I think G is allergic to the Monster!!!

Yep, the hubby and I finally figured out where the hives are coming from on our sweet little boy...they are coming from the Monster dog's saliva! Monster dog came up to little G-Man and I this evening and was quite friendly, he (the dog) licked me, then little G-Man's face and hands. less than 15 minutes later big red blotches with raised bumps in them were covering my baby's face and hands and forearms. I was stumped! I had K look at it and we started going thru everything we had just done in the last hour...he hit on it first. It ties in well with what happened about 2 weeks ago when it was sooo hot here too. I had played frisbee outside with the dog while G-Man was sleeping in his diaper inside. The frisbee always gets muddy and slimey and so when I went inside G-Man was starting to fuss and I didn't wash my hands, I mean what harm is a little dried mud? I picked up G-Man around the torso and held him while he was standing on my lap and sitting. Then I went to wash up. I noticed about 10 minutes later that where my right fingers touched G-Man there was a terrible looking hivey-rash. So, after a quick Internet search tonight we found out that the protein in dog saliva is a know allergen. Dried and wet it causes a reaction on my baby. So, now we have to be sure that anyone who gets licks or kisses from the dog scrubs up before touching G. We are also going to try to train out the "kiss" command from the Monster's repertoire. I am planning on calling the dr. tomorrow to see if this kind of allergy can get worse without warning. If so, I'll be getting an epi pen. I don't want to be unprepared out camping or in the middle of nowhere if the monster dog licks G-Man and he has a bad reaction. Hopefully, this is something G-Man will outgrow!

If you could have a super power...

Even before I was a Mommy I thought that the coolest super power to have (assuming you could just pick one out and have it!) would be that I would be able to function and be totally healthy without having to sleep. That's not saying I wouldn't be able to sleep, I still could if I wanted to, but to be able to do without would be super cool! Imagine the scrapbooking that I would be caught up on, the quilting that I could do, the cleaning of the house...ya, well that is getting a little carried away! Now that I am a Mommy I realize that somehow there is a little bit of superhero in me (it's gotta be the mom-thing) and I am functioning on less sleep. Not quite what I dream of, but close. How about you? If you could have one super power what would it be?

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! We spent a great morning with my in laws and the afternoon at my folks place. It was a little grey and rainy but we had a great time visiting and G-Man loved showing off all his new tricks! I got G-Man and his Daddy matching shirts, yes, I am incorrigible, but I think it's hilarious! I told K that if anyone gives him a hard time to say that it's in support of his wife who is breastfeeding their child and to point out that it was the wife who bought the shirt in the first place. And yes, they are both wearing tan cargo shorts. My hubby lives in them in the summer and I swear he has 10 pairs of identical tan cargo shorts. I giggled when I bought 2 pair for the G-Man this summer. Aren't they just too darn cute!?

Praise the Lord!

We had an uneventful night of sleep with just one episode of ear tugging/pushing by G-Man. Today, he is back to his old self; happy, smiley and wiggly. No screaming or ear issues. THANK YOU ALL FOR PRAYERS! I truly believe that the Lord healed his pain. We are continuing with some homeopathic ear drops by Hylands (click here to see them) one more time today. I just wanted to give praise to the Lord and thank you all for your help!

Prayer for my little G-Man please

On Wednesday G-Man started to mess with his left ear while at Gramma's house. Later Wednesday night he was holding and pushing on his ear while crying and screaming. So yesterday I brought G-Man to the chiropractor for an adjustment then we went to our Naturopath Doctor. Both docs looked in his ears and there is no redness or fluid buildup to indicate an infection. But, there is something that hurts him in there or near there. I have been using an herbal ear oil (click here) that I heat up; it brought relief for him on Wednesday night and early Thursday, but last nite it didn't help. Neither did the hot compresses, neither did the teething tablets (they ROCK! Click here to see them). He doesn't have a fever. I am stumped. I am heartbroken for him. I just want to make it all better. My poor little man needs your prayer. Please pray that God heals the pain in or near his left ear and brings him comfort. I know prayer works.

Cloth diapers are sooo easy!

Below, the G-Man taken by Tina (go here to see more!) in a cloth diaper, size 0, at 1 week of age. He's now in a size 1 (at 5 months of age) and we have probably 1-2 more months in this size.

Below, our Happy Heinies cloth diapers, one open, one snapped closed. Love the gathered legs! By the way, we've had more leaks with disposables (which we use when we are out and about) than on our cloth diapers.

Below, 2 of our diaper covers, the cute velcro print and the cheap, easy pull on water proof pant.

