Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Date Night!!

Tyson and I finally went on a date night Friday night!! We had a delicious dinner at SaltGrass Steak House. I started with a bowl of their yummy potato soup then had a wonderful sirloin steak that was cooked to perfection with a side of asparagus. I topped of the meal with a peach tea (the alcoholic version, oh course!). It was SO good!
We had some time to spare so we wondered across the street to the mall to look at cell phones for Tyson. Exciting, I know!
Our movie of choice was "The Town." It's the new Ben Affleck movie that he not only stars in, but also produced and directed. The theatre was small which I thought was odd considering it is the #1 movie in the nation right now, but we were able to find decent seats. I think that they have doubled the amount of previews! It was seriously 20-25 minutes!! Ridiculous!!! There was one couple that had their 11/12 month old baby there. I don't know what they were thinking! Unless the movie is rated PG, please leave your children at home! She wanted to run around and then she would fall and cry...they eventually left for good and made a lot of people very happy. It was a very good movie. I would give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
A BIG thanks to Lovey for keeping Trapper so we could have a much-needed night out!!

Thursday, September 16, 2010



This is just a quick post so I can show y'all the adorable blanket I made the other day. I wanted to attempt a "quilt-like" blanket, so I started looking through some of my fabric scraps and found some green, purple and orange prints that looked great together. I went to town to get a minky fabric for the backing and some ribbon for tabs around the perimeter. I originally had a yellow fabric picked out, too, but when I found the minky I had to redirect and find a pink instead. I found a pink leopard print that matched perfectly! I think it turned out great, but what do you think???

Thursday, September 9, 2010

My Accomplishments for Today


Not too long ago my friend Libby @ http://libby-bonjour.blogspot.com/ me to a wonderful ETSY find...


These camera straps are AdOrAbLe!! I just had to have one! She hosted a giveaway that I (not surprisingly) didn't win. So, I decided to try my hand at making one. It was much harder than I thought it would be and took a lot more time than I was expecting. I got it done, though!

Here is my finished product...


Pretty good for my first ever encounter with sewing ruffles! I will NOT, however, be making another!! I figured out why they sell for $35 and now realize that they are worth every penny! So, head on over to Eclectic Whatnot to buy your favorite, but let me warn you...it will be hard to choose just ONE.


I also made this photo/note board for Heather to give to her mom. She bakes cookies and cakes as a side business and Heather wanted something for her to be able to display some of her work. I think it turned out pretty cute and I hope her mom LoVeS it!



All in all, it was a productive day even though I didn't get to my 3rd project...

Goodnight! ~Kiri~

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

This is something I've been wanting to write for a while now. It's my personal list of some of my favorite baby items! Most of these I've used and a few I want to try next time. I'm sure there are items I've left off, but it's a good start to hopefully help some other first-time moms sort through the MiLLiOnS of baby products.



1) It took me almost a year to discover them, but now I am in LOVE with Up&Up Diapers (Target brand). They are super cheap and just as good as the expensive ones!



2) I tried several baby carriers and finally found the best one...The Moby Wrap. I actually bought a Sleepy Wrap, but they are the same thing. I wish I would have had it when he was smaller! It's a little complicated to learn at first and not as fast as the over-the-head slings, but WELL worth it!!



3) Robeez or any other type of soft-soled shoes. These are great for crawling and learning-to-walk babies. They are much better for them to learn to walk in than a hard-soled shoe that doesn't give. Go to www.robeez.com for the full explanation.



4) Couldn't have lived without my Boppy! This multi-function pillow is a must for breast feeding, but also does so much more. You can prop a baby up that can not sit on his own and great for the all-important tummy time. I suggest an extra cover, too.



5) My favorite baby wipe would have to be Pamper's Baby Fresh Wipes. They are softer than Huggies and seem to do a better job, and this scent is my favorite!



6) The Bumbo is also one of the greatest inventions. This chair helps babies develop their core so they can sit up on their own. It's best to wait until baby has decent head control, but then they can sit at the table with you while you eat, watch you fold laundry, etc... It also has a play tray that can be purchased separately for around $10.



7) My car seat of choice was a Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat and an extra base. This is one of the highest rated infant car seats and is super easy to install with the LATCH system that is found in all newer cars. I definitely recommend an extra base if there are two parents that will be transporting the infant. The padding inserts are great in this seat and there is no need to buy any extra head or body supports, even for a 5# preemie like Trapper! It will also last you a while since it goes up to 30 pounds. We found that Trapper was tired of laying down to travel long before he reached the weight limit, so we upgraded to a convertible seat at 8 months (shhhh, don't tell!) You can also get the car seat and stroller travel system, but I chose not to. Which brings me to my next item...



