Five Month Old Ollie

Who is actually six months old but I have decided it makes more sense to publish these towards the end of the month so that the milestones are actually things he did during his fifth month.  So from here on that is when I plan to write them.

Weight-- Somewhere around 15 1/2 pounds.  I have the actual amount in his baby book but I am at my parents.  

Height-- 26 inches

Medical Issues--  Same old reflux and food sensitivities

Sleep-- Ollie fails at sleeping just like Destructo did.  He is an easy sleeper in that he goes to sleep in his crib by himself quickly.  But he wakes up a ton at night even after we started solids at 5.5 months.  I feel like I have a newborn again. Good nights he is up twice.  Bad nights I lose count of the wake ups.  Part of the problem is he can't get his paci into his mouth so hopefully that will get better soon since he is getting better at getting it in his mouth.

Clothes Size-- 6-9 months or 9 month stuff.    

Diapers size-- He has moved up to the second snap rise setting on all but the biggest of his cloth diapers.  In disposables, he is in a size three.

Diet-- Boob milk and Zantac still but mid way through his fifth month we added solids.  We are doing baby led weaning again.  He has just some fruits and veggies thus far.  He loves to eat and actually started solids fully on his own when he grabbed a banana out of my hand and shoved it in his mouth taking a big chunk of it off before I could stop him.  After that he screamed at the top of his lungs anytime he saw us eating.  

Baby Gear I Love-- 

halo sleepsacks I forgot a sleep sack when I went to my parents house one night and he slept horribly.  So I am grateful that he sleeps slightly better with them.
Vulli So'Pure Teether, Sophie the Giraffe   This little teether came with my Sophie giraffe and Ollie loves it so much.
bibs bumkins  These are my favorite bibs since I can just spray them off in the sink.

Milestones-- He started solids.  He started rolling back to belly and then the next day combined it with rolling belly to back back to belly a few times in a row.  He started babbling more with different consonant sounds than he had been using.  He started sitting up unassisted.  He did all those things in a few days of each other.

Likes/Dislikes--  He loves his big brother so much.  Even when we are getting onto Destructo for being bad, crazy, whatever Oliver is cracking up.  We are in so much trouble.  He loves eating.  He hates when his toys don't fit in his mouth.  He loves rubbery chewing toys like Sophie or rubbery teethers.  He hates tummy time.  He likes anything edible.  This boy is an eater for sure.

Things I Don't want to Forget--  How great it feels to hold a milk drunk baby in the middle of the night when the house is quiet.  This isn't to say I want more than one of these wake ups a night Oliver.  How excited Owl gets when he gets food.  The pure joy on his face when Destructo talks to him.  How he is such a momma's boy and gets and ear to ear grin when I make eye contact with him.  How he can fall asleep anywhere.

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Bibs, Bibs and More Bibs

After a loyal reader giving me a great idea on the blog's Facebook page, I decided to write a post about my favorite bibs.  I have at least a million it seems.  I am actually pretty sure they multiply at night when I am not looking.  Unfortunately it is never the good ones that I really like.  It is always the puny little drool bibs.

I have no use for drool bibs.  I mean in theory they are great.  Put them on, baby drools, you don't have to change his entire outfit as he drenches bib after bib.  Except Owl is a super drooler.  He soaks right through drool bibs.  So I just change his onesie numerous times a day.  But that is also because he has reflux really badly.  Drool bibs might catch a small spit up but for Owl's volcanic eruptions of spit up only hit outfit, mommy's outfit, and the couch will suffice.

Anyways what bibs do I like?  Let me tell you.

The first three links are all waterproof bibs with a pocket on them that can be easily wiped clean.  I like them for dining out because you can wipe them clean so no nasty bib in the diaper bag.  I like them for at home because I can use one all day and just rinse it in between feedings.  They are all pretty similar although if pressed to pick a favorite I would probably go with the Bumkins.

