For the past few days, I have considered following the yellow brick road towards clothe diapers. And why not when it saves you a considerable amount of money compared to disposables? When I suggested this to Mary she gave me the eww face, the same face everybody makes when seeing two girls and a cup for the first time. Thoughts after the jump…(Regarding clothe diapers, not two girls and a cup)

Going organic is the new sexy trend. It’s not akin to walking into Starbucks wearing your nut-hugging Lucky brand jeans with your MacBook in one hand and your iPhone in another. But I would say saving the planet from disposable diaper landfill is a comparable second place, much more respectable than an unnamed 18-1 runner ups to Super Bowl XLII.

All jokes aside, green is the new black. A less toxic world is a better world and we would all be happier for it, right? Maybe not. Here’s why: Our laundry is piling up. It doesn’t help that our dryer stopped working. What do I do?

I do…

1. Bring laundry to parents’ home.
2. Go to a laundromat.
3. Wake up the Maytag guy.
4. Do nothing. 

I opted for #4. Imagine when Jagger’s doodoo bombs are jumping into the pile. The smell would be much worse than the time I farted in my cousin’s mouth. 

I vote no to clothe diapers on that alone. I could be more active in the laundry duties, but everytime I wash shirts, they shrink and get shorter, which I hear is the common reaction to all things in cold water. Which brings me to another point. The extra cost of water and electricity from daily diaper cleaning offsets the cost of disposables. So if I’m not saving money, why inconvenience myself? Decision made.

Anyway, there’s the awesome pitutoy as shared by my nephew. But I think that’s now a classic word that I can’t use it without laughing myself. Perhaps being anatomically mature, it will just be his penis. No, not for a toddler. Cute at first when he says it, but I don’t want my son running around yelling it to people. 

I think this will have to wait. For now it will just be his thing.

My niece grew up watching my mom’s collection of clamshell Disney movies. While this is great for my niece, I’m not so sure I would want my boy to watch any female oriented animated movies. Case in point, my cousin knows the words to Chef Louie’s song in the Little Mermaid as he was shockingly exposed during one of our Scene It marathons. Not exactly something that every red blooded male American father wants for his pride and joy.

Let me make this clear, I don’t intend to sit Jagger in front of the telly all day. But a little bit won’t help. I’m not exactly going to be like Techno-Mom and regress from technology. And I’ll still have him watch more education DVDs like Baby Einstein. This is just my what I’ll call my helping hand babysitter. 

When I was still in grade school, my mornings were filled with cold cereal, Transformers, and the first 10 minutes of GI Joe. I turn on the tube today, and I see 10 different versions of the Power Rangers. Of course all of these shows are a bit too advanced for an infant/toddler, but I ask, “What does a boy toddler watch that isn’t girly?” Maybe it’s time I follow my mom’s example and start collecting movies that both he and I would enjoy. So far I’m thinking Toy Story 1/2, Cars, and Wall-E on Blu-Ray would be a good way to start. I’m glad that Pixar is watching out for my little boy.

When my darling husband informed me that the nursery would be in the 3rd bedroom(which is farther from our bedroom and because he plans on getting rid of the 2nd bedroom), I instantly knew that the baby would not be sleeping in there at night. There was no way I was going to be comfortable with that. If anything happened I would want to get to the baby as quick as possible. So I had to decide as to what to put the baby in so he can stay in our room at night. There was no way I was going to put his crib in there, it would have been to big. So I asked around and researched as to which one we should get, Co-Sleeper or Pack ‘N Play. I’ve weighed the pros and cons. Here is what I came up with:

Co-Sleeper

Pros
1. It attaches to the bed.
2. Easier to get to baby in the middle of the night.
3. It’s light.

Cons
1. It can’t be used once baby learns how to push himself up.
2. Not easy to travel with.

Pack N Play

Pros
1. Easy to travel with.
2. Longer useage.
3. It may come with a changing table.

Cons
1. It’s bulkier than a Co-Sleeper.
2. More costly.
3. Have to lean over to pick baby up.
4. Difficult to assemble.

After weighing my options and discussing it with Marvyn, I decided to go with the Pack N Play. Yes, it may be a bit pricier but at least I can get more use out of it.

I’ve been discussing the age rules for a while with family/friends and I thought I’d put this to writing somewhere. What are the age rules you ask? It’s my list of things I would stop doing with/for Jagger at certain ages. I just feel it would get a little odd at that point that it should be stopped.

Wiping his bum

I know of a family member who’s had his nanny wipe his bum well after he had hair on his chin. I’m not looking to break the record or even come close to it.

Verdict: I think when Jagger is about 4 he should be potty trained to wipe back there on his own. He may need the occasional helping hand, but big boys don’t want daddy standing over them while they’re on the potty.

Spoon feeding 

I’m a little unsure about this one. I was a picky eater when I was a child, and I still am. I may turn eating into a game of some sort — C’mon Jagger, show me how the piggies eat!

Verdict: Once he’s able to eat with a spork, it’s done deal. 

