stylin shades.

thanks to great grandma ann for the *ultra cool* thomas the train sunglasses.

15 months.

so our little monkey turned 15 months old today. it seems like every time i turn around, hes learning something new.

heres the update:

-he looooooves to play outside. he can't get enough of the grass and the trees and leaves and the flowers. (hes so much like his daddy already.) and he never wants to go back inside. (insert lots of mad owen screams.)

-as soon as he gets in the backyard, he'll go running straight for the big tree, saying the word "tree" over and over again. (and he also thinks the posts on our fence are a tree.)

-you have to be very careful when saying the word "outside," because he knows exactly what it means. and if you are not ready to go right then, he won't hesitate to let you know how he feels about it.

-he absolutely loves the swing and the slide. i have never seen such big smiles. (we'll be hanging a swing from the tree in our backyard this week. then he'll be able to swing every single day.)

-he can climb all the way up the stairs. and would do it all day long if i would let him. he always looks so proud when he makes it to the top.

-if he hears the dishwasher open, he'll come running as fast as little feet will carry him. he loooooves to play *in* the dishwasher. 

-he has found the on and off buttons on the tv and dvd player. and it has become quite the entertainment for him. 

-every now and then, he'll grab his blanket and climb up onto his owen chair to take a little break. (hes getting to be such a big boy.) 

-if you ask him if he wants some yogurt, he'll happily run straight for the refrigerator. (that boy loves him some yogurt.)

-hes been getting a little rough with hudson lately...hes always trying to pull on his tail and his ears and his little doggie paws. its all in good fun, though. (i'm just not so sure hudson understands that.)

-hes still not a big fan of getting his diaper changed. and if he sees you coming with wipes or a diaper, he'll quickly take off in the opposite direction. and sometimes he'll even pretend he is too busy doing something. (which is tooooo funny.)

-he loves to play in the bathroom. and especially loves to try to flush the toilet. (uugh...gross.)

-if you ask him if he wants to take a bath, he'll drop whatever hes doing and make a mad dash to the tub.

-his new word that he loves to say is "dog." if he sees or hears a dog barking, he'll start saying the word over and over again. 

-and if you ask him what sound a doggie makes, he'll make his own little barking noise. 

bubbles.

happy monday.

cloth rocks :: links added

so i thought it was about time that i give a little update on the cloth diapering front, since we have been trying something a little different than what we had originally planned. instead of exclusively using the bumgenius pockets or gdiaper covers that i had previously mentioned, we have branched out and decided to use a number of different styles.

for our primary diaper, we have decided to go old school with a prefold and cover. basically our prefolds are a lot like the square pieces of cloth that our mothers or grandmothers may have used, only the newer versions are much thicker, fluffier, and more absorbent. we have chosen to go with three different materials, including unbleached indian cotton, bamboo velour/terry, and a hemp/cotton combo. basically, we just wrap the prefold around owen (there are several different methods/folds that you can use) and secure. instead of pins, we use a thing called a snappi. and instead of rubber pants, we use a cover made of wool or pul. surprisingly, wool is a fantastic choice for a year round cover, as it allows for maximum air circulation, and when lanolized, is waterproof and self cleaning. on the other hand, pul covers are great for use under clothes, as they can be very trim and easy to use.

our second choice are called fitted diapers. basically, these are a one piece diaper that is usually made of all natural materials, like bamboo, hemp, or organic cotton. they are shaped just like a disposable, and are just as easy to use. like a prefold, they are not completely waterproof, so a cover is usually needed. (wool or pul works.) we have found that when owen is running around at home, he can go coverless. but when he takes a nap, he needs a cover. 

and our third choice are called pockets. (like the bumgenius ones that i previously mentioned.) basically these look like a fitted, but they have a pocket in the back that you can stuff with inserts. the purpose of a pocket is that it allows you to customize the level of absorbency. owen only uses one insert during the day, but two for at night. these are waterproof, so a cover is not required. we really like to use the pockets when we're going out (cause they fit the best under clothes and require no cover) and for overnight (cause we can stuff them and make them really absorbent, and they have a stay dry inner layer.)

