ON OUR SITE
OTHER LINKS
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
I took the baby test...and failed-248 times!
As you know a popular diaper company who will remain nameless (Huggies) has a very convincing ad campaign. They say they their diapers are baby tested and proven not to leak and then they encourage you to take the baby test yourself, so I did. Boy did I make a mistake!!! I decided to take their test 248 times!!! We bought a huge box oh these diapers from Sams. Boy, I wish I would have just chosen to test a small amount because I surely failed their baby test.
Every single time Eli makes a poop it gets all over his clothes and that is really gross- I am washing clothes every other day because these diapers don't work- their triple leak guard protection only protects the leaks from staying inside the diaper!!! I want a diaper that protects leaks from getting out of the diaper instead. 2 nights ago poor little Eli was sleeping so soundly and great until he wet and pooped his diaper and of course it got all over his clothes and woke him up! What a rude awakening to be peacefully asleep and wake up all dirty and wet- I'd hate that, I think I'd be crying too!
I wish I would have never bought all those huggies diapers- geeze. I bought so many I will have to use them for a month on Eli and they are too expensive to just not use- even if they don't work. Money doesn't grow on trees- or at least not on any tree I have ever seen. If you find one please let me know and I'll take some of the money and use it to buy good diapers.
The diapers I really like to use on Eli are Pampers swaddlers. They are really great diapers. Eli used those from when he was born until I bought the Huggies. The Pampers are really great- they haven't let us down yet. The are nice and soft and stretchy so I can really get it on Eli tight so it won't leak, in fact they never have leaked on Eli. The Pampers wipes are also so much better than huggies wipes too- go figure. The pampers wipes are so soft and clothlike and the huggies were like rubbing newspaper all over Eli's butt- not a nice thing to do!
So, I unfortunately get to take the baby test 248 times and I will probably fail everytime until these diapers run out and I can get a big box of Pampers from Sams instead. That'll be a great day for the entire Buffington family- less diaper changes, less outfit changes, less nights waking up messy- oh what a beautiful time that will be. At least we get to give the Huggies a break when we come down to FL for Katie's wedding. We aren't packing tons of diapers instead we will buy a pack down there and guess what brand we are getting- Pampers Swaddlers. I assure you I will never buy Huggies anything again! They must have done their baby test on a babydoll that never poops or pees!
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Great Summer Grilling!
Here's to the end of summer ... and our grill.
Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. I waited for kellie to pick me up from the bus stop as the sun sank lower in the sky ... the summer was coming to a close. We have enjoyed our summer in Southern Maryland. It has been filled with tremendous blessings -- reuniting with old friends, finding new community and the birth of Eli. (In case you weren't aware from all of the photos, we have a baby!)
The days begin to shorten and we will finally get to use our fireplace. We have had the chance to grill out quite often this summer. The grill is incredible -- a great gift for our wedding from some great friends (Kudos to Mike and Dede). So, we decided to grill out some hotdogs as the end of summer drew near.
I walked out back to light the grill while Kellie pulled together the hotdogs and buns. After changing out of my suit into more comfortable grilling clothes, I grabbed the hotdogs and buns and proceeded to the deck. As I walked out the sliding glass door I noticed something very strange indeed:
OUR GRILL WAS ON FIRE!
Not cool. So, in an effort to keep our deck and house from burning down, I ran to the grill, reached under the flames and turned the propane off. The flames died, but so did our grill. You can see in the photos below the heat of the flames and where they originated. We have no idea how this was caused, but plan to investigate.
So, here's to the end of summer, and to the service of our grill. Next summer we will be on the hunt for a new grill, but for now, we will just remember all the meals provided by the Flame-Broil.
You can see the correct color of the propane controll valve versus the BURNT BLACK color of the not-so-functioning valve.
What used to be our grill knob. Sad days.
A close-up of our grill. Notice where the knob should be is a mess of melted plastic.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Great Advice
Yesterday after having a more difficult time with getting Eli to sleep well I decided to ask my veteran "Babywise" mom a few questions. The advice I received from Katie McDonnell was some of the best advice I have gotten yet!
