3 Months Already?!?

Technically, Emelia is 13 weeks old. OMG! It's been 3 months since she was born. What a wild ride thus far. Emelia is close to being completely scheduled and predictable. Believe me...I had NOTHING to do with it. She did it all on her own. She has changed so much in such a short period of time. By far, I think she's been our largest baby. Yup, I think she even surpassed Taylor in size and weight at the same age and T. was born 15 ounces larger. She definitely surpassed the boys when they were 3 months old.

August 20, 2010

November 4, 2010

I have been back to work for a week now and as much as the work processes have changed, the work itself is still the same. My mom and I are taking week by week to see how Emelia and I do being together while I am working. We are trying to keep her with me as long as possible before I can no longer handle working and having her by my side.

During my leave we were able to take a family vacation to Disneyland. My mom and aunts went with us and we had a blast.

The whole vacationing crew. These gals also traveled with us back in May 2009 when we went to Orlando, Florida. It's so nice to have many "Nanas" to help watch over our kiddos!

Emelia's first picture with Mickey Mouse!

Belle (Taylor), Paratrooper (Jackson), Ninja (Anthony) posing with Aunt Dinah and Aunt Rosie in Disneyland.

The kids got to attend the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. They came back with a TON of candy! See what I mean. This is all of the 3 kiddo's candy from just that night. Yes, this bag is FULL of candy!

The kids had a lot of fun this Halloween. They got to trick or treat 3 times this year. Once in Disneyland, once on the evening before Halloween and again on Halloween night. The NW YMCA was having their annual Trunk or Treat so we decided to take a chance and attend. There were huge crowds of people. Many of them waiting to get in and out of the parking lot. It's a good thing we arrived early and found a primo spot because as soon as we left, someone snagged our spot. On Halloween night we went trick or treating in Aunt Rosie and Uncle Perry's neighborhood and the kids again scored a lot of candy.

This picture is the night before Halloween taken at The Bottle Shop. Anthony created his own costume and dressed up as Commander Cody from the Halo video game. Taylor dressed up as a Winter Contessa Princess and Jackson was a Paratrooper again.

As much as the last 3 months have been a complete blur due to lack of sleep and trying to get adjusted to having 4 kids and 6 different schedules to keep up with; I think we are finally out of survival mode. I think we have all started to settle into a good routine and the rest of 2010 will hopefully be a bit calmer for us. Hee hee, we'll see because Thanksgiving is on Thursday and then Christmas is right around the corner. YIKES!!!!

A Diaper Tale

Emelia is 6 weeks old already and has outgrown her newborn size diapers. Weight wise, I'm sure she can still wear them but mess wise...she needs a bigger diaper. :-) But it's definitely true that not all diapers are the same!

We have been using the Huggies Snugglers size 1 and the Kirkland brand size 1-2 diapers. We also received a package of Pampers Swaddlers size 1's which I may return at the store because of my fear of the chemical burn from their DryMax technology. And we purchased and started using the Target Up and Up Brand diaper. I have also tried on Emelia, the Huggies Snug & Dry size 1-2 diapers when she was about 3 weeks old. I have not tried the Sam's Club or Walmart brand diapers yet. I'm sure that will happen in the near future.

Here's the verdict so far...
Huggies Snugglers: They fit her well. Contain the mess...decently, although when she soaks her diaper, it becomes heavy and feels a bit moist on the outside too. She seems to have a bit more leaks out of the side with these diapers if that diaper is not positioned on her properly. Between the leg fit, these are a bit bulkier which may cause the side leaks we've sometimes had because the diaper becomes a bit off centered. Rash and Redness...minor. We've relieved that by using the Melaleuca Triple Antibiotic Ointment alternating with the Melaleuca Renew Lotion.

Kirkland Brand: They fit her well. The construction is almost identical to the Huggies Snugglers. Contain the mess...Well, I don't remember a leg leak problem when she's worn them. Thus far no back blowouts. When the diaper is full, you can tell but it's not moist on the outside like the Huggies Snugglers get. Between the leg fit is almost perfect. Rash and Redness...Minimal. Thus far, I have been able to use the Melaleuca Renew Lotion with her between diaper changes

Huggies Snug & Dry: I tried these on her when she was about 4 weeks old and they were HUGE on her. Granted they are size 1-2 but I think they are closer to a size 2 than a size 1. So we put them away for a later date. Around the waist they fit her but I was really worried about leg leakage.

