August 26, 2008

Bass Lake Park


We enjoyed an afternoon at Bass Lake Park this weekend and took some really good pictures! We had planned to sit out on a blanket and feed the geese, but it was still a little too warm. So, instead, we hung out on the clubhouse porch overlooking the lake. Riley was so good! She watched the light reflecting off the water and enjoyed the cuddling with Dad. It was a super awesome day.

We also managed to get some shots of Riley enjoying a taste of bananas!

August 22, 2008

Quick Update

We seem to be over our collective colds these days. The funk was passed from Riley to Mom and then to Dad, but everyone seems to have recovered quickly.

We've taken on cloth diapers full time and officially "switched" last week. It really is a lot easier than imagined. Aside from the extra loads of laundry its no different than using the disposables. Even Dad's caught on!

Developmentally, Peanut is working on her hand control. She's starting to bring things towards her mouth and grip items with both hands. She's holding her head up better each day and can sit up with assistance. Every day she finds new sounds to make and tests them out. Recently, it's been a very high pitch squeal that varies in volume.

We tried our first solid food on Wednesday - bananas. The spoon is a new feeling and she doesn't care for it being too cold. Oh the faces she makes! It's still early and she mostly pushes the food around in her mouth. But, today she managed to swallow most of it and even started opening her mouth when the spoon came near. I don't think we're too far off.

August 15, 2008

Sniffles

Peanut's been coughing some in the mornings and we thought it was just a case of dry throat from the fan we have running in her room. Unfortunately, such is not the case. We are officially battling our very first cold. This morning, she woke up coughing and sniffling back a very runny nose. She had a slight fever (100.1) this morning and so received a dose of Tylenol.

Overall, she's handling it all very well. She's tired and a little uncomfortable, as can be expected, but in relatively good spirits. This evening her temperature was up a little bit again (100.5), so we'll see how she's doing tomorrow.

August 12, 2008

Pictures

Grandma & Grandpa Cotton sent some pictures they had of Riley and 3 generations of Aunts. Here they are to share:


Great-great-aunt Nellie



Great aunt Jane



Aunt Ashley

August 11, 2008

We had dinner with the families from our Labor & Delivery class. It was so much fun seeing all of the babies and reminiscing with everyone! We determined that Riley was the oldest of the group and Alexis is the youngest.

From Left to Right: Matthew, Riley, Austin, Bryson, Alexis

August 7, 2008

Going Green!

Today, we are wearing our very first cloth diaper! After some soul searching and the realization that disposable diapers are far more expensive, we've decided to give cloth a try. Not only are they cheaper in the long run ($400 vs. $2400 over 2 years time), but they are so much better for the environment.

And, just as easy to use!

There are so many options out there not only in brands of diapers but also in styles (AIOs, fitteds, prefolds, pockets, AI2s, fleece, wool, microfiber, microterry, hemp, cotton - the list goes on), colors and patterns. We've chosen our first six diapers as a trial run. Three BumGenius 3.0 diapers and three Happy Heineys. If they work out and everyone can use them without trouble, we'll hopefully be ordering more soon!

It's sad how excited I can get about diapers these days.

Elusive

We finally caught that beautiful smile on camera! See:





August 2, 2008

College Bound

In a few years, at least. Until then, we've gone ahead and set up a 529c account for our little peanut. That means lots of saving and scrimping so we can send our little girl to the college of her choice. (Who are we kidding? We know there's really only one choice out there for her. Go Hokies!)

But seriously, looking at what college is going to cost us twenty years from now... It's mind boggling. A staggering estimated amount of $200k put me in sticker shock. Let's hope there's a good return on this investment.

So, anyone who would like to contribute to Peanut's college fund is more than welcome. We accept checks, money orders, cash and Paypal! ;)