Belly Cast Done!

Finally got this thing done...and my son is a year old. After alot of thought, decided to just smooth it out, put a semi-gloss white coat on it, and just write his birth information on the belly.

I was thinking that I was going to do something crazy and creative (I did go to art school after all), but after looking at it I just went for simple.

Here is what I did:

1. Let it dry/cure. I let mine sit a year...totally don't need to do it that long. As long as it is not super humid, a week should be plenty of time
2. I did a light sanding with a fine grain sanding block, just to get off the really rough stuff.
3. I applied joint compound to the whole cast with my fingers, filling in spots and rubbing it into the texture as I went.
4. Let dry again. Make sure you let it go overnight at least.
5. Sand again. If you still have some bad spots, you can do steps 3 and 4 again.
6. Cast is now ready for painting. Apply a coat of Gesso (primer) to get it ready for what ever else you are going to do. If you are going to decoupage it, you can skip the Gesso.

I applied a semi-gloss white paint (it is actually a house trim paint we had left over from doing the house). I then just took a Sharpie and printed his info on the belly. I didn't trim off the rough edges of mine, since I like it. You can trim them with sharp scissors. I would do it before you add the joint compound.

There are a couple things I want to do for the next one. 1) I want to do it standing up...you can cast the underside of the belly and you don't distort the belly shape at all like you do when you are sitting (mine is a little spread out). 2) I want to put his foot prints inside where he kicked the most. I saw this on another blog, and loved the idea. His feet are too big to do it now. 3) I want to take a picture of my baby inside the cast. I wanted to do this, but somehow we forgot, and they grow so fast.

I have this on top of our entertainment center in the living room. :)

Too Much Reading...

Lately there have been articles on every aspect of child rearing/parenting floating around Facebook. I myself have posted several. Everything from car seat safety (please check the new AAP guidelines) to why I don't practice "Cry It Out" (CIO). While I find reading these articles and studies to be interesting, many moms are openly questioning their way of doing things, or admitting that reading them makes them feel guilty.

Now, we all know that studies and articles siting studies are trying to prove something. They are always going to use the evidence and words that prove their side of the argument. For instance, the the CIO debate, there are articles and studies saying that it is okay for A/B/C reasons, and another article or study that states it is harmful for A/B/C reasons. So what is a parent to do?

Follow your gut.

Chances are, if feel like you are doing the right thing by your child, you are. That is not to say that people don't make mistakes - parents do, everyday. But you have to do what you think is best for your family, situation, and the individual child. I know parents who even parent their individual children differently based on their personality and temperament.

Your personal history has alot to do with this as well. For instance, many of my generation were subjected to CIO as babies, simply because that was in fashion at the time with doctors and experts. My parents have told me stories of me being left in my crib to cry until I finally threw up. They would change me and the bed and put me right back in to continue crying. Would I ever do that? No. Maybe it is because, somewhere in my memory, I remember being left alone.

The same logic of doing what you think is best covers many areas. Are you going to have a junk food free diet for your child? Only feed organic and homemade foods? Extended breastfeeding? Even right down to where/how you give birth is a parenting decision - the first one you will ever make.

Basically, my point is this: Read and look at studies, talk to other parents, but don't let words on paper or in other's mouths judge you. Don't feel guilty for doing what you think is best.

Face Plant

Okay, prepare to judge my mom skills. Or laugh...either is fine.

Today my son was in his bouncy/jumper thingy (yes, that is the proper name for it). We have used this for months to great success. He gets to stand and bounce/jump, and I know he is in one spot so I can go to the bathroom.

Today we were doing our baby education time (signing, Your Baby Can Read, and a few other things), and he got cranky. I was just finishing an email to my professor, and told him (while sitting right by him, laptop in hand) "Hold on hun, just let mommy send this". He then stopped whining, grabbed the bars that suspend the contraption, and pulled himself out of the thing.

He then dropped right onto his face, sat up, smiled at me, and clapped.

Yes I just sat and watched. Should I have stopped him from face planting? Probably. Did I really just want to see if he could do it? Yes.

I also wanted to make damn sure that we were really done with that bouncy/jumper thingy...now I have to find something else to contain him while I rush to the bathroom to go pee.

Almost Walking, Football, and Thanksgiving

Well our little man is almost walking. He takes a step at a time, pauses, and drops to the floor or grabs onto something. He does not like to hold our hands and walk...he is like "Dude, I can crawl faster...let me down." Our wonderful little boy is however doing chin-ups on our baby gates though, which are taller than him. Thank God we invested in strong, attached to the wall types.

Every Saturday at our house is football day...and I mean all day. Now, please don't get me wrong, I love College ball (Go Florida!), but watching random games all day is a bit much. But don't try to tell my husband that.

A's first Thanksgiving was great and he ate like a horse. We let him sort of go wild and he really did...and was put right into the bath afterwards. :) Cooking for so many people was a bit stressfull, but I enjoyed it. Just wish that I could not get behind every year. Those turkeys never want to finish in a timely manner.

We are going to start decorating for Christmas this week and next, and I think we are getting a tree over the weekend. We have to get a real tree (I'm a stickler for a real tree) and I think we may get like an eight foot one. Yay!

Applause Appreciated

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Such a simple action and I cried about it today.

Mostly because it was my 10 month old son doing it.

After working on that all week with him (with him looking at me like "Mom, you have lost your mind") he clapped today! Naturally it was with Daddy, when I was off taking a test at the college. They were watching an African cultural dance performace and they started to clap and so did he. Then he turned and waved and pointed to the audiance (to make sure they knew he was there I suppose) and then went back to clapping with the performers. Daddy said he stole the show.

He is also going to sleep on his own now, no need for rocking. I cried about that tonight. I miss my little baby. I laugh and love and spout joy with every new thing he does, but I also cry a little on the inside (sometimes on the outside too) since I know that he is one step closer to not being a baby at all anymore, but a little boy.

Bittersweet.