.27.2008
Just a Swingin'
Who doesn't love to swing? The feeling of freedom...the challenge of seeing how high you can go...and pumping your legs so furiously that the wind speed forces you to shut your eyes.
(I apologize for the poor quality - this was taken with my camera.)
(I apologize for the poor quality - this was taken with my camera.)
Pending Recall: PRESTON, Model #012308
If my son were a bona fide consumer product, I'm sure there would be some sort of recall on him. Since turning 7 months old, he's a totally different boy.
• Diapering Preston is a five minute wrestling match. He twists and turns, screams, rolls over, wiggles, wails his arms around, pulls my hair, scratches my face, and holds his legs tightly together making it nearly impossible to put the dang thing on!
• Naps were once as easy as lying Preston in his crib, turning on his lullaby cd, and walking out of the room. Now he screams.
• Giving Preston a bottle is truly eventful. I use Playtex Drop-Ins™, and during the 30 seconds it takes me to force the air out of the bag, Preston cries as though he hasn't eaten in days. Tears will run down his face and he sometimes loses his breath. I try getting the bottle ready without him knowing, but am not always successful.
• I dread bedtime as Preston acts as though he's being tortured. He will scream (not cry) in terror, continuously kicks his legs into the mattress, and bangs his feet off the crib rails until I cave and pick him up. His tantrums have went on for as long as an hour. But once in my arms he falls asleep within ten minutes. This is NOT a habit I'm trying to get into, but we're sharing a house...and I'd prefer to not have children's services knocking on my door.
• I'm thinking of purchasing earplugs for the two times a day I feed Preston solid foods. He usually whines or lets out short, crisp sounds of irritability between each bite. Apparently I'm not shoveling the food in quickly enough? And if P'Dub gets truly frustrated, he will clench his fists and shake.
So what's with this sudden malfunction? Perhaps an alien invaded his body causing him to be extremely irritable, whiny, short-fused and stubborn. Or maybe he's turning into me!
• Diapering Preston is a five minute wrestling match. He twists and turns, screams, rolls over, wiggles, wails his arms around, pulls my hair, scratches my face, and holds his legs tightly together making it nearly impossible to put the dang thing on!
• Naps were once as easy as lying Preston in his crib, turning on his lullaby cd, and walking out of the room. Now he screams.
• Giving Preston a bottle is truly eventful. I use Playtex Drop-Ins™, and during the 30 seconds it takes me to force the air out of the bag, Preston cries as though he hasn't eaten in days. Tears will run down his face and he sometimes loses his breath. I try getting the bottle ready without him knowing, but am not always successful.
• I dread bedtime as Preston acts as though he's being tortured. He will scream (not cry) in terror, continuously kicks his legs into the mattress, and bangs his feet off the crib rails until I cave and pick him up. His tantrums have went on for as long as an hour. But once in my arms he falls asleep within ten minutes. This is NOT a habit I'm trying to get into, but we're sharing a house...and I'd prefer to not have children's services knocking on my door.
• I'm thinking of purchasing earplugs for the two times a day I feed Preston solid foods. He usually whines or lets out short, crisp sounds of irritability between each bite. Apparently I'm not shoveling the food in quickly enough? And if P'Dub gets truly frustrated, he will clench his fists and shake.
So what's with this sudden malfunction? Perhaps an alien invaded his body causing him to be extremely irritable, whiny, short-fused and stubborn. Or maybe he's turning into me!
8.25.2008
He's Mobile...and it's Already Making me Nuts
Preston officially went 'live' last evening, although his crawling was similar to that of a drunk teenager at his first party. P'Dub would take off wobbly, smiling and laughing, fall down or face plant, and pop back up smiling and laughing. Which was initially cute, but now I've realized this is the start of a never-ending chase.
This chase is going to cause me to be an entirely new type of uptight. Now I'll constantly worry if he's going to knock his teeth out or eat a carpet tack. I mean, can a house really be 100% baby proof? I think not.
Today was spent tearing Preston away from electrical cords, pulling him out from under the bar stools, and yanking him out from under his Jumparoo.
I can't even go to the bathroom without containing the child. Clearly he needs a cage!
This chase is going to cause me to be an entirely new type of uptight. Now I'll constantly worry if he's going to knock his teeth out or eat a carpet tack. I mean, can a house really be 100% baby proof? I think not.
Today was spent tearing Preston away from electrical cords, pulling him out from under the bar stools, and yanking him out from under his Jumparoo.