Eli is on a routine- or at least we are trying our best to get him on one. We are also trying to get him to sleep through the night. As you may know babies require 16 hours of sleep a day and I am quite sure Eli was no where near reaching that recommended amount of sleep. He was only getting maybe 5 during the night and he was also having trouble going down for his naps during the day- so I asked Katie what I should do differently.
Katie's advice was to feed Eli at his scheduled 9:00 pm feeding but give him no awake time after he was done eating ( I was purposefully keeping him awake then- silly me!). Once he finished I should put him to bed and just let him sleep till he awakes naturally. I, on the otherhand was again purposefully waking him up at midnight to eat and when I would do this he'd be so sleepy that he never really ate much!
So last night Aj and I tried this plan of action. I fed him at 9:00 and put him down to sleep and guess what- he did!! He went 6 1/2 solid hours!!! It was awesome it was the most uninterupted sleep AJ and I have gotten since Eli was born. He woke up at 3:30 am to eat again and then went right back down to sleep again until I woke him up for his first morning feeding and to start off his day and routine. It was so nice.
Here is another benefit of following Katie's great advice- Eli has been so happy today and he has taken great naps too. His whole temperament seems to have been positively effected as a result of getting a good amount of sleep. I guess no one can perform well if they're sleep deprived huh?!?
Now I am very curious to see how he'll do tonight and tomorrow with his new schedule. I hope he continues to sleep so well and be so happy! It is certainly a blessing. It is funny how even though something can seem like common sense you still need someone to tell you about it! Geeze- poor guy his mommy was just keeping him awake to much and not letting him sleep like he wanted to! But I am glad we are closer to figuring out what schedule works best for him!
#1 weight loss plan- GUARANTEED!!!
Do you want to know what the best diet in the whole world is? Well, I have it all figured out. All you have to do is simply follow these few simple instructions and you will be on your way to loosing more than 30 lbs in less than 6 weeks! Try it- it has a 30-day money back guarantee.
#1 - Eat a steady diet of sugar cookies, pop tarts, egg salad, homemade pizza and mac-n-cheese
#2 - take naps everyday
#3 - Go on a 20 minute walk everyday
#4 - Give birth to a baby
#5 - share your calories with your baby by feeding it 7+ times a day from your own body
If you follow these rules you are guaranteed to lose more than 30 lbs in less than 6 weeks- I have tried this weight loss plan myself and it really works!! Give it a shot and you will be amazed at the imediate results you get. No other diet out there can even come close to matching this one! It is the best diet in the world!!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Bubbles and sleepy heads
Eli has grown so much. He changes everyday. He was in the Baby Bjorn this weekend and AJ and I were so surprised how much further his head was sticking out of it because he had gotten so much taller. I am so excited for him to smile for the first time too- I just know it is going to be any moment now.
He is having such a good day today. He has gone down for all his naps without crying and actually fallen asleep too. Yesterday the silly boy didn't sleep at all- not for one single nap. But here is my theory as to why this was so: He dropped his middle of the night feeding and went from 11:45 to 5:15 which was so nice for AJ and I to get that much solid sleep!!! We were both so excited. But I think it might have thrown Eli off a bit to drop that feeding. Today he is more used to it and doing great. If he continues to sleep through the night this long then we will soon be moving him into his room to sleep at night. That will be exciting too. The pack n play that he sleeps in, in our room is quite big and cumbersome- so it will be nice to have the space and my bedside table back. But don't get me wrong- it is a huge blessing and worth it all to have Eli no matter where he is sleeping!
