Happy 4th of July

We had a rather uneventful 4th of July here at the Stepp household.  Brandon is out of town for work so it was just Dunebuggy and mommy. :)  Our 4th consisted of Legos, Sesame Street, playing outside, and McDonald's.  It doesn't get much more American than that!

I discovered that Gwyneth absolutely loves McDonald's cheeseburgers.  I'm a bit worried I may have created a monster!  She was biting off my cheeseburger just like a grown-up.  At one point I was the one having a hard time sharing, cause I didn't want her to eat it all and not leave any for me!

She will be 14 months in just a few days.  She is turning into such a pretty little lady and I love watching her grow!  She is so close to walking and my goal is to have her walking by the time daddy comes home next week (that may be a bit ambitious but we are practicing everyday).

Her favorite things right now are Baylee (the dog - however I don't think the feeling is mutual), climbing/crawling up and down the front patio stairs, being chased around the house and tickled, and green beans (maybe that will help cancel out the new found cheeseburger obsession).  Her least favorite things are wearing shoes, having to get out of the bathtub, and macaroni and cheese (crazy - what kid doesn't like that?).

Baby Steps

We were thrilled to find out this weekend the results of Gwyneth's MRI.  The doctor has assured us that everything is normal and there is absolutely nothing for us to worry about...such a relief!  Although the procedure made me a nervous wreck, I am so glad we did it and now know that Gwyneth is a health 13 month old who just happens to have a larger than normal head. :)

She started taking a few steps on her own last week.  She's up to about 4 or 5 before she plops down to the ground.  My guess is that she will be walking in a matter of weeks.  We are excited but also know this means she will be getting into even more stuff than before!  At least we will be getting more exercise chasing her around.

Last night we took Gwyneth to The Rainforest Cafe for dinner and she loved it!  We knew going in that she would either love it or be scared and we were certainly hoping for option one.  She was so entertained and amused by all of her surroundings we actually got to eat our food at the same time (usually one person is eating while the other person is entertaining her).  It was also great catching up with our dear friend Jeremy Lawley who was in town for business.  This was Lawley's first time meeting Gwyneth and they hit it off although he was a little scared to hold her. :)

MRI

From three months on, Gwyneth's head circumference has been on the large side.  We have had several extra appointments between her standard check-ups to measure her head growth.  All babies heads continually grow, but what alarmed the doctor was the rate at which her head circumference grew in relation to her height and weight.  After our last appointment with our doctor in Northern California, she was satisfied that the growth had plateaued.

We had Gwyneth's one year check-up here in Southern California just last month.  Her measurements for height and weight were a little above average, both in the 75th percentile.  On the other hand, her head circumference was off the charts.  I of course was very concerned, but I remembered pictures of me as a child and boy was my head huge!  My parents said our pediatrician was never concerned about my head circumference.  Looking at my baby pictures I find it hard to believe nobody even had a thought that there could be something wrong.

I am fairly convinced that Gwyneth is perfectly fine.  She is meeting all her milestones with no problem and she is the smartest and happiest little girl.  I keep telling the doctors that she is just a brainiac and is uber smart like her mommy and daddy, but just to be safe the doctor would like to have an MRI done to confirm everything is ok.  The concern is that there may be too much fluid and pressure on her brain.

We had her pre-MRI appointment this afternoon and to be honest, I am more concerned about the actual procedure than the prospect of finding something on the MRI.  Gwyneth cannot have any food or milk after midnight tonight.  She can have water or juice up to three hours before the procedure but since the procedure is at 7:30 in the morning that means she cannot have any food or drink when she wakes up.  When we get there, she will be given medication orally that will make her tired and relaxed.  Then she will be taken into the procedure room where they will place a gas mask on her to make her fall asleep.  Once asleep they will administer the general anesthesia via IV and a breathing tube will be placed down her throat.  The entire procedure should take approximately 30 minutes.  Afterwards, she will be in recovery until they are satisfied that she is ok to leave.

We should have the results back in a week.  Until then, I will be anxiously awaiting the good news that Gwyneth is perfectly fine.  I am ready to put the worry behind us once and for all!  

Mt. Rubidoux

We've started exploring the area more and have found there is a lot to do around here.  This past weekend the weather was perfect so we decided to go on a family hike at Mt. Rubidoux.

Mt. Rubidoux is a park in downtown Riverside.  Although I would not technically classify it as a mountain, it was still quite a trek.  The path up and down the mountain is a round trip of approximately 3 miles.  It is fully paved so it was perfect taking Gwyneth in her jogging stroller.

When we got to the top, we could see all of downtown Riverside.

There is a large cross on the top of Mt. Rubidoux.  In 1909 the first outside non-denominational Easter service was help atop the mountain.  The tradition still continues and the service has been held every year since.

The Peace Tower and Friendship Bridge, built in1925.

All tuckered out!

