Cloth diapers - Day 2!

Well...we did it...we are now using cloth diapers! It is day two and things are going well. We have learned from some mistakes...which resulted in Pappy getting pee'd on and Owen wetting his gown and blanket in the night. The mistakes are not due to the diaper construction at all...they were due to operator error! We are figuring out the best and proper way to put the diapers on.

The diapers look great on Owen. We will have to take some pictures and post them soon.

We've also transitioned to the schedule we need to be on when Mom goes back to work in the office full-time on October 5th. His first feed of the day is now 5am (instead of 6am). And after extensive brainstorming on how we could all get more sleep during the night, we moved Owen's long sleep time to 11pm to 5am (used to be 9pm to 3am). Night one of that (last night) went well...so we will see how the next few go before raving about it!! Thank goodness Owen is flexible and adaptive to what we throw at him! We figure he doesn't care, as long as he is fed every three hours seven times a day, burped, dry, warm, cuddled some, played with and left alone to sleep enough!!!

Other than that...Owen is becoming much more expressive. He has cute little frowns and large open-mouthed smiles. He can see himself in the mirror of his Boppy Play Mat (see previous post) and adores looking/smiling in it for up to 30 minutes at a time! Owen has found his fist, which goes in his mouth when he can get it there. Owen still spits up a lot, but we are managing it better now with some medicine, wearing bibs and always carrying a cloth wipe around!

Owen's Baptism!

Owen was baptized yesterday (September 20, 2009) at Anniston First United Methodist Church. It was a great day!! We had so many supporters...it was fantastic! Thank you to all who attended and witnessed Owen's baptism!!!
Here are some pictures from the special day:



Pastor Hal Noble Baptizing Owen


Carmen & Sue Lloyd, Melissa, Clint & Owen McReynolds, Paula and Jay McReynolds

(We know someone must have a better copy of the picture above on their camera....please send it and we'll replace this picture!)

Owen is Two Months Old!!

WOW - today is the 14th...therefore...Owen is another month older. CRAZY!!
The Kidds (correct me if I am wrong) gave us an idea to take a picture of Owen next to a ball every month in order to give some comparison on his size. So...here is his second month picture with the ball from Jay Worrall!

Obviously, I will not be able to keep the onesie the same in every picture...but the ball will always be there! :)

I took some other photos today when Owen was playing on his play mat. He is one happy boy!!!



We enjoyed a visit from Michael and Elizabeth Gallian this past weekend. They were Owen's first non-family, overnight guests. Michael and Elizabeth have a two and half year old...so they know what having a two month old in the house is all about!! We had great food, great conversation and great times! We kicked ourselves after we left, as we did not get any pictures of our friends with our family. We will be in Texas the weekend of October 10th and hope to see them again. We will have to remember to document the visit a bit better!

8-week check-up

I (Mom) took Owen to his 8-week check-up yesterday. Owen was a BIG boy and got three shots that contained five immunizations, plus an oral one. He was sad from all the poking and prodding, but he ate well before leaving the doctor's office and it was as though nothing had happened there!

Owen weighed in at 12 lbs, 3 oz! And is officially two feet tall! His head circumference was measured to be 16 inches. That puts him in the 50-75th percentile for weight and head size, and 90th for height! Who would have thought....a 5'7" mom and 5'9" dad have a child that is in the 90th percentile for height! Let's just say, we won't be surprised if that percentile drops over time.

The shots have not really phased Owen too much. He has maintained his schedule, which I am grateful for, but he is not eating as much as normal. I am keeping him on Tylenol for the fever reduction through tonight.

In other news...We've scheduled Owen's baptism for September 20th at our church - Anniston First UMC. The ceremony will take place in the Traditional Service at 10:30am . If you are in the area, or can be in the area, we'd love to see you there!

