Monday, August 31, 2009

New Blog to Follow

I was just made aware of the most amazing blog. This woman is 20 years old and living in Uganda serving orphans. Her stories are heartbreaking, encouraging, and make you want to scream all at the same time.

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Playing

Evelyn loves to play with these wiffle balls we have. She chases them all over the house. She's also crawling in the video, something I hardly EVER see her do anymore! I miss that gimpy crawl sometimes.

Happy Birthday Scott!

Scott turned 27 last Thursday...so yes, this post is a bit late. :) We took this photo on our way out to dinner to celebrate.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Girl Cousins

Evelyn has 5 cousins, and only one of them is a girl! She loves loves loves Kaylin though! Happy first week of kindergarten Kaylin!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Baby Items I Love

I decided to compile a list of all my favorite baby items I used with Evelyn. Hopefully if you have a baby on the way this may help!

Swaddle blanket: She wouldn't sleep without one until she was 5 months old! It would instantly calm her when she was fussy and was much easier than trying to keep her swaddled tight in a regular blanket.

Sleep sack: Now she sleeps in one of these. It's wonderful because she can't kick her blankets off and get cold in the night.

Noise Machine
: This is great as part of our going to sleep routine. She knows when I turn it on that it's time to sleep. It's also great during naps in our noisy neighborhood as few things seem to wake her up when its running.

Ring Sling
: I use this almost every day. If she's cranky and wants held while I'm doing stuff around the house, she rides around in the sling. If we're at the store and there's no cart to put her in (or before she was big enough for the cart) I didn't have to lug around that huge, heavy car seat, I just put her in the sling. She loves being held close, and I love having my hands free. It's also much easier on your arms and back than carrying in you arms!

Moby Wrap: Until about 6 months she also loved this carrier. It's perfect for a small baby that wants to snuggle close, or for a slightly larger baby that wants to face out and see what's going on.

Nursing Cover: I never leave the house without it. It allows me to nurse anywhere we go without feeling like I'm exposing myself. I also have never had to nurse in a bathroom (yuck!).

Swaddlebees: These are my favorite of Evelyn's cloth diapers. They fit great, are easy to put on, and are so soft on the inside. Besides, they're so cute!

Boppy: This is a breastfeeding must! It makes breastfeeding so much easier on your back and arms because it keeps baby well supported while nursing.

Mullein-Garlic Oil: This is a must have for ear infections. You can avoid a trip to the doctor's office and antibiotics (which are silly for ear infections anyways since 90% of them are viral and antibiotics have been linked to recurrent ear infections). You just warm the oil and put a few drops in the infected ear. It soothes the pain and helps their body fight off the infection.

Instinct: God gave you a gut feeling for a reason. Women were designed to be mothers of their babies. Before you follow what any book written by a so-called expert has to say, go with what feels right for you and your family.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Swimming

Cutest babe at the pool!


The fountain was a little scary.



You would think going under would have scared her, but no! She just kept going!



Love those eyes.

Monday, August 17, 2009

eat.shop kansas city

I saw this book in a bookstore in Brookside and held back. Then I saw it again at Barnes and Noble and gave in. It's now my new favorite little guide to the city I am growing to love. It's all about local restaurants and stores that are unique and fun. Now when we want to go out to eat we don't have to just head down to Applebee's or Cheesecake Factory for the gazillionth time. We can go to 1924 Main, Arthur Bryant's, the Blue Grotto, or Jess and Jim's Steak House! Yummy!

And for those non-Kansas City-ites...they make one for lots of cities! Check out their site.

Goodnight Baby

As I rocked and nursed Evelyn before laying her down to sleep last night, I got to thinking. In just over a month she will be a year old. She's getting so big and changing so much everyday. I started dwelling on the fact that for the majority of her life, I won't be rocking her, nursing her, and singing to her before bed. Yes, I know there will be different bedtime routines that I will enjoy as well, but never again will she be a baby. I've started cherishing these times more and more. I teared up thinking about it last night and I tear up now thinking about it again. Goodnight baby.