I know it's only October...

But I've got Christmas on the mind already. I've been thinking for a little bit now of what kind of ornament I wanted to get for Jamie's first Christmas. I started searching etsy for the perfect one, preferably with a sock monkey incorporated somehow.

Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothin.

It was the first time I have ever searched etsy and not had to hold back from spending more than I should.

Then it hit me. Block ornaments. I can make it exactly how I want it to be. And so my newest product offered in my etsy shop was born. Allow me to present to you Jamie's first Christmas ornament:

I am so happy with how it turned out, and so excited to put it on the tree! Now I just have to wait another month and a half before we go cut it down hahaha.

If you are interested in how to make it - I did it the same way I did the regular blocks, then printed out the words and mod podged them on as well. Then I took an eye hook and piece of ribbon and screwed them into the top, securing them with super glue.

And of course if you are interested in purchasing one for your baby, they are listed in my etsy shop.

Now I need to figure out a stocking! Hopefully etsy will be better to me there, because I am no good in that crafting department ;-)

BabyCam is a BOY!

Tuesday July 27th at 10:53 am, Jameson Andrew joined the world at 7lbs 5oz, 21" long. He is absolutely perfect in every way, and we are so so so in love.

I have been an absolutely terrible blogger this week, when I have had the most important update of all! But I hope you all will agree that I have a good excuse and forgive me :-P

I am going to try and write up a full birth story asap. Sorry this is such a short update for now! I will also try to get some pictures to share, but I won't be sharing any of his face. You'll just have to trust me when I say that he is the cutest baby EVAR. Of course I'm biased, but oh well. Also, he looks just like his daddy. All through the pregnancy I said if it's a boy, I hope he looks like J. Well, I got my wish! He is his little mini-me :-)

More updates to come soon, I promise!

Psst!

I added a little poll to the right.

Tell me honestly.

Could you have resisted this? Because I could not.

So if babyCam is a boy, I will return it. But oh my god the cuteness, I nearly died right there in the middle of Kohls.

And then I felt bad for the baby if it's a boy, with me there fawning all over the girls' clothes. So I grabbed this in case it's a boy.

Don't tell the baby, but I might cry a little if I have to return that cupcake outfit.

35 week u/s is today! I'll update later with my weekly post as well as babyCam's estimated stats!

Baby Gear and Nursery Update

First things first. You must see the most adorable little cuppycakes in the entire world.

My mom got them for the shower she threw us a couple weeks ago. I think the whole neighborhood heard me squee with delight when I saw them! And they tasted great too, which is always a plus ;-)

Now, on to the boring stuff. It was requested that I update about the new stuff we got from the shower. Plus, my mom and I went to Ikea this weekend so I figured I would do a little nursery update as well!

I had found this print a while ago during a google image search. I grabbed a frame for it from Ikea and printed it out on Sunday. I love love love it. I just have to figure out where the crap to put it now.

I also got these frames at Ikea and spiced them up a bit with some leftover sock monkey paper. We'll fill them with newborn pictures of babyCam.

Also at Ikea I found lampshades. (I can't find them on the website but they are almost the same as the ones I linked). They don't fit perfectly, but close enough. And they aren't what I was looking for, but they are a fraction of the price and I ended up loving them. So that worked out well.

We also got the changing pad and cover as a shower gift. The last thing the changing area needs is the shelf above, where the monkey will sit.

This bookcase has been filling up real fast! We received sheets and blankets and things which are in the baskets. We also got the boppy and the frame shown in this picture, and lots of books! The shower was a book shower, which I really wanted so I was so excited about that! Every guest brought a book starting with a different letter. Hands down the best one we got was Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation. We got a lot of other great ones too though :-)

You really can't see it in this picture, but I got this curtain rod for the closet curtain and I loooove it. I will show a close up picture of it eventually. We also got our bouncy seat at the shower.

And pretty much the number one thing I have been dying to get (besides the crib, but I have no control over that) was the rug from Ikea! I am so so happy with how it looks in the room.

We also received our high chair and car seat at the shower! Super excited about those.

We got lots of other things too that you can't really see in these pictures, but trust me when I say everyone was so generous. We are so lucky to have such loving friends and family who are so excited to meet babyCam!

So that's the latest with the nursery. Hopefully my dad will get moving on the crib soon. I have started having major meltdowns about it. But at least everything else is coming together, that helps. We also have another shower for J's side of the family in a couple weeks. I'll be sure to update the nursery progress after that as well :-)

Sock Monkey Baby Hat.

