And a little bit of dad making an audible fool out of himself.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Great Things
First off, congrats to us for suggesting it and congrats to all the grand kids for creating the reason to accomplish this task. What is it? The Johnston's have become technologically advanced - they have a Flickr account! Since our family is now spread internationally and there are two new grand kids, we must share pictures and what is the easiest way but through the internet.
OK, anyways, Mother's Day was great and I completely forgot that I was going to be a mother on Mother's Day until Brian asked me a few days before what I wanted for Mother's Day. I got what I wanted: time with my hubby :) We did some things around the house and then after church we ordered some Chinese and just relaxed. I got a nice massage out of the whole deal too :)
Sorry, but even more exciting than Mother's Day was last Saturday when we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary. Our wonderful friend Helen watched Alex for 5 hours! Yes, that's right, five hours. If you don't already know, Brian and I love back rubs, we used to trade tham almost every other day when we lived in DC. So I booked us in for 1 1/2 hour face and body massages and then headed to dinner later in the evening. We went to Brian's favorite place, Good Life Modern Organic Pizza and then we picked up the little man. He did very well and was sleeping when we got there. Then he slept the whole night - while I on the other hand was up for about an hour because my stomach was kicking me for eating so much pizza! How ironic. I am awake and the kid is asleep.
People always say they feel horrible the first time they leave their kid with a sitter but Brian and I did not. I don't know if that means anything, but it was nice that we actually relaxed instead of fretting over what he was doing. Perhaps that was due to our trust in Helen and her amazing babysitting skills.
OK, anyways, Mother's Day was great and I completely forgot that I was going to be a mother on Mother's Day until Brian asked me a few days before what I wanted for Mother's Day. I got what I wanted: time with my hubby :) We did some things around the house and then after church we ordered some Chinese and just relaxed. I got a nice massage out of the whole deal too :)
Sorry, but even more exciting than Mother's Day was last Saturday when we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary. Our wonderful friend Helen watched Alex for 5 hours! Yes, that's right, five hours. If you don't already know, Brian and I love back rubs, we used to trade tham almost every other day when we lived in DC. So I booked us in for 1 1/2 hour face and body massages and then headed to dinner later in the evening. We went to Brian's favorite place, Good Life Modern Organic Pizza and then we picked up the little man. He did very well and was sleeping when we got there. Then he slept the whole night - while I on the other hand was up for about an hour because my stomach was kicking me for eating so much pizza! How ironic. I am awake and the kid is asleep.
People always say they feel horrible the first time they leave their kid with a sitter but Brian and I did not. I don't know if that means anything, but it was nice that we actually relaxed instead of fretting over what he was doing. Perhaps that was due to our trust in Helen and her amazing babysitting skills.
Rain Rain Rain
It rains almost every day now. Very good for the earth in these parts, not so good for Sarah and little Alex getting out of the house. Here's Alex last night, trying vainly to get some milk out of my finger. It's a futile attempt, little man.
And here he is ignoring me. : (
And here he is ignoring me. : (Thursday, May 17, 2007
Scary Spiders
We had a redback spider outside our back door a couple days ago. Redbacks are the Aussie equivalent of black widows.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Last Saturday
Our friend Hoi from church is moving to Alice Springs to work as a counselor with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. He's been a great friend and we'll definitely miss him.
We had a nice afternoon at his farewell picnic in the Botanic Park.
As usual, more photos can be seen here.
We had a nice afternoon at his farewell picnic in the Botanic Park.
As usual, more photos can be seen here.
A Couple More Videos for Y'all
Warning: These videos may put you to sleep if you are not related to the child contained therein, or if you have seen him in person at any date prior to this release.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Mother's Day Too
Here is Sarah on Mother's Day:
Here are the bunks that the Junior Sailors aboard the DDG 51 Class Flight IIA ships sleep in. Pretty tight, but the guy giving me the tour said they were heaps better than the racks on submarines!
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
Here are the bunks that the Junior Sailors aboard the DDG 51 Class Flight IIA ships sleep in. Pretty tight, but the guy giving me the tour said they were heaps better than the racks on submarines!This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
If you're not a mom you probably don't want to read this.
For those of you curious mothers (Lora Lynn) I will put a little more diaper/nappy information up. I'll include links. I have a mixture of nappies that I researched, talked to some experienced moms and then bought. Now as my wise friend Bridget said "they all work" it's just what works best for your baby and what you like. FuzziBunz have been around a long time and are rated the best pocket nappies but are pretty expensive in Australia so I didn't get them.
Websites: I only ordered from Australian websites due to shipping costs.
