Deer Hunting

No, Pike County folk, we're not actually going hunting for deer. Well, maybe Mary Ellen is. She's really gotten the hang of grasping objects on her own. I'd seen her do it a few times with Deer, but this morning she added a new trick by trying to bring her new captive to her mouth. Bring on the germs, Mary Ellen. She's crossed over into the world of putting things into her mouth.

My apologies for the lighting.

Cloth Diapers cont.

Just for the record, I'm not as crazy as I once thought for considering cloth diapers.

Last week, Mary Ellen and I met with Carissa (aka the Diaper Lady) and had our official "Diaper Consultation." Basically, I just went to her house and looked at all of the products that were available, and then made a few purchases. She was great, though, and answered a lot of my questions. We're starting small, so I only came home with 4 items. In case you're curious, we bought 2 Bum Genius All-in-Ones and 2 Thirsties Duo Diapers. These are 2 different types of pocket diapers, which means they have liners that you stuff into a pocket inside the cute little diapers. Then the diapers go on the baby using either snaps or Velcro. They're really easy to use and so far, they haven't sprung any leaks.

The Thirsties Duo Diaper

The other kind of diapers that we're experimenting with are the diaper wraps. With these, you use the old fashioned tri-fold diapers. I've finally managed to find the pin alternative, so the prefolds are now very easy to use. I've had a few leaks with these, but I'm pretty sure they were due to a user error (um, me) and I'm not giving up yet.

This little doohickey is called a Snappi, and it means that I don't have to use pins. Hooray! And don't worry, Dad, I'll find another way to toughen her up.

Pretty cute, huh?

Photo shoot

With the cooler weather here yesterday, Mary Ellen and I took full advantage of our screened porch and had a little photo shoot. I'm still learning how to frame her, and all of my photos tend to come out looking the same, but at least the subject matter is interesting. And I suppose once she can sit up, we'll have a few more poses to choose from. She's already a ham for the camera, which a good thing considering her Grandma and Aunt Amy usually have a camera within arms reach. Here are a few photos from our little shoot:

Fun-filled weekend

Fall is finally here in Florida and we enjoyed this weekend to the fullest. I think we took a total of four walks and tried to make the most of the beautiful weather. The best part is that in Florida, the fall signals the beginning of the best part of the year. For the next several months, we should be treated to 70-degree weather most of the time, so it's just ideal for spending time outside. Luckily, Mary Ellen is very into the outdoors. Okay, so she's as into being outside as she is to about anything else right now. Except ceiling fans. They're her #1 thing right now.

Mary Ellen's first visit to an "Irish pub." The weather was so nice that we just had to seek out a venue for outdoor eating.

We actually had to break out a blanket at dinner on Friday night. I guess I'll have to become a much more responsible mother now that the weather is colder. I'll have to remember to bring things like socks and jackets. Aye!

Watching football with Daddy.

We've been the recipients of so many beautiful blankets since Mary Ellen arrived, and with the cooler weather now here, we'll finally get to use them! This one is extra special because it was made by my Grandma Moulds (Mary Ellen's G.G.). Grandma's jean quilts are the warmest and most durable blankets ever, and as you can see, Mary Ellen loves hers!

Buddah Belly

Mary Ellen has grown so much lately! I realized the other day that I forgot to update her stats after her last appointment. This was her 2 month appointment, and she weighed 12 lbs 2.5 oz (keep in mind that she was 7 lbs even at birth). I just love that she's gaining weight to easily, because it means that we must be doing something right, right? I think this video gives you a good idea of exactly where she's putting on the pounds.

On a side note: At the doctor's appointments, there are always a lot of questions to answer about her development and I was telling Brian about the questions that I had to reply "no" to. One was that we haven't been able to catch her laughing, though Mary Anne says she got her to giggle with her famous animal sounds. The other question was, "Is she putting weight on her legs?" Now, up to that point, Mary Ellen hadn't been willing to stand up on her legs, so I replied "No." Brian, however, misunderstood question and looked at me, shocked. "What!?" he said. "Have you seen her legs? I think she's put on plenty of weight in her legs." Ha!!

Turtle Parade

Mary Ellen is starting to be quite responsive. She now notices us when we're moving across the room, and she usually smiles just as soon as she sees that it's Brian or me. A few weeks ago, Mom bought Mary Ellen a turtle mobile, and she's shown limited interest in it until the past week. Now, she just can't get enough of it. She lays on her changing table and looks back for it, just waiting and hoping that it will start to move for her. She just loves the Turtle Parade! It's so much fun to see her take an interest in things!

Not the new baby anymore!

Congrats to Amy and Chris and the entire Knepper clan. Our family is growing by leaps and bounds!

Sweet little baby!