Cloth Diaper Fashion Show

First up, I owe you pictures of Jules' room!





Awesome chair that we waited more than the 6-8 weeks quoted. It's so nice and comfy. My mom whipped up those curtains while she was here. She's so talented.

I don't consider myself a hippie, crunchy or granola in any way (not that it's bad to be), but I really like cloth diapers. I think the more people are aware of the different types of diapers out there and how to use them, then the idea of cloth won't be seen as something foreign.

Back when I first mentioned we were going the cloth route, I really didn't know how it would go. Justin was all for it, often asking, "can we try it all day today?" I was the one hesitant to go all day. But once I got over the hang ups I had (what if they leak, will they fit him right, etc.) and the fact that he had diaper rash with disposables, the cloth diapers cleared it up in no time, I was sold.

So let me show you my cloth diapers and how I use them.

First up, I have about 8 fitted diapers with 3 covers, 14 All-in-Ones (or AIO's), 2 pocket diapers, one size and 2 pocket diapers, size small, and numerous pre-folds.

Here's a picture of my diaper drawer.


The colorful ones (blue, yellow, green) diapers are bumGenius. These are AIO's and by far, my favorite diaper. Just below those are the fitted diapers called Kissaluvs (light green and yellow). They require diaper covers and worked really well when he was smaller. They have a snap for the umbilical cord and are nice and soft. But once wet, you have to change them pretty fast since there is nothing to pull moisture away from baby's skin. They still fit and I use them when he's awake.

To the left of those, are 4 diapers. Two are bumGenius' one size pocket diaper (fits through potty training) and Fuzzi Bunz size small. Pocket diapers are good because you can add more absorbent layers inside the pocket for heavy wetters or long nap times. Although the Fuzzi Bunz is a small, it's still a little big on Jules. It has two rows of snaps so you can get a good fit. All the bumGenius diapers have Velcro. I personally prefer Velcro because I can get it nice and snug on him. And behind those (really colorful ones) are fitted diapers my mom made. (free pattern online)




The other side of the drawer consists of pre-folds which I use with the 3 covers (again, when he's awake and I can change him as soon as he needs it). Next to those are the "soaker" inserts for pocket diapers. All four came with inserts and a soaker to add for nap time or if your baby is a heavy wetter. Behind those are my 3 covers and then a few disposables. (I keep a few on hand when all the diapers are in the wash or we're going out of town or just when I'm lazy and don't want to do a lot of wash. It happens.)

On to the fashion show:

Up first, we have the fitted diaper, Kissaluvs. Size zero, these should fit him until about 15 lbs. The texture of these actually help contain messes which have never leaked on me, even with the messiest diaper. They are really soft but with such thick material, they take a while to dry. I was worried about staining but after washing, I just let them dry in the sun and it removes the stains. (None of my diapers have any stains on them because of sun drying.)




The onesie test:



Not too bad. A little bulky, but like I said, I only put these on him when he's awake and at home because he goes through them pretty quick.

I paid about $12 for each one. I found most of these on Craigslist new, but there are plenty of used ones for sale too.

Up next, Fuzzi Bunz size small pocket diaper. I purchased two to try out different brands of pocket diapers. I can see why people like these. Super soft fleece that pulls moisture away from baby, easy to stuff and two rows of snaps for a good fit. Size small will fit Jules up to 18 lbs. They dry really fast in the dryer because you pull the insert out to wash (you do this with all pocket diapers prior to washing).







The onesie test:



Jules wasn't too happy. Poor guy. Trimmer than the Kissaluvs but with two rows of snaps it can get bunchy on Jules. Fuzzi Bunz has a higher rise than Kissaluvs, and with elastic in the back for the pocket, it holds in messes. Remember, remove the insert prior to washing. I pull it out when I change him and then drop both in the diaper pail (which I'll talk about in a bit).

I paid about $17 for each one. You can find all sorts of pocket diapers on craigslist or diaperswappers.com. And if you can sew, there are a few good patterns (kwik sew) some are even free. Just do a search online.


