Milkies anyone? Anyone??

"Hey, you know where I can't get some milkies?"

I have begun weening Mr. Brady. Let's just say he isn't the biggest fan of this process, but the boy can't be a boob man forever (Jeff would like to add that one can ALWAYS be a boob man). We are now down to morning and night only. This is an adjustment in our routine. Now when I lay Brady in his crib he grabs my arms and holds on for dear life. It breaks my heart. I might add that he is impressively strong. He's got one hell of a death grip.

Other news:

Brady began PT at Children's last week. It is going great. Brady gets quite a workout. He's requested a fuel belt and some gel packs for Christmas. He said if this training continues he's going to need to ensure that he has ample fuel and hydration. I guess I know what to put in his stocking! We are focusing on keeping his hips tight and rocking on his hands and knees. Today Brady felt more like dancing and shaking his tail feather. I think he's preparing for his raging New Years par-tay. The boy has some moves. He also took 6 steps in a row on the treadmill. WHOAA!!

Brady now signs "hat." His list of signs is growing by the minute. This kid is impressive!! He must have good parents. :)

Brady

Brady Boy has really been showing off his stuff lately. Yesterday he officially confirmed that he is a triple threat. He signed "Mom, " said "kitty" and danced a jig. The important piece of information here is that he signed MOM! His list of signs now includes: Mom, Dad, Hi, Bye, Baby and Wash hands (he likes things tidy). He clearly understands more, but just hasn't figured out how to connect the dots yet.

We have had a busy week. We met with Brady's new speech pathologist. She will be working with Brady twice a month. Brady just requested that she teach him how to rap. Tomorrow we begin additional PT at Children's. They will be implementing several strategies to work on gross motor skills and fine tuning Brady's low tone issues. Brady has 2 PT's. Marne is his primary PT through the early intervention program provided by OPS. She is fantastic and we feel really lucky to have her. Brady is ready to "pump it up."

Brady is finally feeling better. He is on an antibiotic and MORE steroids. It has taken 3 weeks and 2 rounds of roids to help our little booger get over this cold. Once he is through with this I am officially putting him in a bubble. It will be nice. I'll make sure its spacious enough for toys and a few non perishable items. If he's lucky I'll even put in a "teen line" for him.

Go Crazy

Brady's latest trick. I hope this makes you smile.

Crap-tastic weather

We are snowed in AGAIN! Brady insists that the weather really adds a nice "Holiday touch" and helps him get into the spirit of the season. He's already done with his shopping, wrapped the gifts and stocked the fridge with egg nog. He's gotten so fired up about the season he wants to incorporate all faiths. So this year we will celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. I can't help but notice the 2 additional celebrations involve 7-8 additional days of gifts and festivities. Our boy is pretty sharp. He's working the angel of cultural sensitivity and in return squeaking out a couple more gifts. What will he come up with next?

Batty

"Baby"

Being snowed in for a few days has made us all a bit batty. As the snow piled up outside we dog piled in the living room. Brady has been forced to entertain us. The above feature highlights Brady's ever growing number of signs. He is obsessed with the Baby Signing Time videos and does this sign about 14 hundred times a day. I only let him watch the video once a day, and this really chaps his hide. What I should have filmed was the tantrum that follows if I don't hit play within 13 seconds.

This video was initially shot to show Jeff boasting about Brady signing "Dad." He is so thrilled that Brady signed "Dad" before "Mom." I reminded him that Brady SAID Mom first. Verbal trumps sign! Haha! Anyway... the video turned into a close up for Bill. That damn cat has to get into every frame. Brady wasn't about to let him steal his thunder so note how he turned it up a notch after Bill's entrance.

Snow Angel(s)

Right after this picture was taken Brady jumped out of Jeff's arms, took his clothes off and made his first naked snow angel. We couldn't believe it either. It turns out he was adding a bit of peppermint schnapps to his hot coco too. Jeeeez. I guess he takes his snow days seriously.

