Let it Snow!

Let's celebrate my 100th (!!) post with a video (I apologize in advance for my high-pitched whooping):



What is it about kids that are so puffed up in snow gear that they can barely move that makes them so darn cute?

Supplies

Supplies
Originally uploaded by Steve Bremer

Well, it's that time of year and I'm going to bake some (maybe a lot) of cookies in the upcoming days. When I went to the commissary I needed sugar (we were almost completely out) and they had their 10lb bags on sale, plus there were coupons sitting out right there for an additional 50 cents off. Same with the 10lb bags of flour. So I come home with 20 pounds of sugar and flour, plus various other baking supplies and they were sitting on the counter after dinner. Steve said, "I should take a picture of that." I affirmed that he should and I would blog about it. So here I am. Steve got a chance to set up his fancy off-camera lighting system (and pulled out all the rest of my baking supplies from the cabinets) to do this still life and I got a nifty little picture for my blog.

Here is a recent portrait of Ethan. He is so much fun these days. Still not walking, but mobile enough for his own purposes. I am sure that one day he's just going to take off running and I'll only see a blur of him after that. He is totally resistant to any attempts to persuade him to walk, however, so I'm just leaving it up to him. He has about 5 teeth coming in at once right now (wheee!), and jabbers up a storm. He pulls up my shirt to look at my belly and say "bah-buh" and he also says "doh" (dog), "da do" (all done), "bai-puh" (diaper), and his very favorite word ever "nanuh" (banana). I am pretty sure he would eat bananas until he threw up if I let him. I can't even say the word out loud anymore unless I'm actually going to give him one because it causes so much strife. And I now have to cringe when we go by them in the produce section of the grocery store. "Nanuh, nanuh, NANUH!" It is somewhat cute, in that don't-make-eye-contact-with-anyone-who-might-be-watching-your-child-beg-for-bananas sort of way.

Pregnancy Numero Dos is moving right along. Bubs is very active and wiggly, and I can't wait to meet him, although I still have a little over three months until that happens. Actually three months is good, since I feel like I still have so much to do before he comes. The biggest task is sorting through all of Ethan's old clothes and deciding what goes and what stays. Maybe I should have done that a long time ago instead of just stuffing everything into a box to deal with later?

Training in the Pews

I don't normally blog on Sundays, but as a mommy who just had a very challenging morning, it was such a blessing to see this on my blogroll when I came home from church today.

What is Jodi Interested In? or Subjects Men Aren't Interested In

Some of you may know that one of my big interests in life is pregnancy and birth. I discovered this when I was just starting my career in the Air Force, and I can't specifically say how or why it started. All I know is that I was on the internet one day (shocking, I know) and for a couple of weeks after that day I was reading everything I could get my hands on about birth and pregnancy. I was absolutely enthralled with what I was reading, because I thought that having babies meant hospital, epidural, probably c-section and the term "home birth" seemed quite radical. At the time I was all of 20 years old, not married, no prospects of having children any time soon, and I was completely committed to a career in the Air Force as a linguist for the next five years of my life. I was honestly sort of frustrated that God led me to all this information about natural birth, doulas and midwifery and there I was in a great position to do nothing about it for several years. I was ready to go to midwifery school right that very day if I could have. However, in His infinite wisdom He's given me a lot of time to think about where exactly I want to go with this "career" and I don't think it will lead to me being a midwife. It might, but I think I may be more of a doula-type person. And since I will have a few littles around for the foreseeable future I don't think I will really branch out into anything that requires being on call 24/7 for anyone but my family for a few years.

I'm about this >< close to being certified as a childbirth educator (I probably would have been done with my certification by now, but Ethan's little brother has affected my productivity somewhat). I will probably start a separate blog about pregnancy, birth and my classes sometime in the near future, because there are a lot of topics that I want to blog about in that area that I just don't want to put here, since this is more of a "keeping up with our family" blog. The reason I haven't created the blog yet is because I haven't found a definite idea of where I want it to go or what I really want it to be about (sort of like this post, har har). In the meantime, here are a few articles that I've been saving on my bookmarks list for awhile!