Rosie and Doug came to visit us last Wednesday night. They are both grandparents and LOVE babies. It was Owen's fussy time, so they both tried their tricks to settle him. Doug was doing GREAT with this new hold (to us) as shown below....that is until we thought it was a cute picture!!! As soon as the focusing light flashed on Owen's face, Owen lost it!!!

Saturday was Owen's first ESPN College Game day with Dad. We had to put him in his Aggie gear!!! You can tell from the picture that he is totally engaged in the game being shown on the TV!!!

Also...I could not resist taking this photo of Owen today. I KNOW the answer to the question on his bib....ooh...oooh....pick me....I KNOW!!! I'll give you a hint...it is not the guy sleeping in the photo!! Just kidding. He needs sleep just as much as the rest of us! What a sleeping sweetie!!! And look at those cheeks!! They are quite pinch-able!!!

Seven week photo of Owen!

Here is Owen sportin' his onesie from Aisha, Dave and Katelyn!!!


It is a little big...but it is also sized for a six month old!

What else is new here??
Melissa is working from home and is being as productive as possible in between feedings, playing with Owen and putting him to sleep. Clint hurries home to spend time with Owen and eat dinner as a family (well...Owen sits in his bouncy seat on the floor...but has been staying awake (and quiet) throughout!). We switched bottle types last night. We're now trying the Playtex VentAire Advanced bottle for his last feed of the day. It seemed as though both Clint and Owen liked it! Clint verbalized that he wants to always use that bottle from now on, and Owen's middle-of-the-night grunts were minimal. Must have worked well!


We read a new book today. It was a gift from Harris, Katie and Tucker Rhodes and it is titled "Owen"!!! Melissa went online to find a picture of the book and was surprised to see that this little book has a review! HA! Here it is:

Owen by Kevin Henkes is about a little mouse who loves his fuzzy yellow blanket. He does everything with his fuzzy friend. Owen eats and sleeps with Fuzzy. Owen loves Fuzzy, his baby blanket.
There is one small problem. Owen is starting kindergarten soon. He cannot take Fuzzy to school. His parents try several things to separate Owen from Fuzzy. The nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, offers many suggestions. They are unsuccessful.
Finally, Owen’s mother finds a solution. She makes many Fuzzies by dividing Fuzzy into little fuzzy handkerchiefs. Owen can take a little Fuzzy to school in his pocket. Everyone is happy!
The juvenile book is perfect for the little one unable to face separation from the baby blanket. Preschool and elementary kids will find that they are not the only one with separation problems. After reading the picture book, the child and parent can discover a way to solve the problem.
Kevin Henkes the author of Owen is a popular writer of childrens' story books. Owen is a Caldecott Honor Book.
Kevin Henkes is the artist of the book’s illustrations. He uses watercolors to depict Owen, his parents and nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers. The pictures are as warm and fuzzy as Fuzzy.

Batteries and devices

Well...we've been through our first set of batteries on both the bouncy seat and the swing. Both units got fresh batteries installed this past weekend. Unfortunately...our life-saving bouncy seat quit working last night. Big trouble...as it was our miracle soother in the middle of the night and Owen's favorite place to hang out while we enjoy dinner together! Apparently others have had this problem with the same model (Graco Deco Bouncy chair)...so we know it is nothing we did! We will be looking into fixing it or a replacement ASAP!!!

Owen's First BBQ Competition

We took Owen to his first BBQ Competition on Friday night - Stokin' the Fire at Sloss Furnaces.

The weather was awesome (except for the looming thunder and lightning storm, the food was incredible and the company even better! We (Clint and Melissa) enjoyed a friend's Burger entry (mini burgers with tomato, spinach, tzatziki and grilled feta), some ABTs (see previous post) and some key lime cheesecake pieces dipped in chocolate on a stick!! As for Owen...he slept until feeding time...at which point...he enjoyed all the above in liquid form! Just kidding! Many did like to joke that his reason for crying was because he wanted some BBQ though!