Diaper Pin - http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp great general resource for reviews & info from other moms
Square Diaper Folds: http://www.nappychoice.com.au/Cloth_nappy_retailers.asp
Resource for making your own prefolds & other things:
The Frugal Baby Pattern
Mama x two
USA websites:
Pocket Change - http://mtdiaperstore.com also my friend Bridget said she ordered from here when she was in the States and likes working with them
Swaddlebee - http://www.wildflowerdiapers.com
BumGenius - http://www.cottonbabies.com the only place the fleece lined version is sold
Australian websites:
Pocket Change - http://www.darlingsdownunder.com.au
Swaddlebee & BumGenius - http://www.theweewuns.com.au/
Nature's Cradle - http://www.naturescradle.com.au the only store with cloth nappies in store & are very friendly & have lots of carriers to try out.
General opinions/experiences: pocket nappies are quick and easy for everyone but expensive. I would rather have gotten prefolds w/ rubbers pants for around the house and pocket nappies for overnight & outings. Oh well, next time I will make my own prefolds.
Fleece lining is the best for pocket nappies, especially for the baby prone to diaper rash (like Alex)! Great thing is if you have cotton nappies/prefolds you can buy a yard/meter of fleece, cut it into strips and put between baby and nappy. No need to hem the fleece cause it doesn't fray. Just make sure the fleece isn't as wide as the diaper and a bit shorter, otherwise it will wick all the moisture/wee out of the diaper.
Hemp inserts are more absorbent and have come down in price. Microterry inserts dry faster than hemp, but have to be pretty thick to be as absorbent. Pocket change has a 4 layer microterry booster that is really absorbent, so if you get something similar to that you're good to go.
Rubber pants have improved - no need for safety pins. You can buy rubber pants that have velcro now so you just put the prefold into the pants and velcro the pants around the baby like a disposable. You can also get clips/pilchers to replace the safety pin method if you buy rubber pants that you just pull on over the diaper.
What I bought: 3 diff types of pocket nappies. BumGenius, SwaddleBee and Pocket Change.
#1 Pocket Change - they are awesome. Yes they have snaps but you snap to the front so they are much easier that Swaddlebees. They are super soft inside and never leak and are slim fitting with 1 insert. Great absorbers, although pretty bulky when you put both inserts in (Alex only needs it at night). The hemp insert is so absorbent that he will go through the night without needing a nappy change! Plus they run big so you most likely will never need to buy more than two sizes (sm & med). And you don't have to pull the insert out because they agitate out in the wash!
Downfall: Can't think of one. :)
#2 Swaddlebee pocket nappies - I like them a lot though but kind of annoying because the part you 'snap to' is at the back, so it's difficult when they're wiggling. The applix/velcro version are much easier. Not bulky at all - so great for when you are going out and you don't want your kid with his bum the size of his head. :)
Downfall: with boys they may wee out of the swaddlebees if they do a big one all at once cause they are narrower in the crotch.
#3 BumGenius 2.0 - these are meant to last from birth to potty training. They are great for around the house but pretty bulky when they are little babies. They snap up the front to create the different size leg openings and then have velcro for closing. Alex is on the middle snaps cause his legs are so chubby and they aren't quite so bulky on him anymore. The insert that comes with is ok, not super absorbent for boys so I usually change him quite often with these. I like the fact that they are wide at the crotch = less chance of leaking.
Downfall: bulky at the beginning. Also, only one store sells them with the fleece liner and they don't really let on about that. I bought them thinking they had fleece, but are really some suede mixture that doesn't wick away moisture as well.
Old school version: Much cheaper and I think the life on these are longer since you don't have to wash the pants every time you change a nappy (the 'pants' in essence are on every pocket nappy).
Prefolds/tri-folds are best cause you don't have to fold them up beforehand and they are much thinner.
Just a week or so ago I bought some flat square nappies at Target (the one's they call 'fleecy') and some rubber pants with velcro. I love it for around the house but because they are square nappies I have to fold them and they are pretty bulky unless you iron them every time. Plus you have to complete unfold them when you throw them in the wash.
Websites: I only ordered from Australian websites due to shipping costs.
Diaper Pin - http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp great general resource for reviews & info from other moms
Square Diaper Folds: http://www.nappychoice.com.au/Cloth_nappy_retailers.asp
Resource for making your own prefolds & other things:
The Frugal Baby Pattern
Mama x two
USA websites:
Pocket Change - http://mtdiaperstore.com also my friend Bridget said she ordered from here when she was in the States and likes working with them
Swaddlebee - http://www.wildflowerdiapers.com
BumGenius - http://www.cottonbabies.com the only place the fleece lined version is sold
Australian websites:
Pocket Change - http://www.darlingsdownunder.com.au
Swaddlebee & BumGenius - http://www.theweewuns.com.au/
Nature's Cradle - http://www.naturescradle.com.au the only store with cloth nappies in store & are very friendly & have lots of carriers to try out.
General opinions/experiences: pocket nappies are quick and easy for everyone but expensive. I would rather have gotten prefolds w/ rubbers pants for around the house and pocket nappies for overnight & outings. Oh well, next time I will make my own prefolds.