We entered into the idea of cloth diapering with the attitude of "let's just try it and see." And we were fortunate to have some friends who cloth diapered that gave us some of their supplies to try out. We purchased some Happy Heinies off of eBay and here we are 5 months later still cloth diapering and we've not had any discussions about quitting. Dirty diapers go in a dry pail, no water or anything in there, we don't have anything to flush or rinse out because G-Man is totally on breastmilk. Once we start him on foods (sometime after he's 6 mo. old) then we can flush out the poop into the toilet but still keep the diapers in a dry pail. launder them (in their own load) first on a prewash cycle with 1/8 c soap and on hot. Then we wash them (again, just the diapers)on a regular cycle on hot with another 1/8 c soap. We have 2 kinds of diaper covers and they both work great and just pop into the wash with the diapers. If you want to add a little booster to the wash, just add 1/2c of baking soda. To get out poopy stains after they are washed clean, just hang them on the line in the sun. Seriously, 1 sunny afternoon and ALL POOPY stains are totally gone. What is great about cloth diapering from our perspective?

• There are no pins! It's velcro or snaps to fasten.
• We never have to run to the store at midnight to get more diapers
• We are not putting bleached and chemically laden stuff on our son's bottom (how do you think all that pee is absorbed?)
• Cloth diapering reduces chances of any diaper rash (haven't had any yet) the skin can breathe
• Can you say waaayyyy less money spent on diapers???
• Reduction of waste in the landfill
• Reduction of pollution caused to produce diapers
• Hubby even says cloth diaper washing is not a big deal at all, it's easy!
• From what I am told, potty training is easier, kids know when they are wet!

Now the the G-Man is growing (and growing and growing!) we need to start looking for more cloth diapers in a larger size. I am going to try these. I found them on eBay and will probably order just 2 or 3 to test drive them. They are called All In Ones (or AIO) or Pocket Diapers for short. There is no separate diaper cover, they come in great colors and are adjustable from birth to 28ish pounds. Yes, I am thinking photo ops here folks!

If you are interested in trying cloth diapering feel free to let me know. I would love to share my thoughts and help set you up for success! If you just want to try and not put out a lot of cash on the front end, check your local Criagslist or eBay. Please be sure you are buying safely, never go to a strangers home alone! For our 18 diapers and covers that we purchased, G-Man has worn them for 3 months and still has 1 or 2 months left in them, we paid $98. Yep, $98 for 5 months worth of diapers. Oh, since he was born, our water bill went up $12. So I guess you can add that in too.

As of Yesterday He's mobile!

Below, G-Man just a second after rolling over!

Yup, just one week shy of his 5 month birthday the G-Man rolled over! It was a very exciting moment for this Mommy! He was kind enough to give an encore performance; I was hoping it was real so I put him back onto his back, ran for my camera and in seconds he rolled back onto his tummy. I teared up and forgot to take pictures. Again this morning he rolled over one time. G-Man also loves grabbing toys and bringing them to his mouth for the taste test. He will take toys from our hands, from the blanket his is lying on on his back, and he reaches for things when he rolls to his side. Another new thing is did just this morning was to push his little butt up into the air while on his tummy. He is great at using his legs to push and is getting so strong. I am sure he will be propelling himself quite soon. He is already great at turning in circles and wiggling all over while on his back. Now that he can roll...look out!

Below are part 1 and 2 of rolling over this morning. Then I put the camera down and we played!

First Trail Walk! ***UPDATED***

The stroller stud with his Babylegs on!

***NOTE, I worded this poorly, G-Man did not fall on the ground and proverbially "eat dirt" his stuffed monkey did the falling and getting dirty, I picked up monkey, brushed off the big dirt and gave it back to G-Man to chew on, so he actually ate the dirt that was left on the monkey. Sorry for sounding so cavalier and not making it clear that G-man did not fall. ***

Saturday was a spectacular day! We spent the day with friends at a planned BYPO (Bring Your Own Picnic) gathering at the Cannon River Trail followed by folks hitting the trail and doing it at their own pace. Some biked, some walked, and like G-Man, some cruised in their strollers. Afterwards most of the friends who joined us came back to our place for a pot-luck dinner and games. It was spectacular! Next year, G-Man can ride in the trailer behind our bikes. Oh, and he got his first taste of dirt! The little monkey (THE STUFFED MONKEY IN HIS STROLLER) fell on the ground, I picked him up, shook and brushed him off and gave him back to my Chewing Teething Monster (G-Man). He is well on his was to eating his first bushel of dirt...at least it was clean dirt this time. hehehe!

I have to add this about my little man and his wardrobe. I was introduced to Babylegs by a friend and I LOVE them! They are a great addition to his wardrobe, they go on easy on mornings like Saturday that were a touch cool and then just slip off as the day warms up! They are going to be super cute too with a photo shoot I have planned with him and some of his cloth diapers! These are his manly pirate ones and he has a robot pair too. I am already eyeing up his wardrobe and will be getting another pair to match more of his outfits. They are super easy for diaper changes too when he is just wearing a cloth diaper and a t-shirt. I just love em!

