Life is Good.

Aidan's Letter to Ellie

Dear Ellie and mom,

You are the best sister ever. I love you. I hope you have curly hair. but I bet you will. I bet your first food will be dad hole made bread. you probably will. i love you. you are really small. you were born at 8:57. And you weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces. you were so cute when you came out. it was cool when I first walked in to see you. I did not like what you burped or pooped or puked out. your hair is soft. and I told you to chop chop! and I think Ellie will like her first car ride. your feet and hands are so so so soft. you are really small.

I hope you don't have glasses. or I don't want you to have surgery. And I don't want you to have problems whith your leg or ear. I bet you like moms ninny because I don't like hot milk or white milk. I only like chocolate milk. you smiled when you were 2 days old. And that was cute. I bet you will or will not like chocolate milk. But now you like moms ninny. your first shirt you wore to our house is so cute. I hope you like dogs because we have one. I just hope you are not allergic to dogs. But I think you won't be. you are so cute. I now I said that a couple of times.

Plus mom I like the limn pie and the things that you eat at the doctor. Your little boots and clothes and shirts and shoes are cute. Hey Ellie I did not like when you were choking.

Love,
Aidan

Miss Ellie

We would like to introduce you to Lil' Miss Ellie Minette, born 7.9 pounds, 20 inches. She is 8 days old, happy and healthy! Big brother is proud. Dad is simply in baby love. And Mama is doing very well!

Book of Firsts

This makes me grin from ear to ear! Here is Aidan's latest project for his baby sister. The idea was his own and costs all of $10. He created a "blank" scrapbook of firsts for Ellie, including her first Lego play, first mess and even her first cooking experience (obviously all the things he likes to do!) Of course the traditional firsts are part of the book: smile, bath, tooth, step ... He designed each page with love leaving a big open space for a single photo. No doubt we'll have fun documenting her first year!

How Blooming Lucky?

I am VERY blooming lucky to receive an eco-friendly baby cake! A big thank you from the bottom of my heart to Sarah McIntyre, owner, founder and "baker"of BloomingBabyCakes.com, for listening to our show and celebrating the soon-to-be birth of my little Ellie. Imagine our surprise when we opened this gift! Yes, it is delicious enough to want to eat but you can't. It "does" everything else under the sun though .... get this:

• It contains tons of chlorine-free diapers from Seventh Generation Diapers (also recommended by our friend and show guest, Dr. Alan Greene).

• 15 feet of seed ribbon from Bloembox™ to plant in honor of the new baby. Since it lasts for 2 years, we can plant it for any special milestone. Mine are Shirley Poppy seeds.

• The seed ribbon comes in a cute little trinket box to hold keepsakes like her hospital band, first tooth or first curl.

• This cake is assembled on a platter that doubles as a non-breakable mirror for baby. Although cardboard, it shows a great reflection of baby and invites a traditional game of peek-a-boo!

• Sweet ribbon, silk flowers and toil adorn the cake which can be used to decorate this baby girl's nursery. My ribbon says "Oh Baby!", specially picked out for me in honor of our Big O: Organization Series in which we share a new organizational product with a big "Oh Baby!" shout out! (Funny Sarah!) Knowing Ellie's room is pink and green, Sarah kept that in mind when designing my cake.

• The packing paper is more than cushion, it is ideal art project material for big brother Aidan!

• And my personal favorite ... a fluffy pink tutu for Ellie to prance around in one day! Oh, how I can't wait to see that.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how this diaper cake is so eco-friendly and thoughtfully assembled. There isn't a part of it that doesn't treat the Earth well or have special meaning. Being pregnant and all, I do wish part of it was edible. But hey, the genius trade-offs are well, so eco-smart and practical. I will for sure keep Sarah's incredible cakes in mind for the next baby celebration in our family!

And it was clearly the ultimate centerpiece for the "poo-poo" party (a.k.a. diaper stocking party) Jen threw for me!

Be sure to check out BloomingBabyCakes.com for a look at these beautiful cakes and to read Sarah's sweet story about her grandpa, her take on parenting, and how she got started in her business!

The Countdown

Aidan is ready! Look at this sweet shirt he made for delivery day. Granny bought him a set of fabric markers and a plain t-shirt and he went to town. He can't wait to meet baby Ellie!

Translation: I my baby sister. She is awesome! I love Ellie! Note there is a picture of an elephant that is labeled "Ellie-phant".

Parent Podcast Tip!

Podcast of the Day ....

Listen to Easy Pediatrics: Immunizations with Dr. Bob Sears and get a good dose of info regarding vaccines - the risks, the benefits, the myths and much more.

Just Special

Fabric markers + white onesies = my favorite gift ... from Aidan.

Always Remember ....

The days may seem long, but the years go by quickly.

Details, Details

It seems there are a lot of "lists" when it comes to babies ... shower registry, baby names, thank you notes, hospital packing list, to-do lists, and to-do lists, and even more to-do lists.

LBT will be here in 4 weeks and my lists are getting shorter. Today I started to think about my "recovery list" since I'm having a c-section ... not necessarily the things that HAVE to be done before she gets here, but the things that NEED to be done while I recover and my family is getting used to having a little one around. Here are some things on my list ...

• Pay the bills early. I pay all my bills online so I can go ahead and get them scheduled for their due dates. Is Aidan's lunch money covered for the next couple weeks?

• Stock up on frequently needed household items. My boys will be doing some shopping for me, and do I want them to pick out my hair products, personal items and other favorite toiletries? Uh, no! This will save me from explaining what kinds of pads or shampoo I need if I am to run out.

• Prepare in advance for any special events: Buy Nick's birthday card and gift certificate, then get it ready to mail. Help Aidan with his Halloween costume. Donate items to school fall festival early. Plan a 16th wedding anniversary surprise for Doug since I will be in the hospital.

• Call insurance about adding baby to our plan.

• Have birth announcements ready to roll ... minus baby's first picture. Also, prepare the "who to call" list for Dad for baby's "birth day".

• Have hair cut and colored BEFORE the big day. I'll need all the help I can get to look my best during those non-make-up, non-hair days! Oh, and do my nails and feet too! And I guess shave.

• Pick out comfy recovery clothes, including stretchy pants and nursing bra.

• Two words: Freezer Meals.

• Put movies I WANT TO WATCH on our Netflix Queue.

I'm sure there's a few more details to consider, but this list alone will help make for a smoother transition into our new baby world! The way I look at it: the more I can take care of now, the less I worry about later.