I have the best mom.

We haven't put anything on Sam's walls yet. I finally got some super cute flashcards to frame but... they're in a box in the office. My mom was complaining that he had nothing to look at so of course she had to remedy the situation! She took some styrofoam, cut it into circles, painted them different colors, and stuck them on the wall. They're not exactly my style but he really does like looking at them for now. We point to each one and say the colors. :) She also cut out and painted different shapes and suspended them with fishing line above his changing table. He loves to coo at them while he's being changed.

Here he is checking out his balloon... which Puppy HATES, by the way.


My momma also learned how to use the moby wrap. I think she looks so cute wearing him in it!


I really feel so lucky to have such a great mom. ♥

2 Months

Sam turned two months old yesterday. He had his checkup today which included a couple of vaccines. One was administered orally, which I thought was really cool, and two were injections. I had been dreading it, but it really wasn't that bad.

At his past appointments he's been extremely screechy because we've had to wake him up and take him out of his carseat. These days he's awake and alert a little more through the day so it wasn't as bad. He enjoyed looking around the exam room at the colorful hand and footprints on the walls and we sang songs while we waited. He showed of his grin for the doctor and charmed the nurse, who was impressed with his fancy velcro diaper by the way and told us how she cloth diapered her kids.

When it came time for his shots he screamed a little and even shed some real tears, but he was quickly soothed with his wubby (pacifier) and stayed asleep while being strapped back into his seat.

Here he is before shots:


...And after:


I take lots of pictures of him with every intention of saving them to post exclusively on here. But I have a hard time keeping them to myself and usually put them on facebook immediately. Here are a few. They're not the best quality, but the subject makes up for it. ;]

Bath Time

Bath time has become one of my favorite parts of our day. I think that it's one of Sam's, too. He really loves being in the water. Sometimes if he's being a fussbucket I'll put him in the tub early just to calm him down.

Bath Time - Watch the top videos of the week here
(Not the most environmentally-friendly thing we do but we leave the water running the entire time...)

Getting dressed is another story entirely. He SCREAMS. Angry, red-faced screams with real tears. He's getting a little better in that he doesn't work himself up so much that he starts taking big gulps of air. They payoff is that as soon as we pick him up and give him a pacifier he's out like a light and he's so snuggly and warm and smells divine.

Right now our schedule has bath time around 7:00, then he eats around 9:00 and goes straight back to sleep. He usually sleeps for about five hours the first stretch, then 3.5-4 hours the second. In the past week, though, he's slept 7-7.5 hours three separate nights! :D It was glorious.

I have to go back to work after this week. I tear up whenever I start to think about it. The upside is that I accepted a part-time position as a unit secretary (my old job) and I'll only have to work three evenings a week. But how am I going to miss bath time three nights a week? I love nursing him and don't want to have him take bottles. I want to be the one to put him to bed. I've only been away from him twice for doctor's appointments and those few hours were hard enough for me. At least he'll be with Alex or my mom. I know I sound ridiculous but I never knew that it would be this hard to leave my baby.

Dryer sheets = Three eyed babies

I've been wanting to write about this for a while but it seems all I've had time to get down is: Dryer sheets - don't use 'em.

Now I'm not usually alarmist about these sorts of things, but I thought you, dear friends, might like to know some of this information.

When I was pregnant I started reading about how you shouldn't use dryer sheets on your kids clothes. In all of my cloth diaper research I found that the chemicals in them coat your dryer and can get on your diapers causing them to repel moisture - even if you don't put a sheet in with the diapers. So I stopped using them altogether.

Somewhere along the line I got curious and did a simple google search for dryer sheets. O.M.G! Dryer sheets cause cancer! Then I got a little crazy and googled toxic dryer sheets. Holy cow! We're all going to die!

In all seriousness there are several toxic chemicals in dryer sheets including at least one known carcinogen. Yeah, everything causes cancer these days but what really disturbed me was this article that states that three of these chemicals stay present in the body and build up over time. Ugh. Even if it's not enough to ever make a difference it just gave me the heebie jeebies. I need to stop googling.

So. Eco-friendly, non-cancer-causing alternatives. In place of liquid fabric softener we use distilled white vinegar. No it doesn't make our clothes smell like vinegar. I promise. I just use 3/4 cup of vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. You could use it in a downey ball or just add it to the rinse cycle. As for static electricity in the dryer I use these wool dryer balls. You can make your own but who has time for that when you've got a baby to love on?! ;] I've also heard that you can just use three or four tennis balls. The pourpose of the balls is to separate the clothes to eliminate static and help them dry quicker. Another way to eliminate static is not to overdry your clothes, which I am horrible about. I have a tendency to leave them in the dryer too long after they're done and wind up having to run the dryer longer to get the wrinkes out before I hang them up. :\

Well, now you know. Do with this what you will. :]

1mo2wk3d

So big...

Maybe I've lost it...

We've decided to stop using paper towels and start using cloth napkins and towels. We'll still keep a roll on hand but we definitely won't be buying a truckload at Sam's like we usually do.

Well.. the thought crossed my mind that if we were getting rid of paper towels... why not nix the toilet paper while we're at it? (Read about family cloth here.) When I mentioned the notion to Alex he laughed. When he realized that I was serious he looked at me like I had gone of the deep end and shot me down with a simple "No."

I guess we'll stick with the Charmin.

Obligatory Year-End Post In Which I Ramble and Get Sappy and Post a Trillon Pictures

This time in 2008 was rough for me. I think that the holidays are especially hard for anyone trying and struggling to get pregnant. You imagine what your celebrations would be like with a little one around and if you don't take inventory of the good things you have, life can feel sort of empty. On New Years Eve last year some good friends announced their pregnancy and while I was elated for them, I still felt sorry for myself.

But 2009 had big things in store for us, as well. March came and we found out that we were expecting our own little miracle. Looking back, even though it may not have seemed like it at the time, the pregnancy flew by. It's only been 5 weeks since Sam was born but all of the ailments, drama, pain, and anxiety of pregnancy are a sweet distant memory. Now I'm someone's mom. Let me put that in caps for you. I'M SOMEONE'S MOM.

My whole life I've always had the feeling that I was meant to be a mom. I think that made the struggle to conceive that much harder. But God's plan is so much more perfect than our plan. The thought of The Sartins from a few years ago dealing with a newborn is laughable. We weren't prepared. Sure, toward the end of my pregnancy the thought crossed my mind that I might hate being a mom or that my son might not like me but, as cheesy as it sounds, the moment I looked into my little boy's eyes those fears melted away.

Yes, having a newborn is hard. People tell you that and you can only understand it in an abstract way - you don't really understand until you're there. But while there have been plenty of tears - and while I'm sure they'll be plenty more, this just feels right. I can't imagine my life without him now. I don't even want to imagine my life without him. As I type he's snoozing next to me and I have to resist leaning over and smooching his cute little fingers.

I have to go back to work in four weeks and I still haven't secured a part time position. The thought of going back full time just seems absolutely impossible to me. I'm praying that an opportunity will present itself and I ask for your prayers as well. I know that God's will is perfect.

He smiled at me this morning. A real smile. On purpose. That's all I can say about that. Words can't describe it. He smiled.











2009 has been eventful to say the least. I'm whole-heartedly looking forward to 2010.