"C" is for Cloud

I recently asked my FB friends if they used Apple's iCloud email and if they liked it.  I got two positive responses and one negative.  I tried using my @me.com account for a couple weeks.  Here are my pros and cons:


Pros

• cool @me.com email address (I had my firstname.lastname, which I really liked)
• seamless integration with my other Apple products and one less username/password to remember

Cons

• In the tabs of my internet browser, it shows the number of messages in my inbox instead of just the number of unread messages in my inbox.  Super annoying.
• I would need to update all of my other online accounts to send mail to me.com instead of gmail.
• Some online accounts use email as the username and don't allow me to change my username.  For example, to login to my account for mail order prescriptions I have to use my Gmail account and not my @me.com account because the site doesn't allow me to update my username, so now even though I would be using my @me.com account for communications with medco, I still have to log on using my Gmail address.
• Apple doesn't let me change my password to anything I've used previously (in the last year?).  (No one has ever compromised any of my accounts.  I want to set my password to what I want it to be.)
• I couldn't figure out a way to read messages below instead of to the side.  Illustrations below.

side view in iCloud.  read messages to the right.

Outlook example of reading messages below.

The final verdict?  I'll be keeping my Gmail.  I am a little miffed about the new Gmail layout though.  I've done well with their other aesthetic changes, but I really hate the new look.  It's all scrunched up, and the buttons for replying and deleting aren't in good places.  Luckily, I am able to keep the old look for the time being.

To end on a positive note, I do love the concept of iCloud.  Having all of my Apple devices backed up online and synced wirelessly is a huge plus.  Changes I make to my calendar and contacts on my phone show up on my computer and vice versa within seconds, and it's all saved on the cloud too.  Another bonus is the ability to find and remotely lock or erase my Mac or iPhone using iCloud from any computer.

So overall I still love Apple...just not their email.  Hopefully now that they've launched iCloud instead of MobileMe, they'll make some improvements with email, so I can convert completely.

"C" is for Cucumbers

Over the weekend we got to visit some of my favorite people on earth in Dallas.  I LOVE when we get to go to Dallas.  We traveled there about once a month before Tully was born, and now that he's sleeping through the night, it makes the trip easier and enjoyable again.  While I was in town, I stopped in at my favorite nail place, Mai-Le Nails on Greenville.  It's the most ridiculous hole-in-the-wall looking salon inside, but the girls there do killer pink and white acrylic nails.  Thin, smooth, sculpted, and natural-looking.  I have yet to find anyone who can replicate the excellent work they do with acrylic there.

There was an hour long wait when we arrived, so we hopped over to The Hawaiian Nail Bar just across the shopping mall for pedicures.  I had never been there, but it was really nice.  Clean, friendly, and fast.  I must say I was a little surprised when I looked down and saw this though...

I didn't think I'd have real cucumbers all over my legs like chicken pox when I asked for the cooling cucumber pedicure.  Salad anyone?

"C" is for Child (cont.)

This week's special?  Three for one: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Here are Tully's seven, eight, and nine month updates.  In all of the holiday madness I missed the eight month photo.  Oopsie!

7 months

9 months

Milestones
7 months:
Gaining an entire pound in 10 days.  Tully jumped from 45% to the 60% for weight.  Helloooo growth spurt!
Crawling.  Grammy and PawPaw were at our house to see his first moves!
Pulling up

8 months: 
Cruising
Waving bye-bye
Crawling up the stairs

9 months:
Sleeping through the night (woo hoo!)
Crawling up and down the stairs
Standing up and almost walking (soooo close)
 
New foods: avocados, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, oatmeal, broccoli, chicken, pork, beef, squash, scrambled eggs, whole wheat teething cookies, and anything on the floor.  Baby-led weaning (solids, no purees) is a success!
Favorite food: acorn squash, butternut squash, any kind of squash
Nursing regularly during the day and before bedtime
Total diapers: 3262
Six teeth: two bottom, four top 

With all the new spaces he can explore by crawling and crusing, he is officially into everything.  He especially enjoys opening and closing the baskets with our shoes in the entry hall and untying shoestrings.  The kitchen cabinets and drawers with plastic-ware are also favorite finds during playtime.  Several "toys" have been added to his toy basket too:

Fun-sized Skittles packages leftover from Halloween
Big plastic bowls for handing out Halloween candy
An empty Coca-Cola box
Plastic bottles (spice, water, etc.) filled with some dry pasta

Pretty exciting stuff and a lot cheaper than buying new things at the store. 

We spent Halloween bundled up on the porch handing out candy to the local kiddos.  No fancy, over-priced costume, no trapsing around the neighborhood.  We have plenty of years ahead of us for that.

Thanksgiving was low-key too.  Grammy and PawPaw came over, and after Thanksgiving dinner we watched the Aggies lose to the Longhorns.  Tully cried and so did Mommy.

