HAIR RAISING

NAH. MINE!

Well, James is 16-months-old now and we've somehow managed to keep him from saying "No" or shaking his head "no" at us up to this point. However, he's very recently learned to say "Nah" in a similar fashion (daycare must have taught him, right?)...

Whereas he used to share whatever he was eating with us (or at least with me - he LOVED to give his Mommy "bites"), he now refuses. Especially if the food is in HIS snack trap (he is somewhat obsessed with his snack traps these days). Be it Puffs or crackers or dried fruit. He literally clutches it closer and shakes his torso from side to side while saying "Nah" and/or "Mine". Or he just runs away with it. Cracks us up...

OUR STASH

In the cloth diapering world, you're stockpile of diapers, inserts, and covers is called your "stash". With 2 babies in diapers, our stash has gotten large (by some standards)...

Here is James' current stash:

The breakdown from left to right and top to bottom: 11 BumGenius Organic One-Size All-In-One diapers (colors: Moonbeam, Twilight, Grasshopper, Ribbit, Clementine, and White) for days at home, 4 BumGenius 3.0 one-size pocket diapers (color: Moonbeam) all double-stuffed for overnight, and 4 FLIP one-size diaper covers (color: Ribbit) used with disposable inserts for daycare. We also have 1 BumBenius All-In-One diaper in size large (color: White), which was a FREE gift with purchase and is not pictured because James was wearing it, as well as 3 SuperDo inserts for overnight use and a set of 6 gCloth inserts that we very rarely use.

And this is Cora's newborn stash:

She has 4 Thirsties Duo Wrap diaper covers in size one (colors: Orchid Purple and Rose Pink) to be used with 24 Green Mountain Diapers unbleached newborn prefolds (color: orange edge) for days at home, 4 Thirsties Fab Fitted XS fitted diapers (colors: Lavender and Raspberry) and 4 Kissaluvs 2.0 Fitted Diapers in size 0 (color: light brown stitching) to be used at night with either the Thirsties covers or the cute printed Imse Vimse diaper cover I received as a FREE gift (for being such a good customer), 4 Rumparooz Lil' Joeys all-in-one diapers (colors: pink and purple) and 1 WAHM (that's "work-at-home-mom" for those not in the know) newborn all-in-one diaper (color: Sleepy Monkeys) that I purchased from a shop on ETSY (Cloudkids) for nights, as well as 2 fleece soakers (which have the same function as a diaper cover, colors: owls and flowers), also purchased from shops on ETSY (Cottontail Babies and Londonware).

We actually purchased more diapers for Cora than originally planned (the newborn fitteds and all-in-ones) because my favorite online cloth diaper retailer (Sultana at Simple Wonders) convinced me that using fitted, pocket, or all-in-one diapers at night is worth the extra expense (over exclusively using prefolds) in order to save the time and effort of folding and Snappi-ing prefolds into covers in the wee hours of the morning when you're running on 1-2 hours of sleep. And she was right! I'm loving the fitted diapers for overnight. The Kissaluvs are the #1 preferred fitted diaper for newborns because they are ultra absorbant and have a snap-down front to keep the umbilical cord stump uncovered. Both the Thirsties and Kissaluvs require diaper covers though, as they are fitted diapers (NOT all-in-one diapers, so they have no waterproof layer), and I also wanted to try some newborn-sized all-in-ones, so we got some Lil Joeys too (the #1 newborn all-in-one diaper on the market). The WAHM all-in-one and fleece soakers were a mini splurge (not expensive, but also not "needed") - I couldn't resist, they are just too cute! In total, we spent under $250 for 2-3 months worth of diapers, and saved over $50 by buying half of them used off BabyCenter's Cloth Diaper Swap.

Cora also has a stockpile of 10 BumGenius Organic One-Size All-In-Ones (colors: Zinnia and Blossom) that she'll move into starting sometime in month 3 (or whenever she reaches at least 8 lbs AND her BMs stabilize/lessen):

We only need 2 more of those to complete her daytime stash for home use. Also, before she starts daycare we'll need to get her a set of the FLIP one-size diaper covers, and eventually she'll also need a few overnight diapers (and we'll probably go with more of the one-sized BG 3.0s, unless I just get her some awesome fitteds to use under her FLIPs at night). Thank goodness cloth diapers have such good resale value... After about 3 months (depending how quickly Cora reaches the 12-15 lb weight limits) we'll be able to sell her entire newborn diaper stash and recoup some money (likely 75-80% of what we initially invested, even with the diapers we bought used) before purchasing her one-size diapers! Proof in point? We were no longer using our gDiapers or Fuzzi Bunz with James (since we switched to the FLIPs and BG 3.0s), so I sold them over the weekend. I recouped 75% of the original price on the Fuzzi Bunz, even though James used them for 9 months. The gDiapers I sold cheap (40% of original cost recouped), since they were faded and somewhat snagged (an expected hazard from washing them, since they are cotton and have velcro instead of snaps). Cool, eh? You sure can't get your money back on a disposable diaper...