:)
So today I gave my stinky little Eli a bath. For the first time it was actually really relaxing to him. Before, he either cried or just simply tolerated it. Today he seemed to enjoy it. He was so relaxed he had his eyes close and was just letting me wash him all up. He loves it when I wring out the wash cloth over his tiny tummy- I think that feels really good to him. He has been a stinky boy though lately because he is really in a stage when he spits up a lot after he eats. I change his clothes numerous times through out the day- thankfully he has a lot of clothes so I don't have to being doing laundry all the time. Thank you to everyone who has given Eli clothes! The spit up sure does stink though especially after it sits out a while- it smells like sour milk- gross. I now am feeding him in a bib which does a good job of catching most of it- but he still misses the bib some times or spits up like right after I take it off of him- silly boy :)
Oh how we love him so much though- he is such a bundle of joy to our family.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Happy 1 month Birthday Eli
Yesterday Eli was officially one month old. What an accomplishment. He is becoming a well adjusted little earthling. It has been an amazing adventure for him- all beginning inside mommy's belly and then he was squeezed out and became very cold. He missed the warmth of being in me. Now after a month he is sweating in the summer heat up here in Waldorf. He also starts to sweat if he has been crying for a long time. He rarely cries for a long time unless he gets overstimulated and just doesn't want to go down for his nap. That only happens a few times a week though. Other than that he is a very content baby. He has figured out his rutine very well so far. He doesn't have it all the time but most of the time. He now just goes with the flow. He used to hate us pulling on him to change his diaper- but now after about 8 diaper changes a day for a whole month his is realizing that a new diaper is worth the few tugs on his little legs. He rarely cries during diaper changes these days. He is getting more used to taking a bath now too- in fact this afternoon after he eats again he is going to take a bath. When we first gave him his baths he screamed so loud and made it clear he did not like it one bit- but now he is starting to think the water is neat and gets relaxed by it.
Through out the month Eli has gotten a lot of great birthday gifts and new outfits. He has made a lot of friends too. We have gone to many neat places together as well. We went to Ikea a few times, we went to the zoo, we went on a metro ride, we went to church, grocery shopping, to the mall, to `brew and culture' at our favorite restaurant in Clarendon, to the post office, to walmart, the dry cleaners, to the airport, to Gravley Point- and he even had a babysitter so mommy and daddy could go out on a date. It has been great fun being a family of 3 now. The transition has been incredibly smooth and natural. Eli is such a blessing and we look forward to many other great months and years toogether as a family!
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Date Night.
Eli's First Babysitting Experience
So we decided that we could use some time out and decided to cash in our gift certificate that Kellie was awarded for giving birth at Southern Maryland Hospital. Apparently, the same man that owns the hospital, also owns the
Colony South Hotel and the Mayfarer five-star restaurant that is attached. It was great! We went in and expected a choice of maybe three preset meals for the "Baby Certificates." But the waitress said, "Anything on the menu." How great is that?! It was wonderful. Kellie and I both had soup to start off, and followed that up with an incredible Fillet (top 2 steaks in Aj's book, and voted best-steak-of-my-life by Kellie). To finish it off we had our choice of dessert and both enjoyed coffee! It was just great!
Eli had an enjoyable evening too! A friend from Orlando, now living in McClean, VA, wanted to hang out with Eli while Kellie and I got out for a date-night. What a blessing:
Thanks Sara!
Check out a couple more photos on our
photo page. And if you happen to miss a couple days, you'll notice the archive links to the left, check out all the past links.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Eli chillin out on the big bed! Don't get used to that Eli!
Waiting for Charley
So, the news all week has forecasted drenching rain today. We still haven't seen it. Pete said they were getting soaked in Charles City, but still nothing "drenching" here. Anyways, its been overcast and rainy, so we got our shopping in early and found a great deli/market that is walking distance from our house. It reminded us of a market on St. George Island. They have amazing subs and great cuts of meat. We look forward to grilling out a steak from Nick's of Clinton soon.
Eli has been great today. Kellie said it had to be his best day yet with his routine. He's just gone through a growth spurt, so he's pretty tired and slept a lot, but he's been great.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Naps and Pacifiers
What a great week it has been. It seems that everyday Eli falls into his routine more and more. Well, he is crying right now because I just put him down for a nap and he is learning to cry him self to sleep on his own without any other sleep props. He is doing really good with it though- oh wow he is already quiet!!! The crying gets shorter and shorter and some naps he just plays in his crib and then drifts peacefully off to sleep without crying. He is a great baby and he is so smart! I am amazed at how well he is doing with adjusting to being in the world and all. He is really learning how to be a baby.
One thing that is funny is how he handles his pacifier. Sometimes he really likes it when we give it to him. He will suck and suck and suck. He sucks it really loudly- you can hear him sucking from far away. Then other times he really hates it and he spits it out like all the way across the room and then he gets frustrated when we try to give it to him again- oh well. We can't tell if he is going to end up loving or hating the pacifier in the long run. We don't really have a preference either way- we really just want him to be happy. The only rule is that he can't fall asleep with the pacifier- in that case it would become a sleep-prop and that is not good.