Below, one of G-Man's Grammas, G-Man and Mommy

H1N1

I am starting to wonder if the little G-Man and I had the H1N1 flu last week. I would be thrilled if we did! No, I am not crazy, because if we did have it, then our bodies have worked properly and created an immunity to it and we'll be safe from catching it later this year (or in coming years) if it starts the rounds. One thing is certain here in the North, there is a season called Flu Season! I checked out the CDC web page HERE and this is the list of symptoms:

"The symptoms of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting."

We didn't have the diarrhea or vomiting, but we had the rest. Granted that list pretty much covers every bad cold I have had my entire life! The only reason I got to thinking about it was that my father in law asked if we had it and on the news this morning I heard that the cases in Minnesota have doubled in the last week. It could be, and frankly, I hope so! One more thing that we are porperly immune to! Sometime soon I want to do a nice extensive post on our bodies, how they work properly if we treat them right, immunizations and disease. I keep composing parts of it in my head as I drive to and from work, now I just need to get the stuff out and "on paper" as it were. Have a great, healthy weekend all!

Homemade Laundry Soap that works & is easy to make!

Yep, it's all true, easy to make, it works (even on diapers!), and best of all CHEAP! I challenge you to find a gallon of laundry soap for $4.41 that is free of pthalates, fragrances, phosphates, animal by products, petroleum by products and coal tar. To make your own healthy, chemical free laundry soap you will need:

• a 5 gallon bucket


• a 1 gallon bucket


• empty containers for new laundry soap


• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda


• 20 Mule Team Borax powder


• Castille soap (liquid)


• water

In 5 gallon bucket pour 4 gallons HOT tap water, add 1 cup each Arm & Hammer, Borax and Castille soap. Gently stir to mix and dissolve powers. Portion out into empty containers. Use 1/4 cup soap for each load of laundry. Be sure to shake up the container a little before each use as the stuff does settle out to the bottom. If you are interested in a particular scent you can add essential oils available at your local whole food or co-op store. Use 2-4 drops per gallon to start with. Some oils, like Tea Tree oil are natural anti fungals, perfect for washing sporting clothes and stinky stuff! Or, if you like a little relaxation, add some natural lavender oil. Peppermint for a bit of energy...ohhh the list of essential oils is endless. Just be sure that if you are using this for cloth diapers that you do not use any essential oils. It's not recommended by any of the manufacturers.

What's castille soap you ask? It's soap that is all vegetable based, there are not any animal products (common) or lye in this soap. It tends to be quite concentrated too. I prefer Dr. Bronners brand, check it out here. (This is also the soap I use on my skin.)

A Newborn's Conversation with God

This pic was taken 18 weeks ago by Tina...I just love it!

I received the little story below in an e-mail from a friend and I love it! Poor little G-Man is fighting the good fight against this virus. He's still sick, (congested, boogery, coughing - though not a croupy cough - and running a low grade fever at nite). I just hold him close and whisper to him and we giggle and try to laugh through the ickies. Hopefully soon he'll be back to 100%.

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?" God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you." The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy." God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy." Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?" God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak." "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?" God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray." "Who will protect me?" God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life." "But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore." God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you." At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name." God said, You will simply call her, " Mom ."

Sick Stinks!

Finally, I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It absolutely broke my heart this week to see my little boy sick and not feeling well. Poor little guy! His fever is down to a manageable 99.5 and as of 3pm today mine is almost normal too. My incredible hubby stayed home until 2 today to take care of both G-Man and I. I slept, slept, showered and slept. You know I am sick when I tell the hubby to make a bottle for G-Man and not to wake me to nurse. (yes, it's a bottle of breast milk) Thank you for your prayers!

** UPDATE** Drats! We're sick!

6-2-09 Update:
G-Man has a good case of croup! We have a steroid (I don't like it) but he needs it to reduece swelling of his voal chords so he can breathe (i like the breathing part). He sounds terrible and I guess we are in for a few more pretty rough nites. So, I am off to play with him since he seems to be sorta happy now (Tylenol is on-board) and later when he sleeps, I will be to because I still have a nice cold. Thanks to all for your prayers!

(original post below)
I am experiencing my first of presumably many "I should have..." Mommy moments. I knew K was sick and had a sore throat. I should have taken more vitamins and done some homeopathic preventative. I didn't and now my little G-Man and I both have sore throats, coughs, icky stuffed up noses. I feel terrible listening to my little one cry. You can hear his sore throat. It hurts me! So now I am megadosing on vitamin C via EmergenC drink mix (which is a staple in our house anyway) and Zicam, a homeopathic cold remedy. The good news is my throat didn't get worse during the day. The bad news is my little man is obviously sick, only drinking 4.5 ounces of milk in a 9 hour stretch at day care and now he has slept for 2.5 hours. An abnormally long afternoon nap. I think I am going to join him. Prayers for my little one to rest well tonite and to heal are greatly appreciated.