Competition mercy

There’s a Simpsons episode where Homer and Bart take their competition too seriously in a boxing video game. Homer pays a pro to teach him all the tricks in the game and when they finally rematch, Homer completely dominates Bart. And in Homer’s shining moment right before the knockout punch, Marge pulls the power cord to the telly.

Verdict: How do you think Mary would look with tall blue hair?

Showering with him

He’ll probably be a little intimidated showering for the first time  — Not by me, but by the shower itself. So I’ll have to show him the ropes. I don’t mind teaching him, but when he starts identifying body parts it will be good times. I know other parents do this, but it’s not something I remember in my childhood. 

Verdict: Boardshorts. No problem.

Kissing on the lips

I let my bear know that I love him all the time. But he’s in a suspended age of a cub.

Verdict: I think when he starts walking. I’ll always hug him.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on various websites and forums about the best baby products to have that really make life easier for the parents and the baby. I thought I would share my research with you and hopefully you’ll find something that you had not thought of before. 

	Baby Bumsie $34.99              These are a bit pricey, but are definitely more convenient when those baby diapers start leaking. This two-piece onsesie requires only the back piece to be swapped out rather than having to take off the whole thing. A great saver at 3 in the morning when you don’t have to snake your baby’s arms through
	Boppy Pillow $29.99             As stated on their website, it helps put the baby into a more ergonomically position when feeding. Mary already has this on our baby registry, so I trust that it’s not a gimmick product. Plus it’s been named the best baby product 5 years in a row.
	Snoogle $52.99            Mary loves her Snoogle. With it, her sleep quality has been much better as it better supports her back and belly.
	Eddie Bauer® Pop-Up Booster Seat $29.99         Not all restaurants have high chairs, so this a great booster seat to have for those situations. It’s compact when folded up, so it won’t take up much space in your trunk or back seat.
	Evenflo Exersaucer Mega Circus  $289.99       This is supposed to be the second babysitter as claimed by other mothers when it comes time to cook or do some simple house chores. Claimed by the manufacturers: The Evenflo ExerSaucer Mega active Learning Center was created to help children reach ten developmental milestones: Tactile development Visual development Object permanence Hand-eye coordination Gross motor skills Fine motor skills Object exploration Cause and effect learning Musical development

The wife and I have been preparing the nest for our soon to be born baby boy. Me being me, I always like to plan ahead for safety and convenience. So I thought it would also be a good idea to get our family car prepared as well.

	Baby Mirror When Oreo had his surgery, I traveled to the vet almost every week for checkups. With him in the backseat, I always had to keep an eye on him to make sure he was okay. Better to keep my eyes on the road. After seeing this in Prin’s car, I knew this would be perfect for the little piglet and eventually my baby boy. Now I can easily keep an eye on the road and my backseat travelers at the same time. Keep in mind that some mirrors attach to the windshield via suction cups, which could potentially become a flying projectile. So look for something that is light, has rounded edges, and attaches more securely.
	Sun Shade Who wants the sun’s harmful UV radiation beating down on their newborn? Not me! If tinting your car windows isn’t for you, or local/state laws prevent it, this is the next best step.
	Infant Car Seat This should be the most obvious item that’s added to your car. I personally prefer the Graco line as they are compatible with a lot of stroller frames. Plus they have an extensive list of color options per model line.
	Snow Tires Not everybody lives in cold weather climate, but I do. All-season tires is a compromise and will not perform in ice/snow covered roads compared to dedicated snow tires. Although the cost to own a set of wheels/tires dedicated for cold weather seems prohibitive, keep in mind that the tires are only on the road for half a season. So in effect, you double the lifespan of the tires compared to using it all year round. If you ever decide to go down this route, make note that snow tires perfect best in cold weather — In warmer climate, the thread wears much faster.

With my little baby boy’s due date just a few months away, I thought I’d compile a top 5 list of my favorite onesies for him.

5.	While I’m jamming away on Rock Band, little Jagger can get in gear and cheer daddy on. Sweet!
4.	Mrs. Witwicky said it best, “That’s his bliiiing!”
3.	Me being the big New York Football Giants fan, it’s only natural for my little boy to match with me every Sunday afternoon.
2.	Kobe. Pau. Odom. Bynum. KOBE. This is the year the Lakers take home the O’Brien trophy. This jersey is just a pre-cursor to the future NBA star sitting in Mary’s belly.
1.	Jagger is daddy’s little boy. Would anybody be surprised that he’s wearing something that has a smart message? Playa…

Mary suffered from a little dehydration while we were away with the family. So much for my attempt to keep Mary hydrated, although I did my part in carrying the water. We quickly visited the nearest hospital, an intimidating experience for anybody in a foreign language country.

We had an ultrasound to make sure the baby (at this point was 4 months to term) was okay. After the doctor confirmed that the pregnancy was still good, we received a little extra surprise — The baby’s sex. It’s a boy! Time to stock up on toddler Jordans so he can match with daddy.

I would like to send a special thank you to Rebecca, Linsy, and all the other cruise employees who helped us during this duration.