Eli loves talking these days too! I look forward to when he has words to say because now he is so expressive I just wish I knew what he was trying to communicate! He talks all the time and very loudly too- it is so cute. Sometimes at night he talks so loudly in his sleep that it wakes us up- silly boy!
Commuter Rule #1
Yesterday it rained. Once I arrived at L'Enfant Plaza waiting for the bus, it rained harder! At 7:00 pm a fellow passenger called MTA/Keller (the bus service) to inquire about the bus delays. It is important to note here that the 905 we were waiting for is scheduled to arrive at 6:25 pm. Another note: it was still raining. The operator told Tom James, the passenger calling to inquire about the delays, that the 6:00 pm bus was an hour behind schedule and she didn't even know where the 6:25 bus was. Meanwhile, two 901 busses kindly pulled up for other waiting customers only to let them know that the bus was full. At 7:05 pm I put in to practice Commuter Rule #1:
Always have a back up plan.
I called Kellie and asked if she would be kind enough to pick myself up and Tom James, an airforceman that works at the Pentagon, from Branch Avenue Metro Station.
These commuter rules aren't printed or published, not even shared among commuters. They are acquired one at a time, following each delay, mistake, mistep or mishap.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Commuter Rule #2
Today it rained. Then it rained some more.
I have learned over the past 6 months some rules of the road for commuters. It seems like someone could publish a geat book on commuter rules, tips, tricks and otherwise humorous tales of commuters in and around metropoli areas. What I have found as a very crucial rule is this:
Never be left without your umbrella.
As the weather forecast predicts rain for the next three days (which is 4 treks in the rain each day), I consider purchasing a larger umbrella, possibly the
IKEA umbrella. The downside to this umbrella is the size. There is no way I could fit this umbrella in my
Timbuk2 bag or my briefcase. But, this would help while I wait at L'Enfant Plaza for the 905. So, the search may continue for the perfect commuter umbrella. If anyone reading this has a good solution, please
email me.
So, I will venture out in the rain and enjoy the streets of Ballston.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Update from last weekend
Last weekend was so much fun. It was great for us all to be together- just our little family. We had a nice relaxing, lazy weekend that's for sure. We slept in late and took a lot of naps- all 3 of us.
On Saturday afternoon we packed up and took the metro to the zoo. It was Eli's first metro ride- I think he had fun, he slept the whole ride. The weather was absolutely perfect, 75 degrees, sunny and a light breeze. It was great to be outside. But the zoo on the other hand was a major disapointment. I doubt we will return there any time soon. But we are glad we finally went so now we know not to go back. First off it was terribly crowded- I am talking people everywhere!!! It was a zoo out there ;) Also, we only saw 2 animals and we were there for almost 2 hours. There was a lot of construction so a lot of the exhibits were closed. The ones that were open had so many people standing in front of them that the only way to see anything was to be as tall as a giraffe which as I am sure you all know- neither AJ nor I are as tall as a giraffe- they are very tall animals. So we decided to leave the zoo and head home. The day was still really fun. We enjoyed just being together and being outside. Sunday was also lazy we all took a nice long afternoon nap together.
Eli has the hic-ups right now- so cute! His whole body jumps with every hic-up. He gets them a lot so I am glad they don't seem to annoy him to much. He is having such a great day today. He has been so good. He has gone down for all three naps so far today with out crying at all and has actually fallen asleep. Sometimes, like yesterday, he goes in his crib and he'll play the whole naptime. He doesn't fuss but he doesn't sleep either. But today he is doing great and sleeping great. He has been really happy today too.
Another milestone today... I officially finished school today!!! I completed my last test today and after Eli's nap we are going to the post office to mail it to my teacher. I can't believe just like that all the hard work I put into finishing school pays off and it is over- I AM DONE!!! I am very excited and relieved, but I must say it hasn't hit me yet- it is not real to me to think there are no more term papers, no more essay tests, no more multiple choice questions, and no projects to be handed in-I AM ALL FINISHED- PRAISE GOD!!!! As you can see I am quite excited about this.