Next up, the bumGenius AIO's. These have a built in soaker with an opening in the back to add another one if you need to. The layer next to the baby's skin is a soft fleece so it pulls moisture away, leaving the skin dry. They are nice and trim, much like a disposable and come in lots of cute colors. These are popular with father's and grandparent's because they are just like disposables except you don't throw them away.



The onesie test:



Nice and trim, just like a disposable. Justin really likes these and if these are in the drawer, he'll use them first.

If you're out and about, the AIO can be rolled up just like a disposable:



Then, with the Velcro tabs, you just overlap and it holds the diaper closed.



But when you're changing at home, you don't have to roll it up like that. Just remove from baby and toss in the diaper pail.

I paid about $16 for each one. I've bought from two different sources, Kellyscloset.com and a local place here in Minnesota.

The only problem I have with AIO's, they take a really long time to dry. And because of the type of material used for the waterproof outer layer, they can't be dried on high heat (medium or less). So that's why I hang them to dry for most of the day, then throw them in the dryer and that seems to finish them up. But other than that, I LOVE these diapers.

And, finally, bumGenius One Size Cloth Diaper 3.0. This diaper will grow with him all the way up to potty training.




This is a pocket diaper and comes with a doubler that can be sized to fit as your baby grows.




These fit him the same as the AIO bumGenius (no photo). I really like the concept of this diaper - growing with him, but I find stuffing it is harder than the Fuzzi Bunz. I don't know why. It might just be me. But I really like this diaper too.

You can buy these at Kellyscloset.com and Target.com. I used a gift card I received at one of my baby showers for a two pack at target.com. They run about $15 each. But, since you can use them through potty training, that's a pretty good investment.

The initial cost of cloth can be high. I hate to say it, but I've probably spent about $300 (maybe more?) over the course of my pregnancy and the past month buying diapers. But, I've only bought one small package of disposables since his birth. We were gifted a few packages that got us to the point of using cloth full time. I still have about 40 disposables left and we rarely use them. So, while the initial cost can be high, it doesn't have to. Craigslist and diaperswappers.com are great places to find gently used diapers. And when you're done with diapers and little ones, sell them!

Additional information: You'll need a diaper pail and a Wet Bag. This bag has a liner to help keep smells contained. I also have a smaller one for my diaper bag. It holds about 3-4 dirty diapers. I just throw both bags in the wash with the diapers. My diaper pail is just a rubbermaid garbage container (from Target). I keep the lid open for air to circulate. His room doesn't smell because I wash diapers every other day. Now, regarding really messy diapers, I haven't had any issues with leaks at all. Disposables on the other hand, does "up the back" ring a bell?

Jules is breastfed so messy diapers are treated just like a wet diaper; I throw them in the diaper pail and wash on wash day. But once he starts eating solid foods, I have options. 1) To shake anything that will come out in the toilet and be done or 2) use a liner in the diaper so I can just throw that and whatever it catches in the toilet. Some people have a diaper sprayer attached to their toilet to make cleaning them a little easier. I might consider that when the time comes. But really, messy diapers or not, it's not a big deal.

I wash all diapers, covers, bags, and inserts together. Washing instructions vary by brand but I do a pre-wash with no detergent on cold, then a hot wash with detergent with an extra rinse on cold. Then I hang them to dry outside, with the inside of the diapers facing the sun to get rid of any stains. Once mostly dry, I throw them in the dryer to finish. I could try drying them in the dryer but it would take all day and a lot of power/gas. That's why I hang them. It's free and easy.


That's it! It sounds daunting and complicated. I know, because I was really confused at first. But, remember KISS? Keep It Simple Stupid. I bought only a few different brands, found the best ones and a system that works for all three of us. I'm no expert on the subject, but I hope this helps anyone considering making the switch. And, seriously, they are CUTE! I love taking his picture wearing a cloth diaper!

Good luck and let me know what you think!