Dad

Here is Brady signing Dad! I actually got it on film without any incident. I think Brady's learning who's boss here! The sign for Dad is done with an open hand with the thumb touching the forehead. Brady's version is a bit different, but its consistent and close enough for us! Now that we know Brady is beginning to sign we are watching him like a hawk for other signs. For instance I think at the conclusion of this video he signed "baby." Which is signed by "cradling a baby in your arms." Watch and I think you'll see it. This is such an exciting time. Brady is discovering new things everyday. Let's just hope he doesn't discover the sign for his middle finger!

Brady is feeling much better. He still has a nasty cough and is creating enough snot to be an extra on the movie Ghost Busters. We went to the Doctor yesterday and he checked out okay. We are just watching him closely for the next week. The Doctor extended his steroid dose for 3 more days. Grrrrrr. The good news is that Brady has gained a 1/2 pound in the last 3 weeks. IMPRESSIVE!! Our protein shakes are working. Yesterday, Brady weighted 21lbs 6.5 oz with his clothes on. At his 15th month check up 3 weeks ago he weighed 19lbs 13oz (naked).

Black Monday

Brady is under the weather. He is coughing like he has been smoking for the last 16 months and producing enough snot to fill the Grand Canyon. He also is oozing booger like matter from both of his eyes. It's been pretty rough for the last 4 days. We had to put Brady back on steroids. Fortunately, they give him super human strength to fight the evil bugs. UNfortunately, they make him nutty. He acts like a teenager girl after a bad break up....laughing one minute and crying the next. He's slam'n Ben and Jerry's and listening to Rage Against the Machine.

Gobble Gobble

Last year's Turkey

This year's turkey

Brady stuffed his face instead of stuffing his pants like last year. He was a bit bored at the grown ups table so he resorted to arts and crafts. Supplies were limited to food items so he sculpted the most impressive mashed potato statue of his Dad. He used olives for the eyes and cranberries for hair. He said you've got to improvise when your in a bind. After his masterpiece was complete and his belly was full Brady strapped on his boots and ran a brisk 5K. He's really determined to keep the Holiday pounds at bay.

What a difference 1 year makes. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Baby Signing Time

Jeff's birthday isn't until Saturday, but Brady decided to give him his gift early.....Brady signed "Dad" today. It was pretty cool. Jeff has been diligent about showing Brady the sign for Dad for about 12 months now. Everyday he signs and says "Dad" about 13.2 million times. Usually Brady's response involves a thousand yard stare and a smile, but today Brady took his left hand and signed Dad. Jeff and I erupted in applause. Jeff repeated the exercise to make sure it wasn't a fluke. If any of you know Jeff, he is a man of science and most things must be proven before trusted. Well Brady proved himself. He signed Dad the requested 14 more times, each occurrence receiving thunderous applause. Well done Dad, well done!

Brady and I watch the DVD series called "Baby Signing Time." I highly recommend them for any child. Kids learn to communicate long before words actually come out of their mouths. Signing gives them a voice!

Smoothie King Dethroned

Brady was directing both traffic and food on Saturday morning. In an attempt to dethrone the Smoothie King, I have been letting him "explore" other foods. Brady's OT (occupational therapist) suggested we allow Brady to investigate other foods besides the trusted smoothie. The surveying involves covering everything within a 20ft radius (including Bill). When Brady is sampling other goods we don't worry too much about anything really getting in the hole. We focus on him just trying tastes of things. On Saturday he tried scrambled eggs, apples and squash. Amazingly enough he finished an entire jar of baby food (something he hasn't done for months). So for now Brady still has one smoothie a day and tastes of many different foods. I will be asking Santa for a case of stain stick and Bill will be asking for a new roommate.

Treadmill update: We had a treadmill, BUT we couldn't get it out of the owners house without taking the entire thing apart. We didn't want to risk damaging it. So Brady got out of training yesterday. Today we are back on the hunt!!

Smoothie King

Brady has not been the easiest baby to feed...food. Nursing wise he is a champ and I really don't know how I'm going to ever ween this kid. Don't worry I won't nurse him into the abnormal age range. I already get looks and annoying comments like "WOW your still nursing him, how old is he?"