Oh mah gah, I can. not. wait. to put this on babyCam and take adorable little nakie baby pictures.

Edit - might have been nice if I included a link, no? Whoops! It's from Etsy, of course :-P

Cloth Diaper Workshop

Yesterday J and I went to a cloth diaper workshop. I have been interested in CDing for a while now, and he had agreed to entertain the idea with me. I figured a workshop would be the perfect thing to give us a bit more knowledge about the whole process, and then we could make a decision on whether to do it based on that.

Going into it I knew there were a lot of different ways to do it, but not much more than that. I knew that CDs had come a long way in recent years, and that they could save us a shit ton of money. I'm not going to lie - that is the driving factor for me. The benefits for the baby are also very appealing. The environmental factor is just a bonus.

Going into it J knew absolutely nothing. Well, I am guessing that the cost benefits stuck in his mind a bit from me saying it over and over for the past year, but I think anything else I had mentioned to him about it went in one ear and out the other.

Coming out, we now know a whole lot more. I'll be honest, I would actually have tried the prefolds and covers after the workshop. When you get down to it it's not that different than using all in ones or pocket diapers, and it's the cheapest way to go.

J agreed that it's not all that different, but he likes that the AIOs and pockets are one step (like disposables) whereas with the prefolds you put them on, then put on the covers. Really, not a huge difference to add that one little step, but it was enough for him to say he wants to stick with the pockets and AIOs. As he put it, it's that little bit of technology that gives him more ease of use that had him set on the pockets and AIOs.

But did you hear that?! He agreed to CDing! I really can't argue about the prefolds, the fact that he agreed to any form of CDing is a win in my opinion. So our plan now is to start out with some pocket diapers, some AIOs, and even some pocket AIOs, which are quite simply a combination of pockets and AIOs. Pretty straightforward. We'll see which style we like best. I have a feeling we will end up liking all three styles, just using each one for a different circumstance (daytime, overnight, etc).

Green Baby Bargains actually had those Thirsties Pocket AIOs on again, so I ordered another last night. You really can't beat that price, and those were J's favorite style after the workshop. We also registered for Fuzzibunz Pockets, which were my favorite after the workshop, and some Bum Genius AIOs and Bumkins AIOs.

For those who may have no idea the difference between what I just listed, no worries, I was the same before the workshop. Here's a very brief overview:

- Prefolds are the cloth diapers your mom dusts with. Also known as the best burp cloths ever. Except they come in all different sizes and materials. They get fastened on the baby with pins or a snappi. (The snappi was one of the things that sold me on prefolds).
- Prefolds go inside covers, which come in all different brands, sizes, colors, etc. Basically they keep the baby clean and dry.

- Pocket diapers are like a cover with the prefold stuffed inside. It would seem like they would be the same amount of work as prefolds because you have to stuff them, but that can be done ahead of time. Every time you wash them, just stuff them and put them away. Then when you go to change the baby it's ready for a one step change, just like AIOs or disposables. The beauty of pockets is you can stuff them with different amounts of absorption depending on what the circumstances call for. And the ones I want are one size, so the pocket lasts for a while, you just use the appropriate sized liner as you need it.

- All In Ones (AIOs) are the closest you can get in function to a disposable without throwing it away. The liner is stitched right into the cover, and you just take it off and throw it in the wash all as one. They require the least assembly, so in that respect they would seem to be best. Personally, the idea of being able to stuff the diaper as much or as little as you need is a bit more appealing, even if it does take that extra step when you do the laundry.

- Pocket AIOs are a combination of the two. I'm pretty sure Thirsties are the only ones making these right now, but don't quote me on that. Basically they are an AIO with a pocket so if you need to add more, you can, but you can just use it as a basic AIO as well. I liked these a lot as well, but you have to buy one size at a time. Standing on this side of things I wish they had a one size, but after babyCam is here I might change my mind. We'll see!

- There are lots of other accessories I could go into detail about, but that would turn this entry into a novel, and I'm not even sure if anyone is interested. If you are, leave a comment, I would definitely be willing to elaborate. I'd also go more into the benefits for the baby if anyone would like to hear it.

Basically though, the other things we'll be getting to go along with the diapers are cloth wipes (which I am wondering if we can just make our own), wet bags, and a diaper sprayer. J is skeptical of the diaper sprayer - the way the lady at the workshop described it has him thinking it is a mini pressure washer that will spray poop all over our bathroom! But I'm thinking if this were the case they wouldn't be such a popular item. There are other things we will need as well, but those are the basics.

