BBZ and the best daycare In St. Louis!

I am seriously in love with this place!

This was his very first day! Back off Gus, Daddy is teaching BBZ how to rain down elbows!

Who is that baby in the mirror?

BBZ & Clementine. She has an older sister named Delilah.

Making Mommy's Valentine

Straight chillin' with Gus

Love the orange hat!

Iso likes the hat, too. This is BBZ's special friend.

Painting with his feet.

His teacher said he was fascinated by the water when they were washing off his feet.

Creating fabulous artwork.

Mmmm, green paint!

These boys are best buds

Where did your blog get it's name?

I have been wondering this for a while, so I'll just go ahead and answer before I ask my blogger friends... I went through a few choices in my mind before I settled on a name. My first choice was Happy is Contagious. Then I decided Happiness is Contagious sounded better, but that one was already taken. So then I thought of Wise Old Soul, because I really think BBZ is, in fact, a wise old soul, but that one was also taken. So I started to think of music lyrics. I love music. It makes sense that I do. Both of my parents do and I grew up seeing just about every Broadway-style show imaginable. My favorite, by the way, is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I have expanded my musical preference to include much more than those show tunes, but I feel like my appreciation for music was ingrained in me from a young age. This shaped my overall interest in music itself, even though I found a different kind of music to suit my taste. I was joking with N not too long ago (keep in mind he is like a music Nazi) that there is no doubt that BBZ will grow up to be a lover of music, I worry about what N will think about the music he chooses! N disagreed and said that he wants BBZ to grow up with the appreciation of what music is and what it means, and that can come in all different forms. I thought that was pretty cool. I still predict N yelling at BBZ to turn off that awful music about 13-15 years from now! So anyway, the point to my story is that as I mentioned somewhere in my profile, N and I met on the way to a Widespread Panic show. Panic is like the Dead in that they have a group of hippy fans who follow them around the country and "go on tour" with the band. Panic plays 10-20 minute songs with lots of jams and music in between the verses. They don't play the same song within 3 shows and often sandwich songs between different ones and change notes and always keep the fans guessing and excited about what song will come next. One of the most exciting feelings in the world is when they are coming off of a big jam and teasing certain songs and you start guessing what they will play next. Ahhh, I miss going to shows. Again, I got off point! So my blog is named after a lyric in a song called Gradle. It is a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics, which I have posted below. If you want to hear it on youtube, click here. The video is from 1995, and is not the best version, but it is the only one I could find. They actually very rarely play this song and I was lucky enough to see it in the same city that N and I were heading to when we met...Memphis, Tennessee.

I hold the flower there

Doesn't know she's beautiful

She wakes every morning seeing

All the other things are beautiful

Well she's free

Companion to the wind

Time plays a roller coaster

Not afraid to ride itself

Never takes adventure lightly

Always stops enough to let us on for a ride

A blind New Orleans painter man

Doesn't get many straight lines

Hurricane tourists poke some fun

The angels whisper, "Pay no mind"

No mind

We don't have any pocket change

We've danced out of all our clothes

Want to give everything every minute

Give it all before we go

Love waves a flower there

Doesn't know she's beautiful

Spends every morning thinking

All the other things are beautiful

Well she's free

Companion to the wind

And the angels whisper, "Pay no mind"

The angels whisper "Pay no mind"

No mind

The angels whisper "Pay no mind"

Here we are in Memphis!

So I welcome all fellow bloggers to please post where your blog got it's name! I really want to know!

