We're Alive!

I can't believe Andrew is 15 months old today. He is such a funny little boy. He really likes to go fast, so he is only taking a few steps in a row, and then drops to his knees and crawls like a mad man, if only he knew about running. Andrew is also starting to talk, always a jabberer it is fun to hear him actually get words out. He says mommy, daggy (which is daddy and doggie), bye-bye, ball and baboon (balloon) and occasionally truck and more. Possibly the most endearing thing Andrew is doing this day is roaring like a lion anytime he sees a picture of a lion or bear or any other animal that might or might not roar. I sure love my little boy!

Where Does the Time Go?

Originally uploaded by jthomas2798

Yesterday I was out walking the dogs and Andrew around a nearby park. As I was hauling Andrew around in a backpack and trying the leashes of two big dogs it dawned on me that I hadn't been there without Jordan in nearly a year. The dogs and I used to walk there every day while I was pregnant, but it wasn't until recently that I started taking this crew out without Jordan's help. First we needed Andrew to be old enough to ride in a backpack, and as he approached that milestone, Luther was injured and it wasn't until recently that he was able to walk for any great distance. We've been going around the neighborhood for a few weeks now, and I have been building the endurance to carry Andrew on my back for longer period of times so off to the park we went. I used to walk around that park dreaming of what life would be like with my little boy, yesterday I spent the time reflecting on what a year it has been and while Jordan and I can't wait to add to our family, we are savoring every moment with our little monkey.

What We've Been Up To

My How Summer Flies By!

I can hardly believe it is August already! Summer is just flying by! We have been having lots of fun, and since work has been a little slower, Jordan has been able to take time off for us to have some fun days. Recently we have been to the Postal museum, which was really interesting, we participated in a tour with a really great docent.

Last weekend we went to Jordan's college roommate, Dan's wedding. It was great to celebrate with him and his bride, Kay, who we met for the first time.


The wedding day was the longest we had been away from Andrew. My mom graciously watched him all day long and the biggest delight was that Andrew took three feedings from a cup (he boycotted the bottle months ago)! What an answer to prayer! Not only that the wedding day went smoothly, but it also means that we can leave him with my mom when we go to Florida next weekend to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary a bit belatedly. It wouldn't have been quite the same if Andrew needed to come along. Today, Jordan joined us for our weekly trip to the farm. We picked peaches, blackberries and green beans, and had a lot of fun with his sister Sarah, and her kiddos. Joining the farm was a great decision, it really has caused us to eat at ton more produce and eat at home--good for the wallet and the waist-line.

The Great Cloth Experiment

The cloth diapering experiment has concluded, and we have decided to stick with it. It might be a little more work, but the benefits are worth more than the extra work to me. We have found that we really like pocket diapers, particularly those that snap (on the side is best) as Andrew has figured out how to undo Velcro. We had been putting Andrew to bed in a tee-shirt and diaper, and one morning Jordan found him without a diaper on because he had opened it up, what a mess that was! Andrew no longer goes to bed without pants. Cloth diapering has had some other unexpected influences on our life as well. I have really begun to enjoy how much less waste we create every week, (I am sure Jordan doesn't miss emptying the Diaper Champ twice a week either) so much so we are cutting way back on our paper towel usage. (Jordan loves paper towels, he always has at least one in his pocket, I(or Molly) find them all over the house) We now have a basket of cloth towels on the counter to use to clean up messes and dry our hands. A roll of paper towels used to last about two days, now it lasts a week! Many people have asked me where to find more info about cloth diapering, and it turns out that one of my favorite

baby sites is sponsoring "Cloth Diaper Week."Check out Baby Cheapskate for lots of info, resources and posts by moms who cloth diaper. They are even have an awesome giveaway, $200 of BumGenius products, which we would certainly get you started, enter the contest here.

My Self-Feeder

Fourth Full of Family

We had a great 4th of July weekend. All of Jordan's family came to visit and we had a wonderful time. Jordan's aunt Olivia met Andrew for the first time and several other family members saw him for the first time in months. We spent the 4th out at Jordan's uncle Jay's house, we had a cookout and despite the on-again off-again rain we all got in the pool. The evening culminated with a midwestern style family ignited fireworks display. Saturday evening we regrouped and had dinner at Red Rock Canyon Grill (a family favorite) and today we celebrated our niece's baptism. It was a busy a weekend, but fun was had by all.