so there you have it...lots of confusing options. we haven't completely given up on the disposables yet. but hopefully we will be 100% cloth here pretty soon. admittedly, it is taking a little time to get used to owen's new fluffy bum. we definitely have to be more selective about the type of pants that we buy for him in the future, and we always have to size up. but overall, i think cloth diapering is definitely a better choice for us.

and now for a couple pics of owen sporting a very cute fitted diaper... (more pics to come.)



and if your interested, here is a link to a short cloth diapering article in time magazine.

lets celebrate earth day.

so ever since owen bugs was born, adam and i have been taking small steps to "green" our home and our lifestyle. in honor of earth day 2008, i have listed a few of the *very small* things that we, as a family, are doing to help our environment. i have also compiled a list of green sites that i have found to be very useful. HAPPY EARTH DAY.

so here are few of the *small* things that we have changed:

-we try to recycle and reuse whatever we can.

-we are in the process of switching from disposable to cloth diapers.

-we have switched to more natural, biodegradable cleaning products. (may even get brave enough to try some baking soda and vinegar concoctions.)

-we are attempting to go paper towel/napkin free. (micro-fiber towels for cleaning and cloth napkins for mealtime.) 

-we no longer use dryer sheets for the laundry, and we try to do most of our laundry in cold water. 

-when washing dishes, we use a washcloth rather than a disposable scrub pad.

-we don't use disposable dishes or utensils. and we NEVER use styrofoam.

-we receive and pay all bills online, and plan to get added to 'stop junk mail' list.

-we have checked to make sure that all of our food and drink plastics are #1, 2, 4 or 5. (the safest options.) and we try to avoid using plastic to warm foods in the microwave.

-we plan to order reusable organic cotton bags for shopping.

-we plan to swap out some of our standard light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs.

-we plan to get a water filtration system and reusable water bottles. (no more disposable plastic ones.)

-adam is going to make a small compost in our backyard and use it to fertilize our plants. instead of using the hose, he plans on using rain barrels to water our plants. and we're even going to try to landscape with more native plants.

-and ultimately, we are going to try to consume less.

obviously, there is A LOT more that we can do. we still consume way too much water, set our thermostat way too high, drive way too many miles, and buy and dispose of way too much stuff. we definitely have a lot of room for improvement, so please share with us any green tips that you may have. we would love to hear them.

and now, for some of my favorite green links:
www.lowimpactliving.com
www.thedailygreen.com
www.treehugger.com

www.greenerchoices.org

www.reusablebags.com

www.greendimes.com
www.catalogchoice.org

www.thestoryofstuff.com

parent/child green links:
www.zrecs.blogspot.com (*info on bpa.)
www.greenmomfinds.com
www.safemama.com
www.enviromom.com

and tonight, adam, owen, and i will be planting a little tree in our backyard to celebrate earth day.

election 2008.

so last saturday, i met up with julie, jen, nikki, and marissa, and we all headed to the washington township grade school to attend the hoosiers for hillary rally. after patiently waiting three hours in the cold and another two in a crowded gymnasium, we were finally able to listen to her speak.

heres a pic. (courtesy of jen.)

and on a different note, i want to send a great big thank you to grandpa scott for spending his entire weekend here. we really appreciate all of your help on the fence. and i want to send lots of warm hugs to great grandma elene. we are so happy to hear that you are back home and doing well. 

a day in the life of owen + adam + casandra

so recently, it seems like a lot of bloggers have been doing a day in the life post. i always enjoy reading them, so i thought it might be fun to join in. i actually wish i had done this sooner...seems like a fun thing to have recorded in our blog book. anyway, here is my version from yesterday. (so sorry if i bore you...really, there is nothing too exciting going on over here.)

5:45 am - adam wakes up and gets ready for work. i give him a sleepy kiss goodbye and tell him i love him and to be careful. (can't stand it if i don't tell him to be careful EVERY morning. ocd...i know.)

7 am - owen's up and talking and giggling to himself. we head downstairs for a sippy, then curl up on the couch to watch a backyardigans together. (while i try to wake up for the day. lol.) once thats over, owen plays in the kitchen while i get breakfast ready and some much needed laundry started.