Laura at Wringing Out My Sponge

Emma Jewel at Yes I'm on my Way

Gina at Namaste By Day

Shelley at Steady as she Goes

2 Awards! No Way!

Gina over at Namaste By Day gave me another award! Gina is a friend of my very best girlfriend and I would definitely call her a kindred spirit. Her blog is super fun to read and she never fails to pass on a good award. I am honored to know that she would pass out such a nice and friendly award to me. Thanks Gina! I am going to pass this award to my real life sister, Emma Jewel. My next award was given to me by my very best friend Laura (the one through whom I met Gina) over at Wringing out my Sponge. I have to admit that I am quite embarrassed about this award. I don't think of myself as sexy and can't really think of 5 sexy things about me because quite honestly it makes me a little uncomfortable. It's not about my body, I feel great in my own skin. Better than I ever have believe it or not. Maybe it's the breastfeeding. Maybe it's an insecurity. Maybe I am shy and don't want to express myself that way. Maybe I want people to find my mind and my heart sexy and not think about my body. There, I found 2 things I think are sexy! My heart and my mind. I am a deeply caring, sensitive, devoted person to both my husband romantically and my friends loyally. I am also intelligent. I like a good debate, but I also really enjoy being right. I enjoy even more questioning my own ideas of right after a good healthy disagreement. Now that is sexy. My boobs are great too, although now I feel like they are reserved for my sexiest super power, making food for my offspring. Damn, that is sexy!

Baby Boy Z is 6 Months Old!

6 Months Old Already!

Each month goes by so fast

Hi Everyone! 6 Months absolutely flew by! Not such a big fan of bananas... Mmm, tasty toes!

I love this puckered face when he is really concentrating.

BBZ and Daddy love this carrier!

Outside of the Butterfly House

He's got his ticket and he's ready to go!

My sweet boys.

He is so interested in everything around him.

He couldn't quite reach this little butterfly, but Daddy helped him out.

If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is...

Ok, so I tried my luck at the second-hand diapers I bought and have decided to give up hope that these will work for us. I tried them out 2 weekends ago and he leaked out of every single one I put on his bottom. First I thought it was the fit, so I adjusted them. Then I drove to the diaper store in south county and explained what was going on with them. She suggested I strip them, which is a deep cleaning method used when diapers have been exposed to harsh detergents or diaper cream. She said if it is really bad I can use a toothbrush with the stripping liquid and hand-scrub each diaper to get the cream off. She said that it is fixable. So I took them home and stripped them, sure it would work. I tried each evening of the following week and he still leaked. So last weekend I drove back to the diaper store because I was convinced that he is a heavy wetter and bought some additional inserts that will certainly catch all of his pee. That didn't work either. Luckily I didn't pre-wash all of them so I can take them back if I don't end up using them. So again this week I tried them and still pee everywhere. I was about to give up when I remembered the ladies suggestion about the toothbrush. I took the diaper over to the sink and got it ready. I ran water from the sink directly into the diaper and it literally pooled up and did not penetrate the diaper at all. It is as though the part of the diaper that is supposed to soak in the pee is waterproof! No wonder they won;t absorb his pee. So I mixed the concoction and scrubbed just the blue ones with the toothbrush to see if it would work. That was yesterday. Today I held the diaper under the faucet and it still repelled water. That's it...I am done! I know this is supposed to be easier, and I have learned that this is something that is worth the investment because of my dedication to the environment and to using these with BBZ and our next baby. So I listed them on eBay. Now I hope to at least get what I paid for them so I can invest my money into new ones that come with warranties, but I also do not want to fool someone else into thinking these are ok. I listed them with the honest description that makes them sound less-than perfect. I hope to make my money back and to keep karma on my side. I also emailed the lady I bought them from and she said some of them were new to her and some were used, but all of them stopped working for her daughter because she got big and had too much pee so they leaked. I think that's BS, but at least she emailed me back. I really can't blame her, there is a certain about of risk you take by purchasing used. I just hope I can make enough money back to invest in some brand new diapers for my little man. Oh, what a saga. I so wanted these to work! I am sure I will find some that do, even if I end up spending more money. I still think it's worth it to use cloth.

7 Things I love...

So my very best real-life friend, Laura, gave me a blogger award that tells me what I should blog about! I love this stuff because it helps me decide what to write when I may not have anything to write about. Although right now, I have lots to talk about, just very little time to actually sit down and do it! For this post anyway I am to list 7 things I love and then pass on the award to 7 other bloggers that I love. I'm not going to pass it on though since it has hit all of my followers. Here we go, in no particular order...

1. I LOVE being a mom. I love that this little person grew inside my body like something in a movie. I love that he looks like my husband, I love that he looks at me and gets so excited that he makes a little high-pitched squeal of happiness. I love that EVERYONE always says how happy he is, and I love that I love him so much. It has taught me more about myself than I can say. He makes me a stronger person everyday and I know I will just keep learning from him. I also love the look on his face when he sees something new or something that excites him. The look on his face when he sees something for the first time is priceless.

