Visiting Santa Claus.

Hattie and I ventured out to see Santa the other day. She was such a champ... 

we waited in line for an hour to see him. LOL. Yes, since I don't have school-aged children, 

I should have gone the week *before* school let out. Tee hee. Ah well. 

Hattie is such a good baby though. She actually enjoyed standing in line... 

all smiles and giggles and flirting with the kids behind us. LOL. :-p

She loved his beard. LOL. I think she had a handful of hair when we left... ;-)

It was SO cute when she looked at him! She wouldn't smile at him though.
But he didn't talk to her or smile at her (which was bizarre...),
so that's probably why. LOL. She was probably like, "What's the deal with this guy?!"

Okay, so I totally bought her the most adorable silver mary-janes to go with this outfit... 

specifically for this photo, and they fell off in the stroller, and I completely forgot to put them on. 

SO bummed. I'll have to dress her up in this again *with* the shoes, 

so you can get the whole picture. ;-)

And then they let me take some too. I just brought my point & shoot... not the *good* camera, but they're still pretty cute. ;-) Santa is actually *smiling* nicely in this one. :-D

(See! She loved that beard! LOL. :-p )

Merry Christmas!

Singing Hattie.

Not sure if she was singing or talking, but this is pretty cute... LOL. :-p

Growing Up: Hattie at Four Months

Man, I have got to get better at this Mommy-Blogger thing! ;-)

What's that, Hattie? Time for your 4-month post? Umm... yes, I think so! :-)

At four months...

She's 25.5 inches long.

She's 12 pounds 5 ounces.

Favorite toys: Puppy Tunes; my Build-A-Bear (maybe I should get her, her own in the future. ;-) ); a soft, little lavender chimp rattle; her lovie; the O'Ball Rattle (this thing is SO cool!); 24/7 Doll (which she dropped while we were in the grocery store, and it's gone forever. :-( She may or may not be getting a new one for Christmas... ;-) ) (And if *you* need/want to buy more toys, try out these coupons for Overstock.com.)

And this crinkle book... 

which she probably loves more than anything... LOL.

Still LOVES being in the Moby. She very rarely falls asleep in it though. LOL. :-p

Most of her clothes are 3-6 months. Footie pajamas and pants are still 6-9 months. ;-)

Has become quite vocal... talking to strangers she likes (usually older women... LOL) or singing along to music (like John Mayer...). And I LOVE this! Tee hee.

Still SUCH a great sleeper. (8:30pm to 9-ish am at night, and then three naps during the day).

Usually takes about three naps a day when our schedule allows. Getting better with being awake for longer periods though... Yesterday, we were out nearly all day, and she just had to take cat naps (30-45 minutes) in the car or stroller. She was a perfect angel all day. Didn't fuss or cry once. Hoorah! I'm wondering if this was a fluke... LOL. :-p (Or maybe just had cabin fever since I've been sick, and she was *ecstatic* to be out of the house... ;-) )

Really enjoys being in the stroller, but if I have it reclined, she sits up in it. And if I sit her all the way up, she doesn't like how the harness fits. LOL. Silly girl.

Is nearly sitting up on her own. She can sit up while holding her hands on the floor in front of her. And she can sit up on her own for a good few seconds.

Loves to grab her toes.

She gets flirty and giggles when people say hello to her. This face is *darling*, and i love it. LOL.

Enjoys books far more than toys that make noise and/or light up (okay, we only have one toy that does that... LOL).

Can sit up on her knees and elbows. (Holy cow, she may be crawling soon!)

Is kinda mobile... she can turn in circles on her tummy and scooch and scooch on her back. 

She can pretty much roll over from her back to her tummy (save for one arm). And she can roll from tummy to back like a champ (I'll post the video! Tee hee).

Is very interested in spoons and forks when I'm eating food. I got curious... and gave her breastmilk on a spoon. Yes, she liked that. It was too cute.

She can hold a sippy cup (empty) and bring it to her mouth. Did this for the first time at 3.5 months. Craziness.