Home Birth Reference Site (UK)
Industrial Childbirth
A Healthy Baby Isn't All that Matters (may be sensitive for those who've had traumatic c-sections)
Medical Indications for Induction
Prevent Pre-Eclampsia or Pregnany Induced Hypertension with diet?
Optimal Fetal Positioning

For what it is worth, while I am an advocate of natural birth, I am not against necessary medical interventions. I know that cesarean sections are sometimes necessary. I know that induction is sometimes necessary. I do feel that they are used way too often, and that obstetrics is a rare medical specialty where evidence based medicine is not always practiced, due to many factors including litigation and insurance issues. All that being said, I think the best way for women to have the best care possible during their pregnancy, labor and birth is to educate themselves. Women should be making educated decisions about their care based on research, and not on what their midwives or doctors will "allow" them to do.

So that's all that I will put about this stuff in this blog. When I get some classes started up, I'll probably start the other blog and put my ramblings about pregnancy and birth over there where no one has to see it. :)

"That Book Doesn't Talk"

Recently while watching TV, I saw a commercial for the following product. The talking book is tested by a line of kids who really enjoy the neato gadget that talks to them in character voices when they point a magic wand device at words on a page. They are testing this alongside a "regular" book of the non-speaking variety. The company mascot (a cheerful frog) asks the final kid, who is looking at the regular book with a dismayed look on his face, if he is missing something. The boy says, "That book doesn't talk!"

This commercial disturbs me on so many levels. I never really had a problem with talking books until I saw this ad, but I am now boycotting all books that so much as utter a squeak at my child.

I want to teach my children that books do talk. The don't talk in character voices and they don't tell stories about Sponge Bob or Dora. They tell stories about Prince Caspian, Achilles, and tortises and hares. My kids will learn that they get to make up the voices, and the characters and the landscapes all on their own (did I just say I want voices in my kids' heads?).

I'm not saying that I want my kid to sit through The Illiad at age 3 and understand it all. I'm all for finding children's versions of the great books and starting my kids on those. Starting them with picture books and simple words. I want them to be read aloud to at the youngest age, hearing the stories told by Tolkein and Lewis and learning to use their imaginations.

I don't ever want to hear my kids complain that their books don't talk.

You May Have Noticed..

That my blog has recently taken on a blue-ish hue.

That's because we found out today that Ethan is going to have a little brother!

I really thought that this baby might be a girl since my pregnancy has been significantly different than last time. But I am super glad, since they are so close together, that they are going to be brothers!

And, you know, this saves me the money that I might have spent on a pink shopping spree!

The only downside is that Steve and I have the toughest time with boy names. But I'm sure we can come up with something both of us like in the next 5 months, right?

At the Pumpkin Patch

At the pumpkin patch
Originally uploaded by Steve Bremer

Ethan really enjoyed our time at the pumpkin patch on Saturday. He went on his very first hay ride, and helped us pick out a good pumpkin for carving. He spent a lot of time playing in front of this old wagon. He kept looking into the center part of the wheel (where his hand is) to see what was in there.

Also, I have the best husband ever! I had the absolute worst craving for a Big Mac tonight. I know it's not healthy, I know it is full of fat and stuff that I shouldn't eat, and I don't normally get pregnancy cravings, but here it is. He's out right now getting me a Big Mac. I told him to feel free to get himself an ice cream sundae for his trouble. :)

Reunited Again!

Well, I'm behind on posting (what else is new?), but my wonderful husband is home from his far off travels and our family is together again! Not 48 hours after his return to Washington, we were on our way to California for my friend Melanie's wedding, which is where the above picture was taken. It was so beautiful and such a nice time for the three of us to reconnect as a family! As a bonus my mom came along to nanny for Ethan while I did all the girly bridesmaid/wedding things. Melanie was a gorgeous bride and I'm so happy for her and her new hubby! Newlyweds make my heart happy!

Ethan also got a haircut while we were in California, and not a moment too soon. I love his long hair and curls, but he is such a little man now! I cried a little when his dad brought him back from the barber.