BEATIN' THE HEAT

We beat the heat yesterday afternoon with James' splash pool, water table, and sun tent, and some popsicles. The splash pool was a huge hit (unlike last year):

Popsicles were taste-tested by James, but not enjoyed:

And Cora napped in James' wagon while the rest of us played:

4 ON THE 4TH

That's 4 Lindsays, of course:

We celebrated the 4th yesterday evening by attending a BBQ and mini fireworks show at a friend's house. Cora was the hit of the party (as newborns tend to be) and James had a great time bouncing on the trampoline with his Daddy and watching the fireworks in his Mama's lap (we're BOTH enjoying the fact that I have a lap again).

(Don't worry, Jay held him tightly and bounced lightly - he LOVED it!)

My boys are so darn cute...

And finally, here's a close up of my pretty girl, all dolled up for the holiday: (Gorgeous 4th of July bow made by Jay's Aunt Beverly)

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS...

...when babies fall asleep at the buffet!

FIRST FAMILY GROCERY TRIP

As usual, James passed out on the way home. Cora, on the other hand, was wide awake.

Why doesn't the car put her to sleep?

Of course, she did sleep in the sling the entire time we were in the store...

DUE DATE!

Today is Cora's due date, and she is already 17 days old!

So just for fun, here is a comparison of Cora and James in their Daddy's hands at 17-days-old:

FREEZER FULL OF LOVE

Dearest friends and family,

We'd like to take a moment to thank you for filling our new chest freezer with frozen entrees, muffins, sweets, and leftovers. Dinners this week (our first week without the grandparents here to do all the cooking!) have been so fast and easy thanks to your help, and we really appreciate it!

So thank you to Jean, Dawn & Dave, Sandy, Amy, Mary Beth, Christina, and Sophie (who made meals for James, which has been a LIFESAVER this week)!!

(NOTE: Picture taken while I reorganized the freezers yesterday. I promise I didn't pull everything out just for a photo op!)

DADDY'S NEWEST LESSON

Jay has been working with James on another important lesson this week: walking safely to and from the car. Ideally, James will learn to walk straight to the car (or house, or daycare) aside his Daddy, without running or wandering off. Not sure how long this will take, but they're making good progress so far... James likes to have his shoes put on in order to go outside (he even helps with the velcro). He knows to go to the back door when Jay tells him it's time to go to the car. He even takes Jay's hand and walks alongside him (which is super helpful, since Jay's hands are quite full on these solo mornings with James' diaper bag, his lunch bag, his coffee mug, and other random items that need to go to school or work that day), for MOST of the distance to the car (his water table and the wood pile are quite the distraction). I grabbed this photo this morning after Jay had already stashed the bags in the car and had retreated to get James from the water table:

DAINTY HICCUPS

CUTE CLOTH

The prefolds and covers are working out great, but we also have a few "cute" cloth diapers for Cora...

'Lil Joey all-in-one newborn diaper (fits 4-12 lbs) with umbilical snap-downHandmade all-in-one newborn diaper with umbilical cut-outFleece soaker (used as another cover for the prefolds)

STARTING PLAYTIME

She likes the wooden beads almost as much as her brother!

And yes, she flipped over to her side all by herself (she's been a wiggly little thing from the very start - we figure 6 lbs wasn't much weight for her to heft around).

SHE MAY BE SMALL...

...but she sure is strong!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

To the best set of grandparents around!

HANDMADE BY GRANDMA

A while back I came across a cool crayon-wrap that I really wanted for James. The price was NOT so cool though. So what did I do? What I always do - ask Jean if she can make it!

Here is the wrap:

And here is James NOT coloring (the swirl is Jay's example for him), but definitely enjoying banging the crayons on his tray, as well as taking the crayons in and out of the wrap (and in and out, over and over - our boy loves repetition these days):

Also, some of you may recall the awesome water resistant-backed fleece blanket Jean made last November which attaches to the stroller (so it won't fall off or get dirty dragging on the ground). Well, she made a second one, lighter in weight (for warmer weather) and GATOR in color:

And remember those pillows repurposed from James' crib bumper that I mentioned "commissioning" Jean to make last month? Well here is the finished product:

We have no idea how she managed to make them so that they fit the bed so perfectly, but we doubt it happened by chance. James LOVES these pillows! They keep him from bumping his head on the wall at night, and he really enjoys pointing out the palm trees, sun, and whale.

Not to be left out, Grandma also made something for Cora:

An adorable bouquet of baby sock roses to welcome her grandaughter!

She really should go into business, dontcha think?

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR...

James and Cora's Grandma left today. It was the first time James cried when being dropped off at daycare in quite a while. He's definitely picking up on his parents' emotions, and we know he misses his Grandma already, whom he shared a room with for nearly 2 weeks while she visited. (Hopefully she will recover from her nights sleeping with James' Rockabye Baby music on loop... "We all live in a yellow submarine. A yellow submarine. A yellow submarine.")

