Too cute gift from Granny!

Check out this cute gift set from Granny - my mom. The little doggy plays music and I've been placing it on my tummy for baby to hear. It's all real soft and warm and he'll love it. Good job Granny!

Made in China, Made in China, Made in China!!!

Urg!!! Mom and I went for a dry run through Babies R' Us on Saturday! Not only was I overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff, but more discouraged by the amount of things that were made in China. (I recently went to four different stores trying to find a toaster oven not made in China. I found one by Kitchen Aid that was $150 - and it was made in India!!!)

Why avoid things made in China, you ask. Well, not only do they have insane human rights violations including their one child poilicy with forced abortions, persecution of Christians, but also the fact that we import so much from them and our national debts are accumulating! Not only that, but thier low standards have led to serious questionability with thier products, especially plastics. Stuart and I want to minimize baby Hamilton's exposure to it. So, here's a challenge: start looking at the things you buy - find out where they were made. I think you will be shocked at the volume from China.

Back to Babies R Us.... we stood staring at a high wall of brightly colored baby utensils, plates, etc. I could not find a single item not imported from China! Crazy. Even highly known baby names, such as Gerber - made in China! The only product I recall made in the US were Dr. Brown's baby bottles. Even some organic products were made in China - where I doubt there is much scrutiny over the organic standards.

I think this is scarey! So, if anyone is thinking to buy something for Baby Hamilton, we aren't trying to be pickey, but we'd love to avoid products made in China - especially if the item is something that baby Hamilton will be wearing or potentially chewing on. We aren't going to be crazy about it, and certainly it is impossible to avoid altogether, but if you will make a conscience effort, we'd sure appreciate it! =)

Stroller Options

Look at this crazy stroller that Leslie pointed out to me. It's pretty cool because you can use it for two kids or just one, plus lots of room for storage. The Graco brand car seat that my Mom has will fit into the Latch system just ifne for infant transport. The only down side that I can see to this is the weight and size. It's just under 40 pounds all on its own - no kid involved. Which is almost twice that of other strollers. Plus, it's bulky, which means it will take up the entire trunk space, making it less convenient for traveling. Probably wouldn't be as difficult if we had a van, rather than a regular car trunk. I will test it out in the store before registering for it, but I thought I would seek out feedback from anyone who wished to give it. Maybe we would be better off getting a lightweight, easier to manage stroller for baby #1 and worry about getting this tricked out stroller for when baby #2 is on the way.

Ultrasound pictures

Well, after much debate and consideration, Stuart and I decided to get an ultrasound. Here are the pics for those who are eager to see them. It's a baby boy! He did a very good job of moving around to get some great pictures. Picture 1: Baby's feet Picture 2: Baby's face and arms Picture 3: baby's fingers Picture 4: It's a boy!

4 month pregnancy pic

Four month pregnancy picture! I think there is a clear difference between 3 and 4 months! It seems like each Monday I find more work clothes that don't fit!!! If you click below on the category, Pregnancy by the Month, you cna look at the two pictures beside each other.