The outing was a success for all involved. Owen was a bit fussy on the way home...but Clint perfected a method to jiggle the car seat a little bit to make Owen calm down. And Melissa perfected a way to reach around the car seat to blindly find and appropriately place the pacifier in Owen's mouth. :) We're learning something new everyday!

The rest of the weekend has been enjoyable too. Yesterday, Clint walked and played with Owen in the morning so Melissa could get some additional sleep and then mowed the lawn. Melissa put away all her maternity clothes and brought out all her pre-maternity clothes. It is as though she has a brand new wardrobe now! Melissa also received her notification for her citizenship interview last week. So, she is busy putting together the supplied flash cards to help her study for the test.

We have also started a new feeding schedule with Owen that allows everyone to get to bed a bit earlier and is such that Melissa only has to get up once in the middle of the night (well..that's what it says on paper anyway! Owen may have other plans some nights). We now feed every three hours starting at 6am with the last feed at 9pm. Then the middle of the night feed is somewhat directed by Owen, but Melissa will not let him go too long. The past two nights he has been feeding around 2:30am. It is great that he can make it 5.5 hours! Bodes well for him sleeping through the night soon! :)

We are still following Baby Wise (see previous post), and it seems to be working well. By the book...Owen eats, he burps and gets a diaper change and then we keep him awake for 30-45 minutes. His favorite activities are to lay in his boppy and look out the nursery window and either listen to music or be sung to. He also likes to lay on his Boppy Activity mat (see below...but NOTE: that is NOT Owen pictured!), although he does not yet play with all the items dangling above him. We also sit with him in our laps and move his arms and legs around. We tell him funny stories or sing songs. He has started to smile and coo, which is really fun for us to see and hear! Sometimes he tells us when he is done and ready to sleep, other times, we have to call it quits so that he does not get overtired or over stimulated. We wrap him up and get him to sleep until the next feed.


Everyday Owen brings us new challenges...but MORE delights! He is so sweet and precious. We love him to pieces!

Craft Ideas

OK...this blog is not only for displaying pictures and stories of our pregnancy and sweet little boy Owen. I have also been using it to keep track of research and information that I think others may find useful (i.e. cloth diapering!) or that I will need later. I just read another blog that had two GREAT craft sites. I am going to place the links here for others to use right now...and for me to use later (when I have a spare moment!).
Here they are:
UCreate
Craft Gossip

Two pretty cool sites, if you ask me!
Enjoy!

Owen's a big boy now!!!!

Check out Owen sitting up in his Bumbo seat!


Owen is growing bigger and stronger everyday!

The triple threat

Although we don't believe we have a colicky baby by definition, Owen is definitely struggling with some painful stomach issues (could be gas, growing pains, digestive system regulation, or something completely different). Regardless, we are trying the "triple threat" these days in attempt to subside his discomfort.

We use Mylicon before feedings. "Infants’ MYLICON® Drops, the #1 pediatrician-recommended anti-gas medicine, relieves the discomfort of infant gas frequently caused by air swallowing or by certain formulas or foods. It is safe because the drops are not absorbed into your baby's system. MYLICON® drops are safe enough for even the newest of newborns. They're safe enough to give with every feeding." (reference: http://www.mylicon.com/products/index.jhtml)

Mom is drinking "Mother's Nursing Tea" from the Mama Goddess Birth Shop (reference: http://www.mamagoddessbirthshop.com/collections/breastfeeding/products/nuturing-the-nursing-mother-tea)
"Nurturing the Nursing Mother was born from the many mothers who would call us asking about our More Milk Tea, they were wondering if it was a tea that they could drink even if they were not having milk production problems.
We wanted to be able to fill that gap and provide another alternative for mothers who wanted to nourish themselves as well as their breastmilk supply, and so this tea was born!
What is is good for?
This is a specific blend of herbs like Nettles and Raspberry leaves that are full of important minerals such as Iron and Calcium, as well as yummy herbs like Fennel and Anise that are specific for helping digestion and Breastmilk supply, and are great for gassy babies too!
All Organic Ingredients of:
Nettle, Red Raspberry Leaf, Fennel, Anise and Orange Peels."


