Baby Gear and Life Long Memories

Since we figured out that Baby Creel is a boy, we have finally started purchasing some things for him! What a relief!  It feels more real as we begin seeing piles of his things laying around the apartment.  My Mamaw bought us a few adorable outfits from Carters, and we bought him two potential coming home outfits from there as well.  Yesterday after our doctors appointment, we bought our first set of cloth diapers!  We bought two green Lil Joey's for when he's teeny tiny, and the Albert Einstein diaper from Bum Genius that I've been dying to buy!  We got a few other odds and ends as well: some Thirsties Booty Love diaper ointment, an organic swaddle me, the softest organic sheet for his bassinet, peepee teepee's (something Daddy said would be the first purchase if we found out we were having a boy!), and daddy picked out a very special CD for him: Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Weezer.  We popped it in on the way home, and I must say, it almost put me to sleep so hopefully baby boy will like it too!  Kyle has been wonderful throughout this entire experience.  He is very attentive, and very interested in the entire process.  When we shop for baby, he has a huge grin on his face, instead of standing there looking bored like so many other men do.  He comes to every appointment, pays attention, and asks questions.  I'm so grateful that he is giving me the wonderful pregnancy experience that I didn't get last time around.


We have also started picking out nursery items, and ordering some things online.  I am only 20 weeks, and already stressing out about getting my hospital bag packed.  Jaidyn came 3 weeks ahead of schedule, and I hadn't packed a bag yet!  So this time I want to be extra prepared, especially since we have an hour long drive to the hospital this time around.  Also, with Jaidyn I stayed in the hospital for nearly 3 days, and will again this time, so I want to have everything that I need to get through those 2 or 3 days!  After much research and deliberation, we have finally decided on a crib!
  
Now, before I get into the nursery details, let me start off by saying that the lack of support we've gotten from people on our quest to go as organic and safe as possible with our children has been overwhelming.  If I hear one more person say "Umm, you are alive today and you didn't grow up with organic things did you?"  or "My children survived just fine...."  I will scream!  That's great that your children survived, and as for me, we didn't know nearly as much as we do about the harmful nature of toxins 25 years ago.  And sure, I may still be alive, but that doesn't mean that cancer won't be eating away at my body years from now because of the huge amount of toxins stored up in my body.  I am somewhat educated on these things, which I guess people fail to realize.  Not simply because I use google to research it, but because I am an environmental biology major....what do you think I have been learning about for the past 5 years?  It's a well know fact that toxins are bad for us, and another well known fact that most everything we own, eat, put on and in our bodies, contains toxins.  But, it should also be well known that there are alternatives.  We can't possibly afford to remove every toxin from our lives on the salary that my wonderful husband brings home (or probably on any salary for that matter!), but there are certain things that we can and will do to help protect our children.  I haven't figured out why people are so bothered by it.  We don't judge you for not going organic, so don't judge us for choosing too.  We realize that we can't protect our babies from everything, and that something bad can still happen to them, but why not prevent things if we are capable?  There are so many affordable organic/natural alternatives out there these days.  We are choosing to go that route, but that doesn't mean that you have to.  Hmmmm, this wasn't meant to turn into a rant, but I guess that it did :)  Now, let's get back to our 'as organic as naturally possible for us' nursery!


We decided to go with the BamBam Crib Complete from Argington.  It starts out as a bassinet, which later converts into a crib, and then into a toddler bed.  And of course, it's non-toxic and environmentally friendly!  The only negative is that it's on backorder until April 30th.  I really wanted to get the bassinet set up in our room before then, but hopefully it will be worth the wait. (really, I just want to be able to stare at a set up bassinet and day dream of the little boy that will soon be in it!)  Now, the bedding has been giving me the most stress.  I really wanted something natural, so that our baby wont be breathing in toxins when he's sleeping.  The mattress that we are buying him is a Naturepedic No-Compromise Organic Cotton Classic Crib and Toddler Mattress.  Because we are going with the organic mattress, I was going to give in a use the adorable non-organic bedding that I fell in love with (you can view it here: http://www.landofnod.com/baby-crib-bedding/kids-bedding/not-a-peep-crib-bedding/f9771" ) but I decided against it.  We really wanted to get Jaidyn some healthier bedding too, instead of the cheap set we bought her from Wal-Mart.  So, as I continued my bedding search, I found a way for them to both have affordable organic bedding, and bedding that will coordinate well, since they will be sharing a room.  Kyle and I are super excited with our find, and I can't wait to order it tomorrow!  Jaidyn deserves the best too, not just the baby :)  She is pretty excited to receive her new bedding soon!

Nursery gear and other baby purchases.
All organic, and all affordable!

We've got a thousand other things to purchase, but we are starting to feel a little more at ease since we've made some steps towards getting things ready for our new little guy!  Now, before I go, I want to talk about Jaidyn and Baby Creel for a minute.  Those two are so sweet together already.  I kid you not, he swims over to whatever side she is on when she's cuddling me belly, which is often.  Even if she's just sitting next to me talking to me, he responds to her voice by going over to that side.  I just think it's so neat!  His kicks have gotten a lot stronger lately, so both Kyle and Jaidyn have gotten to feel him more often.  The looks of their faces when they feel a kick is so priceless, it brings me so much joy!  Today after school, Jaidyn was laying her head on my belly.  Baby Creel kicked her really hard on her cheek!  She loved it :)  It was such a fun moment!  I hope I never forget the way she giggled and smiled at me after he did it.  I am just so in love with my growing family!