Carseat Help!

Hollah Hollah!  I need some advice...  We really need to go ahead and get Claribel a convertible car seat and am wondering what you have and what you like about it!  So, give me a shout out and let me know.  We have a 4Runner so space isn't a huge issue, but it ain't yo mamma's cadillac either :)  I want one that she will be able to be in until she is ready for a booster.  Ok... let me know and talk amongst yourselves.  Thanks!

the assignment

I guess I should go ahead and do this while I seem to have a few minutes... 
Fave high school memories:
Road trips to the football games.  Sometimes we had a few stragglers, but for the most part it was Kelli, Meredith Hare, Alissa, and myself.  We felt so grown up getting to drive to faraway places, like Conroe (ha).  We had our cd's with specific songs that we always played and sang out hearts out to, such as Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby", and TLC's "Waterfalls".  
Pep-Rallies on Friday afternoons were also lots of fun, especially when we were seniors with our overalls and the little spirit dance... fun times!
Annual TP job at Coach Wade's.  In 8th grade, our history (i think) teacher was Coach Wade.  Christina, Laurel, and I started an annual (i think it was at the end of the year) tradition of wrapping his house.  We did this with the help of Dara (if i remember correctly) the following years until we went to college.  I remember getting caught at least once in high school and having to clean it up as well as returning a parking sign at a business once it was already light outside.  I am sure he was glad he taught us in 8th grade... obviously he made some kind of an impression...
Putting BHS up for sale.  In the spring of senior year, me, alissa, Kelli, Meredith, Doug (if i remember right- i am probably forgetting some or misnaming some) decided to do a little senior prank.  We went around town and collected for sale signs and even got a bit tarp style "clearance sale" sign from a mobile home sales place and put them all over the campus.  We also made up flyers from a copied for sale by owner sign that had a cost of $97 (class of 1997).  We put the clearance sale sign under the big marqui sign by the stadium.  Unfortunately, the next morning was an early mowing day for maintenance and it was all cleaned up by the time we got to school, but they missed the clearance sale sign.  The next day, I remember the vice principals were nosing around trying to figure out who did it.  I really wanted to hand the principal one of the flyers before we walked across the stage for graduation, but was a chicken...  I wish I would have.

Favorite teachers:
Ms. Mueller (Calculus AP) definitely stands out as one of my more respected and best teachers.  That class really helped me in college in Engineering Cal 2.
Ms. Pennebaker (senior English AP) was also one that stands out and I give her the credit for not having to take English at TAMU, which was huge for me!
Ms. Richards (Biology AP) was definately also a favorite as she was of everyone who had her I am sure.  She was also our senior class sponsor.

Well, my Bitty is up from her nap, so I better go take care of that-

This was fun taking a stroll down memory lane- can't wait to see what the others write!

word for 2010

I really loved this word of the year idea from Lacy and have been thinking about what I wanted my word to be.  This turned into resolutions of sorts and then I read a blog entry of a friend from college which sealed the deal.  My word of the year is care.  Caring for me... taking care of all the things that I have been ignoring and setting aside as I focus on the needs, schedules, etc. of others.  I need to make some big changes in my life as far as my health is concerned... things I have been saying I was going to and truly wanting to do, but not doing.  I am going to do it this year, even though now I have a baby that is just one more person that I can focus on instead of myself, I must do this now.   Learn to care for myself now.  Not in months or years, but now.

cloth diapering

This is mostly for my sister, who is interested in cloth diapering her little one coming in June... but I have wanted to blog about this and just show what I do and what I have so that non- cloth diaperers can see that these aren't our mama's cloth diapers.  It really is nice and easy!

Here are the diapers I have (bumGenius 3.0 One Size).  We have pretty much all white ones, which I love because you can't see them through clothes and they look nice under dresses:

*** added January 31***

I also have some Happy Heiney fitted diapers, but those never worked as good, we had lots of leaks (the lining likes to peek out from the cover) and didn't end up using them much at all.  I also bought two of the Fuzzi Bunz One Size Diapers which I like for the snaps instead of velcro, BUT they were not on sale when I needed to purchase more, cost more than the bumGenius, and they are harder to stuff with the inserts.  However, if these were the ones I had from the beginning I would love them as well- they are just different and take getting used to.  I also have some Hemp prefolds, snappis and some Happy Heiney covers that are definitely the economical way to go, BUT I never felt like the prefolds kept her as dry and had as much absorption.  So, they are mostly used as backups if we are behind on laundry.  Also, that option is not as "daddy friendly".

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I use this sprayer that hooks up to the toilet to spray off the dirty diapers into the toilet... works SOSOSO good!

I have a spray bottle of water at her changing table and these cloth wipes that I just spray down and then wipe her.  These go in the diaper pail as well as the diapers.  They are the bumGenius Bamboo wipes.  We also have some we use as wash rags for the bath and they are perfect for that as well.