Still the sweetest, little baby ever. :-)

- December 6, 2011 -

PhotoBoothing with Hattie at 4 mos.

A bit late this month with these, but just over a week. No worries. :-)

(This cute outfit was given to her by my dear friend, Michelle.

I love it with these polka dot pants! :-D )

In these next photos.... No, I'm not wearing makeup. No, my hair is not done. Yes, my scrap room is a mess. And yes, I was scrapping on the floor. Tee hee. It's okay though because I have a cute baby in my lap. ;-)





her serious face...

Till next time. :-)

Looking at Photos...

I was looking through photos today. There are so many photos, and I've posted about 5% of them. LOL. These are all from her 2nd week at home...

I didn't really feel like editing them. Just grabbed them and posted them. Hope you don't mind. ;-)

The pups were so sweet when Hattie first arrived. They didn't want to leave our side. :-) They're still pretty sweet with her. Ruby gives her kisses every day. Amber is so indifferent. She rarely even *sniffs* at her. :-p

She is SO his mini-me. She looks more like him every day, I think. *Some*times I'll see a glimpse of Reyanna in there, but yeah, she's mostly Jeremy. ;-)

And a sweet one of Jeremy's brother, Jesse...

(I loved that outfit!!!)

Holding her head up at ten days old...

So sweet and small...

And now she's FOUR months old. FOUR! When they tell you it flies by, they really mean it! ;-)

I'll post her 4-month stats this week. :-)

Thanking God.

I thank Heavenly Father for this sweet girl.

I'm so blessed to be able to look at that sweet smile every, single day. :-)

Comparing BumGenius OS and Swaddlebees OS Cloth Diapers.

We started cloth diapering Hattie when she was five days old. (We had received one package of disposables as a gift and just wanted to use those up...) Since then, I think we've tried between 20 and 30 different cloth diapers. LOL. Who knew finding a diaper for her would be so involved? ;-)

That being said, I just *wanted* to try lots of stuff. I could have definitely chosen one and used that one. But I wanted the *perfect* diaper... ;-)

• one that didn't leak
• one that has a stay-dry inner against her bum
• wasn't too bulky on her
• one-sized/I could potentially use till she potty-learns
• came in a variety of color options
• has snaps (I was willing to use hook/loop or aplix if I found a diaper I loved)

So anyway, we tried a bunch. And in that "trying" period, I found these diapers and wanted to take some comparison shots. :-)

BumGenius vs. Swaddlebees
(You can find both diaper brands here with discounts. I know how those diapers can add up.)

Left to right on smallest snap settings:

BumGenius Freetime in Mirror

BumGenius Elemental in Butternut

BumGenius 4.0 in Clementine

Swaddlebees Simplex OS in Marina

(Oops... forgot to brighten up these next photos. Sorry. :-p )

And another one, with the diapers stacked...

Left to right on smallest snap settings:

BumGenius Freetime in Mirror

BumGenius Elemental in Butternut

BumGenius 4.0 in Clementine

Swaddlebees Simplex OS in Marina

Left to right, top to bottom on largest snap settings:

BumGenius Freetime in Mirror

BumGenius Elemental in Butternut

BumGenius 4.0 in Clementine

Swaddlebees Simplex OS in Marina

The BG Freetime definitely has the smallest rise of the three, with the SB Simplex OS having the largest rise. What's interesting, though, is the variation of crotch width:

Swaddlebees Simplex OS in Marina - 6.25 inches

BumGenius Freetime in Mirror 6.5 inches

BumGenius 4.0 in Clementine - 6.75 inches

BumGenius Elemental in Butternut - 7 inches

I didn't measure (in inches) the thickness of the diaper in the crotch, but the variation in trimness is really neat to look at. Just by feeling the diaper, it feels like they rank like this, in order of most trim to least trim:

Swaddlebees Simplex OS

BumGenius Elemental

BumGenius 4.0 (when stuffed with hemp)

BumGenius Freetime

*If the BG 4.0 was stuffed with its own microfiber inserts, it would probably rank the same or a bit bulkier than the Freetime. The Freetime has two semi-attached microfiber inserts, plus more microfiber sewed right into the diaper, against the PUL.