2. I LOVE breastfeeding. It might actually become a problem. I will likely be that person who you think has a baby that is too old to breastfeed. Get over it, I will do what I think is right for my child, even if it means breastfeeding until he is 2. Although I am sad to say that I think my little Mr. Independent will be way over it by then.

3. I LOVE my job. I really believe that your job finds you. Mine certainly did. I was working with a woman last week and quite honestly had slacked off on some resources I was suppossed to research for her. I am currently doing most of my boss's job while she is on maternity leave and my job and the job of someone we recently had to let go suddenly, so saying I am overdone at work is an understatement. This woman emailed me and I felt so bad for her having to ask me twice to get these things for her. I emailed back with lots of apologies and details of how I thought she should move forward with the info. This was her email back to me:

"Thank-you so much for the information. I not only appreciate the referrals and services you have helped obtain but also the obvious care you take in responding to your clients needs.Your approach allows me to feel more of a participant then a recipient.That may seem just semantics but the result is an empowerment that contributes to a boost in self esteem and optimism that benefits anyone living with a disabling condition."

How cool is that? What she is talking about is exactly my job. It's not to do things for a person, but to give them the tools to learn how to do this on their own. I am so thrilled that she got that out of my work with her. And I'm glad she took the time to tell me about it.

4. I LOVE getting mail. My dad still sends me little cards or letters with hand-written notes inside. I love that. Going out to get the mail is so exciting! What will come today? Did anyone send a note, or is it just bills? We even have NetFlix now, so I get super excited when I see a red envelop in the box and get to open it and see what it is!

5. I LOVE my neighborhood. University City is one of the most diverse and exciting places in the St. Louis area. The Delmar Loop, located around the block from us, was recently named one of the 10 best streets in America. I love that people smile and say hello when we are on our walks, and that our neighbor, who I had never met, offered to lend me something I really needed, just to be kind! I love that BBZ will attend the same elementary school that my grandfather did and that the church where my grandparents met is right nearby.

6. I LOVE being outside. I think that is why I love camping, I have no choice but to spend the whole day outside when we are camping. N and BBZ and I take walks almost every day around our neighborhood. We also just went to Forest Park and enjoyed a wonderful stroll. I love the quietness of sitting under a tree and staring up at the leaves blowing in the wind, and wondering what the world was like 5000 years ago when trees and sky was almost all that was around.

7. I LOVE having pets. When I go to a person's house who doesn't have a pet a feel a bit sorry for them. I have always had a pet and think it is one of the best things to have in your life. My pets mean about as much to me as my friends. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. Those pets are there with their love and bright eyes even when I first get home and don't want to be bothered by them. They will sit and wait and as soon as I let them know I need them, they are there. Unconditionally. That is love.

Boy's Day Out

N took the day off today and decided to spend the afternoon with BBZ. I dropped him off at the regular time this morning and N picked him up around 11:30am. A lady N works with had a baby shower at his work so N and BBZ headed up there so N could show him off. They had a really great time! BBZ is VERY difficult to get to nap, even for me, so that was a little tough this afternoon, but otherwise they had a great time!

My boys are so sweet! Look at the beautiful flowers they bought for me! I know you can't read the card but it says...

"To: Mommy

From: BBZ (& N)

Yeah It's Friday!!!

We Love You!"

I just love my sweet little family!

Different Cloth Diapers...I am taking the plunge!

Okay, so I am updating from last night because I have found different cloth diapers that I am totally investing in. I know I asked grandparents to buy the gdiapers if they wanted to, but I found a huge deal on Craig's List and I can't resist. These are actually the very first ones I found online when I was pregnant and contemplating cloth vs. disposable. I like the gdiapers I bought and will still use them, especially when we want to use the disposable inserts, but the ones I am buying (called BumGenius) will be enough for at home and at daycare. The ladies at daycare are so supportive of me cloth diapering too! There are lots of families that do, so we shouldn't have any trouble. Wish us luck!

