Boston James is 3 Months Old!

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My little bean turned 3 months old yesterday and I couldn’t be more impressed with how much he has grown both physically and mentally. He is such a happy, giddy and joyful little guy. I keep thinking that I couldn’t possibly be more in love with him but somehow every single day my love for him grows. Boston is an absolute dream come true and leaps & bounds beyond what I ever expected him to be.a

Today we decided to name his giraffe ‘Jake’ after Uncle Jake who bought it for him.

Boston’s favorite toy right now is ‘Filbert’, a soft blanket with a monkey head attached to it. They are absolutely inseparable. Filbert goes for car rides with us, snuggles Boston for every nap, joins us for diaper changes and goes on walks with us.

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Boston is currently fitting into size 6 month clothing with no problem. He still fits into a few of his 0-3 month clothes, but very few.  He is currently in size 2 diapers and they are getting a little bit snug. He doesn’t have a big butt but I’m thinking all that breastmilk has given him his mother’s thunder thighs.

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Last Sunday he went on his first road trip to Omaha, Nebraska to visit the zoo and did an awesome job! He slept the whole way there, enjoyed the animals like a big boy and was an absolute angel the entire time. Our next trip will be at the beginning of June to Chicago to watch his Uncle Jake [my brother] graduate from Navy boot camp! I can’t wait for so many reasons, but most important, Boston will meet both his Uncles for the very first time. It makes my eyes all watery just thinking about it! Oops! There’s a tear. Damnit. I’m such a softy these days.

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Boston LOVES music. More specifically, he loves ROCK music. When we’re in the car he will whimper if I listen to country and will smile when I put rock on. He has liked rock music since he was in my belly, though, so we’re not surprised. [PROOF].

Boston can polish off 5 ounces of milk like it’s no one’s business. Average feedings are usually between 4-5 ounces but he has been known to pound out 8-9 ounces in one sitting. We never stop him from eating when he is hungry, which might explain this monstrosity of a child we have. Every time we talk to a health care professional they tell us how perfect he is, so we must be doing something right.

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Boston has yet to roll over but he’s close, very close. I think he’s having a bit of a hard time because he has so much mass to work with, but he’s strong and when he’s ready he will roll. He’s talking up a storm, though. He’s quite the story teller and loves hearing our voices.

He has grown so much and we’re so incredibly proud of our son. I am looking forward to watching him grow and accomplish even more!

Mother’s Day Trip To The Omaha Zoo

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For my 1st Mother’s Day I didn’t want a day at the spa nor did I want expensive jewelry, all I wanted was a day with my little family introducing Boston to animals. We decided to go to the Omaha Zoo and we had such a wonderful time! Boston’s favorite animals were the gorillas and he was in absolute awe while we explored the aquarium. After 5 solid hours of checking out animals we went to dinner at a terrific steak house downtown. I couldn’t have asked for a better 1st Mother’s Day.

Boston handled the ride up there perfectly, he slept the whole way. However, the ride home was another story. We were driving eastward back to Iowa and the sun was directly in his eyes, he HATED it. For our trip to Chicago in a few weeks I need to find some kind of tinted thingy for my car that will prevent such a tragic thing from happening again. I will not let the sun conquer!

There is a zoo here in Des Moines and I definitely plan on bringing Boss there since he had such a fun time looking at animals in Omaha. Something tells me that we will be spending a lot of time looking at monkeys in the near future since he is such a fan!

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Playing in the Grass! [10.5 Weeks Old]

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Today was too beautiful to spend indoors, so Boston and I headed to the lake to just hang out and catch some sun. The weather has been in the upper 70′s and lower 80′s and spring is finally here!

Boston and I found a cute little picnic table right besides the lake, so we decided it would be a perfect place to down his 2pm bottle and listen to the birdies chirp. Luckily, I had my Nikon on me, a changing table pad and a blanket with me – PHOTO SHOOT! Boston absolutely loves the camera and it’s no secret that the camera loves him, so I took the opportunity to take even more pictures of my handsome little man, because clearly I don’t already have enough.

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Boston Turns 2 Months Old!

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Sorry I have been so absent from this blog, but I have been very busy being a Mama to the sweetest, happiest, fastest growing baby ever! Boston turned 2 months old on Sunday and we decided today was the perfect day for his 2 month photo shoot!

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Everyone said “they grow up so fast!” and I figured it couldn’t be nearly as fast as a box of Oreos disappearing in my parent’s house, but I stand corrected. I feel like it was just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital and here we are with a very vocal 2 month old with a personality just as big as he is.