And, when all else fails, we are trying Baby's Bliss Gripe Water.
"A traditional European remedy, gripe water contains safe, fast, effective, natural ingredients for relieving colic discomforts. Gripe water has been used by mothers for over a century to provide relief from the discomforts of colic, stomach cramps, hiccups, gas and teething.
The traditional natural remedies Fennel and Ginger are contained in Baby's Bliss Gripe Water. Both have long been shown to be beneficial for easing nausea and pain due to baby stomach gas and other symptoms of colic. Fennel and Ginger are also effective for the discomforts of infant teething, gas and hiccups.

Baby's Bliss Gripe Water Major Ingredients:

Ginger
Ginger is a natural safe and effective ingredient, which has been used by parents for centuries, to relieve nausea and other digestive problems.
Fennel
Fennel is another natural safe and effective treatment for stomach upset, hiccups, gas and other conditions with a century's long history of human use. It is recommended by many herbalists. Fennel seed oil is especially effective for relaxing a baby's intestinal tract.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium Bicarbonate is a common ingredient in food (baking soda), which is commonly used to decrease stomach acidity. Therefore, it is useful for easing the discomforts of colic, which is often associated with stomach discomfort. (14 mg per dose with a maximum 6 doses a day).
Fructose
Although today many health experts recommend less use of all forms of sugar, they also agree that where sugar is consumed in limited quantities, fructose (a natural sugar in fruits and honey) is a better choice than processed sucrose (table sugar)."
(reference: http://www.colichelp.com/shop/gripewater.html)

Of course, Mom is watching what she eats too...but from reading more and more...we've found some other foods that Mom needs to cut from her diet. We'd already cut out dairy products, citrus fruits, nuts, spicy foods, and gassy foods (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and beans)...but it looks like we need to cut out chocolate, wheat, and shellfish. In addition, we've added lots of garlic and ginger where possible, as they are two items that help reduce gas in the mother and baby.

The next course of action may be to try some more of the tummy massages, as recommended by La Leche League and others. Here is one that we found...
"Here's a description of infant massage: The colic massage I was taught consists of three parts. Before you begin, drizzle some oil on your hands and rub them together enough so your hands glide on your baby's skin but don't leave his skin looking shiny. Some people prefer to use a special massage oil, however any oil will do, even vegetable oil from the kitchen. Undress baby, but leave the diaper on loosely. Sometimes babies pass more than gas! Place the baby on his back on a washable blanket, in case the oil stains it. Always keep a hand on the baby!

Part One is called the paddlewheel. Place your palm under the baby's chin, with your fingers pointing toward his shoulder. (It doesn't matter which hand you begin with since you will use both.) Draw your hand down his chest, and into the diaper area. Your stroke should be smooth and firm enough that you feel the "dip" when your hand leaves his ribcage. As your hand is around the belly button, place the opposite hand under the chin and stroke downward, so your hands are making circles over the baby, with one hand always stroking. Do this until your hands/arms begin to tire.

Part Two: Baby is still flat on his back. Place the baby's heel up next to his bottom by bending his knee sharply. Move the leg, still sharply bent, until the top of the thigh rests against the tummy. Get both legs in this position. The baby may be a tad confused at first, but later he will actually assist you-babies love this so! Grab the baby's ankles and gently shake his legs in an up-and-down motion, unbending the knees gradually, until his heels rest on the blanket and his legs are straight. Repeat many times. You may also help the baby "ride a bicycle" by holding his feet and pumping his legs. This is not part of the "official" massage, but my babies loved doing it.

Part Three: Using as much of your fingers/palm as possible, circle the belly button in a clockwise motion. This gets any remaining gas moving in the proper direction for the baby to easily pass it. Another way to do this is to rub clockwise "parentheses" around the belly button, i.e., if the belly button is the center of a clock, one hand moves from ten to one o'clock and the other from four to seven."