I can't even go to the bathroom without containing the child. Clearly he needs a cage!
8.19.2008
8.18.2008
First Playdate
We've been in Seattle for nearly two months now, and Preston is quite the unsocialized nearly 7-month old. I recently joined a Mom's group (as I'm unsocialized as well) and our first infant playdate consisted of nine other mothers and their little ones. I was all proud getting my little guy dressed up for making friends. He looked 'just like a little man'...which is what everyone tells me and I should change the name of this blog to www.helooksjustlikealittleman.blogspot.com... but it's probably already taken. (Whoa....total mind detour!)
Preston was a bit overwhelmed at first – only feeling truly secure nestled in my lap. But eventually he ventured out and sat about one foot away from me. He played with a drum, felt the bald head of a fellow playmate, and then focused on a couple of the other moms. Preston, like Daddy, is totally into older chicks. Go P'Dub.
8.05.2008
Mysteries Solved
After weeks of attempting to gather evidence proving Preston has teeth I finally have a picture!
I was also able to capture a glimpse of Preston's neck. It's a rare occasion that anyone gets to see this body part – let alone obtain visual documentation that he actually has one! (Off subject...check out those lashes! Cover Girl promises lashes like these in a tube. And every morning I try to 'make' these lashes. Cover Girl lies.)
8.01.2008
Cloth Diaper Trial: 2 Weeks in Review
Thanks to the fine people at Diaperdaisy.com and Wildflowerdiapers.com, I've been able to 'try-out' six types/brands of cloth diapers. For the past two weeks I've kept a performance log on each diaper. I've noted the duration the diaper was worn, if Preston pee'd or poo'd, if it leaked or not, the fit of the diaper, and ease of use.
The cloth diaper results, from best to worst, are as follows:
BUMGENIUS 3.0 POCKET (one-size)
• There is a reason websites and people alike rant and rave about this diaper! After easily figuring out which size I needed to adjust the snaps to, the fit was very trim. It did add a little junk in the trunk, but fit most like a disposable in the front and between the legs. Surprisingly it didn't leak one time, and held up through a bottle, nap, pee AND poo. This diaper was also the easiest to stuff- the pocket was wide enough for my hand to fit. I wish the diaper would come in some cute patterns, and maybe even cover the velcro tabs...but that's neither here nor there.
DRYBEES HYBRID (AIO/pocket, size M)
• This is a great diaper, but might fit best on a baby with long legs. It didn't leak one time, which is a definite plus. I also liked is the covered velcro tabs (it just looked nicer). The diaper wasn't overly bulky by any means, but the crotch of the diaper hung down to Preston's knees (his legs aren't long). What I disliked most about this diaper was stuffing it...the rubbery lining was almost 'sticky'. Note: I did not use the diaper as an AIO; I stuffed it every time as Preston is a big wetter and I didn't think the pad in the diaper alone would work well.
BABY KANGA POCKET (one-size)
• I was very frustrated with the difficulty of use on the first go-round. There are two snaps that need aligned on both sides of the diaper to get a good fit. With Preston wiggling around aimlessly and me not knowing what row of snaps would fit him tight enough, but not too tight, it took around five minutes to diaper him. But after that it was much easier. The diaper leaked once in six uses, and was subject to the most poo's. But I'm not even sure a disposable could have held up to Preston's body digesting prunes! I also liked how you inserted the stuffer from the outside of the diaper. When you have to take out the insert once it's dirty, this keeps your hands much cleaner! What I didn't like about this diaper was how overly bulky it was in the front. But this is because you have to size the diaper horizontally and vertically. Naturally, the fabric just bunches up in the front.
KNICKERNAPPIES POCKET (size M)
• I actually had a lot to say about this diaper. It didn't leak, but the fit was odd. It pulled away from Preston's belly and was unnatural, in a sense, to put on him. I recently (as in five minutes ago) realized I had been putting the diaper on backwards. I just thought the logo went in front? My bad. So no review.
THIRSTIES AIO (size M)
• I had no luck with this diaper, and basically I think it is because Preston needed the Small size, and not the Medium. I used it both with and without a stuffer, and both times the diaper leaked out the legs. So from my short experience, I'd say these diapers run a bit big.
