Baby Dreams

I awoke to a horrible dream! I was in a nurses station at a hospital and they were monitoring my contractions. Of course, I'm not pregnant, nor do I want to be, so I know that it was not a dream about my heart's desire. My daughter, however, is pregnant. She is in her 39th week and would love nothing more, than to have this baby out of her. Now wouldn't be too soon.

I headed out for my first cup of coffee and stopped by her room to let her know about my dream. She surprised me when she said that she had woken up several times throughout the night thinking that she was having the baby. Maybe this will be the day!




She is delivering at a beautiful, newer hospital. Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is a sight to see. It sits among fields near the new Loop 202 at Lindsay Road and Germann Road in Gilbert, Arizona. It can be seen from miles away and is just stunning in the moonlight.




Their Family Birthing Center is state of the art. It has six private labor and delivery rooms, sixteen private couplet care rooms for new families to stay and get to know baby, two cesarean section suites with adjacent recovery room and nursery, and four special care beds in the nursery for infants requiring extra care and support.

We will be spending some time there, very soon. I wonder if today will be the day.

The Public Pool.... on steroids!

We took the kids on an outing to the public pool, today. Our oldest son brought his lady and her lil guys, Keegan and Seth. Nine of us, altogether, went to the public pool.


When I was growing up and we went to the public pool, it cost $0.25 and the pool was at the only high school in town. There were two diving boards; a low dive and a high dive. It was very exciting when they put in the wading pool and a covered area to keep us out of the hot Arizona sun.

Today's pool has morphed into something straight out of a fantasy world.

We ventured out last Monday, Memorial Day, and were turned away before we got to the main entrance, because they had reached their maximum occupancy. We kept that in mind, today, and arrived 10 minutes before they opened the gates. There was still a line, but we managed to get into the place, this time.




Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center is our local "public pool" and is located in Chandler, Arizona. Chandler is awesome! We have six different public pools. Mesquite Groves is the newest. It boasts the following facility amenities: Competition/Lap Pool, Two 1-Meter Diving Boards, Two Water Slides, Lazy River, Water Vortex, Family Play Pool (with Zero-Depth Entry), Toddler Slides, 752-Gallon "Big Blue Bucket", Artificial Grass Areas, Shaded Areas, Pool Furniture, Family Dressing Room, Training Classroom. It's a Water Park, I'm tellin' ya!



Everyone was slathered in SPF 15 for babies and off we went! Keegan was the first in the pool. He was impressed with the water - cool and refreshing - but he wasn't sure about the beach entry that started off dry and gradually got deeper, the further he ventured into the pool. Segan and Ellie headed directly to the Lazy River - Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200. Ryan and Seth headed to the top of the slides scaring Katy and Tyler half to death. Seth is fresh out of Kindergarten and nobody was sure how he would do on the slides. He came out of the tube at the bottom like he'd been doing this all of his life! Amazing! After a couple of runs down the slides, Katy, Tyler and Ryan joined the rest of us on the Lazy River. Segan and Ellie were in the double tube and Keegan fell fast asleep in Ellie's arms for the better part of an hour. Tyler and Ryan made some great splashes jumping off of the diving boards while Garrett and I watched from across the pool.

All in all, I would say that fun was had by all. Seth was not happy about having to leave, but I reminded him that if he could tough out leaving today, we could go back again, next weekend. That seemed to do the trick. I'm sure both Keegan and Seth slept all the way home. I'm certain that Segan did!

Oh, and did I mention.... the cost for admission to this groovy place is just $0.50 for children up to 18 and $1.50 for 18 to 55. 55 and older get in for $0.75.

Hybrid Diapers?

My daughter is about to have her first baby. She surprised many people when she decided to use cloth diapers. I would like to believe that her decision was wholly her own. I didn't push her into cloth diapering, but apparently, she's been listening to me all along! Imagine my shock when I realized that my child paid attention to what I have had to say! She has chosen cloth diapers because they are good for the environment, they are good for the baby, and they promote potty training earlier than disposable.

So, off we went in search of the perfect cloth diaper! I did the research online, and I visited local stores that carry disposable alternatives.

Boy, have cloth diapers evolved since my experiences with them 18 years ago! When I cloth diapered my second daughter, the options were few: flat or prefold. Flat diapers are large squares that have to be folded into the "V" shape, tucked down in front and then pinned. These would be the type that grandma used on her babies, I'm sure. Prefolds are more familiar. You will see moms everywhere with a prefold on her shoulder as a burp cloth. These rectangular little gems are folded so that they are thicker in the middle, where baby will, undoubtedly, need the absorbency. Of course, if you choose to use either of these types of diapers, you will be needing diaper covers, as well. Covers are made of waterproof materials such as wool, polar fleece and PUL (polyurethane laminate).

Today, there are many, many different types of cloth diapers. You can still find flats and prefolds, but even this mom was surprised at the selection!

Fitted diapers have elastic at the legs and back and look like a lot like a disposable diaper. They can have velcro or snap fasteners, solid or printed outer layers, and can be made from a variety of materials from 100% cotton to hemp.

The All-In-One (AIO) is where the prefold meets the cover. These handy little specimens have waterproof outer layers and absorbent inner layers. These can take a bit longer to get completely dry after washing.

Pocket diapers have a waterproof outer layer, a soft inner layer and an opening, usually at the back of the diaper, to insert an absorbent layer or "doubler". They dry faster, as you pull the doubler out before washing.


Finally, we came across the gDiaper. This has to be the coolest idea! This diaper is perfect for the environmentally minded parent who is either on the run all the time or not thrilled about handling the "mess" that a baby can leave in a diaper. It has a waterproof cover, but the inner layer is a biodegradable, disposable absorbent liner. When baby needs a diaper change, mom or dad can either flush, compost or toss the liner! The liner breaks down in 50-150 days in your backyard garden compost. The covers are unique in that the velcro closure is on the back of the diaper so that Junior can't easily remove it by himself. These things are ingenious!



I like this one! I have sewn two dozen AIOs for the little one on the way, but you can bet that we will have some gDiapers for those busy, on-the-go days!

Get here, already!

Your nursery is almost ready! All of the furniture has been painted to match. The diapers are sewn. The clothes are folded and stacked. The crib is set up. All that is left to do is hang the R, Y, L, I, E and the little animals on the wall. And let's not forget the giant leaf! That will need to be officially attached to the wall.

Your mama is cranky. She's gained more weight than she'd have liked. She is awakened hourly during the night. Luckily, she can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, so she isn't technically losing sleep. I've found that if I am having a conversation with her and, for whatever reason, I stop talking for more than thirty seconds, she's fast asleep! Her feet are swollen and her shoes don't fit. I suppose I would be cranky, too.

She sees the doctor weekly, now. They make jokes about making an appointment for next week "in case you're still pregnant." The contractions have not begun. An occasional contraction that makes her catch her breath will occur. She'll know when the real ones start, though!

We're waiting for you, Rylie. Come see us!

Baby Shower Cake Goodness

 
 
 
 

Here they are! All dressed up and ready for the party on Saturday! Now.... where's the cake? Who knew fondant could be so cute?