Bumkins Waterproof Starter Bib, Blue Crocs and Turtles, 2-Count 

Munchkin Crumb CatcherBib for Boys, 4-Count

green sprouts 3 Count Wash 'n Wipe Eva Bib, Boy

This bib is a one time use type bib since it is cloth and it isn't fully waterproof but I love the designs on them.  I made my mom get Destructo the I love tacos one since it is a running joke about how often my parents eat tacos before I was even pregnant.

green sprouts 6-Pack Favorite Food Bib Group B, Colors May Vary

Another type of bib that you must have at least a few of are Aden and Anais burpy bibs.  They are burp rags with a snap on the ends that you can use as a bib.  They come in so handy when you forget a bib.  I keep these in my diaper bag as a burp rag and have used them numerous times as an emergency bib.

aden + anais 2 Pack Muslin Burpy Bib, Jungle Jam

Finally a bib I don't personally own (until I get one for Owl for Christmas) is the Skip Hop bib.  I bought my nephew one of these last Christmas and I really like it.  It has a pouch you can fold it up into when it is dirty.  And it is waterproof.  Plus I made a huge mistake when I got Owl the lion Skip Hop back pack and really want to get the owl one.  At the time he was baby Zach.  Whoever would have known he would be Oliver and be called Owl. I need the Owl back pack now.  Ugh.

What bibs are your favorites?

Skip Hop Zoo Bib, Owl

This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

A Day in My Life

I was up for the day at 7:30.  The kids are still not in bed yet.  Well kid.  Destructo is a huge night owl just like my hubby.  In that time, I have:

Had 2 hours and 10 minutes with both children asleep.  This normally doesn't happen or if it does it is no more than a half hour.  I lucked out in that aspect and it was truly glorious.  

I changed ten diapers and one pull up.  All but two of those diapers were poop diapers.  A diaper and a pull up both leaked and the pull up leak resulted in having to strip Kai's bed and put clean sheets on.

I nursed Owl ten times.

He had four wakes up overnight from 10-7 and I had to feed him at three of those wake ups.

I had to wipe one poop butt.

I had to change Owl's outfit six times today.

I had to change Kai's outfit four times today.  (Most of these are unneccsary but he is super weird about if he clothes get wet at all and refuses to wear them.  Then he had a pull up leak.)

I washed three loads of laundry, dried three loads of laundry, and folded none.  I suck at folding laundry.  

I had to put Destructo in one time out.  This could be a new low record.  Today really was a great day overall.

I had to put underware on Destructo four times.  He would go naked if I let him.  

I had to look for a lovey and /or paci ten times today.  I swear I waste at least an hour of every single day looking for these things.

I let my dishwater get cold before I was done washing my dishes once.  I unloaded the dishwasher once.  I washed two load of dishes by hand and have another waiting (that can continue to wait until tomorrow because I am tired.)

I worked from home for my actual job (well the actual job I get paid for) for an hour. 

I read four books.  This number might increase unless Mr. Destructo fully puts Kai to bed which is what I am hoping for.  

I got to eat 2/3rds of my breakfast, drink 2/3rds of my tea while it was hot (which is amazing in itself), and eat all my lunch.  I even got to eat half my dinner without interruption.  

There you have it.  The stats on my day.  It was a good day.  I might need to do this on a bad day and see how the stats compare.  

Family Bonds

Do you ever stop to wonder what memories your children are going to take away from childhood?  I think about this a lot.  I had a good if not great childhood.  I have so many fond memories of family vacations in northern Michigan. The coldness of lake Michigan and the warmth of the Platte River, ice cream at the store near the Platte, canoeing, and all the movies with my cousins on Drummond Island (yeah Sammie I remember how we watched Sweet Home Alabama at least a dozen times.)   Holidays with the extended family (shout out to my crazy Aunt Cheryl and her turkey dance.)  Figure skating shows, plays, soccer matches of my sisters.  

Cousins

I hail from a very close family where all the accomplishments were celebrated.  I remember figure skating shows where every single aunt and uncle and cousin would come.  I was given flowers and I felt so darn special.  Or my play when I was 16 that my entire extended family who were visiting from Michigan came to see.  I had a total of about five lines.  The guns, the dueling pistols.  But yet they came and applauded and told me what a great job I had done even if they were probably bored to death.  I again felt so darn special. 

Bellies and cousins

And my family is turning out to be like this as well.  My younger sister and I were pregnant at the same time for 11 weeks with Owl.  I would almost have a third to get to do this again as it has been fun.  We took pictures of big cousin and little cousin bellies.  We both had boys and they are only 6.5 months apart.  Already they love smiling and talking to each other.  Destructo is a doting big brother and cousin.   You know when he isn't sitting on them or something.  I imagine any future cousins from either of my sisters will also be just as close as these there peas in a pod are.  

Dressing the cousins like twins

I hope that these boys (and girls if there are ever any of those) have all the wonderful memories I have.  I hope that they are as close as brothers and well at this point brothers.  I want them to get together once or twice a year even as grown adults and have fun, laugh, celebrate all of life's ups, and be there to support each other through the downs.

