Shower Season

These days if I want to go shopping for gifts that's the one and only activity I get to do that day so I find myself leaning on Amazon.com's prime shipping (2 day is free!) quite a bit! Since so many of you are also busy bees I wanted to share some of the things I've found...

Here are a few great ideas for some creative (and online) gifts to get you through shower season...
Baby Showers:
I recently purchased this fold up baby tub for Jennifer b/c she lives in NYC and has limited space for storing the loads of baby stuff that she doesn't realize she will need. I saw this on Ellen's baby shower episode and I had wished I would have gone with this instead of my bulky blue whale tub. This one fits in ANY sink and stores flat. Perfect!
http://www.amazon.com/Puj-Tub-Soft-Foldable-White/dp/B002WWF4IM/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1280250883&sr=1-1-spell

Katie got me the It'z Been timer and it was a life saver so this is one of the gifts I sent to McKenna for baby Harlow. It's crucial for those early weeks when you aren't sleeping and nursing (or bottle feeding) round the clock... Comes in pink, blue and green...
http://www.amazon.com/Itzbeen-Baby-Care-Timer-Blue/dp/B000MEB3GE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1280250639&sr=8-1


Speaking of my friend Katie (It's in the details blog) posted about this ADORABLE custom alphabet art from HootsDesignCo. and I have already ordered one for Owen. Can't wait for it to arrive because I adore this! I could have designed the whole nursery around it!


Wedding or Housewarming:
Obviously, I have a thing for customization... Most of us already have the custom address stamper by three designing sisters but I'm going with this one for my friends Macy and John that tie the knot in October. It's custom calligraphy but still has a modern edge. I love it and I think they will too! You can pick up one for yourself at Etsy. If you're looking for something more whimsical, they also come with curls around the letters or custom flowers.

Dog Days of Summer

Good morning friends! Here we are halfway through summer and already wishing for fall! Owen and I are stuck indoors all day because if I'm a little warm then Owen is dripping in sweat b/c his carseat is a little heat box. So no more stroller walks these days. The dogs are also stuck indoors (or at least in the garage) I realize they are always indoor dogs but for some reason this summer it's really too much for me. They STINK. I used to enjoy cuddling with them on the couch and I always thought that Prada would be my little baby... But when people tell you that once you have children the dogs are no longer your "babies" ...believe them. It's gospel. If it weren't for my husband they'd probably never leave the garage. I know, it sounds awful! I do love them, it's just different now. I feel like they make everything dirty and I'm even more crazy about keeping things clean now that I have a little one that wants to roll around on the floor. So we worked it out by making Ben the primary caregiver for those neglected handbag sisters and I'm the primary caregiver for Owen. While this sounds like Ben got the raw end of the arrangement, it also means that Ben is "fun dad" and I'm "mean mom" already because I do all the sleep training, bath times, nap times, etc. And Ben gets the giggles and kicks. I'm still much happier with this than being responsible for the (now weekly) bath times of the THREE squirming yorkies! Sigh, how did we wind up with 3 dogs??
In other news, I recently celebrated the beginning of the last year of my 20s. Ben bought a suite at the Mayo for Amanda, Kelly and I to celebrate last Saturday night. Which, by the way, if you haven't been... you must go check out the Mayo. It's gorgeous and the restaurant/bar, Trula, is delish. They also have a really cool rooftop bar that currently doesn't serve dinner but you can take your own picnic on the roof and enjoy beverages from the Mayo. We had a great time. It was the first time I realized, that while I'm not really the same pre-baby Addie anymore, I can still go out with the girls and have fun. It's a new kind of fun, no more grape escapes for me and... why force it? I'm so happy with my life now and I love the time I get to share with the people I care about... even if it is earlier in the evenings these days! I had a great time with the girls and then I caved and went home to my baby at midnight. So I still haven't had a night away from the little guy, but there is plenty of time for that later.
Baby stuff-
Owen is rolling over, laughing, squealing, and almost sitting up without falling over. He is HUGE. It makes me so sad that he is growing up so quickly!

A little bit of Owen...

Owen- chubby club

Aww, he's exactly what I've always wanted... a chubby baby boy!! Look how much he's grown in the past 6 weeks!

Rain Rain and more Rain

Wow, can you believe all of this rain? It has really put a damper on my, I will get out and jog on Monday plan! The truth is week 2 didn't go so well on my get fit goals. :( Instead of dwelling I will just do my best to do better this week!
In other news, Little man has been GROWING! We went to the dr. because he still had bm problems (as in too frequent and too runny!) and a diaper rash that wouldn't go away (because of those problems!) So it turns out they are pretty sure he has a milk protein sensitivity. So I'm on a no dairy diet and supplementing him with some extremely stinky (and expensive) formula. It smells even worse when he immediately spits it back up (dr says it tastes bad!) BUT no more runs! He has had his first peanut butter consistency diaper and we celebrated as if he had just been accepted to Harvard Business School. He is like a new baby! He eats less (doesn't need the comforting as much, and sleeps more! I'm so glad he is feeling better. We went to Eufaula yesterday and introduced Owen to his Great Grandpa Bill. It was a nice visit and I'm so glad that we got some pictures to capture the moment.
We are in the market for some new appliances. This started because we now have to do dishes at least once a day and our dishwasher is extremely noisey and it takes 90 mins! And since we are going to have to have someone come out to install that, we might as well upgrade the oven and cooktop as well! So if any of you have any suggestions we'd love to hear what you like about yours. Also, Megan don't you subscribe to consumer reports? I might need to pick your brain! :D