2 Months

That's my smiley boy! Even though Jules is still considered a newborn, he doesn't feel like that tiny baby I held for the first time 2 months ago. He's packed on the pounds! Actually, everyone is comparing him to his cousin who is 5 months older than him. She's petite and small. He's right where he should be weight wise.

Jules babbles and coos and loves to talk to us now. Sometimes, it's at 4am when we're trying to fall back asleep. Other times, it's while he's eating. So we just laugh and talk back to him, even at 4am.

He went on his first plane ride last weekend. I'm sure the other passengers were nervous seeing us walk on with a baby, but he did great and we couldn't be more proud of him.

He still loves his bouncy seat and swing, but now we've introduced the baby bjorn into rotation. He likes it if you keep moving. Because if you're sitting, you might as well be holding him.

For the past two nights, he has slept really well. We've had 3, 4 and sometimes 5 hour blocks of sleep! Great for the family, but not so much for the boobs. Hopefully, we'll get it all worked out before I go back to work (after Labor Day, I'm excited, but really sad).

He's scheduled for his 2 month shots tomorrow. Little does he know what he's in for.


I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of this tomorrow. I'm sorry Jules.

DCI Recap

Justin, Jules and I headed to Indianapolis last weekend for DCI. It was Jules' first flight and he did great.



Our little traveler too small for his stroller.


While the venue was great...for football, it wasn't ideal for Drum Corps. We took Jules to Quarter finals. He watched the back of his eye lids for most of it, but when he was awake, he was mesmerized.

Not so much with Blue Devils, though.

Jules says, "Blue Devils, Meh."

- Not a great venue but 100% loved climate control and comfy seats.
- Troopers made it to finals after 23 years
- Top 12 shows were all entertaining (or partially entertaining)
- Regiment went from 1st last year to 9th this year. Yikes

Next year, Jules will stay home if we decide to go. But I'm sure this won't be the last show he'll see.

Another Birth...Sort of

I've been blogging for a while now (almost 5 years?) and while my blog has generally been about me and the mundane things of my life - you know, things like moving, new jobs, running a marathon, having a baby (who won't sleep at the moment) - I feel it's been hard for me to keep you, my readers interested when the subject matter is all over the place. And I'd like to generate new readers from the blog-o-sphere (ha! Justin loves it when I jokingly use that word).

With that said, I decided to start up another website with a specific purpose.

queenofcoupons.com

How the heck did I get such an awesome domain name? John Hawkins and his impulse to buy awesome domain names even when he has no intention of using them...right away.

Since I had been posting my recent deals from CVS and other stores, John offered me queenofcoupons.com and I accepted his offer. And while I enjoy finding great coupons, I really enjoy finding the best deal, even if a coupon isn't involved.

At queenofcoupons.com, you'll find coupons and how to maximize them, generally awesome deals (with or without coupons), freebies, and ways to keep more cash in your pocket.

The site is still a work in progress but I have posted some deals that expire today (school supplies!), so head over, take a look, let me know what you think.

Jessi will still be my go-to place when I need to vent or just share cute pictures of my boy. Who, by the way, is really cute and loves to laugh and smile.







But this is him at the moment - He.Who.Hates.to.SLEEP!

CVS Deals: July 25 - August 1

I got all this for $7.11! Here's how I did it:

I started off with $7.99 of ECB's from a previous purchase last week and did three transactions. (Photo books were on sale, buy one at $7.99 and get $7.99 in ECB's. I did this twice paying out of pocket for the first book.)

Transaction #1:
Arm & Hammer Detergent 2/$6
Colgate: $2.88

Total: $9.87 - $.75 (colgate coupon) - $7.99 ECB's = $1.26 (w/ tax) out of pocket. SWEET!
Earned: $2 ECB's for Arm & Hammer and $2 ECB for Colgate

Transaction #2:
Snickers x2 $1.34 (I needed a filler so I could use one ECB from the previous transaction)
Shampoo $2.99
Mouse $2.99

Total: $7.32 - $2.99 (B1G1 for the Shampoo/mouse) - $1 (snickers) - $2 (ECB's from the Colgate) = $1.85 (w/ tax)
Earned: $1.00 for the shampoo

Transaction #3:
Kashi crackers 3/$10

Total: $10.00 - $1.50 coupon x2(found here) - $1 (ECB from the Shampoo) - $2.00 (ECB from the Arm & Hammer) = $4.00 (w/ tax)
Earned: $5.00 for the crackers!