Anyway, Brady still doesn't have a single tooth. Seriously! So chunks and table food are not really doable. Plus, Brady has a small adversion to anything greater than a breadcrumb. He also HATES baby food. He turns a mouth full of sweet potatoes into a sprinkler system. I was feeding him yogurt with fruits and veggies pureed into it, but all the dairy really upset his stomach and he was ralphing all the time. This created a dilemma. No solids, no baby food, no yogurt...hmmmmm! Then like any Mom I had a thought at 2 n the morn! SMOOTHIES!! Jeff and I have a smoothie every morning and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. I grabbed the blender and whipped up a batch for Brady and he loved it!! THANK GOD! Once I knew he liked the basic smoothie I have been cook'n up a primal protein wonder. Brady's smoothies are made with coconut milk, Kefir, berries, veggies, protein, iron, vitamin D and fiber. Though Brady isn't eating a traditional meal he is getting all he needs and more from becoming the Smoothie King!

Treadmill continued

With all this talk about a treadmill Brady decided he better hydrate. Please note his environmental ways... no plastic bottle and apparently no water wasting.

Here is the link to the treadmill research I've been reading. Jeff and I are hopefully going to borrow a treadmill or buy one off of Craigslist. I saw a couple for $250. If anyone has a treadmill that's been gathering dust in their basement or acting as a clothes rack, we would be happy to house it for the next 6 months. Let me know!

Brady had is 15 month check up yesterday. Here are the stats:

19lbs 13 oz (2% on the typical chart and 50th percentile on his chart)

31 3/4" long (33% on the typical chart and 90th on his chart)

All is looking pretty good for now. He is still low on iron so he has to take a NASTY iron supplement. The bummer about that is it plugs up his pooper.

Parent PT

Brady has a physical therapist that comes to the house every other week, but we are the primary PT peeps. I was doing a bit of research on the WWW about PT techniques for babies with Down Syndrome and I found a great tip from another Mom. She suggested using yoga blocks to work on proper posture. So I zipped out to Tar-jay and snapped one up. The goal is to have a straight back and closed mouth. The block helps Brady create an active seated position. Stiff as a board!

Brady now perches himself a top the block when he is watching his "Baby Signing Time" videos. My next PT goal... to get a baby treadmill. SERIOUSLY. I read a great study on the benefits of a mini treadmill. It helps increase locomotion, coordination and balance. The babies in the study walked 6 months earlier than the average baby with Down Syndrome. FYI the average age for a baby with Down Syndrome to walk is 24-28 months. A typical child walks between 10-15 months. Anyone know where I can get my paws on one??

DOA by Brady

Brady's list of tricks has become substantial. He can now wave hi and bye, slap a high five, get your nose (or bear claw it) and blow kisses. I tried to capture each one on film and ended up getting Brady's best attempt at playing dead. He makes you wait for it so you will have to watch the entire piece in order to witness "death by high chair." You will also note Brady has decided to add his own soundtrack, let's call it motorboat in high C.

What?

This is Brady trying to squint when the sun is in his eyes. I think it is hilarious. What he really needs are some nice aviator Ray Bans. If I knew he would keep them on and not turn them into rockets I would purchase them.

Brady had a hearing test today and it didn't go so hot. Brady boy has some hearing loss, but the diagnosis is not that cut and dry. He has tiny ear canals and I mean TINY. The microscopic size of the canals makes it difficult to run accurate tests and combined with his squirrely demeanor during the audio portion, we are in a rut. The first test was on his ear drums, a good test result would show nice peaks like the Rocky Mountains. This represents good vibrations by the ear drums. If the graph looks more like the Sahara Desert then fluid is likely present. Since Brady's ear drum test was more along the flat lands they assume he has fluid in his ears, BUT since his canals are so tiny no one can get a good look to verify this. The Doctor would put in tubes, but is canals are even too small for that. Next? the Doctor is going to talk to the Audiologist about a nerve test. This would bypass all the canal business and get to the root of Brady's hearing, BUT he would have to be sedated for the test and flash back to Mr. B's shaky airway, no one is jumping at the bit to put the kid under. Ahhhhh!! Grrrrr! So for now we are waiting 3 more months to see if his canals widen and grown. Like with everything else time is our friend. Everyday Brady gets stronger and bigger. The conclusion?? Brady can hear, but he isn't hearing as well as he could. He is not deaf. The only stinker about this situation is the ultra important connection between hearing and language development. His hearing impairment may delay his speech development. I guess we just step up the sign language lessons!