Target Up & Up: Not exactly my favorite right now. They fit her decently and are trim between the legs. They contain a mess very well though. With these diapers, I'm worried that we would see a back blowout because they don't have the same extra panel construction as the Huggies Snugglers and Kirkland's do. They don't have as much stretch and give in the back for the side tabs that the Kirkland and Huggies have. They are a bit more rigid but fit better between the legs for Emelia. Rash and Redness...Minimal so far. We've only used a few of the diapers from the package one of which was during the night for a 3-4 hour stretch and she wasn't red when I changed her.

Pampers Swaddlers: Before the change to incorporate the DryMax Technology, we were a Pampers family. I know moms who have used them successfully w/o problems and ones who have seen the rashes occur almost immediately after use. I'm still skeptical so I think we'll hold off on these and try to exchange them for a different brand.

By far, the Kirkland size 1-2 brand diapers are my favorite. Hahha, I'm not sure what Emelia thinks about them. Only problem...no Costco membership so I'll have to see if I can score them another way OR break down and purchase a Costco membership just to purchase diapers. Then I would say I like the Huggies Snugglers but we definitely must change her immediately or else she'll feel wet everywhere. Then the Target brand diapers. I think I like the trim of the Target diapers but the overall construction and fit of the Kirkland diapers are much better thus far.

Baby wipes...hands down Target Up & Up Sensitive Brand wipes (in the purple and white package)!!!! We've used the Pampers Sensitive and the Huggies Wipes and overall softness, quality and being able to get them out of the wipe box, Target Sensitive are the best. We were really surprised to find how rigid the Huggies wipes were. And the cost/value of the Pampers Sensitive wipes...I'll take the Target brand wipes to save a few dimes and I get more wipes in the package.

Baby Haze

On Friday, August 20, 2010 Lisa gave birth to a beautiful 7lb. 0oz. 19 1/4" baby girl at 3:35pm. Her name is Emelia Michelle Gray. (pictures to be posted in a separate update).

Today marks day 10 of her life and mom and dad are still in a slight baby haze. Dad took the week off from work following her birth and mom is taking full advantage of the 12 weeks of maternity leave under FMLA from her company.

Big Big brother Anthony, Big brother Jackson and Big sister Taylor adore their new baby sister. Everyone wants to love on and kiss on and hug and hold her. The three of them tend to her cries and if they can't...guess who they call and tell "the baby is hungry"? With the kids off at school and mom and baby left at home most mornings, bonding is at it's peak right now. Of course mom is still trying to do a lot of things she did before baby was here...Facebook, Farmville, Frontierville, Fold laundry (wow...that's a lot of 'F-words'). But mom is also trying to force herself to rest when Emelia is resting. Mom's rest usually comes in the middle of the afternoon/early evening.

Thus far, very little jealousy has occurred other than within the older siblings when it comes to helping out with the baby. Mom and Dad are very fortunate that the kiddos are primarily cooperative with each other and WANT their baby sister around. Ask us again though in about a month once the baby haze starts to fade how everyone is doing. :-)

10 More Days???

My official due date is August 18. So if this baby stays inside her warm waterbed for that long then I have at least 10 more days left. My OB is out of town this week (he left town on the 6th) and won't be back until the 16th which is when my next appointment is scheduled for. Between now and then we have school packet pick-up (tomorrow). Open House (next Sunday) and then the first day of school the following day.

Symptoms? All I've had is Braxton Hicks Contractions that have at times lasted all day long. They aren't booming and there's no other changes occurring. One thing that is nice though is that I am able to get a lot of sleep between now and when baby makes her entrance. The kids have been able to hang out with Nana and Papa before school starts and Tony has been around a lot.

I'm still working and intend on working full-time until I head to the hospital. Hahahah, since I'm mobile, if I can, maybe I'll continue working through each contraction until I deliver. We'll see on that one though! My manager is predicting that I go into full blown Labor next Sunday at or after Open House. Hee hee, we'll see.

I'm hoping that this baby holds out until my OB is back in town so he can be there for my delivery but then again, I'm getting fairly uncomfortable. I'm torn, if I want to deliver the baby now or wait.

34 weeks and counting!

