Happy Stacker

How cute is this. My friend, Mary Alice, made E this happy stacker. Isn't it just the most adorable thing you have ever seen. She is amazing and so talented. I just wanted to share this because I felt so loved when I saw her making it. It took her an entire day and by that I mean sun up to sundown and still part of the next morning.

But it is beautiful and I know E will love it just as much as I do.

Future Project

While visiting my parents, I came across these great looking glass containers.




Yes, they were coffee containers in a previous life. But I just love their style, their lines and shape. Of course my husband wanted to know my intent with them before I could even consider bringing them home with me. Being the amazing daughter that I am, I asked before claiming them. I am not sure what I am doing with them yet but I think chalkboard paint is in the mix.

Once I have decided on what I want to re-invent them for I will let you know. Stay tuned. And I am open for suggestions.

New Shoes...

Look what I made. I tried to make these for my niece's birthday but it didn't work out. Now I have completed them and thought I should share.



And they are reversible!

" A Funny"

A funny is what my sister, younger brother and I would call a funny story. So here is my funny that I wanted to share.

My sister is quite funny herself, unintentionally but her kids are even funnier. So she is running errands before taking them to the Dr. for a check up. My sister is a great mom. She somehow manages to have a full schedule and can accomplish just about anything. She even can incorporate treats and fun for her kids while running errands. And she is very thrifty too.

So she had decided that if they would be running around she would get her kids a treat that day. But her kids decided to be a little difficult that day. So she lets them know. " You are getting a treat today. I was going to get you a drink or ice cream at Sonic but you have lost your privilege." To this her kids grumble, whine, complain and finally give up.

While at the Dr.'s office they manage to be well behaved. When the Dr. walks in he ask, "How's it going?" To which my sister responds, "Fine, we working on regaining our treat."

Then my 5 year old nephew says, " Yeah, we don't get to go to happy hour anymore." I could only imagine how red my sister must of turned and how she must have stumble to get the words out to explain. " They lost their chance to have a Sonic treat."

Kids? What can I say?

Paper or Plastic......(cloth or disposable)

So it has been a while since I have written anything. But since becoming a mom...just 2 mths & 1 day. I thought I would write about my time at home with my little one. Warning: This will be the first of a few post about that. And to my little brother...sorry I now write about mom stuff :)

So I decided that today I would write about my experience with cloth diapers. Yes, I am crazy in every sense of the word. When I found out I was pregnant I decided to research cloth diapers. I am trying to be as environmentally conscience as possible and thought this would be a great start. And I had heard of the tremendous savings they were and several other perks.

For starters, there are different types and brands. None of which I am promoting or advertising for profit or any perks. So I will refer to them in generic terms (i.e. fitted and one size).


Left: One Size Diaper Right: Fitted

For obvious reasons I like the fitted. They look cuter and fit her. There are several sizes to choose from and right now E is in the smalls but will soon transition into the mediums. These particular fitted diapers have removable liners. What I have noticed is that the inserts will shift and the liners has to be removed with the insert to wash. Not a deal breaker but that also mean you have to have addition liners and inserts. Still not a deal breaker.

The One Size (OZ) diaper are a little bulkier but adjust in several ways to fit her. The perk to the OZ diaper is that they will fit a newborn until they are toddlers. So that is a one time purchase. And when it comes to washing it is easy. You just throw them in the wash (of course there is some pre-rinsing that occurs).

Don't get me wrong. These diapers are not cheap but the fact that you can use them over and over again. They can be used until your little one is potty trained. There is a tremendous amount of savings in that. So in that aspect the OZ diapers are a investment that will grow with your child. With the fitted kind you must purchase several in different sizes. So to each their own. As for me, I do both. One because I purchased before knowing the differences and now enjoy them for different reasons.

Again, I am not promoting any brand or type, I simply wanted to share my experience. I plan to use them the entire time that I am home with E. Once E goes to a sitter I will not insist that the sitter use cloth diapers. But at home and on weekend cloth diapers it will be. I don't feel I can make people use cloth diapers if they are not comfortable with them.

In general, I do recommend them for anyone who is looking for a way to save or who is concerned about their child's carbon footprint.

Moments

So let me start off by saying this. As I begin writing this post, I am holding my 7 week old precious sleeping baby girl. The last seven weeks of my life have brought some clarity to life for me. Yes, I will continue to be an optimistic pessimist for all eternity.

In the last seven weeks I have been shown how precious life truly easy and how we must appreciate it now and not in retrospect. In the last seven weeks my husband and I have had attended a total of 6 funerals. Two were children's funerals .

What I have seemed to gather from these funerals is that life is short, precious and not guaranteed. We don't know how long we have with the ones we love. One funeral was three siblings. Another was a young lady who left behind a one year old son. These parents did not know how long they had with their children. Another funeral was a set of twin girls. These were my friend's little ones. And she knew from the beginning that she would only have moments with them. She carried those lives inside of her with such love, grace and strength. It was too short. It was unfair. And at the same time it was so beautiful.

I am not doubting God's plans but am reflecting on my own life and how sometimes I focus on the unimportant. I have been given a precious life to care for and I pray that I have many years ahead of me to continue to do just that. So for you that have children or for that matter loved ones realize that we do not know that time we are allowed with them. So love them...cherish them and hold on tight to all those moments we are given.

I love you all.

Baby E. Photo Session

Baby E turned 1 week on Saturday and had her first photo session that same day. Here is a sneak peek of her session.

http://jennifermccainphotography.blogspot.com/

Thanks.