Artwork, Cloth Diapers and Avocados

Wow did we have a full weekend! I picked up BBZ from daycare on Friday and they had been busy! The first picture is of him using his hands, and the second is of him using his feet. Bath time was a necessity on Saturday morning to get the blue print off of his toes! I know the pictures have his real name. Oh well. I'm over it. Look how cute they are! This is one of the very many things we absolutely love about his daycare. I must admit though, I didn't plan to have to have a scrapbook for him already! Actually, I have heard that people take pictures, probably better ones than these, of their child's artwork than make one of those picture books from Kodak gallery or Snapfish. I'm not ready do let go of these yet...I'm going to keep them for at least a little while!

OK, so second on my list this weekend is that I decided to start using cloth diapers with BBZ. These are the ones I bought, which was a trial pack. They are gdiapers and actually have a disposable liner that you can either flush or use as garden compost. If you do decide to throw them out, they stay in the landfills for only 60-100 days compared to the others that stay indefinitely. What I like about these is you can use a cloth insert or the disposable kind, so if we are going out or to grandma's or to any place where I don't want to worry about cloth, I can easily substitute the insert. I am super excited about this purchase! If you grandparents are looking to get BBZ something new and special anytime soon, the website is http://www.gdiapers.com/ and the best way to buy them is by purchasing the starter kits which come with the diapers and all the accessories. I have one pack (2 diapers) and need a total of 8 diapers to be able to use them at home and at daycare. I'm keeping my eye on eBay and Craig's list too, but it seems they sell for about the same used as brand new, so I guess that's good news for when I re-sell them down the road!

** I just found a website where they have a starter kit, plus an extra pant for $35! That's actually pretty reasonable. Click here to check it out. I might wait and see how I like these before making the investment, but I am pretty confident that I will!

I am really excited about this endeavor. I debated using cloth diapers throughout my pregnancy and finally feel like I can take this on. I am really excited!

And on to our last weekend adventure! Last week we tried bananas and he didn't think too much of them. I think I described him as making the lemon face. Well, I'm not a big fan of avocados, but this little man sure is! He ate just a couple of bites on Friday, but tonight he ate almost 2 ounces! He really likes them a lot! I'm not sure I am ready for him to be on solid food, but he sure is. He's growing up way too fast! Nate got some good ones of his little mouth full of green stuff!

Too Cute!

WE GOT OUR MONEY BACK!!!!!!

$740.00 is back in our pocket. Thank you Better Business Bureau!

Children make you want to start life over. ~Muhammad Ali

So a while back I was dropping off BBZ at his daycare and one of the little girls, who is probably just a little over a year, was also getting dropped off. Her parents were both there and we introduced ourselves. I introduced BBZ and they were happy to finally meet him because apparently their little girl was saying his name over and over all weekend and they finally figured out what she was saying! Whenever I pick him up she is always right next to us saying hi or bye to her new friend. So yesterday I picked him up and he was in a bouncy chair on the floor playing, and I walked toward him. The same little girl was playing on the loft of the indoor playground and saw me come in. She literally ran down the ramp, around all of the toys in her way, and right over to BBZ and started saying his name and calling me his mommy. I cannot explain the excitement she shows when BBZ and I are in the room. It is the cutest thing! So today I was talking with a friend from work and told him this story. He said the most interesting thing...that he bets they have met before. He thinks, and I think I agree, that kids can remember what life was like before life started. There seems to be so much wisdom in children, then as we grow old we lose the ability to do and know things we did when we were young. This really got me thinking. You know that movie Benjamin Button? Maybe our souls start old and get younger. Another woman who was there as we were talking said that when her daughter was 3 or 4, she told her mom that God had she and her best friend up on a shelf next to each other and he took her friend down off the shelf and gave her to her parents, then God took her off of the same shelf and gave her to her mom and dad. She then said that she and her friend found each other once they grew up a little. Maybe we are our wisest as babies and can see things at that time of our lives that we learn to dismiss as we grow. All I know is that BBZ will certainly miss this little girl when she moves up to the next room. Maybe they will find each other again! So I was looking for a picture to add to this blog just for fun and this is the one I found. Maybe I should re-think this wisdom thing...am I missing something wise about eating my feet?