The pregnancy is going well! I'm almost halfway and still feeling pretty small. I'm enjoying feeling small while I can though, because I know in a couple months I will feel anything BUT small. I've been feeling the baby move for a little over a week now, so that is nice. It's just reassuring to get a little thump now and again so that I know all is still good in there. Our "big" ultrasound is on the 28th and all indications are that we will be finding out the flavor this time around. That decision, however, is completely up to my dear husband. I will keep everyone updated!

Birthday Boy!

One
Originally uploaded by jodisue

I am a week late crafting this post, but we have been busy with family in town to celebrate this milestone, so here it is today!

I cannot believe Ethan is one year old. I can remember so vividly the day I met him. It was a day of hard work, but oh so worth it. We waited two years for God to bless us with a baby, and then all of a sudden, 9 months later he was in my arms. It was unbelievable. I still marvel at how God

My Sweet Bud, my long-awaited babe, I pray for you every day, that you will grow to love the Lord with all your heart. I cannot wait for you to meet your little brother or sister and become fast friends. You are so silly and funny already; I can't wait to see more and more of your personality.

I can't wait until you are old enough to sing with me, the song we have heard together every Sunday since you were one week old:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Here is the year in (a few) photos:

Just born:

First smile on camera:

The famous Flat Smile:

Eating birthday cake on Saturday:

More birthday photos are here!

Butter, Butter and MORE Butter!

I made these today for our church's monthly fellowship dinner (substituted Sprite for Mountain Dew). They were so decadent, and yet easy peasy to make I wanted to pass them on. Also, the Pioneer Woman has many other fabulous recipes that are not at all good for you, but taste insanely good. While our bodies are temples not to be abused and we are not to be gluttonous, I do think God created food for us to enjoy, especially on the Sabbath when it is appropriate to feast to celebrate the Lord's day.

Ein, Uno, One, Odin

For those of you waiting to know, I am having just one baby. Whatever my doctor saw on the first ultrasound two weeks ago was gone by the time I had this scan. I never really felt as though it was twins, but it was sort of neat to think of the possibilities for a couple of weeks.

For those of you who didn't know that I've been waiting for these results, the doctor saw a little "bubble" when she was doing my dating ultrasound and thought there may be another baby behind the one she could definitely see. So she sent me to radiology where they have bigger and better machines and there was clearly only one baby. Double blessings would have been fun, but I am happy with one as well.

I will try to get an ultrasound pic or two scanned in in the next couple of days.

I Feel Like No One Is Listening

I'll just say it: Barack Obama voted against saving the life of infants that survive late-term abortion.

Let's say you're a liberal and you agree with his pro-choice position. You can stomach his support of late-term abortions because you feel that if they are banned it will cause a slippery slope and abortions may become illegal altogether. But how in the world can anyone vote for a man who is okay with a living baby being left to die in a janitor's closet as medical waste?

I'm sitting here watching the coverage of the democratic convention, where tens of thousands of people are applauding this man that supports infanticide. How does this happen? My heart hurts to think about it.

I know some conservatives have trouble casting their vote for John McCain. I have trouble casting my vote for John McCain, but darnit I will, because I can't stand the idea of Obama getting to appoint supreme court justices who support his position.

Feeling Sluggish

Frowny
Originally uploaded by jodisue

I know, I have not blogged in awhile. I have been gestating Ethan's little brother or sister while taking care of Ethan (and our dog) on my own while Steve is deployed, and honestly it has made me a bit tired. But to make up for it, I have done a small evening photo session with my boy tonight and added the photos to my flickr page (it does not have as much esteem as my husband's flickr page, but is getting better).

Oh, and for you curious ones out there, I have been to the doctor and they used their fancy machines to tell me that I am eleven weeks pregnant and due on March 17th. Since I don't think my baby has a calendar in there I will take that to mean pretty much any time in March. A Spring birthday!

The Oldest

...
Originally uploaded by Steve Bremer

It is still very early on, but we are definitely celebrating over here! That is, until the morning sickness sets in. But I can count it all joy, right?