So, if anyone is still with me, that is my basic summary of what I now know about cloth diapers. As I said above, the main factor that got me looking into this in the first place was cost. I have seen lots of numbers thrown around, but what it comes down to is over roughly 2 1/2 years of diapering, you will spend thousands on disposables, versus hundreds on cloth. And that is just for one child. We do plan to have at least one more, and we can use the diapers again. For us it's really a no brainer.

One final thing that I can't go without mentioning. Something I was not expecting going into the workshop was that the last 15 minutes would be dedicated to cloth pads. And by pads, I mean for your period. Oh man I will never hear the end of it from J! Especially after the lady doing the class introduced us to the sea sponge - nature's alternative to a tampon. Don't get me wrong, she made good points about the costs, and with the pads you're washing diapers, why not wash pads too? But I don't use pads. I'm strictly a tampon girl (and hopefully will remain so post-partum). And you know what the odds are that I will be sticking a sea sponge up my vag? Pretty much nil.



~For those in Mass wanting more information about the workshop, it was located at Mother's and Company. It was only $15, and J and I agree it was $15 well spent. Totally worth it for how much we learned!~

I love getting mail.

Especially when it's baby mail!

Last week I got my first cloth diapers. I had ordered them from Green Baby Bargains because they were a hell of a deal. Which is what you expect from a bargain website, of course. They are Thirsties Pocket AIOs. They are so cute and very soft. I still have a lot to learn about CDing so I won't even pretend like I know any more about them than that.

Then today the blanket arrived! I ended up ordering from a different etsy shop, Henry and Zoe. It was pretty much the same blanket but twice the size for the same price. So the choice was obvious.

I love it! It's so soft, and the perfect size. And it looks great in the nursery. I can't wait to get more stuff in there and watch it all come together. Hopefully we'll be heading to Ikea soon to get the chair and the bookcase, as well a few odds and ends.

AW Alert.

Time for me to AW a few photos from this week.

J and I decided to play around with a DLSR this week and take some maternity shots. We have a frame that we are hoping to fill with the belly progression pictures, and hang in the nursery. I'd like for these photos to be as nice as possible, so we started experimenting. It took a while, but by the end we had a few shots that I absolutely loved. I'm still keeping my face off here, so I can only show you a couple.

Here is the one that will go in the frame.

And ::deep breath:: here is a bare belly shot.

And my second AW for the week, my first big baby purchase. My mom and I went to the outlets yesterday, and I bought a diaper bag. A Kate Spade diaper bag. I surprised myself, because I had really been leaning towards a Fleurville bag. But I fell in love with this, and to top it off, I got a GREAT deal. I'm talking over 63% off! So you can't really beat that.

Here's a pic of the bag:

I actually really made out at the outlets. I got a nice wool maternity coat that doesn't look like a tent on me. This was key because I needed a coat and the one I ordered from Gap last week looked horrible. I also got some dressier shirts which will be good for the bachelorette parties/bridal showers I have coming up in February and March. And of course I couldn't pass up a few baby clothes.

Confession - I made my first gender specific purchases this weekend. I couldn't help it - The Children's Place was having a HUGE sale, and I couldn't resist a little dress or a boy's sweater. Whichever one I can't use will either be gifted or saved for a time I can use it or gift it.

So anyway that's my random post of the week. Coming soon, a post about the nursery!

My husband is cute, among other things, V 2.0.

A little background, before I begin. I don't really get along too well with my grandmother (Y). On Christmas, Y proved yet again what a bitch she is. Here is what happened.

This is the dialogue, as word for word as I can remember it:

::family is standing in the kitchen after dessert, I am hugging J. A serene peaceful Christmas scene. Enter Y::

You know jCam, you might be having twins. They run in the family. You have quite a pot belly there!

Well I have already had an ultrasound, and I know there is just one in there. I'm just fat, thanks.

Well, most women don't show so much at 10 weeks, and twins do run in the family. I'm a twin you know.

I know, but like I said the ultrasound only showed one.

Well you never know, it is possible for some women to get pregnant again after the first one and have twins. I'm just saying most women don't show at 10 weeks and you have a pot belly.

