My favorite Christmas gift

Exactly one year ago, we found out that we had a little one joining the family. Today we're loving our Precious Cargo sent "priority mail." Selah's four months old and quite the happy wee addition. I received some lavish gifts in small packages this year, but the petite one that smiles, squeals, and blows raspberries at me is my all-time favorite. You just can't put a price on the moments she reaches for your finger or grins at you from across the room. Looking at this little human being discovering the world around her, I'm full of wonder and amazement myself.

I can't even imagine what Mary must have felt holding Baby Jesus. What was going through her mind as He lay in the manger? When I was in labor I didn't even have my eyes open for the first half of my grueling labor. Maybe it's different when you know that you're bringing the Savior into fully man form? But surely she must have been rejoicing and praising God for the historic and crucial day. Hubby recently reminded me that Christ's birth was necessary not only to pay the penalty for sin (substitutionary atonement), not only to fulfill prophecy, but also because God can't die. Christ, being fully man and fully God, came to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice (for our sins no less) and conquered death... Words don't seem to give that truth adequate justice. Selah might be my favorite Christmas gift but my Lord Jesus Christ has to be the best gift ever. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Happy Holidays

Stocking Stuffer

Christmas Wishlist 2011

It's that time of year again to drop (obvious) hints to my Near and Dear (that's you, Hubby). This year I've just thrown some things onto the list, but it's only to get him thinking, not necessarily things I must have. Last year he knocked off multiple items off the list(!) - although I didn't get one of them until months later because he hid it in behind a co-workers whiteboard so that I wouldn't find it. Too bad he had forgotten about it... But I mustn't forget that I did receive an early gift that dragged swept me by surprise. We'll see what this year brings. We even bought stockings for each family member despite having no place to hang them!

Item #1

Ugg Mini Kimono in grey (size 6), (6pm.com, $89)

Why I like it

(1) My current and only Uggs are reaching the end of their life.

(2) They keep my feet warm in the winter.

(3) They are one of the few closed toe shoes that I'll wear.

Note: It's now out of stock. :(

Item #1

Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse Leopard Scarf (brown), (2008 LE, $1350)

Why I like it

(1) I suppose it doesn't have to be this particular one, but it's cute and warm.

(2) It's a versatile piece.

(3) It's purrrty (puahaha).

Item #2

Calphalon Nonstick Pots and Pans (Macy's/Williams-Sonoma, varies)

Why I like it

(1) My stash has been fairly abused with metal utensils and high temperatures by others in the kitchen.

(2) Cleaning nonstick is non-stressful.

(3) It's an investment that allows me to serve my family daily.

Item #3

West Elm Charity Mug, ASPCA (westelm.com, $10)

Why I like it

(1) Husband won't buy me a real French Bulldog.

(2) Mugs are practical.

(3) It's for a good cause.

Item #4

Western Digital External Hard Drive 3TB Passport, (staples.com, $150)

Why I like it

(1) I take hundreds of pictures each week.

(2) My computer is slowing down.

(3) In case of a fire, I can only grab two things, Selah with my left arm and this in my right.

Item #5

A 3br 2ba House, (Bay Area, $400-600k)

Why I like it

(1) I would like our own washer/dryer for the several loads of laundry each week.

(2) White walls are getting boring.

(3) Selah needs crawling space, and it's a long term investment? 


I'm noticing quite the difference between this year's list to the one from last year. I need to get a bigger Christmas stocking.

What's big on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Black Friday fluffy mail

I got what's called "fluffy mail" in the cloth diapering world. Yay! (Snail mail really is the best.) All of my orders are from the four online shops that I prefer and reviewed earlier, plus one from Etsy.

These CDing moms, and dads, went crazy. I suppose I'm not one to say though because I was among the mob that was refreshing several times while counting down the minutes until midnight in each timezone. Some items were gone within minutes, and by the time I placed my first order I was #59 in line. Those are some nimble fingers they've got because I even had my cart ready to go before the cyber madness started!