I did some unofficial measurements the other day and Boston is about 12 pounds and 23″ long! He has just about doubled in size from the 6 pound peanut I gave birth to only 2 months ago.

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Next week Boston has his 2 month checkup where we will receive official weight and length as well as 4 shots. He’s a big, strong and resilient boy so I’m not worried about the shots, I just hope they don’t make my very happy boy all groggy. His smile is something I don’t want disappearing, even if it’s just for a short time.

He loves eating like any big boy should, he loves being naked [with a diaper on, I may be crazy but not that crazy] and he loves his Wooby! He talks up a storm, smiles and giggles all the time and gives the best cuddles in the whole world!

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Boston is already wearing 6 month clothing, pulling our hair and has favorite TV shows. Nothing gets in the way of him watching ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’ and ‘Doc McStuffins’. He loves car rides, walks and wicked loves rock music [as we predicted while I was pregnant with him]. He prefers sleeping with the lights on with plenty of sound, he can sleep through my car alarm going off but will wake up the second a floor board creaks.

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your tiny little baby grow up into a baby with a booming personality. I love talking to him and listening to him ‘talk’ back. I could sit next to him for hours just trying to make him smile and when he does I melt a little bit more inside each time I see that wonderful grin. There is no better feeling in the world than being a parent to such a perfect little human and I plan on spending the rest of my life making him as happy as he makes me.

Hogback Bridge with Boston James

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Today we went to Winterset, Iowa to visit one of our favorite covered bridges that just happens to be near and dear to our hearts. Last year around this time Jim and I visited all of the covered bridges of Madison County, we made a day of it and took a ton of awesome pictures.  [You can see those pictures by clicking on each of these links ---> 1.2.3.4.5.6]

What is so special about the Hogback Covered Bridge is that there is a journal kept on the inside of it with a pen and visitors from all over the state, country and world write in this book. The first time we were there I wrote a little entry about how I moved from Rhode Island to Iowa to be with Jim. The banner of this very website where I am sitting on the ground writing is me writing in that book! [You can see the pictures from this specific bridge HERE. The original book entry can be found there.]

We went again when I was 22 weeks pregnant to take a pictures and again we ended up at this bridge where I wrote in the book for a second time. [Pictures from that day HERE]

As soon as we got to the bridge today we went to go see if the same book was still there from the last time we had visited and it was! We went to the beginning of the book and kept skimming through pages to find our last entry. It didn’t take long until we found it, probably because my hand writing sticks out like a sore thumb. I must admit, upon finding it I got all ooey and gooey inside.

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It’s true! The next time we visited we had our son, Boston James. He is now 7 weeks old and the happiest little boy in the world, most handsome little boy in the world too, if I may add. Although he is too young to know how awesome today was for Jim and I, I am glad he could share it with us.

This visit Jim got to write in the book!

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“On 10.14.2012 Summer and Jim stopped here while we were 22 weeks pregnant. Today we are here with our 7 week old son Boston James.”

I don’t tend to be a big sentimental sap ball, but this makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Afterwards we went for a drive to the local park where there is another covered bridge, a cool tower and a really awesome ‘path’ that you can drive your car on. It was treacherous as all hell but so worth it! As we were driving out of the park Boston decided it was time to eat, so we pulled over and took care of business! Oh and we took some pictures of our adventure, obviously!

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After we got home Jim insisted on getting a picture of Boston and I in our outfits. They kind of match in a ‘nautical/pirate-y’ kind of way. That, and we’re cute as hell, right? =]

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A Spring Family Adventure!

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Today it hit 60 degrees and we just couldn’t stay cooped up in the house. We decided to head to the Des Moines Art Center to check out some art and then take a stroll down the street where it’s located to check out some of what nature had to offer. Throughout the Art Center I used a wonderful baby carrier that Jim’s sister made for us and it was awesome! We didn’t have to use a stroller or carry him with our arms [which is getting more difficult since he's putting on weight at a ridiculous rate] and he got to stay snug and safe. The baby carrier also matched my dress pretty close to perfectly too, you can’t beat that!

Boston stayed silent the entire time we were in the Art Center, I couldn’t have been more pleased!  Jim and I got to explored the beautiful and interesting art that the center had to offer while our little boy napped like an angel! After we left the art center we took a stroll behind it to find a rose garden and further down the street we found a beautiful pond. It was a perfect day for such an adventure! Of course I took a ton of pictures on this beautiful day!