Fun times growing up 

I wouldn't be the person I am without my cousin's and extended family.  I hope the same is true of my boys.  Just today I talked to my grandma (twice), my aunt Cheryl, and would have talked to my other aunt Maria if Owl hadn't been having a massive breakdown at the time.  How cool is it that we are all so close still even though I am grown and have kiddos of my own?  I couldn't ask for better family.  The wisdom I glean from these mothers and fathers aunts and uncles who have been there before me is immeasurable.  They are a part of the village that is so lacking in modern day parenting.  (See this post that I wrote on this topic.)

I hope that when my kiddos think back on their childhood they see summer evenings spent at the cabin catching fire flies and tubing down a river (while momma lets daddy canoe her down the river since she hates tubing.)  I hope that they think of the Christmas memories:  playing in a giant cardboard box because that is so fun, eating too much junk food and running wild, and watching the skies for a glimpse of Santa clause together.  Easter egg hunts and ring around the rosie.  

I hope that they want to attend their cousins soccer games (yes Lee Lee this means you have to learn to walk at some point in the next year.)  I hope they can have mud fights on vacation and taunt each other and tease each other and get so nauseous only ice cream can help it.  I hope that sleepovers are lacking in sleep and bursting with laughter.  I hope that they have each other to help through the difficult times in life.  And one day when the time comes for me to return to my maker in heaven, I hope that my sisters kids can be there for my children to comfort them and reminisce about me being the crazy aunt.  Because I am pretty sure I will be the turkey dancer in our family.  And you know what?  I will gladly except that legacy.  I think I can rock it.  

The turkey dancer herself

Oh and Danielle I know you are watching out for my kiddos from heaven and I thank you for this every day.  Keep up the good work.  If you have a little sleeping through the night magic to sprinkle on Owl, feel free.  I mean a good nights sleep would be welcome.  And don't worry your honey badger legacy lives on in my small son.  I thought of you today because a butterfly actually landed on my arm.  You are forever loved and missed by all of us cousins.

Spray Pal Review (and Giveaway)

I was given a Spray Pal to review for the blog and one to giveaway as well.  Yay.  I had really wanted to try one but being the "practical" person I am didn't want to spend the money to get one.  Well let me tell you it would have been well worth buying.  I love it.

I have a diaper sprayer that Mr. Destructo made from a kitchen sink sprayer.  Yay for cheap but you can't adjust the flow of water and we have pretty decent water pressure.  Yeah you can see where this is going.  Poop water gets every darn where.  Which is unsanitary, gross, and annoying.  Well that is not a problem any longer.

You clip the dirty diaper on the clip and make a U shape with the spray pal.  Then you stick the sprayer inside it and it contains all the crazy poop water.  Then you unbutton the outside of the spray pal and can use it to press the excess water out of the diaper.  Easy peasy.

And just to make it clear my toilet seat is not dirty.  The paint?? coating? whatever is on a toilet seat is worn on the underside of the seat and so it is brown now instead of white.  I purposely scrubbed my toilet really well for these pics haha.

Another reason I really like the spray pal is because before having it I always just tossed the sprayed diapers directly into the bag wet.  I was not going to wring them out with my precious hands.  But in doing that as my wet bags got older, it would wick water and soak the floor.  The spray pal solves that problem.

Source

Check out spray pal's site here.  What do you guys like best about the spray pal?

Overall I really like this product and am oh so glad to have it right as Owl starts on solids.  At least that makes me feel a little bit better about having to spray all those poopy diapers again.  I do love the first six months of breastfed only cloth diapering haha.

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My life is a time warp

I am getting the kids ready for bed tonight and I realize it has been a few days since I wrote a blog post.  I need to make it a priority tonight.  Then I get to looking and realize it has been 12 days.  12 Nearly two weeks.  When did my life become such a time warp?  

Destructo is starting baseball next week.  Yet another time warp.  How is he already three years old and old enough to play baseball.  They use aluminum bats, real balls, and have to have cleats, helmets, and full on uniforms.  He is going to look so big.  He is on the "Red Sox" and tells everyone all about it.  

He also started Sunday school today.  I asked him what he learned.  He said nothing.  I then quizzed him about the coloring sheet he did.  Yeah he knew every single one of the ten commandments.  I was quite impressed.  Kudos to his teacher.  

The thing that most make me realize that I am in a giant time warp of life?  My baby.  My last baby.  My sweet Owl is nearly six months old.  Half a year.  Which means I only have a little over six months to have a baby before I never again have a baby.  Excuse me while I go cry into my cheerios.  (I am actually eating cheerios haha.)