THIRSTIES FAB FITTED with COVER (size M)
• If anyone out there is paranoid about diaper leaks and is indifferent to bulkiness, then this diaper is perfect for you. (Myself, I'm big on fit.) This diaper seems to be in a different class than the others in my trial, as it's a different type of diaper. It's basically a thick, fitted cloth diaper that has a cute must-use waterproof cover. I only used this diaper once because it is soo bulky it wouldn't fit over any of Preston's pants or shorts.
OVERALL..
The upkeep of the diapers was a no-brainer...if you can operate a washer and dryer then you are set. There was a bit of poo smell in the bathroom (where I kept the used dipes), but this shouldn't be a problem once I have the proper storage, i.e. wet bags. And all the diapers left Preston's skin a little clammy- perhaps I left them on too long.
As I sit here at the end of my trial, I'm very glad I was able to sample different types and brands of cloth diapers. Otherwise I wouldn't have known where to start OR if the family was up for the commitment.
So are we switching to cloth???? YES! We are. First recycling, then cloth diapers...who knows how green we'll get!
The cloth diaper results, from best to worst, are as follows:
BUMGENIUS 3.0 POCKET (one-size)• There is a reason websites and people alike rant and rave about this diaper! After easily figuring out which size I needed to adjust the snaps to, the fit was very trim. It did add a little junk in the trunk, but fit most like a disposable in the front and between the legs. Surprisingly it didn't leak one time, and held up through a bottle, nap, pee AND poo. This diaper was also the easiest to stuff- the pocket was wide enough for my hand to fit. I wish the diaper would come in some cute patterns, and maybe even cover the velcro tabs...but that's neither here nor there.
DRYBEES HYBRID (AIO/pocket, size M)• This is a great diaper, but might fit best on a baby with long legs. It didn't leak one time, which is a definite plus. I also liked is the covered velcro tabs (it just looked nicer). The diaper wasn't overly bulky by any means, but the crotch of the diaper hung down to Preston's knees (his legs aren't long). What I disliked most about this diaper was stuffing it...the rubbery lining was almost 'sticky'. Note: I did not use the diaper as an AIO; I stuffed it every time as Preston is a big wetter and I didn't think the pad in the diaper alone would work well.
BABY KANGA POCKET (one-size)• I was very frustrated with the difficulty of use on the first go-round. There are two snaps that need aligned on both sides of the diaper to get a good fit. With Preston wiggling around aimlessly and me not knowing what row of snaps would fit him tight enough, but not too tight, it took around five minutes to diaper him. But after that it was much easier. The diaper leaked once in six uses, and was subject to the most poo's. But I'm not even sure a disposable could have held up to Preston's body digesting prunes! I also liked how you inserted the stuffer from the outside of the diaper. When you have to take out the insert once it's dirty, this keeps your hands much cleaner! What I didn't like about this diaper was how overly bulky it was in the front. But this is because you have to size the diaper horizontally and vertically. Naturally, the fabric just bunches up in the front.
KNICKERNAPPIES POCKET (size M)• I actually had a lot to say about this diaper. It didn't leak, but the fit was odd. It pulled away from Preston's belly and was unnatural, in a sense, to put on him. I recently (as in five minutes ago) realized I had been putting the diaper on backwards. I just thought the logo went in front? My bad. So no review.
THIRSTIES AIO (size M)
• I had no luck with this diaper, and basically I think it is because Preston needed the Small size, and not the Medium. I used it both with and without a stuffer, and both times the diaper leaked out the legs. So from my short experience, I'd say these diapers run a bit big.
THIRSTIES FAB FITTED with COVER (size M)
• If anyone out there is paranoid about diaper leaks and is indifferent to bulkiness, then this diaper is perfect for you. (Myself, I'm big on fit.) This diaper seems to be in a different class than the others in my trial, as it's a different type of diaper. It's basically a thick, fitted cloth diaper that has a cute must-use waterproof cover. I only used this diaper once because it is soo bulky it wouldn't fit over any of Preston's pants or shorts.
OVERALL..
The upkeep of the diapers was a no-brainer...if you can operate a washer and dryer then you are set. There was a bit of poo smell in the bathroom (where I kept the used dipes), but this shouldn't be a problem once I have the proper storage, i.e. wet bags. And all the diapers left Preston's skin a little clammy- perhaps I left them on too long.
As I sit here at the end of my trial, I'm very glad I was able to sample different types and brands of cloth diapers. Otherwise I wouldn't have known where to start OR if the family was up for the commitment.
So are we switching to cloth???? YES! We are. First recycling, then cloth diapers...who knows how green we'll get!
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