10 weeks!

Chase sleeping in his chair for the first time in 2 weeks

(he's been sleeping on mom or dad while he's been sick!)

Chase in his swing for the first time- not

quite sure what to make of it.

Dad "playing" with Chase

Chase looking cute.

Tummy time and lifting his head!

Same tummy time...looks like he's giving up but he's doing so good.

brotherly love

dad's so excited to put up the tree!!!

Chase is 10 weeks old today! This past week, he has still been sick. He had a better day yesterday but last night was up a lot due to stuffy nose. As far as recent developments, at his Dr. appt on Monday, he weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces!! We couldn't believe it! He gained 2 pds in 3 weeks. He is in the 5th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference...so funny b/c Tayler has always been as well. Much to my surprise, he had his vaccinations even though he was sick. Poor guy:(

He is continuing to want to play more, tracks objects, and smiles ALL the time now. One funny thing he does is constantly moving his hands...if he is upset they move around fast, eating-slowly but still moving. It is quite funny-hard to explain-I will have to video it. He is talking non stop! It is so cute b/c he says ah goo-then we say it back and he will smile and say it louder than before....he is learning to communicate! He had some tummy time this week and was in his swing for the first time. Brian also put up the tree last weekend and our house has been filled with the smell of mulled cider, the sparkle of lights, and the sounds of Christmas music. I think Brian has officially converted me to being a little obsessed with Christmas!

On another note, I go back to work for my 15 hours a week on Monday. I have worked randomly the last few weeks but officially Monday is the day. Chase will be with me or Brian so I won't be leaving him but it will still be an adjustment. That is about it for this past week. We are dedicating Chase this Sunday so say a prayer for him! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

9 weeks!

Hellooooo!!!!!


"Aah goo."


How precious!

"Where are we going now?"

Looking Snazzy

Christmas Pajamas!

Learning through osmosis...



Looking at his guardian angel?




Future small group leader- watch out Chad!

A long day of eating and pooping.



All the blonde Humes unite!

First time in cloth diapers. Doesn't he look thrilled?

But, at least he's clean after a nice bath.

"Cheese!"

Dr. Dad to the rescue

Chase being good while dad cleans the carpet

Dad in Christmas pj's while feeding Chase

I can't believe Chase is 9 weeks old. I say this every week, right? This past week, Chase has been following objects with his eyes and has been much more smily. He also had his first cold, so he has been attached to me for a week:) even in sleeping. So, I am VERY tired! He still has a stuffy nose but seems to be on the upswing. He also stayed with daddy for five hours on Saturday while I worked. You can see in the pic that he also had his first pumped bottle. Brian did a fabulous job and Chase loved having that special time with dad and big brother:) We ordered our first set of cloth diapers and we should start those next week. I put his first bumgenius on him today thanks to Sandy and Tara! These are bulkier than the ones I ordered but they are all one size so that is nice. I put a pic of him in his first cloth! I am so excited about these..I feel much better about putting cloth on him. Enjoy the parade of pictures from this past week.

Chase Playing

Happy 8th Anniversary, Love!

How far we've come....
After that first kiss
Perhaps we were so naive
Perhaps we were right on point
You were more than I could have ever asked for...

As long as we are together
Nothing can stop us
Now we are stronger than ever
In our union, we are one
Very different people in some ways
Extremely alike in others
Remaining through all the valleys
Stronger because of them
Adetermined provider
Rock solid in who you are
You are the love of my life

Happy Anniversary Brian, I love you! I am so excited about the next chapter in our lives. You are truly the love of my life. You are so faithful, loyal, and have the character of a saint. We have grown up together and are at a place now that I am so happy with. I remember when we first met, all of the things that drew me to you then..your sense of humor, compassion, your friendliness-yes, I said friendliness:) trustworthiness, and your ability to see in me someone I hadn't yet realized...and you still have all of those qualities today. I am where I am because of you. I never have to doubt where you stand or who you are..and I am so thankful for that. Thank you for being a rock. I know it hasn't been easy and we have come through a lot of pain and growth together, but God has been so faithful and our love has remained so strong. God is shaping and forming us into vessels that can bring glory to him. What a story we have! I know one day we will share it with the world...I can't wait to see what the next years hold for us.
I love you, Karin

8 weeks!

Time definitely flies when you are having fun! I was telling someone this week that I have never been more fulfilled in my life. I am the happiest I have ever been and feel I have finally found my true self. I often think I am living a dream and need to pinch myself. I feel truly content and overjoyed. I am totally in love with this little boy! Well now that you are all teary:)....
This week Chase is beginning to want to "play" more. He likes to look around, sit outward on my lap, and play airplane. (modified version of course) He has been drooling a lot this week and making the cutest bubbles. He was worn in the wallababy for the first times this week (pics above), visited Mom2Mom for the first time, went on several walks, attended small group, and visited my office at work/church. He is continuing to smile and say "ah goo." He still loves jazz and sleeps to it most of the day. We listen to Baby Einstein in the car. We LOVE music! He has stuck to his schedule all week and is doing well on the E.A.S.Y schedule. I will be leaving him tomorrow for the first time for a five hour workday. I am having a hard time leaving him and have already shed many tears over it. Hopefully, that goes smoothly and we will both enjoy it. I have typed out his schedule for Brian and I think he and Tayler look forward to an all boys day. Here are some pics from this week. Enjoy!