Cheerios and Strife

Where Hobbies Intercede

So, I mentioned in my last post that my addiction is cute cloth diapers, and Steve's is photography, right?

Well, you combine those two interests, and now Ethan's butt is famous.

Long Overdue

It seems I haven't posted in quite awhile, so there are many updates to be made.

First and foremost, I'd like everyone to offer up a praise with me that Ethan's skin, which has for the past 7 months been the bane of his (and my) existence, is finally clearing up. I am still holding my breath and waiting for the red scratchy dryness to return with a vengeance, but even after tempting fate with a milkshake on Monday night (I had sworn off dairy when that seemed to make things worse for him) he seems to be baby soft. I'm sure those of you with babies who've had problems that made them chronically fussy or uncomfortable can take joy in my relief with me.

Secondly, I am addicted to cloth diapering. Yes, it's true. No, I have not gone off the crunchy granola deep end. The idea of cloth diapering first appealed to me when I was pregnant and someone sent me a link to this website. Aren't they just the cutest little pants you've ever seen? Anyway, I was promptly discouraged from trying to cloth diaper, hearing it would just be too much work. Then, last March, I just started looking around again because I had heard of these diapers, and since we are living in base housing all of our utilities are paid so it would definitely be economical for us. I bought a couple of them to try out, and the rest is history. Ethan is now in cloth full time and I am addicted to buying him cute diapers. Steve says that cloth diapers don't save us money unless I stop buying them. I suppose he might be right. However, all of the diapers I buy are one-sized, and therefore will be used on any future children that we are blessed with. The laundry isn't even that much of a problem, and wouldn't you know I just love seeing all of Ethan's diapers folded up and clean in their baskets! So, if you ever want to know about the difference between an all-in-one, prefold, or fitted, I'm your girl!


Number three on my list of updates concerns my hubby's addiction. He is still doing quite a bit of photography these days, and some friends of ours were kind enough to tromp out to the beach and let my husband snap some family photos of them. This was his first session for someone other than his own family. I think they turned out quite well!

Ethan gets the last but not least update. He is almost 9 months old and still has no teeth! No matter, he can gum up some cereal puffs with the best of 'em. He can get around pretty well, even though he doesn't really crawl. His current modes of self-transportation include rolling, lurching, and diving from the sitting position. Some of these methods are more successful than others, and some are downright painful (or so I hear). I called my father tonight to inform him that Ethan had his first taste of meat -- some turkey mixed with some vegetables. My father has been aching to get some Kansas City barbeque into my son since the day he was born, so the addition of meat to his diet is a welcome change. Next week he'll be gnawing (gumming?) ribs right off the bone, right Dad?

Just tonight Steve and I were discussing how painfully cute our son is becoming. Sometimes I just can't stop staring at him because each expression he makes is cuter than the last. His babbling (to include Daaadaaa, maaamaaa, bwaah, bobobob, and aaaaaaahhhhhh) is out-and-out endearing. I'm starting to worry that if his cuteness continues increasing I may never be able to discipline him properly. Just to prove my point, I'd like you to look at these photos and try not to melt. Just try. (that second picture is how he looked while his father was trying to teach him to clap)

Knitting Help

Can one of you crafty peeps out there translate this knitting pattern for me? I understand all of it except what the numbers in parentheses mean.

K4 (border sts), *K1, YO, K6 (5, 4, 3), K2tog twice, K6 (5, 4, 3), YO* rep between * to last 5 sts, K1, K4 (border sts)

Family is Love

My Bud
Originally uploaded by Steve Bremer

Sometimes I just can't believe that God blessed me with this little guy. And the big guy that took the picture.