Fleece lining is the best for pocket nappies, especially for the baby prone to diaper rash (like Alex)! Great thing is if you have cotton nappies/prefolds you can buy a yard/meter of fleece, cut it into strips and put between baby and nappy. No need to hem the fleece cause it doesn't fray. Just make sure the fleece isn't as wide as the diaper and a bit shorter, otherwise it will wick all the moisture/wee out of the diaper.
Hemp inserts are more absorbent and have come down in price. Microterry inserts dry faster than hemp, but have to be pretty thick to be as absorbent. Pocket change has a 4 layer microterry booster that is really absorbent, so if you get something similar to that you're good to go.
Rubber pants have improved - no need for safety pins. You can buy rubber pants that have velcro now so you just put the prefold into the pants and velcro the pants around the baby like a disposable. You can also get clips/pilchers to replace the safety pin method if you buy rubber pants that you just pull on over the diaper.
What I bought: 3 diff types of pocket nappies. BumGenius, SwaddleBee and Pocket Change.
#1 Pocket Change - they are awesome. Yes they have snaps but you snap to the front so they are much easier that Swaddlebees. They are super soft inside and never leak and are slim fitting with 1 insert. Great absorbers, although pretty bulky when you put both inserts in (Alex only needs it at night). The hemp insert is so absorbent that he will go through the night without needing a nappy change! Plus they run big so you most likely will never need to buy more than two sizes (sm & med). And you don't have to pull the insert out because they agitate out in the wash!
Downfall: Can't think of one. :)
#2 Swaddlebee pocket nappies - I like them a lot though but kind of annoying because the part you 'snap to' is at the back, so it's difficult when they're wiggling. The applix/velcro version are much easier. Not bulky at all - so great for when you are going out and you don't want your kid with his bum the size of his head. :)
Downfall: with boys they may wee out of the swaddlebees if they do a big one all at once cause they are narrower in the crotch.
#3 BumGenius 2.0 - these are meant to last from birth to potty training. They are great for around the house but pretty bulky when they are little babies. They snap up the front to create the different size leg openings and then have velcro for closing. Alex is on the middle snaps cause his legs are so chubby and they aren't quite so bulky on him anymore. The insert that comes with is ok, not super absorbent for boys so I usually change him quite often with these. I like the fact that they are wide at the crotch = less chance of leaking.
Downfall: bulky at the beginning. Also, only one store sells them with the fleece liner and they don't really let on about that. I bought them thinking they had fleece, but are really some suede mixture that doesn't wick away moisture as well.
Old school version: Much cheaper and I think the life on these are longer since you don't have to wash the pants every time you change a nappy (the 'pants' in essence are on every pocket nappy).
Prefolds/tri-folds are best cause you don't have to fold them up beforehand and they are much thinner.
Just a week or so ago I bought some flat square nappies at Target (the one's they call 'fleecy') and some rubber pants with velcro. I love it for around the house but because they are square nappies I have to fold them and they are pretty bulky unless you iron them every time. Plus you have to complete unfold them when you throw them in the wash.
Mother's Day and USS Lassen Ship Tour
I'm extremely grateful that I have Sarah as my wife and as the mother of our child! She's pretty amazing. It has been a beautiful thing to see her take to motherhood like a gopher to the dirt. Or maybe more like a gazelle to the field.
I got to take a tour of the USS Lassen, a DDG 51 Class Flight IIA United Sates Navy destroyer that is here in Adelaide. The company I work for, Gibbs & Cox, designed these ships. There are more than 50 of them in the fleet now. Here's a sampling of the pictures I took, if you want to see more check out our Flickr page. I'll be putting some photos of the lovely mother on her special day up soon.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
I got to take a tour of the USS Lassen, a DDG 51 Class Flight IIA United Sates Navy destroyer that is here in Adelaide. The company I work for, Gibbs & Cox, designed these ships. There are more than 50 of them in the fleet now. Here's a sampling of the pictures I took, if you want to see more check out our Flickr page. I'll be putting some photos of the lovely mother on her special day up soon.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
This photo was removed due to my employer's request.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Taking Over...and giving in
They have taken over! Maybe it's just one, but it seems like a whole gang of spiders has taken over the back yard. I was hoping to enjoy the nice weather after a couple days of it being cold & wet, but when I looked out the back door all I could see was spider webs glimmering in the sun. I walked through a lot as I tried to hang up the clothes on the line. I wiped away what I could see on the line but when I returned to hang up the next load there were new webs everywhere!! I was yearning to swing in the hammock with Alex but didn't dare for fear of poisonous spider attack (I'm sure it was harmless spiders but I hate feeling like I have spiderwebs all over me).
