Problems with some Baby Products

Recently, we have had some problems with some of the baby products for Owen. First we discovered a hole in our pack 'n play. The pack 'n play is very gently used and the hole is definitely not one that could be created by a baby. It is about four inches in length and along the seem where the side mesh meets the solid fabric of the base. So...Mom wrote to Graco and told them the issue. Graco responded by sending us a FedEx prepaid label so we could ship the item back to Graco at their expense. They will replace the product upon receipt.

Then, a station on Owen's "Around We Go Activity Center" had never really worked correctly. It was what Mom had named the "squishy fishy" station. Basically, it consisted of some fish inside a water filled cavity. There were two shells on either side of the cavity that when pressed would squeak and were supposed to put air into the cavity and make the fish move. The shells were very hard to make squeak and the air did not move the fish around. So...Mom wrote to Bright Starts and told them the issue. They wrote back and said that the center we got had been replaced, but the activity modules were interchangeable. So, they sent us a replacement module. Now Owen has something new to discover (the frog hopper module).

And finally, we bought a new set of Playtex Ventaires 9oz bottles at the beginning of March. This was our third set of bottles and all had been washed the same way (by hand in hot soapy water). After two weeks of using the new bottles, the stamped graduated indications on the side of the bottles was disappearing. This made it quite difficult to fill the bottles to the proper level. So....Mom phoned Playtex and after answering a bunch of questions and confirming the manufacture date of the bottles (also stamped on the bottle) the company admitted that there was an ink problem a couple of years ago and they we just happened to get one of the sets that used the bad ink. Playtex offered to send a coupon for $15.99 that would allow us to replace the set.

All of these issues have been relatively minor, but all of the companies involved have been very understanding and accommodating. It is reassuring to know that Playtex, Graco and Bright Starts (all big manufacturers of baby products) stand behind their products and support their customers.

More foods

This past weekend, I made up nine different foods for Owen. Some repeats (apple, peaches, mango, sweet potato and carrot), but also added some new foods (kiwi, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant). He has tried the cauliflower, and I will introduce the others as the week goes on.

We have also started to introduce puffs. Owen wasn't sure at first (pulled a funny face any time one was put in his mouth). But now he gets excited when the puffs are placed on his high chair tray. He is proud of them too...he picks one up in his hand, raises it in the air and says "ahhhhhahhhh!!!!". Then he finds his mouth, puts the puff in, pulls a face and starts 'chewing'. He is so funny to watch! Very entertaining!

Gobble Gobble

Owen had turkey for the first time last night for dinner. I pureed some cooked ground turkey. It looked like soft dog food and he was late for Thanksgiving dinner...but I didn't tell Owen that. He didn't know any different and he LOVED it.

Grinding Two Teeth??

On Friday evening, Mom heard new noises coming from Owen's mouth. They were not nice noises...they actually made Mom feel the same way as when she hears finger nails on a chalk board. YUCK! Mom figured out that Owen was grinding the two teeth he has in his mouth! Seriously!??!?! WOW....Who knew!?!?! We looked it up online (what did parents do without the internet?) and as usual....it is normal for kids to grind their teeth. It is called Bruxism and is more common for toddlers to have (i.e. when more teeth are present). But for Owen, he is simply getting used to having teeth in his mouth.

Owen and Nash

Owen definitely has a friend....a furry friend. Nash is still curious of Owen, especially when he is at his level (on the floor, in a play station, etc.).
Here is a picture we took of Owen "standing" next to Nash.



Thankfully, Owen is not afraid of Nash and enjoys to pet him or grab his tail if Nash gets too close.

Cloth Diapering

Cloth Diapering has been SO much easier than I ever imagined it would be. Of course it helps that we have a set of beautifully sewn diapers by Bear Tooshies (owned and operated by Gram (Sue) Lloyd).

Changing Owen's diaper has gotten much easier too. Now that he is eating solid foods, we hardly ever have to use the diaper sprayer, as his poops are solid as well and just roll right off the beautiful suedecloth (inner fabric of the diaper). We have added a second liner to his daytime diapers and a third to his nighttime diaper. This has resulted in fewer compression leaks (mainly happened when he was playing in one of his play stations.

We have a little routine set up at our house that simplifies the washing process. It includes using the typical wet bag to store dirty diapers for no more than 2 days. Every other day, the load of diapers is washed, sorted and folded. The sorting and folding happens after Owen has gone to bed, while we have our feet up on the ottoman and catching up on a DVR'd TV program. Before we know it, all of Owen's diapers are cleaned and ready for another use.