International Man of Mystery

I see you Canada

Hello Afghanistan!

The recent addition of our New Yorker got me thinking about where all Brady's bloggers are coming from. Google has a great tool called analytics and it tracks blog viewership. It appears that Brady's charm has reached as far as Kazakhstan. Amazing! Jeff and I were floored with our little blogs stats. Brady's Adventures is viewed on 4 continents and 189 cities. We receive about 1,000 hits a month. Now I realize that a 1,000 hits in YouTube status isn't anything major, but for our minor blog, that's some serious viewership! There's even someone in Japan checking in on our little man. It also appears that you all are loyal readers. Since the birth of this site the return rate has not waivered. The nifty bar graph shows Monday-Friday you all read with conviction and Saturday-Sunday you have better things to do. So thank you for reading. It really means a lot to us. It makes us feel like you care about our Brady and we couldn't ask for anything more.

Young love

The future Mrs. Claire Shannon was in town this weekend. The two love birds were all smiles. I think we can confirm this is a match made in heaven, or at least it better be! This may be the closest thing to an arranged marriage in a 1000 years. Claire's parents and I have serious plans for the two of them. Claire and Brady are registered at Pottery Barn (kids) and Bed Bath and Beyond.

"Somebody get me a crash cart!!!!"

"Some help here please"

"Stay'n alive, stay'n alive, ah, h, ah, stay'n alive"

There was a scary moment at the Bluejay's soccer match against 7th ranked UCLA. Just after a goal was scored by the Jays in the second half, Jeff went into cardiac arrest during a intense celebration dance. Fortunately Brady is well versed in CPR, and recognized the signs quickly and jumped into action. He had twenty compressions in before anyone knew of the danger that dear old dad was in.

After Jeff was stabilized, Brady handed over responsibilities to the professional paramedics, who were quoted by channel six news saying that "had Brady not taken action like he did...we would have lost him."

Brady did a couple of interviews, but as expected he humbly said "he's my dad, I did what I had to do." The game ended with a victory for the Jay's and the crowd chanted "Hero" until they put Brady up on the Jumbotron. Just another day in the life of Brady!

Happy Halloweenies!

In an effort to ensure that Brady can secure his own candy stash next year, he has been making great strides towards independence. We have been working diligently on moving from side lying to the sitting position for weeks now and last night we witnessed a little Halloween miracle! Brady pushed himself into the sitting position ALL BY HIMSELF...twice!!! Jeff and I were stalking him as he played in his crib and then it happened...presto! Brady popped up like a little pop tart. Jeff and I reacted like a couple of ping pong balls bouncing up and down and screaming with joy. High fives all around!! To make sure we understood this was no mistake, Brady continued to work his newly discovered move all day today. Jeff and I are still reeling and boasting about our boy. I think that is what makes having Brady so cool. We take nothing for granted. Each milestone has been earned and greatly savored. We accomplish everything together and we understand the hard work it took to get there. Another score for team Shannon!

Programming Note

Many of you have checked in on Brady regarding his surgery....the surgery that we postponed. For now Mr. B's manliness will have to wait. We decided to put the surgery off for a couple of months due to the "pandemic" occurring at Children's Hospital. A lovely lady called the other day to register Brady for his procedure and informed me that all patients and guest are required to wear a mask due to the pandemic. How swell. So I made the executive decision to hold off on the ball mission until March, when things are less germy. So instead of spending time in the hospital, the Shannon's are enjoying a stay-cation (a vacation at home). Jeff has the entire week off and we are thoroughly enjoying family time. Thank you to all that have sent happy thoughts and prayers our way. We really appreciate them and don't worry they don't expire until May.

A stay-cation takes some creativity to keep things lively. Brady has discovered the wonder of bubbles. I think this activity could occupy him for 3 years. He thinks they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. We have tried coloring which turned Crayolas into small missiles (helmets and safety goggles highly recommended during art time). The actual paper ends up with nothing more than "landing dots." I believe there are no mistakes in art so we have creatively titled Brady's masterpieces as "star wars." Next....