In all seriousness though, we are all missing Jean already. As full as a house can feel one day, it can feel awfully empty the next. Luckily, managing 2 kids on our own has kept us so busy that we haven't had time to wallow. Much. I made dinner for the first time in 2 weeks! Cora tried out her swing for the first time. James ran around the entire first-floor of the house over and over and over (he really is getting fast). Both kids had a somewhat rough evening though. James did NOT want to go to sleep, and it took Jay over an hour to settle him. And Cora was certifiably fussy for the first time since she's been home. We think it was mainly gas issues, but still. It was a long 2-hour battle to get her settled too...

Jean/Mom/Grandma, we thank you for all you did to make the past 2 weeks as easy on us as possible. We're looking forward to all the leftovers you stocked our freezer with, we can't wait to put up the mirror and shelves you painted for Cora's nursery, and we're excited to show everyone the other projects you've been working on. We love you!

ALL ABOUT CORA

Cora turned 2-weeks-old today, and she had her 2-week weigh-in and well-baby exam. She is doing amazingly well! She is up nearly a pound from her birthweight (now 6 lbs 14 oz, to be exact, a gain of 13 oz in the past week). Her pediatrician was very happy with her weight gain, as well as her alertness and our report of her daily "routine". Yes, we are fully aware that any patterns we are seeing now could easily change, and probably will multiple times over the next few months, but for the time being we are really enjoying Cora's routine...

She generally nurses 10 times per day. She is an excellent nurser, and I am so thankful for that! Although she eats on average every 3 hours, she tends to cluster feed in the evenings (eating every hour on the hour from 5-9pm). The flip side of this, and the good news, is that she then goes 4-5 hours between feeds once per night, usually giving me a full 4-hours of sleep between midnight and 4am. And that feeding is followed by a 3-hour sleep stretch for us both. I never would have thought that I'd be getting 6-7 hours of sleep per night with a newborn in the house...

When she's not eating or sleeping, Cora is a very alert and content baby, with the signs of a very sweet personality showing through already. She generally has 2 extended awake periods during the day, 1-2 hours in the morning and 2-3 hours in the afternoon or early evening. She loves to be held and cuddled, but also sleeps just fine on her own in her stroller or bassinet (thank goodness). We love that she'll look us right in the eyes and hold our gaze, but she's also already looking beyond us, showing interest in the world around her. She makes adorable little baby noises, and often sounds like a kitten. She usually sneezes 3 times or more in a row, and can actually wake her Daddy from a sound sleep with her burps and toots in the middle of the night.

She'll take a paci, and holds it in very well - as long as she's interested. When she's not (for example, during her cluster-feeding hours), she continually spits it out or pouts her little lips, or even pushes it away with her hands. She is very particular, our girl, and we suspect that she'll be running this household before long... And when she doesn't get her way, she can put on quite a show! Luckily, it's very short lived, but this is what "angry Cora" looks like:

CORA'S FIRST PHOTOSHOOT

Here's a sneak preview of Cora's birth announcement photo:

I'm so glad I married such an amazing photographer!

(And so glad the Sleep Sheep and hot lamp kept Cora calmly sleeping throughout her photoshoot)

CLEAN CORA

Cora had her first bath today, and the verdict is in - she's a water baby!

A modest water baby...

All clean!

Content and cozy...

ME TOO!

2 PEAS IN A POD?

Many of you have been asking us who we think Cora looks like. James? Me? Jay? Well, we can't decide. It may just be too soon. But if you want to guess for yourselves, I have now included mug shots of my babies at about 1-week-old on the right-hand side of the blog. Of course, this picture may be more telling...

How cute are my babies sleeping in unison with their Daddy this afternoon?

MORE POTTY DRIVING

James continues to enjoy driving his potty around the living room. The other night he took off as we were getting him ready for his bath (hence the nakedness)...

(Sorry, it was too darn cute not to share)

GRANDPA'S LITTLE STUDENT

Just as with his Daddy, James has a special relationship with his Grandpa. It was really amazing for me to see the connection James made with my Dad on this trip. Don't get me wrong, he loves ALL his grandparents (and played favorites off-and-on with all of them throughout the weeks), but his Grandpa definitely held a different sort of fascination with him. And I know the feeling was mutual - it was so fun to watch my Dad with him, so patient and sweet, reading stories, going over his flashcards, and showing him how to work his toys.

Here are a few of the things Grandpa taught James over the past 2 weeks:

To say Grandpa (or "Ampa", as it more accurately sounds)

To greet Grandpa with their secret moustache signal

That the dog says "woof woof"

How to make "monkey ears" and monkey sounds

And how to fuel his lawnmower (a new toy we got him as a "Big Brother" present):