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Marriage Equality & Gay Rights

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“Fear is the path of the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda

If I wanted to I could get a license to carry a gun and then head to Bass Pro Shop and pick up some angry bastard of a gun with little to no hassle and it’s the same story throughout the entire country, although more strict in some states rather than others. Imagine that, in my hand I could have a weapon that could not only hurt and severely injure people but also KILL them. With that being said, in the majority of the states in this country it would impossible for me to get a license to marry a member of the same sex. Being married to a woman wouldn’t hurt, severely injure or kill anyone, but it’s far more ‘illegal’ than me carrying around a gun that could take multiple lives at once. In this country it is easier to kill someone than it is to love them [if you're members of the same sex].

It pisses me off that people use religion as their reasoning for being against same sex marriage. Really? You need to hide behind your religion to justify why you’re against equal rights for all American citizens? That’s pretty cowardly if you ask me. Why can’t you justify it with ‘I’m not okay with it’ or ‘It makes me uncomfortable’ or ‘I am too much of a pussy to explain homosexuality to my children’ instead of saying ‘because Jesus said so’. Sorry Sweetcheeks, but there is more evidence that Big Foot exists than God exists.

I want my son to grow up in a country where everyone can marry the person they love. I want him to know that love is the most important part of being married and I want him to feel comfortable loving whomever he may chose. There is a possibility my son could be gay just as much as there is a possibility he could be straight and I want him accepted for who he is in this country no matter what plumbing his lover has.

You’re all for ‘traditional’ marriage? That’s cool. I’m pretty sure ‘traditional’ marriage included a young teenage girl and a middle aged man who not only got a wife a third of his age but a dowry of 10 cows and a handful of silver. It’s all about technicalities, right? I mean, if we’re going to make this legit then we have to do it right. Your husband that is your age, with pearly white teeth and a six pack, yep, he’s not all that traditional according to the Bible that you thump in everyone’s face. Wait! What!? You married the person you LOVE!? Oh my! Well God forbid anyone else has that right.

If someone marrying the person they love [who happens to be of the same sex] bothers you THAT much then you aren’t invested enough in your own life if you find the need to pay that much attention to someone else’s life. If you’re a true ‘person of God’ then you would want all of ‘Gods People’ to be happy and loved, right? Instead all I see if hatred and ignorance and it makes me sick. Who are you to say how someone else can live their life? IT’S NOT YOUR LIFE.

When it comes down to it, someone else’s marriage has as much to do with you as the deodorant they choose to use, but the fact you’re making it more about you than you are about them is sickening. If someone said you shouldn’t be able to have kids because they don’t believe you should then I am pretty sure you would punch them in the mouth and tell them to mind their own business because it’s your life and not theirs. What if someone told you that you can’t have a Ford truck because they believe that only Chevy trucks belong on the road? What would you do? I’m imagining you would punch them in the mouth and tell them to mind their own business because it’s your life and not theirs. This isn’t about trucks and this isn’t about your life, this is about theirs. This is about people who have found the person they LOVE and are not able to share their life with their partner the way they wish to.

Imagine if someone told you that you couldn’t marry the person you love. Imagine if your own government didn’t recognize your relationship as being worthy of marriage. How would you feel? The gay community is having to deal with something that would tear your heart out of your chest if you had to deal with it just because they are who they are and they love who they love. They have just as much control over being gay as you do over the color of your skin.

Seriously America, cut this shit out. We are stopping people from being happy and marrying the person they love. Why? Because the Bible says so? Our founding father’s came here for religious freedom and here we are forcing religion on an entire country when not everyone shares the same beliefs. Everyone should have the right to whatever religion they chose, just as much as everyone should have the right to marry the person they chose to.

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First Month Favorites

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1. Bestever Bear Baby Mat – I don’t know who loves the bear mat more, Boston or I. It’s soft, cushiony and all kinds of awesome. Boston plays on it, sleeps on it and hangs out on it. It’s machine washable, too! He’s on it right now, just talking to the air and being a happy baby!

2. Nap Nanny Chill – THIS IS MY FAVORITE BABY ITEM. Sadly it was recalled a few months back after I received it but decided to use it anyway. I’m assuming some morons decided not to read the lengthy warning label right on the product itself but whatever. It props Boston up just perfect so he doesn’t spit up and he is always happy in it. He has been known to sleep for well over 4 hours in it, too! It ‘cooks’ him just right [it makes him all warm and toasty, which is the perfect recipe for a sleeping baby!]. I swear by it! I put him in it, throw a blanket or two on and around him and he’s out like a light almost every time, as long as his tummy is full and his diaper is empty.