Shout out to NYC! Thanks for reading. Brady has now invaded the east coast!

Truce

It's taken 15 months, but the boys have decided to wave the white flag. It was a simple jester initiated by Bill and Brady gladly accepted. I even heard Brady apologize for ripping large chunks of fur from Bill's mid section. Brady explained that he is still working on his fine motor skills and the "release" motion is still a bit tricky. He also expressed regret about mistaking his tail for a climbing rope. This is definitely a working relationship, with a lot of room to grow.

Rib-it!

Halloween isn't for 6 more days, but we had to bust out the costume in order to attend our neighbor's pre-Halloween par-tay. As you can see from the photo Brady has really matured about the dress up portion of this holiday. His smiles and positive demeanor were a stark contrast to last year triple ensemble. The skeleton was filled with poo, the pirate was more of an "ugh" than an "arrrr" and the lion's mane was soaked with tears. I'm glad Brady has turned things around this year. We were going to have to give him up for adoption if he didn't comply with our FAVORITE holiday. We knew he had it in him! He's a Shannon!

Just Peachy

Fort Brady

All wasn't peachy for Brady last night. Things started off just like any other night of the week. I propped him up in his highchair and fed him his dinner. He's still on his yogurt kick so I selected the peach variety. He shoveled it in. He must have been hungry. And then "it" started. Brady took a trip to barf city.... 3 times. Maybe this was a continuation of his "character study" and he was channeling the exorcist? I'm not sure, but we did not like it. Bill was inches away from receiving a peachy, puke bomb! Yikes. It was a scene. Jeff and I surprisingly did not rush Brady to the ER despite convincing ourselves this was the end and Brady most definitely had H1N1. After all had calmed down and Brady's stomach had settled he chuckled and smiled. A refreshing site after the whole ordeal.

The conclusion? We think Brady has a STRONG aversion to peaches. He has had peaches once before and he took a less traumatic visit to puke city. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I'm connecting the dots. So moral to the story... no peaches for Brady until he's old enough to clean up the mess.

Dad

Rarely do I venture off on my own and leave Brady under the sole supervision of his father. From exhibit A you can see why. Today I went to a dear friend's baby shower and left Jeff in charge. Apparently I needed to clarify exactly what a "sippy cup" is. Jeff is grounded.

Looking back

Brady at 12 months

Brady at 13 months

Brady at 3 months

Before the surgery 1 year ago

Brady at 4 weeks

Brady in the oven- I'm 7 months pregnant.

Lately I have been thinking about the past year or so. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I see our little guy growing up so fast or maybe it's because I can see how far we have come. He continues to make us smile every single day. This morning Jeff looked at him and asked "why do I love him so much?" Brady has the incredible capacity to ignite happiness. His smile warms people to the core.

Maybe his super power is an excessively charming personality. I'm sure this is what he would have you all believe. Later we could find out that he's really a master manipulator and we are all just puppets in his show! He'll use that killer smile and pouty lip to finagle later bedtimes and girl/boy overnights. Only time will tell!

OMG

Look how cute our kid is! I guess when we have a blog dedicated to our child it's safe to assume we think he's pretty swell. It's also obvious he comes from incredibly good stock. I think the Shannon ego has been appropriately stroked!

Moving on...

Saturday morning we woke to an usual site for October.....SNOW! Real accumulation! The teethy weather girl called for a light dusting of the white stuff. Wrong! We got 4". My Halloween decorations are sagging under the weight of this fall surprise. On the upside I got to pull out Brady's Ugg's and cable knit sweater. With the cozy threads and uber cute kicks, Brady was style'n (and probably sweating). As much as I enjoy Brady's winter gear, I hope the snow is not a preview of a long and cold winter.