8 am - for breakfast, owen has applesauce + a whole wheat waffle and i have a bowl of cereal. after we finish up, we pick out the toys for the day. and then play together until nap time.

9 am - we cuddle up on the couch to read his own book, and then it's upstairs for his nap. i spend some time on my lovely mac, check emails and blogs, shower, take hudson out, switch over the laundry, make a batch of wipes, and get the diaper bag packed.

11:15 am - owen wakes up as happy as can be. he plays in the kitchen while i get some dishes cleaned and his lunch ready.

11:30 am - for lunch, owen has beans, carrots, a slice of whole wheat bread, and some milk. i hold off for my lunch date with mom and koren. while owen chows down, i get the clothes folded.

11:45 am - owen gets cleaned up and dressed for the day. we play together for awhile and listen to owen's playlist on itunes.

12:45 pm - owen and i head out to pick up my mom for lunch. we meet up with koren and her 5 and half month old little girl, adylinne, at the south bend chocolate factory. (we have such a good time visiting and catching up.)

2:00 pm - after lunch, we all do a little downtown shopping together. we hit up the doggie store for some homemade treats for hudson. then check out lifestyles to see if they have any new ugly dolls.

3:00 pm - we head back home to get ready for owen's doctors appointment. my mom stops by to play with owen. i repack the diaper bag and then owen + i head out. happily, we get to talk to adam on his way home from work. (love that he finally has a cell phone.)

3:45 - 4:30 pm - owen and i hang out the doctors office. (fun fun fun.) we find out that he most likely has a food sensitivity and have to start all over with the fruits.

4:45 pm - we pick up adam and make a special trip to the beef mart to finish up our grocery shopping from sunday. (owen is getting a bit grouchy since he missed his afternoon nap, but still really happy to see his daddy.)

5:45 pm - we head back home and adam and i get dinner started, (taco casserole) while owen happily watches a little einsteins.

6:15 pm - julie arrives and we head to the gym. adam gives owen his dinner. (pasta and broccoli.)

6:30 - 7:30 pm - julie and i take a muscle conditioning class.  adam gives owen a bath and then owen gets some naked time. they spend some time playing, and then its off to bed for the sleepy head.

7:45 pm - i get back home, and adam and i have dinner together. then spend some time relaxing. (love this time together.) 

11:00 pm - off to bed.

so that was our monday...told you it was pretty boring. but thanks for reading it anyway. and sorry i don't have a pic...i didn't pick up the camera once that day. have a great week, everyone.

grandma jan + owen

owen loves to visit with grandma and grandpa h, cause then he gets to play with the BIG piano. (thanks for sharing the pic, grandpa scott.)

sliding + kite flying

just a few pics from our trip to the park this past saturday.
owen absolutely loved the slide.



and had a ton of fun running around, exploring. he was especially intrigued by the basketball hoop.

the bugs.

just a couple of pics from yesterday, before his walk with grandma b.

indiana dunes state park

so saturday was an especially fun day, as we headed out to the indiana dunes state park for the 11th annual native plants sale. grandpa scott, grandma jan, and uncle jonah joined us for the day, and we couldn't have had a more enjoyable time. after picking out a few plants at the pavilion, we took a walk down to the beach. at first, owen wasn't too sure about it all...he pretty much stayed put in one place for the first 15 minutes. and if he got any sand on his hands at all, he was not a very happy little boy. but before long, he walking all around, playing with the rocks. 

here are a bunch of pics from the day. (love the look on his face in this first one...you can really see how apprehensive he was about the sand.)

have a great week.

one year later.

so yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the blog, and admittedly, i spent a good portion of owen's first nap scrolling through all 148 posts.  i had so much fun looking through all the pictures, and reading about all the little things i had forgotten. i just love that its all here. i am currently in the process of having the blog printed into a book, and i can't wait to one day share it with owen. so...to celebrate this fun little occasion, i've uploaded a few, short clips of owen doing his little penguin walk. i do hope it makes you smile. and if any of you are feeling a little weepy and want to reminisce along with me, heres a link to our first ever blog post. owen was only two months old here, and looking so small and cute. 

thanks for sharing this year with us. hugs to you all.

owen & his penguin walk from casandra on Vimeo.