It is so nice not having to pick up diapers every week at the store, or trying to find room to store all the disposables. It is also nice not having to use much diaper cream, since Owen has yet to get diaper rash. Yippee for cloth diapers!!!

If any mommies or daddies reading this are interested in cloth diapering and want more information, please let me know. The diaper factory is still up and running (read: Sue Lloyd is making and selling diapers). We know they work! Here is Owen modeling one of his red and navy diapers:

No more swaddle!

Ten days ago, we went stopped swaddling Owen...cold turkey! I (Mom) was REALLY nervous. But, a nice cool glass of white wine helped after I put Owen down in his crib for the first time without being wrapped up in his Miracle Blanket. Owen cried for fifteen minutes the first night we did not wrap him. The second day (a Saturday) he napped without being swaddled too. He did not sleep that well, but enough to get him through the day. The second night he only cried for five minutes before falling asleep unwrapped. And the third night, he didn't fuss at all! Since then, Owen has put himself to sleep each night and typically in a different position. We think he is trying them all out, since until now he has been forced to sleep on his back with his hands by his sides!

Yogurt

Gram was so excited for Owen to be able to try yogurt. She stated that Mom LOVED yogurt when she was little (and for the record still does). So....for Mom's birthday, Gram and Pappy bought a yogurt maker. Who knew that making yogurt was even possible...but it turns out....it is quite easy! And it is great because pureed fruits can be mixed into the yogurt to make it naturally sweet and tasty for Owen.

We are the proud owners of the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker:


Our first batch was perfect. Without adding any sugar or sweetner, Owen does shudder with the first bite. But after he gets a taste of it, he wants more and more!!! Owen has had banana yogurt, mango yogurt, blueberry yogurt and peach yogurt. Good stuff!!!!

Eight Months old!

This past Sunday, Owen turned Eight Months old!!!
Here is his monthly picture

Grow with me!

Here is a collage of Owen's monthly pictures (starting with his two month picture on the left and ending with his seventh month picture on the right).
(You can click on the photo to enlarge it)
Look how much he has grown!
I think what is most impressive to me is how his neck has grown!!! :)

Nonnie and Pop visit

Last weekend, we were blessed to have Nonnie and Pop visit for a few days. We all thoroughly enjoyed their visit as well.

Nonnie and Mommy took Owen to get his picture taken in Owen's new sailing outfit. Here are some screen shots of the pictures that were taken.




Pop and Daddy worked on the Big Green Egg table and made some great progress! It won't be long now before Daddy has a great workspace on the deck to smoke/grill dinners for the family!

Nonnie and Pop really enjoyed their visit with Owen and commented how happy the little man always is. They also maintain that "Owen looks like Owen" when they were asked who Owen looks like. He is a happy, cute guy!

We are already looking forward to our next visit with Nonnie and Pop. In three weeks time, they will be back so that we can all go to Tennessee for Aunt Ople's 98th birthday!

Gram and Pappy Visit

Gram and Pappy visited two weekends ago and we loved every minute that they were here. They thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Owen and thought he was pretty special.

As usual, it was a productive weekend. Gram and Mommy made a bunch of baby food for Owen. Enough to get us through Stage 1 foods. Pretty soon we'll be able to start Stage 2 foods.

NOTE:
Stage 1 = single ingredient foods, like rice cereal, and pureed fruits and vegetables.
Stage 2 = single ingredient and combination foods that are strained, instead or being pureed.

Gram also filled our freezer again with meatballs, meatloafs, chicken pot pies and mashed potatoes. Such a big help for our busy weeknights!!!
Pappy enjoyed a few games of golf at local courses, but also loved playing with Owen and singing (read: humming) the songs he used to sing to Owen when he was just a few days old. We need to get Pappy some print outs of the words to the songs he likes to sing, as he ends up humming most of them. :)

We're already looking forward to Gram and Pappy's next visit.

Moving towards a mouth full of teeth...

Owen's bottom right "central incisor" is definitely present! But...the bigger news is that two more teeth are showing up. Oddly enough...they are his top "lateral incisors". The only reason I know the name is because I googled "baby teeth names". See the diagram below.
The reason this is odd is because typically the bottom middle teeth come in and then the top middle teeth. I keep telling Owen that he didn't read the book that indicates the order that teeth arrive. :) He certainly is going to look funny with his top front 'fangs' in place without his two front teeth!

Shame on me...

Shame on Mommy for not blogging in almost a month! Lots has gone on....so I will be posting a few blog entries tonight (hopefully).