8) I searched and searched for months to find the perfect stroller that didn't cost $1000 and finally found one that I could not be happier with. The Joovy Kooper!! It folds like an umbrella stoller, but still reclines for sleeping. It has a decent sized basket that so far, has been big enough for everything we've needed it for. There are also 2 side pockets (1 on either side of the child) that are perfect for toys or sippy cups. The sun canopy is quite large and it unfolds easily. It comes in fun colors, too, but I'm boring and just got black.



9) If you are breast feeding, the next 3 items are for you...

Washable breast pads (instead of the disposable ones) are wonderful. Much more comfortable and cheaper in the long run. I used Playtex and Avent. Playtex were thinner and Avent ones are thicker and better for days at work or long periods away from baby. Plus the Avent ones come with a little mesh bag to wash 'em in and store 'em all together.



10) Medela Pump in Style breast pump. I chose the backpack one. This is one of the best pumps, but expensive. Great for those of us that have to go back to work post baby.



11) Hot Slings nursing cover. This one goes all the way around you so even if baby is flailing his arms and legs you can still stay covered. I didn't purchase this, but borrowed a friends for our trip to California . I didn't think that I would like this particular style, but ended up loving it! Maybe I will make one like it before baby #2 comes!



12) Swaddling a baby helps them to sleep better, but not everybody knows how to get a good swaddle that will stay secure without constricting the baby's breathing. Introducing the swaddle blanket for dummies...Summer Infant SwaddleMe. These are great and come in different fabrics for different seasons. Tyson was even able to swaddle Trapper!



13) Bottles were not used much in my house, but not for lack of trying! We went through about 7-8 different types before finding any that Trapper would take. Our favorites were Dr. Brown's. These worked great when Trapper was still really little and got gassy from time to time. We also liked Nuby silicone bottles and Tommee Tippee bottles are very similar. The last 2 are shaped more like the breast and work great for nursing/bottle babies (If they will take a bottle at all!)




Now for the items I wish I had had with Trapper...



1) Summer Infant Velboa Snuzzler...this just looks like a cloud! I wouldn't need it for our car seat, but would have liked it for the stroller for when Trapper was littler.



2) JJ Cole Bundle Me...I would still like to order this the the Toddler sized Lite version. It would be perfect for the stroller to keep him warm in the fall and winter without having to worry about dropping or running over a blanket. Come to think of it....I may just have to go ahead and get one!!



3) Aden + Anais Swaddle Plus Wraps 4 pack. These are large muslin blankets that are great for swaddling. They are thin and breathe so baby doesn't get hot and sweaty. These, however, are on the pricey side and also require knowledge on how to swaddle.



4) I just found this nifty item online...don't know much about it, but seems neat and worth a try. BabyBond Slurp & Burp Nursing Cover. This keeps you covered while leaving baby uncovered and makes it so you don't have to have expensive nursing tops.



These are my top picks for baby items and if you have any questions about these or other items please feel free to ask!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

About Us

WoooHooo! It's finally my first blog!!

Let me start out by telling you a little bit about us...

My name is Kiri. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Tyson, since 2004. We were both in school at the time at WTAMU. He graduated in May of 2005 and left the very next month for Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas. I stayed here in Canyon to finish my BSN-RN degree. I graduated in December 2006 at which point I also moved to Dallas. I spent the first year there as an RN on a med/surg unit at MDMC and then transferred to a mother/baby unit for the last 6 months. We decided that Dallas was not our forte, so we made our way back "home" to Canyon. We bought our first house and began making it our home the summer of 2008. I am currently working in the Neonatal ICU at BSA, and Tyson is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic working alongside Dr. Kershen at Kershen Chiropractic.



August 4th, 2009 was a BIG day for us as we welcomed our son, Trapper Alan, into this world. He was 4 1/2 weeks early and weighed in at 4 lbs 13.2 ounces and measured 18 inches long. I guess he decided that he liked the sounds of the NICU so much that he wanted to stay there a while longer. After 8 LONG days in the NICU we brought him home on August 11th.

Since then our lives have been busier and more rewarding than we ever thought possible! We try to enjoy every minute of it.
Thanks for reading!
~Kiri~