Lists of 5 Things

What I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Getting ready to graduate high school
2. Finalizing my enlistment into the Air Force
3. Riding around in Renee's Saturn, Patrick
4. Making 6 of the bestest friends evAH and having tons of fun (Supa7!)
5. Getting the worst grades of my scholastic career (somewhat due to #'s 2-4)

5 things on my to-do list today(most of which I already did since it's almost 10 p.m.):
1. Finish Memorial Day Weekend laundry (it was really more of a week's worth since we ended up staying two extra nights with my in-laws)
2. Make my meal plan for the week.
3. Grocery shop for above
4. Make dinner instead of eating out because our fridge is bare
5. Put Ethan to bed. Tonight this is taking awhile. He's fussing in his crib as I type and the Prowlers are flying around our house.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Kettle Chips
2. Chocolate
3. Popcorn (with salt and fresh ground pepper!)
4. Chips and Salsa
5. Ice Cream (Oh, how I miss ice cream! When Ethan weans, I'm going on a dairy eating binge I tell you what)

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Tithe
2. Find the ideal spot for living, buy a big bunch of land and build a neighborhood of dreamhouses for myself and my family. This could either be a compound or a commune depending on how you look at it. Maybe a little of both.
3. Found a classical Christian school, make my husband the headmaster. Find and hire the most awesomest, Godliest, smartest teachers. They can have dream homes in the communpound too.
4. Find babies that need a mama and bring them to live with me (aka adopt)
5. Make my way through midwifery school and found a birth center with other Christian midwives and help women have babies (this would have to wait until my own babies were mostly grown)

5 places i have lived:
1. Kansas City, MO
2. San Ramon, CA
3. Morgan Hill, CA
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Monterey, CA

That's it! Now you!

Enjoying the View

Enjoying the View
Originally uploaded by Steve Bremer

Yesterday was so nice and warm here that we were actually able to wear shorts and t-shirts on the beach! We had a great day going on a short hike through the woods and down to the shore at Ft. Ebey State Park, and then we headed down to Langley for a yummy lunch overlooking the water. One of my favorite things to do here on a Saturday is just drive the island and find things to do as we go. Luckily my huband doesn't mind the aimless journeys and humors my requests to "turn here".

Ethan was not too sure about the sand. He could pick it up, but then he couldn't drop it. And Mama wouldn't let him eat any, either. Although I think he did manage to get some in his mouth surreptitiously. His least favorite by far, though, was when Mama dipped his toes into the waves lapping up at the beach. Doesn't she know that stuff is cold?!

New Photos

My hubby put up a bunch of new photos on his Flickr site.

FLDS Saga

The Deputy Headmistress over at The Common Room (linked in my sidebar) has been blogging extensively about the recent events out in Texas with the FDLS raid. Her posts on the subject can be found here. Her latest post is an excellent summary of why we should be bothered about all of this, instead of thinking this is just happening to those crazy people that dress funny in that cult.

I am in no way in favor of polygamy or any sort of child abuse, but the way the state has handled this whole thing is really scary. It is scary to me as someone who plans to homeschool, use Biblical discipline and teach my children there is one truth in the world.

Busy Mama

I have been wanting to blog about a lot of things for awhile, but haven't had any time! Hmm, I wonder what could be occupying me? I have some idea and I think it is the little Bubba in these photos. He will be 7 months old tomorrow!

Ethan and I have been taking the Mommy & Me swim class down at the Oak Harbor Pool. We love it! He doesn't know enough to be afraid of splashing and going under, and I'd like to keep it that way. He isn't actually learning how to swim of course, but he will be comfortable with the water when it comes time for lessons. I could get on my soapbox about how teaching young kids to swim and be around water is super important for their safety, but I won't. :)


Then, last weekend Ethan had a visit from his Grandma and Grandpa Bremer. We had a great relaxing time even if Daddy wasn't around to enjoy it with us.

The Saturday that they were leaving, we all woke up to snow! Snow! It all melted off by early afternoon, but Sunday this is what I woke up to:

Even more snow! Yikes. It was so pretty, but so strange to be seeing it this time of year (or at all, really, since I lived in Texas for 6 years). Once again it all melted, probably before noon. Monday and today have been nice enough that I have been outside in short sleeves. I have been working on starting all my veggie seeds for this year's garden. This year's garden will actually be a first veggie garden for me. I feel really blessed to have the space to plant one, and I hope that will be the case whenever we move to a new town.