We enjoyed Christmas in Texas at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's new house with the rest of the Cockerham family.  They had THE perfect layout (1-story, bedrooms on one side of house, living room on other) for Tully to sleep.   Our house has a very open layout which means sound travels.  It was so nice to be able to talk, yell, laugh, and make noise without worrying about waking Tully.  We spent the entire trip relaxing by the fireplaces, especially when the heater wasn't working!  The house was built in the 50's, and the heater was having some issues.  Luckily a guy came out who knew what he was doing.  I think they'd had several other maintenance men out who weren't able to fix it.  So we had plenty of heat by the time the snow arrived for our white Christmas.

We received lots of wonderful gifts this year.  Several really surprised me.  Here are some of my favorites:

Burlap Tom's for me

Tiny Tom's for Tully

Pandora bracelet from John

V-Tech discovery table

Imaginarium walker for cruising around the house

Robeez shoes - I'm obsessed with these, and they stay on.

Robeez socks - I want to buy a million pairs of these socks.  They are thin (in a good way, not bulky with shoes), and they stay on!

Teavana stainless steel travel tumbler - AMAZING!   This thing keeps tea HOT, not just warm, for HOURS. 

And this photo pretty much sums up our Christmas.  Tully loved the bows and ribbons!

"C" is for Cooking - November Edition

This is the second in my series of posts on our monthly menu planning.  We try to do a beef, pork, chicken, and seafood meal each week with plenty of veggies.

Here was November's menu.
KEY: Yummy,  Favorite/staple in our house

Week 1:
Eggs with peppers and onions (Real Simple)
Chicken and citrus salad (Real Simple)
Lemony tuna and pasta (Real Simple)
Chipotle beef and beer chili (Real Simple)

Week 2:
Crab and corn chowda mac (Rachel Ray)
Dinner Out!

Bacon and blue cheese burgers & sweet potato fries

Make Your Own Take Out (MYOTO, Rachel Ray)

Week 3:

Beef Tacos

Nanna's spaghetti & salad

Salmon with leeks and bacon (Rachel Ray)

Greek Pitas

Week 4:
Rosemary pork chops (Rachel Ray)

Bacon Leek and Tomato (BLT) soup (Rachel Ray)

Steaks & rosemary potatoes

THANKSGIVING! Ham, chipotle sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pecan pie, pumpkin pie

Week 5:
Hamburger helper & salad

Porkloin, potatoes, and salad

Chicken with cabbage slaw

Turkey sausage & Zatarain's rice

Trend this month?  Real Simple--FAIL!  Rachel Ray--yum-o!

"C" is for Connecting

I'm connecting up today with Allison for "Way Back When-sday."  Her post testing out baby gear with her pup, Rocky, inspired this one.  Apparently we weren't alone when we tried to put our dog, Zach, in the stroller when I was pregnant with Tully.  Zach's game for just about anything and totally trusts us, but he thought getting in the stroller was just plain silly.  I'm not sure what the stroller weight limit is, but I can attest that it will hold up to 55 lbs.

Get me outta here, Dad!

And since I've really only been posting pics of Tully for the past seven months, I'll leave you with a few more shots of our favorite fur baby.

John and Zach hiking in TX - Jan 2011

Snowpocalypse - Feb 2011

 

Relaxing with Daddy and Tully - April 2011

Hanging out on the patio - July 2011

Lounging at my parents' house - July 2011

July 2011

"C" is for Cooking - October Edition

I'm putting this under the "Recipes" label, but I'm not really planning to link any recipes, so my apologies in advance.  A few months ago Nanna came into our lives to care for Tully.  In addition to being a fabulous nanny, Nanna cooks.  She makes dinner the days she is here (M-Th), and we usually have plenty for leftovers for lunches and over the weekend.  We are so, so, so spoiled with Nanna.  She makes everything delicious.

To make Nanna's job easier, we implemented monthly menus starting in October.  John and I sit down at the end of the month and plan the next month's meals.  One of us goes shopping on Sunday night each week.  John usually does this while I nurse Tully to sleep.  Every week I print my calendar that includes appointments for Tully, meetings for me, and the menu, so Nanna knows the plan.  We've been doing this for two months, and it's working out great so far.  Nanna can prep food during Tully's naps and have dinner ready when she leaves at 6.  We haven't eaten the same meal in over a month!  I really love that we are eating new foods each night, and I get to try recipes that I wouldn't normally attempt myself.

My goal is to post a list of our menu each month to give other people ideas on what to make.  The recipes come from various places, so I can't promise there will be a source for each one.  Google should be able to help you out there.  The concept started from Real Simple magazine's October edition with recipes for a month's worth of meals.  We try to have a beef, a chicken, a pork, and a seafood meal each each week to keep it interesting.

I will say that although we plan a meal for every night Monday through Thursday, there are rare occasions when we decide to eat out or have other plans that evening.  Also, I can remember one day when Tully needed extra snuggles, and Nanna just didn't have time for the kitchen.  Life happens, right?  But for the most part, we have a steaming hot delicious meal waiting for us after work.