The Report

Yesterday Brady, Grammie Lou and I spent most of the morning and afternoon at the hospital. We began our morning with an ultrasound of Mr. B's privates. The tech was on the search for the elusive dudes, which I was kindly informed by the nurse that they are testes. I stand corrected. It turns out that "the right dude" has set up ship in the abdomen and the "left dude" is hovering above home base with a bit of a hernia around it. The good news is that both look healthy and have a nice shape. They just prefer the warmer climate of Brady's mid section. The bad news is that Brady will have a 3 stage operation to bring'em home. The first procedure will be on Oct. 27th and we will stay the night in the hospital to make sure Brady handles everything okay. They are being extra cautious because of Brady's history and sensitive airway. The next 2 procedures will follow within the next 9 months. So in the next year Brady's basket should be filled. I say should because there is a 50/50 chance that after all this the testes might not make it. UGH!!!!

After the ultrasound we went over to pathology where Brady had 4 pitchers of blood drawn (not really pitchers, but it felt like a lot). This was normal blood work that must be done on a yearly basis to monitor Brady's thyroid levels, iron and calcium. The results were pretty darn good! His iron levels were a bit low, so he gets to take a yummy iron supplement. I'm kidding when I say yummy. The supplement smells like poop and judging from Brady's reaction it tastes like poop too.

Finally, we met with the surgeon, Dr. Azarow, and he explained the ins and outs of the surgical procedure. By this point in the day Brady not longer trusted anyone in a lab coat so he wasn't the most friendly.

So back to the OR! Of course we aren't thrilled about having to put Brady through all this, but we really don't have another option. If we just let the little guys rest where they are now there is a huge risk of developing cancer. Brady is a trooper and he will do great, but we could all do without the stress!

DS awareness month

October is Down Syndrome awareness month. WOW a whole month! So I asked Brady what we should be aware of. His abridged version follows:

1. Be aware that his looks can kill

2. Be aware that he is accepting gifts (always)

3. Be aware that he is a lover not a fighter

4. Be aware that a little something called Down Syndrome is NEVER going to limit his potential

5. Be aware that his extra chromosome gives him super powers (he will not reveal the depths of these powers)

6. Be aware that he gets an entire month celebrating him and all that makes him uniquely Brady!

With that I would like to rename October as "Down Syndrome Celebration Month."

p.s. The video is another sample of Brady making us smile!

E.T. Phone Home

Please enjoy Brady's latest trick. We think it's pretty cool. Of course Brady thinks its a game, but I use it as more of a drill to increase fine motor skills. With Brady I do a lot of "purposeful play." It involves a series of games and movements that help him develop and build strength. Notice the focus and accuracy he applies when using his finger. His talents are endless!

The Buddy Walk

The 2009 Buddy Walk was a SUCCESS!! We are humbled and overwhelmed by the support from family and friends. Brady's Brigade made an impressive showing and finished 4th in the fundraising race (out of 117 teams). So if you were one of these impressive donors, give yourself a BIG pat on the back.

Brady enjoyed the morning and all the extra attention. He was revving his engines and drooling over the idea of a competitive event for weeks. I explained to him that it was a charitable, non-competitive WALK, but the boy has a taste for sport. He slammed a protein shake in the morning and made sure I packed the Gatorade. In addition, he insisted I trick out his stroller with a steering wheel and accelerator (no brake mentioned). His days of sitting idly by while I push him are over.

A huge THANK YOU to all who made the Buddy Walk such a grand event. We had a wonderful time and we greatly appreciate your support.

Buddy Walk 2010......Brady's Tidal Wave.....

I wear my sunglasses at night

This is the final stage in Brady's obsession with all things celeb! Though this picture was taken indoors Brady insisted on wearing his shades. He claims all the bulb flashing is tough on his cornea's and he can't take the chance of developing squint lines this early in life. OMG!

In reality Brady went to the eye doctor today. He will be checked annually until he is 9 (when vision sets in) for three main things: cataracts, crossed eyes and need for glasses. Today he passed all three tests with flying colors. His eyes are perfect! We are thrilled! Brady has passed another bump in the road with no problem. Next week Brady will have major blood work done to check for thyroid issues and anemia, not that we are worried about either of these, but babies with Down Syndrome often have an over or under active thyroid. He will also have an ultrasound to search for the elusive right testicle. Our boys boys have been ascended since birth so its time to bring'em home. Next week we begin the process to "fill the sack." Brady's left guy is hovering just north and the right one is a mystery, hence the ultrasound. He will have 1 surgery to bring the right one down. If there is a left one Brady will have 2 more procedures; one to first cut the blood supply and the second to bring it south. All this business has nothing to do with Down Syndrome, it was just the luck of the draw.