Hopefully in the upcoming weeks and months I will actually get these starts into the ground and we will have fresh lettuce, carrots, green onions, peas, brussel sprouts, potatoes, onions, squash, mint, and fennel. And there will probably be more as I get comfortable sowing all my little seedlings.

So that is my life in a nutshell these past two weeks. Hopefully hubby will be home this weekend to share in our full, fun days!

Aftermath

This face brought to you by: peas, carrots and snot.

Hey, Ethan, you have a little something right there on your face...no you didn't get it...it's on your chin around the nose area...nope still there...no you didn't get it.

Link-a-Doo

High Octane Love

and

the sweetest thing I've read in awhile

A Day at the Park

Kyle, Ethan & Conner
Originally uploaded by jodisue

Saturday was so nice here, the first warmish day in quite awhile, so some of my friends and I took our boys to the park. I know this picture isn't very good because I cut off the little boy on the right, but I just love it anyway. It looks like they are in some sort of baby-thug gang. Ethan even has his dukes up! If you click on this photo, you will find more of our day out in the sun on my Flickr page.

Stats

Here are Ethan's six-months facts and figures:

Weight: 17lb 12oz
Length: 26.3in
Head Circumference: 17.6in

He's just starting to sit up unassisted. Well, mostly unassisted. He sees nothing wrong with leaning over onto his face in order to get to a toy, that is, until he is actually on his face, then he sees everything wrong with it.

Half Birthday

Today Ethan is 6 months old. I don't have his height/weight stats yet because his checkup isn't until the 2nd of April, but I think these pictures say it all. I'm pretty sure there is nothing cuter on this earth than this little boy's smile.


Don't you just want to squeeze him? I do, so I'm going to get off the computer and do just that!

and, He is risen! Happy Easter everyone!

What is the World Coming To?

So, I'm looking at my local library's website, looking for the Baby and Me story time, and I find this:

Teen Gaming Event Type: Teen Program Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Start Time: 3:00 PM Library: Oak Harbor Description: DDR and Guitar Hero for Teens. Take a break from homework and try your PS2 skills. Age(s): Teens

Playstation 2. Video game time. At the library. Instead of homework*. Someone please get me a fainting couch.

*I know all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and all that, but if a kid is going to venture out of the house to go to the library, please for the love of books encourage him to read something!

Homeschooling Ruling

I've been wanting to blog about the recent homeschooling brouhaha in California, but so many others have said it better than I ever could. There is a lot of good stuff here and especially here. If you listen to the NPR interview from the second link, the teacher's union representative actually says (referring to the credentialing of educators), "It's not about intelligence, it's about training." That, my friends, is the most telling statement I have ever heard about public education. I'd really encourage all of you Californians to write your state legislatures about this. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is also a great place for information. I have to admit that I feel a wee bit scared of what will happen by the time Ethan is school-aged. And, I find it ironic that someone would allow me to send my son to a public school no questions asked, but they would require me to prove that I am worthy as his parent to educate him at home, when I know my educational and ethical standards are far above any of the public schools that I attended.

Reunited!

My wonderful husband is home! He got home Friday evening and we had a lovely four-day weekend together. Yesterday we took the ferry to Port Townsend and then drove to Port Angeles, which is right on the edge of the Olympic National Forest. We took a short hike into the woods where the above picture was snapped. The hike was only about a half mile, but man that turns long when you have a 17lb baby strapped to your chest! Actually, we would have gone on some more but the trail was incredibly muddy in some spots and I was only wearing tennis shoes. At points I thought maybe waders would have been a better option. My jeans had muck splashed up to my knees by the time we were done. Ethan enjoyed a lot of the hike, but did get hungry and cranky towards the end. I can't wait to go back this summer and do some real hiking and camping.

Today Steve is back at work and I am, well, back at work at home. Life is good.

On the Road

Getting bigger in the Bumbo.

Chubbo

His cousins used their cars to decorate him on his playmat.

I haven't been posting much because Steve is gone and Ethan and I are on the road visiting the grandparents on both sides of the family. Hope everyone is having a great February!