I have this diaper pail and it has just enough capacity that you are pretty much needing to wash diapers when it is full (we got ours from Babies R Us)

I have two of these pail liners (Wahmies pail liners) that you pull out of the pail and dump it and the diapers into the washing machine.

I use this laundry detergent for all of our laundry now.

I line dry the diapers, not the inserts and cut out some liners out of anti pill fleece that I just lay inside the diaper that keeps diaper cream from getting on the diaper when we have to use some and sometimes makes cleanups a bit easier. 

*** Added on January 31***

If you live in BCS, Cloud 9 Baby is a lovely store that carries the majority of the diapers and other products that I use and others.  The owner is VERY helpful and will spend as much time as you need explaining the different diapering systems.  ALSO, if you find diapers on sale, say at Cotton Babies, she will have them on for the same sale price in her store!

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Six (and a half) months...

Sweet sweet baby Claribel,

I say this every month, but you are growing SO fast and getting SO big! We are loving every new stage, but just slow it down a little, ok?

Daily happenings with the our smiley 6 month old:

Practicing sitting up- it is crazy what 2 weeks will do once we started having you work on it

Giggling at nothing at all- you crack up in your carseat and while staring at the seat fabric of your exersaucer

LOVElovelove puppy dogs- one of your best giggle times was when Frannie and Tilly were chasing each other, playing and barking around your exersaucer

Daddy has been doing this little shake with you after your bath to wiggle you and get some bath water off.  "shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your bath off, shake your bath off".  Your hair is all wet, wild and curly and it cracks us up, with your little legs wiggling back and forth

Neighborhood walks with next door neighbors Crystal and baby Deliah

Loves the pop up animal toy that Ge and Popsi got her for Christmas- it keeps your attention for a suprisingly long time

Purees, purees, purees:  loves pears and apples; likes banana (with pears and/ or apples), butternut squash and sweet potatoes; loathes carrots and zuchini.  Trying soon: avacado, acorn squash, peas and hopefully we will find some more veggies that you like or even love!

You love Candice and Melissa who come and play with you while Mama is at work.  Melissa (3 years) can make you laugh like no other just like older siblings usually can

You are still sleeping like a champ 7pm- 7am and take your bedtime and naps pretty seriously.  You love your sleep just like your mama does.

You are going to have a new baby cousin and we just found out today that Aunt Rebecca is having a ----- which will be so much fun for you (don't want to spoil them telling what they are having, but we are pretty excited)

You are becoming much more vocal about your wants and sometimes get a bit impatient, so we are already having to work on some of these things a bit

We usually hear you talking when you wake up and are greeted by the cutest gummy smile when you see us come over the crib rails.  One of my favorite times of the day.

We are trying to start sign language a little bit so that you can start communicating with us as you are able and I know that will be great

Taking baths in the big tub with Mama.  You seem to really enjoy this and it helps those tired moments when it is too early to go to bed, but you are starting to get ready.

I know there is more as every day is new and exciting.  You are just the happiest sweetest baby I have ever known and we love you to pieces.  We look forward to each new day with you.

one of my favorite things...

North Carolina Kelli:
I am so glad you love to make hats
This sweet little one you sent with our Jesus Storybook Bible has gotten a LOT of uses. We have had this crazy cold (for us) winter and it is the only winter hat she has! I get compliments on this beautiful hat all the time

lovely work, my friend!

Connect and Re-connect...

I wrote this on the 18th and never posted it... better than never, right?

We had our little BHS Class of '97 Blogger Gal get together at Katy's this past Saturday night... still trying to recover. Finally got in bed to sleep around 3:30 (holy moly!!!), which is a good 5 hours past when I normally start getting anxious if I am not moving towards the bed. So, clearly... lots of fun was had by eight of the ten of us (Alissa, Sara, Kristin, Danielle, Jennifer, Katy, Summer, and myself). Kelli and Lacy were definitely missed!

It was a great time of visiting with friends I spent a lot of time with in High School and ones that I didn't necessarily. It has been really fun getting to know each other as our "grown up 30 something selves" through our blogs and in person!

Favorite Baby Toys...

Ray and I knew we wanted to get some toys for our Bitty for Christmas, but were so un-inspired by what we saw most places. I was actually thinking we would just get her a convertible car seat for Christmas. THEN, I found this wonderful toy line, Haba and shopping becames so fun and we just dreamed about what we could buy her in the years to come... toys that will last for several children and aren't all so plastic-y. Take a look at what we found- the attention to detail is fabulous and she really loves the clutch toys. A few (the last two) are for her to grow into, and she should be able to use them for years to come. Lovelovelove them!