Up to week 40. And you know what that means...A new baby girl will be added to our household! Actually, she could come at anytime between week 38-week 41 without complications according to my doctor. However, Anthony was born at week 37, Jackson at week 38 1/2 and Taylor 1 day before her actual due date.

This kid moves in the womb like Jackson did and somedays she's non-stop! Either I feel her more because my belly (thank goodness) is ALL baby or because she's #4 and I'm more sensitive to the baby movements. Whatever the case is, I just know that she keeps me up at night, moves in the early morning and late afternoon when I start to feel Braxton-Hicks contractions. Oh and can I tell you how much she loves it when I eat???? Goodness! Yup, non-stop! So we all know just how active Jackson is, imagine how much our life will be turned upside down when this one becomes fully mobile! :-)

So every Wednesday, a new week is under our belt and we hit another milestone. This Monday I have a doctor's appointment and I'm contemplating if I should request to be induced sometime in week 39 a few days before the kid's open house at school. This way, I can also go with them and meet their teachers, help drop off their school supplies and know that I won't have to worry that during the first week of school, I'll go into labor spontaneously. Anthony and Jackson were spontaneous and Taylor was induced and by far, I think she was my best birth. I was relaxed, and the labor was not as intense. But then comes the question of when my Maternity Leave will be finished. I'd like to start back the first week of November but that pretty much means that I'll have to try and wait it out as long as week 40 or 41 to deliver. Gah! Decisions, decisions. I guess after Monday, we'll kind of know for sure what the "plan" might be.

Summer Updates

School ended on May 20 and from that point forward we have been in non-stop motion. The Monday after school ended, the boys completed a week long basketball camp at the YMCA. 6 hours of non-stop games and drills. Their b-ball skills really increased. Then we celebrated Memorial Day and all 3 kids started summer camp through the YMCA on June 1.

Taylor is now old enough for "Kinder Camp" and that lasts about 4 hours. Jackson is now old enough for "Day Camp" and both boys can attend together. Unfortunately though on the first day of camp, Anthony took a tumble and broke his left ring finger. For the remainder of that week, Anthony's finger issue took precedence. He was on activity and water restriction so he couldn't swim and he couldn't get his hand wet while he showered. He had to go to the hospital to get put under so his Orthopaedic Surgeon could reset his finger. He came through like a champ and was so very brave.





The following week, Anthony was back in camp with Jackson and Taylor. And Taylor started "Princess Camp" where they read stories and did ballet. She had a great time. During their weeks at Day Camp the boys were able to play camp games, they made friends and went on field trips. One was to see Aliens In The Attic and another was to the Reid Park Zoo.

Then as a family we started our "staycation" up in Scottsdale, Arizona. We traded one of our extra timeshare weeks and stayed at the Sheraton Desert Oasis. For the first part of the staycation Anthony was still on water restriction so we opted not to swim. Instead we took the kids to Chandler Mall so they could visit Build-A-Bear and the Lego Store. Then we came back to Tucson so we could tend to some doctor appointments and Tony could go back to work. But during the second half, the doctor released him and we were able to use the pool which had a waterfall feature. We had such a great time. During that weekend, Tony and I also celebrated our 11 year anniversary and he got me a new digital camera. It's waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof. So of course we had to get some great pictures while we were swimming.




This week Taylor is the only one in camp again. She'll resume Kinder Camp for the remaining part of the summer. This is to keep her 8-12pm wake/school routine/schedule so when the kids resume school in the Fall she'll be used to those hours. Anthony and Jackson are able to take the week off from activities. Next week Jackson will do Basketball Camp again and the boys will also resume Taekwondo. In July there is another week of Basketball camp for both boys and Taylor will also do another Princess Camp that includes, ballet, tap and tumbling. Then comes August and we'll ramp up and prep the house for the arrival of our new little girl and the kids will go back to school.

It's crazy to think that we'll have a Fourth Grader, First Grader, Pre-Kindergartener and a new infant in about 7 weeks. YIKES!

To Cloth or Not to Cloth...that is the question.

Cloth Diaper that is. There was a recent post on the moms board that had a link about the new Pampers Dry Max diapers causing extreme diaper rash/possible chemical burns on baby's tush. Being that we are a "Pampers family" and exclusively used Pampers diapers for all 3 kids, after reading the article and viewing the edited picture (to not show all of baby's privates) what the burns/rash looked like I'm scared to even try and diaper #4 in disposable Pampers again. Let alone try any new disposable diapers anymore. It's been 2 years since I've had to diaper someone and since technology and chemicals change all the time (look at all of the cool new baby gear available), disposable diapers and wipes have too.