Just Brady

Since Brady's cinematic debut I've noticed some unusual behaviors. This clip is an example of his version of smoking. I've told him that it is NOT cool and it doesn't make him look mature. He claims it's a throw back to icons like Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. He's really taking this acting thing seriously. He's been throwing himself deep into character work. I've seen everything from Clint Eastwood to RuPaul. He says its important not to get type casted and since he's stuck in this adorable baby facade, he's got to work twice as hard as the next guy to be taken seriously.

Cloth Diapers

Get the stink out

Wet Bag

3 n 1 and liner

Our lovely model, Brady

Many people have asked me how the cloth diapers are going. Well, they're going great (and so is Brady hahahha). I thought I would offer a little cloth diaper 101 for those of you who are curious. If this is not in your realm then bypass this post and check back later for our usual fair.

1. What brand do I use? My favorite is Bum Genius, but I also have Drybees. I do not like Drybees. They leak worse than our bathroom faucet and they are the most expensive ones I have. Bum Genius are easy to use and get this.... NO BLOWOUTS! Yeah that's right these babies keep #2's in the sack. We have been blowout free for months. I have the 3 n 1, which means they grow with the baby. You can see the adjustable snaps on the front of the diaper. Snap them all the way up and they will fit about a 3 month old.

2. What do you do with the poopey diapers? I call Jeff to come home from work and get him to wash them out. YEAH RIGHT! This part is a bit gross. I take the diaper and rinse it out in the toilet. Yes, with my hands and no there is no better way of doing this. There is a hose/sprayer available, but the less poop flying around the bathroom the better. The whole deal is over in about 5 seconds, but trust me I would rather spend the time doing something else.

3. How do you wash them? I do laundry every other day. I have 16 diapers. If you purchase more then you can spread out the laundry cycles. Fortunately the front loader washer and dryers have great cycle options for cloth diapers. I use the "heavy duty" option with an extra rinse cycle and put the water on hot. This cycle takes 66 minutes and then I line dry the diapers. About every 2 weeks I run them through the sanitary cycle and that takes 2 hours. If the diapers are becoming stained I can hang them in the sunlight and that will naturally bleach them. I use Seventh Generation detergent with no perfume or dyes. I also use a product called "Bac Out" which helps with stains and odor. I also use a odor eliminator spray made by Bum Genius. After I run out of it I think I will just stay with the Bac Out product. It seems to do the job.

4. What do you do with the diapers until laundry time? I put them in the "Wet bag." Its a nifty little bag that is water proof and it zips in the stink! When its laundry time I just empty the bag into the washer. I also have a smaller one for my diaper bag. It's great for when we are on the go.

5. Why do you use cloth diapers? Our main reasons for using cloth diapers are in this order: A. We eliminate Brady being exposed to all the harsh chemicals found in disposable diapers. B. Creates less waste C. Saves money in the long run D. It's believed to help kids potty train faster because they actually feel when they are wet.

6. How much do the diapers cost? Bum Genius diapers are $17.95 each, but you can save money if you order in bulk. The large wet bag was $22 and the small one was $15. Overall a small investment for long term benefit.

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask!

Swinger

Next to milk and Bill on the favorites list is the swing. Brady loves it, and the higher the better. this picture was taken at Augusta's first birthday party. Our girl slammed down some cake and enjoyed the extra attention. We wanted to especially thank Augusta because in her short 12 months of life she has learned the meaning of giving. She graciously bypassed birthday gifts and instead, asked everyone to give to Brady's Buddy Walk. We are extremely thankful for her selfless act.

With Augusta's help and many, many family and friends we have now raised $2255! WHOA!! We are thrilled!!!! The Buddy Walk is 2 weeks away. We are looking forward to seeing many of you on the track. Next week I will email details to those of you who are walking with us. The email will include an itinerary and meeting point. If you are interested in walking with our team please email me: jen_shannon@cox.net

Thanks a million times for your support and love. We are truly grateful!