My Obsession with Cloth Diapering

I remember when I first told my co-workers that I was pregnant.  Immediately the advice started flowing and questions started being asked.  One of the questions I remember vividly is whether or not I was going to use disposable or cloth diapers.  My quick response was disposable....no way was I going to be getting poop all on my hands and having to deal with icky diapers!  I envisioned safety pins and having to learn the origami-like art of folding a cloth rectangle into a diaper.  After all, we are in the 21st century, who actually uses cloth diapers when you can have the convenience of a disposable?!

Maybe a month later Brandon mentioned wanting to give cloth diapers a try...again my response was "No way Jose!"  We knew who was going to be changing the most diapers and cleaning them and it just didn't even seem fair that he would suggest that.  He asked me to at least look into it before I completely dismissed the idea, so I reluctantly agreed.

I got on the internet and typed in "cloth diapers" and to my surprise tons of information popped up.  There were no pictures of safety pins or old school folded diapers.  The pictures I saw were bright, colorful diapers in all designs with snaps and velcro.  How did I not know these diapers existed?!  The majority of parents these days opt to use disposable diapers so cloth diapers don't get much publicity and are often overlooked as was the case with me.  Even after finding the pictures of such cute "fluff", a term used for cloth diapers, I was still not convinced.  The picture of me up to my elbows in baby poop kept going through my mind and that is certainly something I wasn't willing to do!

In addition to the cute pictures of diapers, I found a lot of information on the pros and cons of cloth vs. disposable.  There are many reasons people choose cloth over disposables.  Here are just a few:

• To save money - Cloth diapering one child can save a family up to $2,000.  The savings can grow exponentially if you use the same diapers on your next baby!  There is the argument that you will be paying more on your water bill for the extra washing you will be doing.  Yes, your water bill will go up but in the end you still will save with cloth.  

• It's better for your baby - There are no conclusive facts on whether disposable diapers are actually harmful to your baby or not.  There is however proof that disposable diapers contain chemicals that are linked to long-term health conditions.  Most disposables are bleached with chlorine, resulting in a byproduct called dioxin.  Dioxins are considered one of the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as highly carcinogenic chemicals.  The World Health Organization has linked dioxins to impairments to the liver system, nervous system, endocrine system, and reproductive health system.  Sodium Polyacrylate is a chemical found in the gel of diapers to help absorption.  The chemical is thought to be linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems.  This chemical was once in tampons but has since been removed due to toxic shock syndrome concerns.  There are many other chemical in disposable diapers that are thought to cause long-term health problems in babies.  If a chemical is know to be unhealthy why would you put it on your sweet precious baby??

• To be environment friendly - Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills.  No one knows exactly how long it will take a disposable diaper to decompose but it is estimated that it will take 250-500 years!  On average a baby uses 60 diapers a week.  Each week 60 diapers go into a landfill and sit there decomposing for 250+ years.  And that is just for one baby!  

• It's fun - (Sounds strange, but it really is.  Ask any cloth diapering momma!)

After doing my research, I emailed one of my girlfriends that was pregnant at the same time as me and told her that I was considering cloth diapering.  Ironically, she replied saying she was too!  It was so great to have someone to talk to about cloth diapers.  And the best part about it is my friend is such an organized person that loves to do research!  She gave me so much info on cloth diapering and she still does. :)  I think I speak for both her and I both when I say cloth diapering is one of the best decisions we have made as parents.

So ultimately I decided to give cloth diapers a try and Brandon and I opted to use a cloth diaper service.  How bad could that be?  One day a week you put your dirty diapers on the front doorstep and they magically disappear only to be replaced by clean fluffy new ones.  I was convinced this was the way to go and I must say it worked out great for us the first 3 months.  There was absolutely no clean up for me so it was a total breeze!  But I got to thinking, one of the reasons people choose to cloth diaper is the huge money savings and using the diaper service only had us breaking even.  So, I went back to the internet and did some more research to see what other options there were in the cloth diaper world.

Gwyneth loves her cloth diapers!

I came across pocket diapers.  These are diapers that have a waterproof shell that you stuff with an insert made of microfiber.  There are many different manufacturers of this style diaper but we chose to use BumGenius 4.0 due to it's high reviews.  I LOVE my diapers!  In fact I have purchased pocket diapers from other manufacturers and although I like them, I find myself always reaching for my BGs.

We cancelled our service and I decided to wash my diapers on my own.  There are tons of people that do it, so why couldn't I?  Clean up is so incredible easy!  I use a biodegradable liner (it looks similar to a dryer sheet) in each diaper so when there is poop you just flush it down the toilet.  In fact, if you look at most disposable diaper packages, they state you should flush the solid waste down the toilet and not throw it away....I find it hard to believe that anyone actually does that.  Of course there are times that the poop doesn't stay on the liner.  But at least it stays in the diaper!  Blowouts hardly ever occur with cloth diapers.

I remember hearing so many new moms talking about these awful blowouts with poop going up the babies back, front, and out the legs.  I can tell you there have been less than a handful of times that Gwyneth has ever had a blowout and when she did, it was certainly not that bad.  Personally I would rather wash poop off a diaper instead of off my babies clothes, high chair, bouncer, rug, etc.

Our diaper changing station set-up.

Clean diapers ready to be used.