I had a problem printing the 3rd coupon, it would have been a better deal had it printed. Usually you can only print two but if you use two different web browsers and/or two computers you can print up to four times.

So I walked out with all of that and with $5.00 in my pocket for next time.

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

I'm still a BABY! Quit making me walk!



Much better. Thanks Dad.

Conversations with Jules

"Yo, Mom, thanks for taking me outside, even if it was to get the mail. I loved it!"



"Jules, I got something for you in the mail today."



"Dum dee dum. Oh, what is it?"



"Your hospital bill."

Ikea, You Just About Lost Me

While finishing up Jules' room, I remembered I had a floating shelf that I purchased from Ikea awhile back.

"This will be perfect in his room."

And now that it's up, it is perfect. But it didn't come hassle free.

I purchased the shelf when we were still living in Las Vegas. (Not IN Las Vegas, since there aren't any Ikea stores there.) Obviously, we've moved and I'm pretty sure I threw the receipt away - without even opening the package. Can you see where this is going?

So, fast-forward one year later and I wanted to hang it in my sweet little Jules' room.

Justin informed me that the shelf had a crack on the edge. I would have just gone with it, but it was on the front and very noticeable. I should have known better than to just buy something and not open it at the store. If you've ever been there, they have an area outside the checkouts where you can inspect your items. I think it's even called "Inspection" something. What the...! Seriously, to have an inspection location before you go home screams low quality items. But! I don't learn from my mistakes easily and love Ikea, and I've always just taken my purchases home without inspection. It finally backfired.

We took the shelf back to Ikea without the receipt and they informed that "No, we can't take it back without a receipt. We don't know if you purchased it off ebay or craigslist."

What difference does it make where I purchased it (YOUR STORE!), I just want to exchange it! Non-passive-aggressive Minnesota lady wasn't budging.

So we bought another one, kept the receipt and returned the old one using the new receipt. Trickery, I know. But I haven't bought anything from Ikea on ebay or craigslist.

Other stores don't seem to worry about this problem that apparently happens with Ikea products (I've sold USED items without packaging on craigslist - we still had the box for the shelf). All I'm saying, Ikea, is maybe you should either re-evaluate your products or your return policy - or both. New parents on little sleep don't need to be jacked around.

I know I owe you a picture of his nursery. We finally got his chair yesterday, so I'll be finishing somethings up today and will show it off tomorrow, or the next day, or whenever. But here's a preview including the shelf.

Where, Apparently, Anything Goes

Justin and I took Jules on his first road trip. A four hour drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. "Why the heck would you go there," you might ask. Or "Sioux Falls, where?" Yeah, it's on the southwest border of Minnesota and South Dakota. Geography! These two states are neighbors! Sioux Falls is apparently the PLACE to get the BEST fireworks, although, we didn't buy any. You can also drive down a major street on a 4-wheeler, casinos can be made out of small houses and still manage to stay in business, and Burger King serves soft serve?

Anyway, we went for a short weekend trip to witness a marriage that we honestly were surprised by. And from all the speeches we heard at the reception, so was everyone else (in a good way). It was a nice ceremony and the bride and groom and all their guests had a great time.

Including this lovely couple cutting the wedding cake on the table:


Another lovely couple:


Trying not to be "those people" with the crying baby at a ceremony:


At the Sioux Falls, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

One Month

When the first pediatrician came to see us in the hospital, she told me my only job for the next few weeks was to eat, sleep and feed my baby. Nothing else. Luckily, my mom, sister and Justin were around to do everything else because that's all I did, but not always in that order.