And here are the action shots. I'm only comparing the Swaddlebees Simplex OS and BumGenius Freetime here. :-)

Hattie's stats, for reference:

age: almost 4 months

weight: 12 pounds

length: 25.5 inches

waist: 13.5 inches

thigh: 7.5 inches

This is the Swaddlebees Simplex OS...

And the BG Freetime...

And just because she's so gosh-darn cute... ;-)

The SB Simplex OS and the BG Elemental both have organic cotton inserts that stretch the entire length of the diaper (when on largest snap-setting), but get kinda bunched up when on the lowest snap-setting. Because of this, both these diapers may seem bulkier on an infant, but would probably look great on older/bigger babies and toddlers.

Because the SB Simplex OS has the narrowest crotch *and* the highest rise, it may be the best fit (of the four) for your average toddler.

I'd also like to mention that the SB Simplex OS and the BG Elemental both have their leg elastics *not* incased like the BG 4.0 and Freetime. This *could* potentially cause wicking issues, but I know Mamas who use both diapers, with little to no issues.

We've decided to go with the BumGenius Freetime. It's pretty much all we've been looking for in a diaper. :-) I would have *preferred* a natural inner (cotton, bamboo or hemp) with a stay-dry liner, but this is pretty near perfect. I can always add a bamboo or hemp insert/doubler for added absorbency if need be. ;-)

**I think I'll be adding photos of the *insides* of the diapers as well. I'll try to get to that later today or tomorrow... ;-)

Thanksgiving 2011

Hattie is so lucky.

FOUR (out of six) of her grandparents came to see her for Thanksgiving. Jeremy's mom and step-dad drove all the way from Albuquerque. And his dad and step-mom drove all the way from... well, San Antonio. LOL. That's only about 90 minutes, but still... they came to visit, and that was lovely. :-)

Hattie with Abuelita...

(Hattie LOVED being in the kitchen while she cooked!)

And she's always all-smiles when she's with Abuelito.

He's always making funny faces at her. It's so cute. :-)

Her Grandma and Grandpa (from Albuquerque) stayed four whole days, and it was so wonderful to have them! Obviously, Hattie was sad they were leaving...

It was such a nice Thanksgiving. :-)

Loving Bath Time.

Is there anything cuter than a nekked baby on a foam frog in the bathtub? I think not. ;-)

Looking Back: One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, November 21st...

Our lives changed forever.

One year ago today...

I saw that word for the second time in four months.

One year ago today...

I cried happy, but cautious, tears.

One year ago today...

Eight months seemed like such a long time to wait to hold our baby in our arms.

One year ago today...

We secretly hoped for a little girl.

One year ago today...

We found out I was pregnant.

One year ago today...

We thanked the Lord for blessing us.

One year ago today...

I knew I woud love being a mom, but there was no way I could feel what I feel now.

*sigh*

My love for her is so astronomical. I can't even put it into words. I cherish every second I have with her. I thank our Heavenly Father so much for blessing us with such a girl. :-) Every day I look at her, I want to cry (and sometimes I do) because of the love I have for her.

One year ago today...

Our prayers were answered. :-)

PhotoBoothing with Hattie at 3 mos.

She's got poo on her jammies! Oh, no wait... it's just Pooh. Phew. :-p

She wanted to see how her side profile would turn out...

I'm hiding because I just woke up and look... umm... tired. LOL. :-p

I just love all the silly faces she makes when we do this. Tee hee. :-p

This next one makes me laugh so much! Heeeee!

And then Jeremy thought he'd get in on the PhotoBoothing action...

(I really need to take one of him holding Hattie [faces, side by side]. She is SO his Mini-Me. :-) )

And her sunglasses finally fit! Is it just me, or does she look like she could be one of those bugs in Men in Black? LOL. :-p Such a *cute* little bug though. :-)

I love our monthly PhotoBoothing project. It's quite fun. Tee hee.