Life is great I am so thankful and blessed. I have such a great husband and together we have such a great baby, we are blessed with an awesome house and awesome friends. God is so good, his unfailing love endures forever and he truly will never fail us. His love is everlasting and so abundant- to his love there is no end!
And I am convinced that nothing can ever seperate us from his love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, NOTHING in all creation will EVER be able to seperate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8: 38-39
Friday, August 06, 2004
Well Eli's and my first full week home together, just the 2 of us, is almost over. It has been a great week. We have a lot of fun together. We took a trip to the post office and Eli stayed awake during most of it. We also went on long walks around the neighborhood in the afternoons, that was fun and today the tempurature was in the 60's and there was no humidity- it really felt like the fall, it was so nice. Eli sleeps during our walks though, he really is cozy in his car seat. We also went up to visit Daddy at work again, it was great to see dad and everyone at the office. Eli is the most popular person around there when he visits. After visiting dad all 3 of us went out on a date. Eli slept and Mommy and Daddy were able to spend some good quality time out together- it was very nice. We used money that Neal and Jenny Kapur sent us to go out to our favorite restraunt in DC. Then went to an event called brewing culture- it was very hip and chic we all had a lot of fun. That evening Dad fed Eli for the first time too- they both did a great job, but Eli was very sleepy and hard to keep awake. Other than eating every 3 hours and about 8 diaper changes a day and a few baths that is about all Eli did this week. We had a great time together and both Eli and myself are excited for the weekend to be here so we can spend 2 full days with Daddy!
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Monday after Eli's doctor appointment his umbilical cord finally fell off. I was excited because now we don't have to fold down his diapers to protect the cord and now he can take real baths instead of sponge baths. He really didn't like sponge baths because he got so cold!!! So today I tried to give him a real bath for the first time and it went great. He really loved it and he almost fell asleep because he was so relaxed. He did great till the end when I drained the water- the he got cold and started crying so I quickly rinsed off the soap in the new fresh water and bathtime was over. Overall it was a success and I think as Eli gets used to it he we really grow to love taking a bath. We had fun today though and he has been so good taking really good naps and playing in his crib and talking to his toys a lot. Well it is time for him to eat- again!
Monday, August 02, 2004
Eli is doing great. He is starting to get the hang of his rutine very well. He does much better in the morning though- going down for his naps and crying only for 5 minutes or less. Like his daddy he is an evening person- that is when he is so wide awake and wants to play with everything. He doesn't like his naps as much in the evening- but we are working on that. Eli knows exactly when it has been 3 hours and it is time to eat. The other day there was 14 seconds until it had been 3 hours and just then he got fussy to eat- it is amazing how well his body knows when it is time to eat. He is such an angel baby and AJ and I are amazed at how he changes and gets more precious everyday. One of Eli's favorite activities right now is taking a nap with dad laying on top of his chest. (I think that might be one of daddy's favorite activities right now too).
We had a great time this past weekend. AJ took Thursday and Friday off from work and His mom came in town. We went to Annapolis, MD and walked around and saw all the pretty sites- Eli slept most of the time and also had a bottle again- which he seems to love- He srinks them down so fast- He is a very hungry boy and a great eater. Then the next day we went to Ikea and had lunch and did some light shopping. That was tons of fun as always. That is probably AJ and I's favorite store right now. The rest of the weekend was very relaxing. Pete and Sara came up and we all just hung around Waldorf and played Yahtzee and ate really good. IT was great to have family up. We just wish we lived closer to all of our family- it is always hard to say good bye and know that they live so far away.
Well, Today is Eli's first doctor visit. I hope all goes well. I know he is going to hav to get a few shots which he probably won't be too crazy about- but I know he will be ok and he will get to be in mommy's arms during them so hopefully I can comfort him. It is just so hard to see him cry and know he is in pain. Also, Eli's umbilical cord is about to fal off- it is hanging on by just a thread. It will be nice once it has fallen off because he will be able to take real baths instead of spong baths. I think he will enjoy the real baths much more since he won't be so cold and exposed to the air while he is wet. I will keep you updated on the cord status. Well 29 minutes till Eli wakes from his nap hungry and ready to eat- I better go see if I can get some other things done while he is still sleeping.