I'm learning to give in...I guess. Those of you who know me, know that I am somewhat of a neat freak. If I wasn't so cheap I would of course be an extreme organized neat freak, but I hate to spend money and it takes me months before I can decide if something is worth it. I'm dangerous in an office supply store. Anyways, since having Alex I've realized that I have to let go. I cringe every time I walk into the kitchen and the bathroom. Trust me they aren't bad but I notice every speck of dirt, every hair, every smell (not as much as when I was pregnant!) and just want to grab a vacuum, sponge or mop and go to work. But then I remember the crazy week of cleaning I did and how I crashed emotionally at the end of it due to lack of sleep. It was no good.
I do keep up on the laundry though :) That's mainly due to that I have a limited number of clothes that I can wear, Alex changes his clothes several times a day and he's in cloth diapers (nappies for the Aussies). Oh yeah and after having researched cloth nappies for months and bought pocket nappies I have recently gone for the old school system as well. I mean old school (well ok not the safety pins), not prefolds but flat nappies that you fold up yourself and put in the rubber pants. They are great for around the house. I love it! And I can't believe I got them at Target!
Ok, yes my post may not be super exciting, but it is what my mind is filled with since I live from one feeding to the next.
I'm learning to give in...I guess. Those of you who know me, know that I am somewhat of a neat freak. If I wasn't so cheap I would of course be an extreme organized neat freak, but I hate to spend money and it takes me months before I can decide if something is worth it. I'm dangerous in an office supply store. Anyways, since having Alex I've realized that I have to let go. I cringe every time I walk into the kitchen and the bathroom. Trust me they aren't bad but I notice every speck of dirt, every hair, every smell (not as much as when I was pregnant!) and just want to grab a vacuum, sponge or mop and go to work. But then I remember the crazy week of cleaning I did and how I crashed emotionally at the end of it due to lack of sleep. It was no good.
I do keep up on the laundry though :) That's mainly due to that I have a limited number of clothes that I can wear, Alex changes his clothes several times a day and he's in cloth diapers (nappies for the Aussies). Oh yeah and after having researched cloth nappies for months and bought pocket nappies I have recently gone for the old school system as well. I mean old school (well ok not the safety pins), not prefolds but flat nappies that you fold up yourself and put in the rubber pants. They are great for around the house. I love it! And I can't believe I got them at Target!
Ok, yes my post may not be super exciting, but it is what my mind is filled with since I live from one feeding to the next.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
An Amazing Capture, Amongst Other Things
The cuteness continues. Alex is growing at a disturbingly fast rate. He is also developing very quickly. Not compared to the other babies we know, I'd say he's about average, just the general process seems to be going at light speed. Craziness.
We are coping as best we can, which seems to be pretty well. Sarah is very tired, I am a little weary, but Alex keeps on keeping us enamored.
We had a church conference in the hills on Saturday about love. It was very good: a lot to soak in even over a full day, so we'll be digesting it all over the next couple of weeks. Lex was pretty good, but neither of us got to hear everything, so we'll be getting "the tapes".
Here is the provider of all sustenance for our little guy, providing sustenance. Very discreetly. It's a beautiful sight, melts my heart every time.
Here is the amazing capture. I recently got a remote shutter release, and was trying it out the other night. Alex and I were having some photographic bonding time. I did not realize it until I loaded the pictures onto the computer, but one of the photos perfectly captured Alex in mid-puke.
If you would like to see more pictures of the past week or so just click here.
This morning was great! As I was waking up for the day Alex was too. After I took a quick shower and got my clothes on I got him up and changed his little diaper. We got to hang out for about a half hour before I had to go to work. He's very interested in the world around him now. He's starting to respond to our attempts to play with him; he smiles at us and wiggles around. I think he's even starting to laugh. Wonderful and amazing. Thank you Lord!
We are coping as best we can, which seems to be pretty well. Sarah is very tired, I am a little weary, but Alex keeps on keeping us enamored.
We had a church conference in the hills on Saturday about love. It was very good: a lot to soak in even over a full day, so we'll be digesting it all over the next couple of weeks. Lex was pretty good, but neither of us got to hear everything, so we'll be getting "the tapes".
Here is the provider of all sustenance for our little guy, providing sustenance. Very discreetly. It's a beautiful sight, melts my heart every time.
Here is the amazing capture. I recently got a remote shutter release, and was trying it out the other night. Alex and I were having some photographic bonding time. I did not realize it until I loaded the pictures onto the computer, but one of the photos perfectly captured Alex in mid-puke.
If you would like to see more pictures of the past week or so just click here.This morning was great! As I was waking up for the day Alex was too. After I took a quick shower and got my clothes on I got him up and changed his little diaper. We got to hang out for about a half hour before I had to go to work. He's very interested in the world around him now. He's starting to respond to our attempts to play with him; he smiles at us and wiggles around. I think he's even starting to laugh. Wonderful and amazing. Thank you Lord!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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