It's been a learning experience for all of us. I CAN function on just a few hours of sleep. Do I prefer it? No, nope, no way. He's so cute and sweet I'll stay up rocking him until he's out even if I've only slept an hour. People say it goes by fast and I 100% agree with that statement. He's up to 10 pounds now and has outgrown his newborn onesies and diapers. But he's still little enough to cuddle up like he did when he was first born.



He loves his bouncy seat and the swing.



Although Scully doesn't like it when he starts screaming, he's very interested in her.


And unless he's sleeping, he's hard to take a photo of.







Happy one month birthday my baby Jules.

84 Diapers

We went through a box of 84 newborn diapers in about 10 days. 84 diapers people! He's three weeks old. And that doesn't count the 2 smaller packages we went through first. Luckily, I didn't buy any of them but now I have to. Here's the problem: I got another box of size ones as a gift but he doesn't quite fit in them yet. I have enough cloth diapers for one day (still trying them out before I purchase a few days worth) so do I buy just one more smaller package of newborn size or just wash cloth diapers every day?

Anyway, Jules is three weeks old. He's getting stronger, louder, and more demanding of boob time.

People have been asking about Scully. She's doing ok. If one of us is holding the baby, she's sitting or being held by the other. She likes to smell and lick Jules but once he starts crying, she's either leaving the room or trying to jump on him. We haven't figured out why. She's weird.

The chair for his room STILL isn't here. Once it's here I'll share photos of his room.


(Jules sporting a cloth diaper)

My cute, little family.

His Good Side

Catching a baby on camera can be fun. You never know the faces you'll get. These are some of my favorites so far.


No gas involved.



Look at those cheeks! All boob fed!



If anyone knows Justin well, you'll see why this photo is funny. If his arm was just a little big longer - like father, like son.

2 weeks out and Jules is now 8 lbs. 2 oz. and is up to 20 inches long. My big boy!

1st Drum Corps Show

We took Jules to the Stillwater show last weekend. Honestly, we thought we wouldn't make it to any shows this year because of when he was due. But, we made it to Stillwater. Turns out it was the first show of the season because the night before was rained out.



Regiment horn arc during warm-up. Seven days out and I'm still a little swollen in the face. Plus, it was HOT!




Hot baby.



"I think I'll wake up for finals."

Jules was awesome during the show. Until Cavaliers came on the field. Jules we know and it's ok to cry, but they really did sound good.

His Name

It took a long time for us to come up with a girl's name, but when it came to selecting a boy's, it wasn't hard. We knew we wanted to keep the J.R.F thing going especially if he was a boy. Justin is more into traditional names and I wanted something unique without being so unique that people would think we were crazy.

I mentioned the name Jules in passing and Justin liked it. The reason? Pulp Fiction.

"Jules is a badass," he said.

We covered all of our bases with his middle name, Robert, after my Grandpa, Justin's dad (middle name), and Justin's favorite Great-Uncle, Uncle Bob.




Now tell me, is this the face of a badass or what?

Jules

So that last post? Yeah, little did I know it was my last day of being pregnant.

My water broke early Friday morning, but with everything else going on (too many gross details to explain), I didn't really realize what it was. At my Doctor's appointment that afternoon, she confirmed they did and that I was "gonna have a baby this weekend!"

"Oh crap!"


On our way!

After frantically packing and throwing the car seat base in the silly car, we headed to the hospital. They let me walk around and much as possible to see if things would just start on their own since I wanted to do things as "natural" as possible. No dice. So around 7pm, pitocin was started and I was somewhat tied down. I did well until around 5am when the back labor was killing me and I opted for the epidural. I was only at a 4 and everything else we had wanted to do was out the window, so why not?

It was somewhat relieving, but also caused things to progress slowly. I did get a little sleep, but not much. The back labor never really went away and I had to get a second dose of the epidural.

Hours, hours, and hours later (and being confined to one side because baby's heart rate would decrease when I'd roll over), I was finally ready to push. I'm pretty sure I yelled at the nurse because was no way a baby would come out in the position I was in. Don't you want gravity to work for you and not against you? At least that was my reasoning to the nurse. I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy because, well, I was. I also yelled at her to call the Doctor NOW because he might get called into yet another C-Section and won't be able to help me. She assured me that "no, he'll be here when I call."

