Can't Live Without the Sprayer

I have been meaning to post this as a Product I Can't Live Without for a while now, but after our recent bout of the stomach bug, it is definitely something I have to share:

bumGenius Diaper Sprayer

As a non-disposable diaper user, this item has saved me from dipping my hand into the toilet to rinse off the non-plastic liner and cloth pant when nature gets, well, um...messy. It is also great for rinsing out the diaper pail or tub too (the water comes from the line BEFORE it hits the toilet, so no worries---it is CLEAN water). An added bonus is that it is super easy to install! I managed to do it by myself during one of Abby's super short naps. In fact, I was mad a myself for putting it off so long because I thought it would be hard to do! I had originally planned on posting with that alone.

However, this past week the sprayer was assigned overtime as I sprayed off the chunks of vomit from Abby's pajamas, outfits, sheets, crib rail, towels, and even my shirts (not from me people, Abby has great aim) before putting them in the washer. It is bad enough to have to deal with these "body-fluids" if you will, but it is worse to have to swish them in the toilet! So to bumGenius I say THANK YOU and to all you moms out there I say this is a product that is definitely worth every penny spent!

This is for the birds....

I was hoping to post some Christmas updates today...lots to share...but our day has been full of vomit!!!! I was in denial this morning--chalked the first two up to phlegm overload--but after Abby's fifth wardrobe change I am starting to wonder if this is her first case of the flu. I'll keep you posted...

Update:

Well, Abby got sick six times that day and I had to call the Dr. office because she couldn't keep a thing down--not crackers, not water. It was so sad to see her little face each time she would get sick, she just didn't know what was going on and it seemed to scare her a bit. It broke my heart each time. It is amazing that you really don't care about cleaning chunks out of the carpet (when you have all that hardwood that she could have vomited on....) or all the laundry you'll have to do when your baby is getting sick. You truly just want them to feel ok.

Abby seemed to be doing better around dinner time (hadn't thrown up in over 3 hours) and she was starving so I let her eat some crackers and such. Well, needless to say we had a visitor in our bed that night because about 3 hours after going to be her sheets were covered. The next day she was fine all day, other than being a sleepy little girl, but she yet again got sick in bed. Poor thing!

Thus far, I was in the clear. Come New Year's Eve, I was going on day two w/o getting sick so we went ahead with our dinner plans. Gramps and Grandma D came over to Abbysit while we went out for a nice adult dinner with friends. Just about the time the appetisers came it hit me like a ton of bricks out of NOWHERE! I have to say that I can't remember the last time I got sick in a public bathroom (maybe because I had had a bit too much to drink then...just saying...) and I never want to do it again! YUCK! Well, we didn't get to enjoy that meal, in fact I didn't get to enjoy any meal until dinner the next day :( So much for not getting this one from Abby!

I do have to say that this was an easy tummy bug--no fever, no body aches, no headache, no chills. It really could have been worse. I just look at it this way, I got my diet off to a good start! Happy New Year to me....

Post Christmas Fun

And the festivities continue!! The day after Christmas it was time for my family's Christmas gathering at Gramps and Grandma D's house :) Again, lots of good food, snacks and gifts...I'm beginning to see a pattern here, no wonder my pants are getting a little tight at this point ;)

We got lots of wonderful gifts this year from friends and family--too many to mention one by one--but I think one of my favorites was for Abby from Gramps...

Abby is excited to get things started

It is Abby's very own Gramps-handmade toy box and set of Sing-a-ma-jigs!

But wait, there is more...

Abby, "What?"

It doubles as a bench and puppet theater, complete with curtain and pop out panel!!

Thanks Gramps!! It is just PERFECT!!!

Abby testing out the new toy box

There is a bit of a back story on the toy box: My dad had made one for my sister and I years ago and we played and played and played with that toy box. It not only stored our toys, it sometimes stored us, gave us a place to sit as long as the pegboard lid would hold us and I'm sure it served as a ship or plane a time or two too. A few months ago, we were sitting at Gramps and we got to talking about all of Abby's toys. With out thinking, I ask Gramps if his toy box factory was still in business. Looking back I might have put him on the spot but I have to say that I LOVE what came of that conversation! This is truly the best toy box a little girl (and her mommy) could ask for! It is super sturdy (whew, mommys worry you know), 100% sliver proof, big enough but not too big, multifunctional and best of all made with love from someone we love so very much! This is a toy box that will bring hours of fun and entertainment, a lifetime of memories and even a tear to my eye! Thanks Dad, you are so thoughtful!!!! (I might be a little bit more excited about the toy box than Abby at the moment, but I know that this is something that she will grow to LOVE, just as Wendy and I did years ago.)

The next day we headed to Aunt Wendy's side of town for a little Aunt Wendy birthday fun! Abby got to experience the bowling ally for the very first time. She loved all the sounds, people and bowling balls too!

I love you Uncle Tom

Happy Birthday Aunt Wizzy!

Silly Gramps!

Grandma, this iPhone is great...see what it can do?

Uncle Tom decided to take her to the lane:

and bowl!

She LOVED it and wanted to go back time and time again. I think we might have a future bowler on our hands!

Do not take my picture, I'm not ready!

Love the little finger on this one!!

Well that was it for Christmas festivities (until January, we still have Christmas with Auntie Jeannie to do) and I must say it ended with a bang---Abby picked up the stomach bug (at the bowling alley we think) and the next few days sure were a different sort of "fun"! Uuugggghhhh!