Here was October's menu.
KEY: Yummy,  Favorite/staple in our house

Week 1:
Pork Chops with Beets & Oranges (Real Simple)

Salmon with Green Beans and Bok Choy (Real Simple)

Tomato Soup with Roast Beef Paninis (Real Simple)
Chicken with Potatoes, Bacon, and Cabbage (Real Simple)

Week 2:

Pork Loin with Rosemary Potatoes (pre-seasoned, packaged pork)

Chicken with Rice & Grapes (Real Simple)
Steak with Sherry & Salad (Real Simple)

Nanna's Spaghetti & Salad (Nanna's secret)

Week 3:
Chicken, Veggie, & Quinoa Salad (Real Simple)
Shrimp Tacos with Black Beans (Real Simple)
Pasta with Sausage & Tomatoes (Real Simple)

Beef Tacos & Corn Salad (my made-up versions)

Week 4:

Pork Loin with Cauliflower & Capers (Real Simple)

Lamb Chops with Broccoli & Feta (Real Simple)
Tuna & Pasta (Real Simple)

Pasta alla Vodka (Pioneer Woman, We add Italian meatballs)

Happy menu planning!

"C" is for Carrier

The Ergo Sport baby carrier is SO much more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn Synergy one.   Why didn't someone tell me this sooner?!

I've been wrecking my back muscles toting around Tully for 6 months in the Bjorn, even going so far as to visit the chiropractor for the pain.  Shoot me now.  The Bjorn is great as far as being hands-free goes, but I could only last about 30 minutes in it.  Obviously it was easier to use the Bjorn carrier than to carry him with my arms, but my back and shoulders seriously paid the price.

Tully in Baby Bjorn - 4 months

Enter the Ergo.  Last week a few moms were over for a kiddie play date, and I got to try out the Ergo Sport.  One word: heaven.  The weight that was previously on my back and shoulders in the Bjorn was now being distributed across my hips in the Ergo.  The difference was night and day.  I could tote Tully around for hours in the Ergo.  I had read reviews before but was afraid that Tully wouldn't like the Ergo because he couldn't face outwards like he can in the Bjorn.  The neat thing about the Ergo is that in addition to the inward-facing front carry, the baby can be carried backpack-style or on the hip, so Tully can see everything he's used to seeing from my hip.

We've tried the Ergo for a week now, and it's been hit or miss with Tully.  I think most of the "miss" was because he hasn't been feeling well and/or didn't like shopping at Target.  He was pretty fussy at Target when I used the hip carry.  If shopping was the issue, we've got a problem.  Who doesn't like shopping at Target?  Ugh.  Boys.  I did take him on a walk to the park backpack-style, and he really enjoyed it (read: we made it two laps AND around the neighborhood w/o a peep).  As a benchmark, if he's in the stroller, we're lucky to get one lap at the park.  Apparently there isn't enough to see at stroller-level.

Fabric-wise I like the Ergo better too.  It is cotton instead of mesh.  Ergo does make a Performance carrier that uses mesh, but it was more expensive and had more material overall.  I liked that the Sport was cotton, had a big breathing slit, and was less material.  Also, the Sport hood was removable, which made room for other items (e.g. keys, cell phone) in the pouch.

Another plus for the Ergo is that Tully's weight sits on his bottom instead of on his groin area.  When I would take him out of the Bjorn, his inner thighs and diaper area would all be red.  I don't think it was painful for him, but it might have become uncomfortable after a long period of time.  I don't see this being a problem in the Ergo.

There are only two downsides I can see for the Ergo.

1) It is probably best for a baby 5-6 months or older.  They need to be able to straddle your torso.  Ergo makes an infant insert, but I'm not sure this solves the straddling problem.  Maybe a newborn could tuck their legs up inside the carrier and not have them out at all?  I dunno.  I'd have to try it.

2) The Ergo is more difficult to put on with the baby.  The back carry was the hardest to put on, followed by the hip and then the front carry.  The hip and front carries aren't especially difficult to do, but the straps have to be moved into different configurations for each.  Also, I'm still getting used to the Ergo, so maybe putting it on will be easier in the future.  For the back carry, I really needed a second person to slip the baby down into the carrier after I got it partially on.

I ordered my Ergo Sport from Amazon on a Friday, and it showed up on Monday.  Looking now it was the same price direct from the Ergo website, but you'd have to pay shipping.  I'm a huge Amazon fan, and I like the one click shopping.  Precious seconds added to my day.  Free shipping with Amazon Mom is nice too.

John stole the carrier for a few minutes over the weekend, and I snapped this pic before he realized what I was doing and bolted out the door.  I will surely get a phone call as soon as this post hits his email inbox.  The Ergo did get daddy's stamp of approval over the Bjorn though.

Tully in Ergo Sport carrier - 7 months