He was. And so was a team of nurses. Justin was great. Except the counting thing. I had to tell him to stop because it was annoying. I wanted to push as long as I wanted too. So, with a little "help" and 2 hours of pushing (GAHHHH!), we got this:



Jules Robert Foell
Saturday, June 13th 4:54pm
7lbs. 1 oz. 19 1/2 inches long

We're still trying to figure out who he looks like but either way, he's cute and we like him.

Still Here, Still Pregnant

But Justin seems to think today will be the day based on all the "early signs" I've been having. I've been home pretty much all week from work, but still working from home. Which is good and bad.

Good: I get a lot of shows and work done.

Bad: I can nap at any time - which I've been doing because oh man, I'm exhausted!

I have a Doctor's appointment today. We'll see what's new.

Labor & Delivery: Round 1

Sent home much to my happiness because I have not done the following:

- packed a hospital bag
- made a going home outfit for baby
- finished my work for work
- finished my thank you cards from my baby showers
- finalized a name for baby
- installed the car seat base in any car


But just in case I was going to be admitted I had done the following:
- ate breakfast
- packed my mintop, the camcorder and the digital camera
That's it. Sad huh.

I'm at home today working, I'm fine.

I think I'll get to that bag sooner than later.

38 Weeks

My little mintop has come in so handy. I can post from any place - you know, like a laptop but without the weight and heat because, really, that's the last thing I need.

Anyway...Welcome to my 38th week of pregnancy! Now in the middle of it, I'm bigger, getting more uncomfortable, sleep is apparently for the dead, and I chopped my hair off. Apparently, you aren't supposed to do that (well drastic cuts) but the 5-6 inches she cut off were bound to go bye-bye sooner than later.

Baby is also getting on my nerves, literally. My legs are wobbly and my back is all outta whack when I stand up. But once I get moving, baby probably gets the idea and leaves the nerves alone.



Thankfully, I can work from home on days like today (heavy, wobbly legs, back pain, and any other weird pregnancy related issue) and I'm taking advantage of it. My last baby shower is this weekend. Should be fun because it's a bbq and it's supposed to rain. Ya, sure, Minnesota. You've been threatening rain for the past 2 weeks and nothing has happened. Much like my false contractions.

Still Here, Saving Cash, Nothing Else To Do

38 weeks, full-term baby inside, but I've got other things to do besides wait.

I love scoring good deals, especially on things we use often. Last week at CVS, I bought 2 Soft Scrubs, laundry detergent and toothpaste for (and I'm not kidding - ask Justin) $3. AND I walked out with an additional $2 in ECB's to use another time. Justin was shocked at how much I paid.

If you have a CVS, I highly recommend using it. And if you incorporate coupons, the deals are even better. (That's how I scored such a sweet deal for those four things. The toothpaste was FREE!)

Wednesday's are double coupon day at the local grocery store. Not a store I like to go to, but if they've got good prices on the items I need and I've got the coupons, I'll go. Here's what I got:

6 boxes of cereal (we eat a lot of cereal)
2 - 4 packs of yogurt
2 - 1 lbs. strawberries
3 boxes of kleenex
1 6-pack ziploc containers
1 gallon of milk
1 packet of jam pectin (for strawberry jam)

Without sales/coupons: $42.05

With sales/double coupons: $21.55

That's like 48% savings! Trips like these leave me more money to get the things we need or want for lunches and dinners. And I always look for sales at my favorite stores and still use coupons. It just makes sense to maximize when I can. Plus, babies like cereal and jam, right?

No Hormones Involved

I'm getting to the point to where I'm vocal about things I hate or drive me crazy, because I can. This pregnancy has been so easy and (thankfully) issue free. And with that said, I've decided I can complain about everything else non-pregnancy related, vocally and without feeling bad until baby shows up. (Then I'll be back to my regular, secretly complaining self.)