Baby food making

We have entered the magical world of solids! Claribel is loving all the new tastes after she got over the shock of something different than milk. I am really glad we got a video of those first tastes because it was pretty funny : ) I have been really enjoying making first tastes for Claribel and have made pears, red delicious and fuji apples, zuchini, and sweet potatoes. So far she has had rice cereal and pears and we are going to have some sweet potatoes this weekend.

d and Monie got Claribel this wonderful baby food maker for Christmas and it is fabulous. Definitely a splurge and something that is not at all necessary for homemade baby food (nothing that a pot, steam basket, and food processor won't do) but it is so well thought out and E-A-S-Y to use and clean.

Claribel at Christmas...

This is my favorite Christmas moment - she has a funny reaction when the dog stops playing.

man alive...

I need a vacation from Christmas and New Years! Wow... I forget how crazy the holidays are- somehow when Christmas rolls around I mentally go back to college when the vacation days were plentiful and obligations were few. I always have these "projects" I want to get done and things I want to bake, etc, etc... and then I remember- Oh yeah- no more school and I am not a teacher so two days off and back to work! So, I had all of these blog posts in mind, was going to post for sure on Christmas from Claribel Lou Who since Claribel's hair was sticking up all over, was definitely going to post pictures already of Christmas with the fams. I definitely was going to take pictures at New Years (didn't) and post about that. Nope, Nope Nope... Didn't do any of it!

We did have a wonderful Christmas and it is really nice when Christmas backs up to a weekend for time-off. It was great to see preggy Rebs and Uncle Tuck who came in from Albuquerque and everyone else. Ray and I bought a new Canon DSLR camera as our gift to each other so we have also had fun with that. Our sweet Bitty was quite flexible as usual and it was lots of fun to celebrate with her this year.

To come:
Baby food making excitement
6 months- wow- can't believe it!
Christmas pics
Claribel (and my) favorite toy line

Hopefully I will be more consistent at this blogging business in 2010!

Happy Monday to you!

Claribel has had several giggle sessions so far. Thought I would share one with her and Ray the other day :) It is so hard not to smile and laugh when she does- cracks us up! You can also see our current normal- slobbery chins and bibs- she is a serious drooler-

We will miss you Maria!

Maria started keeping Claribel when I went back to work- I think when Cbel was around 8 weeks. We found her because her husband teaches with my mom and she asked him if he thought she might want to watch her. We are so blessed to have had such a loving Christian woman keep our sweet baby and to have someone that loves her as well. Well, Maria is going to have a new baby of her own in January so we have found someone new to care for her starting tomorrow. It always made it much easier going to work knowing that she was taken care of so well at home by Maria. We will miss you, but will keep in touch!

and hopfully some of those spanish words will come easily to Claribel later on in life!

Meeting PW

Yesterday, Monie and I made the trek to Houston to the Blue Willow Bookshop Pioneer Woman Cookbook Signing. It was quite the adventure!

I was first introduced to the Pioneer Woman blog a few years ago through another blog that I happened upon. I suppose I was reading from close to the beginning (the website was way different, only one page with everything instead of all of the tabs, etc.) I told Monie about her I guess about a year ago and told her she should read her Black Heels to Tractor Wheels story. She now keeps me up to date on the Pioneer Woman as I am not getting to read her site as often as I used to. When Monie mentioned that she was doing a book signing tour with her cookbook we knew we had to go meet her. It was funny that the bookstore owner that introduced her told a story about a PW reader that said something about "Her friend Ree" to her husband and he said, "She doesn't even know you". When you read her blog you do feel like you know her, so crazy, I guess that is what is so interesting about blogs. I have loved learning about her life, what life as a ranching family looks like. I have also loved trying out some of her recipes, some of my favorites are Oatmeal Crispies, Yogurt Cream and Berries, Crash Hot Potatoes, Potato Bundles, Apricot Bars, Blackberry Cobbler, Lasagna, Meatballs, Steak Bites, Blueberry Muffins, Apple Brown Betty, Chocolate Sheet Cake , creamy herbed potatoes, mashed potatoes , creamed spinach, not your granny's mac and cheese, I am sure there are others, but those are the ones coming to mind. She helps turn non-cooks into cooks; she has helped Monie start cooking more and the way she does her recipes on her blog (and her cookbook) is so great with all of the pictures.

So, yesterday...