I KNOW there are Huggies, organic, chlorine free and store brand diapers that may work just as well as Pampers for us but let's face it...in this family we are about 85% brand loyal. But if there is something that I can do to prevent pain for my child, I will do it full bore! As a female I know it's not fun to get "pad/liner rash" from the adhesive or dry weave on a feminine product so why would it be fun for a baby to have "diaper rash" from their diapers? And boys, what about when you have to wear a protective cup...don't you guys find jock straps, supportive cups and supportive underwear uncomfortable over time? What about the debate between boxers and briefs and "jock itch"?

Let's see, the upfront cost of cloth diapers are expensive as most cloth diapers run between $15-25 each. A small package of Pampers (even on sale and with a coupon) can come down to about $8.00 for say 24 one-time use and I'd have to purchase them every other week or so. So I guess for every 1 reusable cloth diaper I can purchase 2-3 packages of disposables. Hmmm, over the long haul, I can see that cloth diapering would be cost effective provided that they are used and maintained on a consistent basis.

Then there's the washing aspect of cloth diapers. More laundry and separate laundry detergent...hmmmm, does a family of 6 NEED to do more laundry? Granted every night currently we are washing the kid's uniform clothes (yes, I'm cheap and won't buy a ton of uniform clothes for them) but I'm already saving money on their school clothes because we use handmedowns and I don't have to continue to buy them clothes that are "in style" for both weekend and school use. But really if you buy enough cloth diapers to last 2-3 days, and do a full load every other day, then 1 extra load of just diapers and maybe cloth wipes might not be a bad thing and may not be too stressing/taxing on us. We also wash everyone's clothes together so it's not like I'm doing whites and darks and reds for each kid plus a load of each for me and Tony. Let's see, handling poo...well when a baby has blowouts which for some kids can occur every other day, that laundry is nasty and piles up. Hmmm, maybe my kid will be a REALLY clean kid because we have to wash her and her diapers down all the time. ;-)

But what about during travel or when we are away from home? What about Nana and Papa and any other babysitters we have in the future. Are they going to be comfortable using/supporting cloth diapering efforts? Or during these times will I have to use disposables but just a chemical free brand of disposables?

Lastly what about "bubble butt" due to the bulk of cloth diapers? She's a girl, and yes...may have a big tush but given that they are my kids, this may not be as much of an issue as I am concerned about.

So what have I done thus far? I'm looking on line, searching back through previous posts on the moms message board and emailing all my cloth diapering momma friends for advice. The response is amazing. All right within the same page that cloth diapering is a lot easier than originally thought and so much better for them. They have their own system for doing things which I believe I can successfully handle and all the mommas I've gotten responses from take their kids out and about and aren't just stuck at home waiting for the next diaper change. Thanks ladies for putting my mind somewhat at ease in this department! They all also recommend the following website: tentinypiggies.com

Hmmm, as I type this post, I'm almost convinced that I may purchase a few cloth diapers to "try out" and see where we end up from there. More thoughts? Opinions? Advice?

We Will Have A...

GIRL!

We had our 20 week ultrasound today and it's definitely a girl. More purple and pink and probably princesses and tea sets to grace our household. We will be evened up 3 boys/3 girls. Funny thing, all the boys in the family (Tony, Anthony and Jackson) are Colorado Natives whereas all the girls (me, Taylor and #4) are Arizona Natives. I have this funny feeling that this one will be just as giggly and active as Jackson is if her ultrasound movement is any indication. She just would not keep still, kept flipping around and turning. Although it could have also been the banana or Chex Mix I ate for breakfast that got her going.

Now my next mission is to get rid of all the small sized boy clothes and pull out Taylor's old clothes and set them aside for #4. Sorry all...no clues will be given on names until she makes her arrival in August!

The "New Stranger Danger" Danger

Many things have changed in our world in the past few years and part of it has been for good and some has been for bad. We took Taylor into the Pediatrician for her 4 year well child check-up and she's growing beautifully. But he bought into light the "New Stranger Danger" for us. And let me tell you, it's so scary and in just 2 short years time has change from when Jackson was 4 years old and our Pediatrician was talking about strangers with him.