(reference: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJanFeb98p13.html)

WISH US LUCK!!!! And...if you have any other suggestions...please let us know!

Another Big Day for Owen

Everyday is a big day for Owen. We are continuing on our routine the best we can and it seems to be helping us all cope with a newborn in the house! This morning, Owen seemed hungry every time I turned around, and of course he continues to spit up quite a bit after eating all the milk I work so hard to produce for him! :) Before the 1:30pm feeding, Owen got his first bath with Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo. It made him smell SO good! Owen may not have agreed, as he still screamed all the way through the bath. He happily ate and then he spent some time sitting in his boppy pillow and looking out the window (a new favorite thing to do...thanks to Kristin!).




Of course, Nash was supervising both mommy and Owen....

And then it was nap time for both Mom and Owen...but I had to capture this picture first. I know...I know...there are LOTS of pics of Owen in his bouncy chair...he is not in it THAT much...just a different place to nap (other than in mommy's arms, his swing or his crib)!

Goodbye to the Jacksons

Our good friends, April and Matt Jackson moved to Hattiesburg MS this past weekend. We attended their going-away party on Saturday night. We will miss them dearly, but wish them all the best!! We know we will see them lots back in Anniston and hope to make a visit or two to Mississippi!!

Owen's First Family Reunion

This past weekend, the McReynolds took a trip to Loretto Tennessee for the Allred Family Reunion. Owen slept all the way there, with the exception of feeding time at McDonald's and he enjoyed meeting several extended family members! Here are some pictures -
Owen (three and a half weeks old) and his Great-Great-Aunt Ople (97 years old):


Owen with his third cousin - Harriette


Owen with Nonnie's third cousins - Tessa and Reagan (we are not sure what relationship they would then be to Owen!)

(Potentially) The last day to be Ferociously Cute

Owen is growing so fast! Sounds cliche...but it is so true. I think today might be the last day that he fits into his "Ferociously Cute" onesie. It is getting tight in the length!! It is such a cute onesie...so I will be sad to 'retire' it so early!

Owen was quite alert when I was taking the photo of him in his Ferociously Cute onesie, that I tried to capture a few more good pics and expressions. Not many turned out, as not only was he alert...but he moves quite quickly so many of the photos were blurry!!!


Last night, the cap to his cord came off. Before dressing him, I took this picture showing off his belly button. It appears to be an "innie" (not quite sure how to spell that...and spell check is not helping!).

Today, we have a sleepy baby...maybe...

So far....we have a sleepy baby today. Owen made enough noise this morning at 245am for me to check on him. I don't even unswaddle him...or wake him for that matter. He fed for a little while, but stayed asleep. I am not complaining...as it meant that I could get some sleep myself! He was then up at 445am for more food. Even with a diaper change, Owen did not appear to be awake. He was certainly content though!

I unswaddled him and woke him at 730am to start our daily feeding schedule and he again fell back to sleep. His normal routine is to stay awake to scream a little bit, spit up, burp and scream some more...so this not the norm!!! Here is a picture of him sleeping after his 730am feed.


This extra sleepy period allowed me to get some laundry folded, the dishes put away and post this blog entry! Owen is up now and sitting here with me as I type (with one finger....not my style...but I will do what I have to in order to accomplish something with a little guy on my lap!!). :)

Missed the opportunity to take a shower...but I will have another chance soon...I am certain!

Our best Owen pic yet

Owen was swaddled last night over our dinner time. He wiggled a hand free...but seemed content. Clint shot some great pics. Here is the best one! What a cutie!!!!

Mission Accomplished!