Growing Up: Hattie at Three Months

So... while the little bean is taking the longest nap EVER, I thought I'd blog about her.

Oh... there she is... I hear her... awake. Better go get her... LOL! (She must have known I was typing about her... ;-) )

Okay, I'm back. Little Miss is awake and all smiles. :-)

And without further ado, Miss Hattie at three months (yes, I'm well aware that "three months old" was 12 days ago... *sigh* )

*Note: I upgraded to OS X Lion, so now PhotoShop doesn't work. :-( I'll have Jeremy edit these photos (that *I* took with the *good* camera! go me!) as soon as we update PhotoShop for Lion. :-) These are iPhoto effects, for now. ;-)

(how much do you love that drool dripping off her chin? heeeeee!)

At three months...

She's 24.75 inches long. (97th percentile) (umm... and today, she was nearly 25.25 inches. WOW!)

She's 11 pounds 6 ounces. (11'6" on 11/6... cool!) (20th percentile)

Is still a tummy-time champ, and loves to be on her tummy for up to an hour now. She now plays with her toys while she's on her tummy, and i love when she talks to her Puppy Tunes (the one with black&white ears). He's her favorite. ;-)

Finally likes being in the Moby for about an hour! WOO! I keep her facing out now, since her head is strong enough to not be bobbing along. ;-) She loves this. :-)

Most of her 0-3 month stuff still fits, but probably not too much longer. :-( She's in 3-6 month long-sleeve stuff and is wearing 6-9 month pants. She's almost out of her 3-6 month footie pajamas though. *sigh* And her Skinniness can still wear Newborn-sized dresses. LOL.

Loves being in her bouncer, watching me cook. I LOVE when I hear her talking to her toys. :-)

On October 10th, she belly-laughed in her sleep. It was adorable. I totally thought she was crying, but no... she was laughing. LOL.

SUCH a great sleeper. At the beginning of her 3rd month, she was sleeping 7 hours straight (consistently) between feedings, and sleeping 5 more hours after that. Now, she's at 8-10 hours between feedings. Still sleeping 12-14 hours total. I need to start waking her up... only letting her sleep 12 hours. LOL. :-p

Still takes about 3-4 naps a day when our schedule allows. If we have a busy day (out and about), she'll only take one or two naps... She usually ends the day like that by being Miss Cranky-Pants. :-)

On October 17th, she grabbed her Chimpy toy (Jeremy named it... LOL) and brought it to her mouth. This was the first time she put a toy in her mouth. :-)

Finally enjoys being in the stroller! Yay. :-) Well, I finally figured out that she much prefers it if I put a blanket underneath her. Who knew? LOL. :-p

LOVES the bath and shower. In the bath, she kicks her legs like crazy. Always smiles and giggles. She loves the water. :-)

On October 28th, she could sit in the Bumbo! She likes to sit in it while I'm checking email or blogging. ;)

When she wants to be picked up, she sticks her right arm straight up in the air and waves it at me. It's SO cute!

She had two Halloween costumes: A Prize Watermelon (Jeremy and I were farmers...) and a Workout Baby. I had to come up with the 2nd one on Halloween night because it was much too hot for the Watermelon costume. LOL. I'll post photos and a video... one day. ;-)

Can finally stay awake longer than two hours. YAY!

Her basic schedule:

9:00 am - wake up and eats, then plays

11:00 am - snack ;-)

11:30 am - morning nap

12:30-1:00 pm - wakes up and eats lunch, then a walk

2:30 pm - afternoon nap

3:30 pm - wakes up, eats snack, plays

5:30 pm - eats another snack, then late day nap

6:30 pm - wakes up, hangs out with Daddy, eats dinner

8:00 pm - eats

8:30 pm - bedtime

4:30-5:30 am - late night snack ;-)

This little girl is amazing. We're so blessed. :-)

-November 6, 2011-