#1 - Minnesota and it's drivers who don't know how to get on the freeway. Freeway speeds are not ridiculous here so why is it that people cannot get up to speed in the time allotted? By the time they HAVE to merge, these drivers are STILL going 40-45 mph (sometimes less)! I'm up to speed long before them, I get over and then, BAM, they HAVE to get over and I'm forced to slow down for their dumb asses. Maybe they should go back to driving school for a refresher on how to enter the freeway. It's not everyone, but just enough people do it to drive ME crazy.

#2 - Expensive vets. I love Scully. She's been my baby for a very long time. But man, are trips to the vet are expensive! I guess it's only a shock when you have to go twice a year for shots or whatever and the bill is anywhere from $80 to $200. It's hard to find a good one. One who listens and doesn't think you're crazy when "I swear, just before I brought her in here she was all sickly looking." We've got a good vet, but I need a good loan sometimes.

#3 - Ok, baby related but still irritates me; due dates. It's all really a guessing game kids. I propose a due MONTH. I'm due in June. It could be now or it could be in three or four weeks. What's with the pressure of a due date? Why does everyone say "You're a first-timer, you'll go late," or "no baby arrives on their due date." Well, no doy! It's just a freaking guess! And I especially DO NOT need a MAN telling me when I'll have my baby. Unless the baby is a boy, and it's MY boy, then he can do whatever he wants, until the second he pees on me, then all bets are off kid.

#4 - Who are these people and why are they famous and why should I care and why are they still around? GAH! Get rid of them already! Katy Perry. Octo-Mom (which is a terrible nickname), Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Heidi and Spencer Pratt (seriously? who are these people??), Donald Trump. Oh, the list could go on but these people bother me big time.

#5 - Stupid news stories that don't get to the point. Is it just me or is that story missing some vital information? Or what about this one? How did they "witness" the act and yet say it's "not part of their normal behavior?" Stupid - but really funny.

#6 - Twitter.

The Wait is Over!!!!

Internet, It's been a long wait, but I'd like to introduce you to my new little baby*:









MINTOP!
Delivered: Yesterday, May 28th
Weight: Around 3lbs (so cute!)
Dimensions: 10" (so tiny!)








Aren't we cute??

And aren't these cute??



Chubby feet that got bigger in the span of 15 minutes while waiting for Justin to pick me up. He lovingly referred to them as "hobbit feet." Mmmmm, cankles. You can't even SEE my bunions! Amazing! But I don't recommend this look when you've already got some other area on your body completely swollen courtesy of a full-term BABY.


*Oh, did you think this was actually a delivery announcement? Circle one:

Yes No Sucker

Teh Pimp

Justin's new toy.

Until baby arrives.

The Dump

It seems regular posting is heading south or non-existent (unintentionally of course). Unless you want everything to be baby related? But I thought it was time for a camera dump post again.

Look who we haven't seen in a while!



SCULLY! She's doing well. Here, she's posing with her not so favorite home, her crate. We sold it on craigslist and I needed to show the size of it compared to my wee little girl. She's so happy it's gone now. And Justin really likes this picture of her. So grown up!



This is Max. He turned 4 on Saturday. Grandma and Grandpa got him a 4x4 electric hot wheel (or whatever those plug-in cars are called). His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw it. We were hoping he'd forget the rest of his birthday at Chuck E. Cheese, but, no, he didn't forget. The good thing about 4-year-old's, they don't care if adults are around. Except, this guy is in LOVE with Justin. But the 4x4 did distract him enough for us to leave.



"I think I might be pregnant AND these are on SALE!" - clearance aisle at Cub.



Out shopping for a nursery chair on Saturday. I know, talk about waiting til the last minute. Justin decided this one wasn't a good rocker or recliner and it might be a little hard to get out of. But after sitting in 10 chairs from various stores, we ended up picking the one we liked about 3 months ago, but just couldn't commit. "We can't waffle anymore!" And bam, money spent, chair on order, delivery sometime in the next 4-6 weeks. Seeing as I'm due in about 3, we'll see which comes first.