A Ban on Bathing Suits

I wonder why they are called "bathing suits" anyway... Did people actually take baths in them? Either way, I'm pretty sure this summer I will have a ban on them. I don't even plan to unpack them from the "summer" clothing tub in my closet. Having a baby changes your body more than I ever realized. I didn't gain that much, under 30 pounds and I actually lost it all the first 3 weeks naturally but I look nothing like I did before pregnancy. Okay so for those of you that just rolled your eyes please realize that scales are pointless! Why bother even weighing yourself during and after pregnancy? Jeans are the true scales. They never lie. I may weigh the same but the few pairs of jeans that I can actually button prove to you that I am not at all the same size.
So, if you're wondering why I am rambling on this subject it's because I am going to start blogging about getting back into pre-prego shape. I need to be held accountable by someone or something and this blog may be the very thing that can help me get back to my pre-prego body. Maybe even better than pre-prego. I mean let's face it, I was thinner but not actually in great shape or anything. I'm going for healthy now. I want to feel fit! I actually think running sounds fun! I think it's because it's been SO long since I've felt that feeling of my feet hitting the pavement. Owen and I went for a "stroller jog" yesterday and I realized that true running might have to wait until I am no longer nursing... but meanwhile, I need to get in cardiovascular shape so that I can actually run without huffing and puffing soon. I really wish I would have worked out during pregnancy. I was active, and I did walk in the end (mostly because I wanted little Owen to get here!) and I do think that it helped me drop the weight quickly. Although, 11 weeks of nursing ALL day and night while sitting or laying around can take a serious toll on ones physique! So my advice to all of your prego ladies or soon to be is to get this dvd: www.pregofit.com It wasn't available while I was prego but I wish it was!! I am actually going to start doing the exercises in reverse. Kristen was my trainer a few years ago and she is fabulous! She recommended doing the workouts in reverse after pregnancy. (Although doing it in order while pregnant would probably mean you don't need to go so slowly to get back into working out) But anyway, that's my plan. My goal is 3 cardio workouts a week (and yes, stroller jogging will count!) and 2 strength workouts such as Kristen's pregofit in reverse. I am also going to limit my french fry habit to special occassions only. I'd say a complete ban on them would just mean that I'd disappoint myself quickly. So, June 1st was my start date and I met my first weekly goal and I have only eaten one serving of home baked french fries (which hardly count!) I have also increased my intake of lean proteins and avoided eating entire boxes of graham crackers. Week one CHECK.

If only I could post from my iphone...

So thank goodness for the iphone. I have been a blackberry user (work phone) for around 5 years or so and thought it was the best... little did I know how crucial an iphone would become to me once I had a little one. This is the only way I can keep in touch with the outside world, read books, and shop with one hand! I haven't figured out how to post blog updates from the iphone, hence my infrequency of posts. Plus the fact that during the blessed 10 minute breaks I get when Owen takes his little power naps I have a long list of things I'd like to accomplish and blogging just hasn't been one of them. BUT finally here we are, at 7 weeks... another update!
Owen is 9lbs 6 oz and 23 inches long...
He is getting more and more fun each day. I know all parents probably feel this way, but he is constantly melting my heart!
He enjoys eating for a few minutes ,napping for a few minutes, eating... and so on. So we get a lot of time to bond. He has also slept for two 5 hour stretches (and the big bonus here is that they were both AT NIGHT!) So we are considering ourselves very lucky! Dr. Zetik says he is a bit colicy but as long as I can survive breastfeeding until he gets over this hump I think we will get by just fine! It seems to be the only way to console him.
Developmental:
He holds his head up about 70% of the time while holding him and is already grabbing at things (mostly hair and earrings but we still consider this a developmental success!)
He loves to talk, smile and giggle... especially in the mornings.
He's still not a big fan of tummy time but we try to get in a few minutes each day.
I have recently been trying to become more diligent about reading to him at night. He mostly just looks at my face instead of the book but I figure that it's good practice for all of us.
We are taking our first road trip this weekend. The Scottie Scramble is Monday (a golf tournament that Ben's father does each year in honor of his dad- scholarships are awarded to local highschool golfers) so we are going to Edmond for that. I'm looking forward to this considering we consider it a victory if we can accomplish a trip to the grocery store without a complete meltdown. (As I mentioned above... we have only found one way to console him when he gets fussy and this is not appropriate to do in the middle of a grocery store)
I have decided to apply for a leave of absence from IBM for one year. This means that I will still be considered an employee so I can apply for internal hire positions and continue to be on IBM benefits. I will find out soon if this is approved. Either way, I am very excited to be able to stay home with Owen! The days go by so quickly and I am so thankful that I get to experience all of it!