[thinking, REALLY IF YOU SAY I HAVE A POT BELLY ONE MORE TIME]
In order for that to happen, I would have to have two sets of reproductive parts. At the ultrasound they also took pictures of my uterus and ovaries. It's not possible for me. Really, I am just fat. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Auntie S, whom I also cannot stand, pipes in...]
Well sometimes they miss the second twin on the ultrasound! You never know, it can happen..

Seriously, the chances of that are like 1%. It almost NEVER happens. I promise you both I am just fat, there is only one baby in here. [my tone is showing my aggravation at this point]

my dad pipes in...
They aren't calling you fat, calm down!

Excuuuse me? No, I will not! [enter my normal response to my dad getting upset with me - the waterworks]

::jCam leaves room in tears. J and mom follow after a couple minutes, and I tell them both that just because she is 92 doesn't give her the right to say whatever the fuck she wants::

Now Y realizes she has upset me and comes in the room. Ten. yeas. lata.

I'm so sorry honey, I love you more than anything, I would never hurt you!

[thinking, funny because you did]
I know.

Really, I'm so sorry! I was just saying that most women don't show at 10 weeks, and you have a pot belly, so it might be twins, you never know! I would never hurt you!

[ARE YOU FCKING KIDDING ME? WHAT KIND OF BACKHANDED APOLOGY IS THAT?!?!]
I know. You just need to watch the way you say things.

I'm so sorry honey. I love you so much and would never hurt you. All I was saying is that most women don't show at 10 weeks!

I have completely stopped caring at this point and just want her to leave me the fuck alone, so say whatever I can to get her to shut up and we leave. Luckily it was time for us to head to J's parents house anyway.

For the record, I do not think I am fat. I think I started showing early, and never had a problem with that. I have wanted to be pregnant for a while, so I was excited to be showing. But to me someone saying I have a pot belly means 'you look fat' not 'you look pregnant.'

Anyway, I was telling a friend about this, and told her I was going to have to carry around a sign saying 'No I am not having twins and if you keep badgering me about it I will bitchslap you!'

And now we get to the point of the post - my husband is cute. He had a shirt made for me.

I can never wear this shirt. I feel awful, because he can't understand why I don't feel comfortable wearing a shirt that says bitch slap on it! I told him I will wear it around the house haha. The poor thing.

And here is where we encounter the 'among other things' part. So cute. But so so so horrible at spelling and grammar. I know I'm not perfect in that department, but he makes me look like a genius. He had another shirt made up with a quote from one of our favorite shows, The Office.

Featus. Lack of proper punctuation. EYE TWITCH. I feel HORRIBLE. I didn't tell him at first, but it came up and I admitted to him that it should be spelled fetus and I can't bear to wear it or I would have an eye twitch all day knowing what my shirt said.

But back in the cute department, he also had this made.

Success!! He is cute again. I love it, and the lack of an apostrophe in mom's pales in comparison to featus, so our baby will wear it.

Also, it's been a while since I showed off my baby clothes addiction. Have no fear, I haven't stopped buying adorable onesies on clearance left and right. Correction - I took a month and a half break. But I just got these on clearance at baby Gap!

How freakin adorable, right??

This is for you, Jenny!

So ya, I snuck that TTC news into the end of a long and unrelated post about home improvements. I'm very very sneaky like that. So in honor of her pointing out that I dedicated a post entirely to onesies, but not to TTC, here is a post for both!

That's right, I broke down and bought more Baby Gap onesies. I couldn't help myself, alright!

And this puppy one? I have been eyeing for a while. Just waiting for it to go on sale. And it did, so clearly I had to buy it.

Now I know it may seem dumb to have bought a Halloween one, but I figure that even if I don't have a baby by Halloween, odds are I will know someone else who will, and will be able to gift this one.

That was it though. Only three this time. I don't think that's too bad! And I know a lot of people give the side eye to buying baby things before getting pregnant, but whatevs. I don't put much stock into that kind of superstition. I certainly don't expect to get pregnant on the first shot, and I don't think buying baby things now will be the reason why if I don't. I'm just having fun :-)

Oh my gosh, I need this.

Well... will need it. When the time comes, of course :-)

I have been so strong..

until now.

I have always been tempted by adorable baby things, but never cracked and actually bought anything. Today, however, I made the mistake of going to BabyGap.com and what do you know - a ton of their onesies were on clearance. I finally caved and bought some.

Yes, you counted correctly - there are 7. I just couldn't help myself! I mean really, how cute are they??

P.S. - I will have a new post recapping the Buffett concert soon. For now.. in a word - it was awesome!