We left Bryan- College Station at 7:45 and got to the bookshop right when they opened at 9:30 for the signing tickets. Then, we headed over to Georgia's Market (very cool place for all you Houstonites) where the booksigning was going to be. We got in the line to wait until the seats were set up for her to speak. Everything worked out so well, we probably had to stand in line behind about 5 people for about 30 minutes or so. Then we got seats on the end of the second row to the right of the stage. We all just hung out until PW came out around 1 pm. She sat on the little stage and they did a Q & A and then she sat to the right of the stage right in front of us to sign the books. They called different colors in a certain order and only that color group stood in line. Claribel did so well... she took a few short naps and we all just hung out. When it was finally our turn it was pretty ridiculous... I didn't even know what to say and Monie introduced us. She had also brought a bottle of wine from Messina Hof and so she gave that to her from her sister's vineyard. I have never been to a book signing before, but I thought it was pretty different that Monie was bringing her a gift... well, she was not the only one- she had several boxes of goodies from her fans... I am so glad we went, but we both laughed afterwards on the way home about how ridiculous we felt about how we behaved. I just stood there... thankfully Monie was there :) It was all so organized and we were out of there by around 4:30.

naptime waiting for PW

I wish I would have gotten CBel to smile at Ree (she is just so darn cute with that toothless smile)... oh well... She was getting to the end of her rope ready for the nice nap she took on the way home anyways.

Thanks Pioneer Woman!

It was really nice to meet you and I am excited about cooking more recipes out of your book!

and I really loved the necklace you had on- really neat!

Sleep Stories

It is funny to me how many different ways we find Claribel after her naps, and in the mornings. She moves all over the place and rotates the completely opposite direction. Sometimes I wish we had one of those video monitors so we could see her in action. I am pretty sure that alot of the moving has to do with the fact that she sleeps on her stomach and gets those strong legs going and scoots all over.

We have found her several times with her arm hanging out of the crib, over the bumper like the picture below. So funny...

Below is a picture in our bed in the morning while I was getting ready for work one day. She kept pulling hte blanket up over her chin.

Ten years ago

I can't believe it has been 10 years since that aweful night at TAMU. There has been a lot of talk this year on the news, in Texas Monthly, etc. which has brought all of those memories back. It has brought up interesting conversations with several of the students that work with us since I was in school when it happened. I think it is hard for anyone to tyuly understand what it was like unless you were a student at that time. Even though I did not personally know anyone that passed away, it was a devastating tragedy to have happen my junior year. There is so much talk of people wanting to bring bonfire back to campus, but in my opinion (and probably in many more that were in school at the time) that tradition died with the 12 students. It would be really hard to have that on campus again. I know I am rambling... but it is hard to verbalize my thoughts...

May our great Comforter be with those families that are missing their children, brothers and sisters that passed away 10 years ago.

Rubber Duckie- revisited

It is amazing what a difference a month makes...

4 months...

Sweet Baby Doll,

Your daddy and I are so thankful for you sweet, sweet baby. You have definitely spoiled us. You let us know when you are hungry or tired, but other than that- happy happy. You are pretty flexible as well if we are up a little past your bedtime, which has been nice for the weekend. You sleep like a champ! We are definitely making it through the night and if I do a "dream feed" at 10 before we go to bed you will sleep from 7 pm to 7 am- we are so spoiled! I really can't believe it has already been 4 months- it has truly flown by just like everyone said it would! You have also started laughing a bit- there have been a few times we have gotten some really good chuckles. It will be fun when you are laughing more. I love that you will smile when others talk to you and that you are not too serious of a baby. You have just about the sweetest smile that melts our hearts! When men have strong voices, sometimes you get startled and cry, putting that lip out there in a very sad face. You are talking a TON- chatter chatter. That is how we know you are up in the morning or from a nap- we just hear you talking. We don't even need the monitor because we can hear you so well. We think you definitely have mommy's voice. You are really enjoying your exersaucer, but we think you have outgrown the baby einstein mat with your active rolling and scooting. You are grabbing at everything and putting it in your mouth and are really enjoying your toys. We have a big weekend planned this weekend to go to Abilene to see all of your aunties and uncles. Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Tuck have not seen you since July and they are not going to believe how big you are!

We love you love you love you sweet, sweet baby girl! You make our hearts so full and we can't wait to see what is in store next.

busy busy...

We have been busy over here at the Thomas household. The fall always seems to go quickly and football usually keeps the weekends busy as well. I have been going through Civil 3D training this week which has meant longer days at the office (I am staying until 5 where as normally I leave around 2 or so). Tomorrow is the last day for that and I am really glad- I have been missing that extra time with one sweet baby in particular.

Yesterday I went to eat lunch at Koppe Bridge with some co-workers during our training break to discuss one of our projects and guess who walked in with his secret service entourage? George Bush Senior. Very cool! He had about 3 secret service with him in the restaurant and as we were leaving there was another SUV in the parking lot with what looked like 3 more Secret Service. It wasn't too crowded there which was fun and he was about 3 tables away from us. I just smiled at him at one point and he smiled back.

I think it is so cool that of all places he is in B-CS a lot.

Sweet baby Claribel turned 4 months yesterday- holy moly I can not believe it! I will have a post on that soon... I got her laughing really good in the car last night on the way home from dinner- so cute! Can't wait until those chuckles are more common place occurances. Wow, how much I love that little thing!

More to come-

First Halloween

The Happiest little baby duck we ever saw!