Dad successfully gave Owen his first bottle this afternoon! It went great....other than Owen falling asleep! But...that is the same thing he does for Mommy! Daddy kept talking to him and managed to get just shy of 3.5 oz in Owen! Way to go Owen and Daddy!!!
So...now that is behind us. We are relieved, as it means that others can now feed Owen! :)

Multi-Taskers

I have been accused of multi-tasking in many situations throughout my life. Although...now that Owen is here...I pretty much do one thing...take care of him. I will admit that I have talked to Clint on my cell phone and texted a few friends while feeding Owen a couple of times. But that is the extent of my multi-tasking these days.

However...my family has been great at it...and I have caught them in the act! Here is my Dad multi-tasking (checking email, surfing the web and soothing Owen in his bouncy seat:

And...this morning, Clint walked Nash while carrying Owen in the Baby Bjorn AND...drank a thermal cup of coffee on-the-go!!

I don't have pictures...but when my parents were here...my Mom was the ultimate multi-tasker. She kept the house clean, made every meal for us, did the laundry, read a book and helped me tremendously with Owen.

Who does baby Owen look like???

Here is Clint's baby picture

Here is Melissa's baby picture

And here is Owen....

Owen's Arrival!

Last Tuesday (July 14th, 2009) we became the proud parents of a 7lbs 6 oz bundle of joy named Owen Lloyd McReynolds. Labor was LONG and had its challenges...but we made it through with the help of some great nurses, Dr Tessen, and fabulous family support. During labor, Melissa had thoughts of never wanting to go through another one...but delivery was a piece of cake (in comparison to labor)...and is confident that she can go through L&D again...especially with the reward of a precious baby at the end!!!!


At 10:47pm, Owen entered the world




Nonnie and Pop McReynolds were there to meet him


As were Gram and Pappy Lloyd


We had a few visitors in the hospital...The Harris Family, The Murray Family, Hal Noble, Erin Rahn, Jason Rios, Michelle and Terry Minter, D.R. and Dave. Only one of which we remembered to take a picture of (Miss Erin is featured below holding Owen sporting the hat she knit him and the Miracle Blanket Nonnie made). Gram and Pappy took care of everything at our house, which was a big stress reliever for us. And, they brought us home cooked food (so we didn't have to eat the nasty hospital food) that made all the nurses jealous! I am sure the whole maternity floor could smell the wonderful chicken pot pie that we had for dinner on Wednesday night and we stayed healthy by eating fabulous cantaloupe and cherries for dessert.


After the birth, we were focused on getting everyone checked out by the doctors, getting some rest and looking forward to being discharged. We successfully got discharged 36 hours after Owen was born and we loaded Owen up in the car for his first ride. Nash was waiting for us at home with Gram and Pappy


The hound dog in Nash really likes to smell Baby Owen. His concerns when Owen cries are lessening, but he still needs to check out the baby when he makes a peep. Here is Owen's "Arriving Home" picture!


Shortly after arriving home, we got right on a feeding schedule. Nash is a great guard dog!!!


Owen had a busy couple first days at home. Eating, Sleeping and Pooping were not his only activities. He enjoys swinging and sleeping in his bouncy seat, but did not enjoy his first bath. Baths are getting easier!





At our weight check on Saturday, Owen weighed 6lbs 10oz. We had to step up his feeding schedule a little bit...which had Mommy feeding Owen every two hours and Gram feeding Owen from a syringe in the middle of the night. This was a life saver for Mommy, as it allowed her to get a solid 5 hours of sleep. Not many new mommies are that lucky! But all the hard work paid off, as Owen weighed in on Monday at 7lbs. We continued with the same regimen and again were rewarded with a weight check of 7lbs 8oz on Wednesday. What a heavyweight!!!! To be 2 oz past his birth weight at only 8 days old is AWESOME!! So...we've scaled back on the feeding schedule. Now Owen gets fed every 2.5 hours, and Gram still pulls the graveyard shift complete with a feeding to get him through the night.

We are loving being parents and are so blessed to have Gram and Pappy here to help us out. It is allowing us to get the rest we need to ease into this new stage of life and care for our new addition.