Planetwise waterproof hanging bag to hold diapers until they are washed.

It is certainly not my place to judge people for using disposable diapers,  nor do I expect every single parent to see things my way on cloth diapers.  If you choose to use disposables then that is your choice.  My intent for writing this blog was to inform people that cloth diapers are most certainly not what they used to be.  They are easy, convenient, and fun!  Sure they may take a little more time than using disposables, but I know my sweet Gwyneth is worth it.  We have cloth diapered since the day she was born and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Expanding My Photography Skills

Brandon and I have been the proud owner's of three different Nikon DSLRs.  The pictures they take are truly phenomenal.  Our latest model is the Nikon D3100, and the extra money spent on it is well worth it.  I love it!!  And I love taking pictures (if you are friends with me on Facebook this is pretty obvious as I post picture after picture of Gwyneth...yes I am obsessed with our baby girl).  I am however ashamed to say that after all of these years of owning a DSLR I have not used it to it's full potential.  I turn the camera on "auto" and treat it like a standard point and shoot when really it can do so much more.

I have attempted to learn more about our DSLR on several occasions, whether it was looking for a class at our local community center or getting one on one instruction from our beloved Sacramento photographer. Unfortunately, life seems to find a way to interfere and as always photography lessons seem unimportant and get pushed aside.  This time around I have decided to take matters into my own hands and teach myself!  I don't expect to be able to produce professional quality photos, at least not anytime soon, but I do hope that learning more about our camera will help me capture those precious moments with Gwyneth to the best of my ability.

I found several blogs online detailing how to take better pictures with your DSLR.  Here are links to some of the blogs I found helpful.

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/tutorials/photography-tutorial-a-quick-guide-to-understanding-your-digital-slr-camera.html

http://thomashawk.com/2006/04/10-tips-for-new-digital-slr.html

I also decided to purchase the book The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography by Jim Miotke.

Just by reading the blogs and skimming the book I feel like I already know so much.  I was completely oblivious to all of the settings and now I finally know what aperture, ISO, and exposure really mean.

I decided the best way to learn is to strictly take photos in manual mode.  This means I have to change my settings as I go from inside to outside or sitting baby to baby on the go.  I have only done it for one day, but I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it.  Here are a few pictures I took of my loyal subject today.

Hello mini-Brandon.

It may look like she's about to cry, but I assure you this is a laugh.  Daddy was so funny it made her spit her food out onto her chin. :)

Food is good!!

They aren't the best pictures, and I am still learning placement of my subject and lighting, but I am proud of myself for shooting them all in manual mode.  I will keep you updated as I apply what I learn to my photography.  If you have any tips or know of any blogs/books that you like, please feel free to share them with me!

Think Like a One Year Old

While at Gwyneth's one year check up we received a handout from her new pediatrician.  I have always enjoyed the handouts Kaiser Permanente gives at each visit.  They document your baby's current stats and there is a wealth of information applicable to your babies age.  It's basically the cliff note version of the What to Expect series of books, listing milestones, healthy habits, feeding advice, etc.  One of the bullets under "Healthy habits" says children under age 2 should not watch TV or videos.  WHAT?!  I knew infants shouldn't sit and watch TV all day, but none?  Surely I am not the only mother that has failed at this by letting their one year old enjoy an episode of Sesame Street?  Have I stunted my baby's development by introducing her to Elmo?  In all seriousness, I don't think I have done permanent damage to my baby, but I do think I will attempt to limit her TV time a bit more now.

So in light of this breaking news, I decided it was time for me to find some new activities for Gwyneth during the day.  We do the usual playing but you can only do so much block stacking, pots and pans banging, and chasing each other around the house.  I searched the internet for ideas and it looks like I am not the only one running out of things to do with a one year old.  A one year old's attention span is VERY short so finding activities that will keep him or her engaged for hours on end is not an easy feat.

Here are just a few of the activities I came across that I plan to do with Gwyneth over the next couple of weeks:

• Paint with water - get a paintbrush and a cup of water and head outside to the sidewalk or back patio.  Let your child "paint" the sidewalk or patio.  Best part about this is that it is pretty much mess free.
• Paint with pudding - put your child in his or her highchair and put a blob of pudding in front of them.  Let them "paint" the highchair table.  This may require a bath or dip in the baby pool afterwards. :)
• Fingerpainting - cover your table or patio with paper, give your child non-toxic finger paints, and let them go to town.  Warning: this one is messy!
• PVC Pipe Phone - take two PVC pipe "elbows" and a small connector piece of PVC pipe.  Put them together to make a phone.  This is often called a "whisper phone" or "phonics phone" and is used by young children as they learn to read so they can hear themselves as they pronounce words.  Gwyneth has recently learned to "answer" the phone and puts everything she finds up to her ear like she is answering it.  I think she would love this!
• Paper bag puppets - decorate small paper bag lunch bags with your child then put on a puppet show for them.
• Make a Cheerios bracelet - sitting in their highchair help your child put cheerios on a short string.  It's great for their fine motor skills plus they can snack while they play.

Anyone else have any ideas?  What do you do or have you done with your one year old?