I posted the story on my moms group message board because I have some of the oldest kids in the group and I feel it's important for everyone with younger ones to be aware of the new stranger danger. This is what I wrote:

"The term stranger danger has been around since I was a little girl and it was always drilled into my head that this person can be someone you don't know, someone you've never seen before who tries to talk to you, someone who tries to talk to you when your parents are not around, etc. But it was recently brought to my attention by our Pediatrician at Taylor's 4 year old well child appointment just how evolved "stranger danger" has become.

He gave Taylor the following scenario and asked what she would do...

Ped: Let's say you are at school and you see someone you don't know for the first time and they wave hi to you. Do you wave back or say hi back?
Taylor: No

Ped: Okay, so you go to school the next day and that same person is there again and they wave hi to you. And the next day, you see that person and they wave hi to you and they also say hi to one of your friends at school. And then you see them near the playground later in the afternoon and they say hi to you again and they also say hi to your friends, Mary, Sue, Joe. And you keep seeing them at school for a while and you see your teacher talking to them. And then for a little bit you don't see them.
Taylor: Where did they go?

Ped: Oh they just haven't been around. But then the following day they come back and they smile and say hi to all the kids again and they wave to you and then come up to you and tell you, that your "mommy said that you can come with me outside and see my kitty" Do you go?

...And this is where Taylor pondered the situation and thought about it for a little bit and then said "Yes". And the Pediatrician asked why she would go. And she said, "because I've seen him around school and they talked to me and my friends and my teacher."

Then he looked at Taylor and said, "You don't go anywhere with anyone other than mommy or daddy if you do not see their mouths moving and hear them say you have permission to go." And he turned back to Tony and I and said, "This is the new trend in strangers, you must teach the kids that they have to see your mouths moving and hear your voice before they do anything or go anywhere with anyone. Talk to the boys about it as well when you get home."

SCARY!!!!

So as your kids get older, ensure that they also are aware of this type of scenario. Stranger Danger is no longer the random person off the street who comes one day and tries to snatch a kid away. It's now someone who cases places and looks friendly and is familiar to the the kids who are the predators."

So now with #4 cooking, I don't know if I want to think about how stranger danger will change for them and what things the Pediatrician will tell us to teach that one about.

Finally a 2010 update!

I know...I haven't updated this blog in a super long time. Many things have happened since last year. hee hee.

A. We are expecting #4. I am due August 18, 2010 and currently I'm in my 14th week of pregnancy. Thus far everything has gone well except I'm exhausted all the time. I'm still working out by walking with my moms group, using the treadmill or elliptical at Westward Look Resort or drilling and doing clinics on the tennis court. A few weeks ago I stopped my Krav Maga class. I was very sad about it but I was way too tired to function for work after that 1 hour class.

B. Tony has been doing a LOT of traveling for work. Since January he has been home a total of 3 full weeks. For a while there he was traveling 3-4 days and then home for 3-4 days. Oh well, it's for his job and hopefully as we get closer to my due date the travel will slow down.

C. Taylor traded in her ballet shoes for soccer cleats. Tony and I are coaching the team and we started with 12 players the majority of the kids are from the moms group. The kids range in age from older 2s - young 4s. We practice 2 times a week with games on Saturdays. Our season will be ending at the end of February and the kids have been an absolute joy. It's so great to see them all cheering each other on and some have really surprised us and become great beginner soccer players.

D. Anthony has started playing basketball again with the YMCA and is now doing really well. Lately he has been scoring at least 1-2 baskets per scrimmage. He will continue with basketball through the end of March and hopefully will want to play some more from April on. Tony is planning on coaching the 4th Grade BBall team for Immaculate Heart so I'm hoping to recruit enough boys for the team so Anthony can play with all of his friends.

E. All 3 kids have started playing tennis in a kids clinic at Westward Look. Jackson and Taylor do a "Pee Wee" class where they are the only ones signed up so they are pretty much getting a semi-private lesson. And then Jackson moves on to do the "Big Kids" class with Anthony. He's funny because half the time he says he's only going to participate in the Pee Wee class and then after his half hour is up, he's ready and warmed up to play in the Big Kids class. KIDS!

For now that's the update in a nutshell. One day soon I'll post more pictures. :-)