Cloth Diaper Demonstration

I am so excited about a cloth diaper demonstration that I am having at our home this Wednesday at 6:30. Toasted Baby, a diapering service in Indy, will be doing the demo. They have a service with prefolds diapers for $20/week which is great for career moms. They bring you 100 initial prefolds to your home then weekly thereafter pick up your dirty ones and drop off fresh ones. They also have BumGenius, Fuzzibunz, etc for moms who have the time to wash them at home. These average about $15-$17 a diaper including the inserts. Check out their website at www.toastedbaby.com and if you are interested, let me know and come to the demo this Wednesday at our home at 6:30 p.m. However, they will not be selling any products, just demonstrating. We get to touch them, use them on a bear, etc. It should be very informative. I am very excited and have done a ton of research. It really isn't as overwheling as you may think. A few good websites are www.jilliansdrawers.com, www.diaperpin.com, www.cottonbabies.com Also, here are a few good facts about how using cloth is better for the environment and your budget.
An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the United States


A single disposable diaper may take 250 to 500 years to decompose (1)


Over 92% of all single-use disposable diapers end up in a landfill (2)


Disposable diaper use contributes to 1 ton of garbage containing untreated human waste per baby to landfills (4)


Over 300 lbs of wood, 50 lbs of petroleum feedstock and 20 lbs of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for ONE baby EACH year (3)


Disposable diapers make up the 3rd largest single consumer item in our waste system – following newspapers and beverage containers (1)


In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste (1)


1 Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. April 2003. Women's Environmental Network.

2 Lehrburger, Carl. 1988. Diapers in the Waste Stream: A review of waste management and public policy issues. 1988. Sheffield, MA: self-published.

3 Lehrburger, C., J. Mullen and C.V. Jones. 1991. Diapers: Environmental Impacts and Lifecycle Analysis. Philadelphia, PA: Report to The National Association of Diaper Services (NADS).

4 Flug, Rachael; Top Ten Environmental Reasons for Choosing Cloth Diapers; http://diaperaps.com/home/dp1/environment_main.html
Amercians spend about 7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year. The cost of cloth diapering can easily be less than 1/2 the cost of buying disposables.

Cost Savings: Cloth Diapers vs. Disposable Diapers


Disposable Diapers = $2,214.00
1st 3 months ($270.00)
30 days/month x 10 diapers/day x 3 months = 900 diapers a month
900 diapers x $.30 = $270.00
4 - 30 months ($1,944.00)
30 days/month x 8 diapers/day x 27 months = 6,480 diapers
6,480 diapers x $.30 = $1,944.00



Chinese Prefold & Bummis Super Whisper Wraps = $734.00
Chinese Prefolds ($132.00)
36 infant prefolds @ $2.00 each = $72.00
24 regular prefolds @ $2.50 each = $60.00
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps ($242.00)
8 small covers (white) @$11.00 each = $88.00
8 medium covers (white) @$11.00 each = $88.00
6 large covers (white) @$11.00 each = $66.00
Laundering Cost
24 months x $15.00/month = $360.00



Bumkins All-In-One = $1,807.95
Small (White)
36 @ $15.99 = $575.64
Medium (White)
30 @ $15.99 = $479.90
Large (White)
24 @ $15.99 = $383.76
Doublers for overnight
3 @ $2.95 = $8.85
Laundering Cost
24 months x $15.00/month = $360.00


Assumptions:
Average cost of disposable diaper = $.30. Based on price review at local area Kroger.
Laundering Cost is estimated at $15.00/month. This may vary based on the age and style of your washing machine.
Babies who are cloth diapered are potty trained on average in 24 months versus 30 months for those who wear disposable diapers.
Wipes & other accessories are not factored into this comparison. There would be further costs for both disposable and cloth and could vary greatly depending on the accessories used.

7 weeks!

Our little man has had a lot of firsts this week....first trip to Trader Joe's (see pic in car seat) first trip to Starbucks (see pic in chair), first Halloween, etc. As in new developments, Chase is holding is head up for lengthy amounts of time, scooted up my chest (much to our surprise), and is sleeping consistently in his bassinet. I thought I would post some pics of things we do during the day....for instance- We LOVE to walk in the park.... Chase sits in his same chair every morning to wake him up while I make coffee and breakfast for the family (see pic in blue chair) Chase sometimes naps in his moving chair (see pic with classic mouth open look:) Chase is also continuing to smile more (which I love)