3.  Graco SweetPeace Infant Soothing Swing – When my parents came to visit Boston when he was just a few days old they bought him this swing and I must say, it’s awesome! All of us ended up deciding on this one because of all it’s options. It’s swings and sways, it plays a ton of different music, an ocean noise and a heartbeat sound. You can hook up an iPod to it as well, but I’m not that techy. He can sleep in this for hours and if he isn’t sleeping it in he has a smile from ear to ear while he giggles and enjoys being a baby. Oh, and the ‘basket’ he sits in comes off the swing and serves as a seat. Yeah, it’s that awesome.

4. Graco FastAction Fold Travel System with SnugRide Car Seat - Lightweight, easy to maneuver and easy to manipulate. I am so happy we decided on this one! Boston loves his car seat and loves laying in his stroller when we go for walks. It’s light enough that I can fold up the stroller all on my own and toss is in the trunk. The stroller itself is really roomy and it will serve him for quite awhile, I don’t see him growing out of it anytime soon unlike a lot of those la-tee-dah strollers that are only good for itty bitty infants.

5. Lansinoh Nursing Pads – Let’s be honest, if you’re breastfeeding you are going to leak and if you’re anything like me you’re going to be a damn faucet. I can’t go without nursing pads unless I constantly want a wet shirt, which I don’t. I tried the Medela brand nursing pads at first and they just didn’t do it for me. They bunched up, became saturated rather quickly and wouldn’t retain the milk well. After I finished off my Medela brand I tried the Lansinoh brand and instantly concluded they are MUCH better. They don’t bunch up, they are super absorbent and they are much more comfortable.

6. Tommee Tippee Bottles – Although I breastfeed, I prefer to pump and put the milk into a bottle, Boston prefers this method as well. He’s really demanding and [to put it bluntly] he beats the shit out of my poor boobs. He has been known to head butt, punch, scratch and try to remove my breasts. With that being said, these bottles are terrific. They don’t have a lot of parts like some brands and they are super easy to clean. I have heard complaints of the nipples collapsing but we have not encountered this problem. I have no complaints and no desire to try another brand.

7.  Grey Burp Cloths – Towards the very end of my pregnancy I decided we didn’t have enough burp cloths and found myself searching Etsy for something cute yet durable and came across these. I had no idea I would use them as much as I do! I constantly have one next to me, I have one hanging on his cosleeper for night feedings, I have one in his diaper bag and I currently have one 6 inches to my left. They are thick and soft. Boston has been known to fall asleep on them while being burped on my chest. I love them!

8. Boppy Infant Feeding & Support Pillow – Everyone was right, the Boppy is AMAZING. It’s uses are endless, whether you use it to nurse, feed, cuddle, support or comfort your little one, you will use it a lot! Boston’s favorite use for it is when Jim puts it on his lap with Boston and a blanket while they play Xbox together. Boston knocks out right away every time and Jim gets some gaming time, it’s a win/win situation! The good thing about the Boppy is that it continues to be useful as your child grows! Definitely a fantastic investment.

9. Arm’s Reach Mini Classic C0-Sleeper – THIS. This product makes it possible for Boston to sleep right next to our bed every single night safely and comfortably. It attaches to the bed underneath the mattress to keep it safely in place and makes keeping an eye on my little one throughout the night so easy. We haven’t had a single issue with it and it makes late night nursing a cinch. I plan on keeping him in our room using the co-sleeper until he’s about 3 months old and then we’ll try out the crib.

10. Wubbanub – This damn thing is a life saver. For the first 3 weeks of his life we were constantly putting his ‘binker’ back in his mouth because he just couldn’t seem to keep it in for more than a few sucks at a time before it ended up in his lap. He wasn’t a happy baby when his binker fell out either, let me tell you. I had heard about this product from some moms on Instagram and figured I would give it a shot. SO WORTH IT! We have named it ‘Woobie’ or ‘Woobz’ and they have become good friends. Boston is now holding onto Woobz! Not to mention, Woobz is very easy to find when need be!

11. Medela Swing Single Electric Breast Pump – I ended up getting a single breast pump and I am very happy I did. I feel like a have a lot of freedom with just one pump. The mechanics work great, it’s comfortable and it has a lot of settings from super light pump to ‘OMG don’t tear my nipple off’. I have had no problem getting milk out with this bad boy!

12. Boon Lawn Counter Top Drying Rack - I am such a fan of this product. Not only is it super cute, fun and modern but it holds clean bottles with no issues and the water drains to the bottom so the clean bottles aren’t sitting in stagnant water. There are two sizes and I ended up going with the larger one and I am so happy I did! Two thumbs up!

Honorable Mention: Kid Rock’s ‘Bawitdaba’ on constant repeat because it’s Boston’s favorite song and silences him almost immediately every single time!