Mothers of Littles

If you have small children, this post is a must read! I think I'm going to print it out and keep it nearby for when I (Lord willing) have a houseful.

The Business of Being Born

I just got back from a screening of The Business of Being Born. I am thinking of becoming a childbirth educator and/or doula, so I was really excited to see that there was a showing not too far from me. Check the website to see if it is playing in your area; if not it will be out on NetFlix in March of this year.

I recommend this movie to those of you who have had babies, will have babies, are concerned about women's health issues, and pretty much anyone else. As a content warning I will say that birth is shown several times with no censoring and there are two instances that I can remember bad language being used. Oh, and I took Ethan with me and there were a lot of other moms there with babies so it seems to be the one acceptable time to take your baby to the movies!

Just Use Vaseline!

Little Ethan has quite sensitive skin. Around the middle of January I took my red, itchy boy into the doctor to see if I could give him (and myself) some relief. The doctor looked him over and gave us a treatment plan which included a couple of different steroidal creams for flare ups. The other part of the treatment was to coat Ethan in Vaseline (petroleum jelly) 2-4 times per day. I was a bit skeptical to say the least. You see, I had bought and tried expensive baby lotions, baby eczema creams, and gentle bath soaps. The products I bought said things like "colloidal" and "hypoallergenic" and "natural oat extract". If the expensive stuff wasn't working, what was a $3 jar of Vaseline going to do for him?

Let me tell you, since being on the Vaseline plan my baby actually has baby soft skin! Every morning, afternoon, and evening I grease him up and since I have started doing that his skin is wonderful! He still has flare ups, but they don't spread or get weepy and crusty (ew, I know). I stopped using my expensive diaper rash cream too and now I just keep Vaseline on his bum. It works wonders! It is greasy and messy to apply, but luckily it is winter so his arms and legs are covered and not getting petroleum jelly on anything but his clothes.

Anyway, many of you more experienced parents may already know about the wonderful substance that is Vaseline, but I thought I'd share for those of you who don't.

Amusing Myself

This is so neat. Just let the page load and wait for the fun.

Bumbo!

Ethan just got his Bumbo chair in the mail today (yay for eBay!). These pictures are not very good (either blurry or Ethan's not all the way in the frame), but he seemed to like sitting up. And he looks so darn cute.

Ethan Rolls Over or We Have Video

Remember how I posted that Ethan couldn't roll over? The very next day he went and did it. It took me some time to finagle this video onto this here internet, but I think I have done it (digital camcorders can be complicated!).

Keeping the Homefires Burning

Well, here is my first post for 2008! I know you all are super excited.

I have to say that this year is not starting out on a particularly great note as Steve has just left for a 3-month deployment. However, I am thankful that it is only 3 months as opposed to some of the year-long tours that the Army and Marines have to endure. The other neat thing about Steve's deployment is that he is in the same place that I was deployed to in 2004. In fact, one of the first things he did upon his arrival was to go check out where I used to work. So now he knows where I was for those 4 months.

For Christmas, Steve and I got each other a digital camcorder, so I'm going to try uploading some of our Christmas footage in the upcoming days (preview: one of my nephews exclaims, "I'm a thepard!" and proceeds to chase my dog around as one of his "theep").

Ethan's doing really well these days. My favorite new skill that he has mastered is head control. It is still a little wobbly, but for the most part he can keep it steady to look around while I'm carrying him (which makes carrying him so much easier). He isn't rolling over yet, but puts a lot of effort into tummy time. The thing is that he has never really been bothered by being on his tummy, so he doesn't have much incentive to try and get to his other side. Here he is trying to figure out how to work one of his Christmas presents. It is a sweet little rocking chair:

"I can't believe they want me to fly this thing. I can't even sit up for more than half a second!"

"Alright, I suppose I will give it a shot."

I got him a Bumbo chair from eBay and I'm excited for it to get here so he can try it out. The rocking chair is a bit advanced for him yet, even if he does look cute in it. My father-in-law has uploaded some other pictures from our Christmastime here.