The fantastic news is that all my packages from my multiple orders have safely arrived, and I can't wait to get them on my baby's tush. Cloth diapers have come such a long way, and are far from the pins and cloth squares that most people think of. We've been mainly using Flip with soft organic inserts, which I'm happy with, but I'm in search of a nighttime diaper that: (1) won't leak, (2) is soft on her bum, and (3) fairly trim.

Here are my new additions:

Yup, Mr. Woo's first reaction was, "How much did you spend???" even though I told him the morning of Black Friday and gave an update after Cyber Monday. I guess seeing is believing. His look must have been something like this:

I knew there'd be a big price tag initially, the upfront cost, but not having to spend $20-30 on a box of disposables that would only last for a couple weeks is wonderful. (You can find sites that have calculators to tell you how much you'll save in the long haul by switching over!) What's greater is that I had the freedom to choose which fibers I wanted (natural, natural, natural) and which type I wanted (all-in-two for daytime, trying pockets for nighttime). Plus, Mr. Woo prefers the all-in-ones because they're so similar to disposables that there's not much of a learning curve there.

The other items I invested in are: wetbags (no leaks nor odors), more detergent to leave at Grandma's, BabySoy onesie, and books on cloth diapering to give as gifts. And in my defense, some of those items above were free: several more diapers, detergent, babylegs, wetbag, and CJ's butter samples. Woo to the hoo!

I'll be trying out one or two of each new diaper system. That way if I don't like it, I can sell them. There's quite a good return on the popular brands, and with the price that I purchased them at, I'm fairly confident that I could possibly make money on them if not break even. If it's not a nice snug fit, I can always try them when she's bigger too. I'm going to have to keep my favorite colors and prints though, whether Selah wears them or not. There's always #2, right? (I sound like a true addict.)

Mommy's Little Elf

Tree's the season to be

Selah's still somewhat of a newborn, but I already want her to be part of making memories with us (she'll have to re-member with photos later). I thought it'd be sad to put her presents under our tiny tree from last year, so we upgraded. Don't get me wrong; I wasn't about to go chop down a real pine from the woods for our baby who wouldn't know the difference. We ventured to good 'ol Target who recently had a great promotion in stores - $10 gift card for any purchase over $50. Plus, the Christmas trees were on sale. Yay for deals!

It took us a week before we carved some time, but it's up now.  There's a slight Charlie Brown feel to the tree, but it's Selah-sized (just like her fall pumpkin was). She likes the lights. I like that the presents are no longer bigger than our tree. 

Oh, and I'm thinking about making it a Casa Woo tradition to not put a traditional star atop our trees. Last year's served us well in more ways than one, but this year's takes the cake. Our star:

I also like the glimmering and can now I can admire the pretty lights from within my own home instead of stealing glances as we walk past our neighbor's window. Once their window was open while I verbally gushed at their nice tree. Yeah, she looked out at me. Whoops.
 

Mommy's Shopping Buddy

Monkey farts

One of the "baby stuff" I was eager to try was cloth diapers. I sought out some BumGenius Elementals because they were organic and all-in-one (no stuffing necessary). AIO, mf, pockets, PUL, sposies, AI2, flats, prefolds, RaR, BG, liners... I've picked up a foreign language and though not yet fluent I'm now conversational.

I still very much like organic cotton (so soft!), and bamboo has been amazing (soft and antimicrobial!). The only qualm I have about BGE, aside from the long drying time, is how bulky it is on our little Selah. So while I'm excited about how much I'm going to like it when she's older, I'm making good use of our Flip (also from the makers of BG) covers with organic inserts. I'm also looking for trimmer options where she can wear her tiny Gap pants and not be so bottom heavy. Enter Kelly's Closet, Sweet Bottoms Baby, and Green Diaper Demos.

In my mind, Cotton Babies is the Costco of online diaper shops, but these three are the Trader Joe's that I prefer. All three shops have been great thus far, and the frequent buyer points system has me going back for more.

Kelly's Closet probably has the most variety. Their Facebook wall is bustling most of the day with "JV moms" asking the "Varsity moms" practical questions. The few days I got sucked into this magical world I saw Stacy, who's part of the KC team, constantly imparting her wisdom to nearly every question. I can now attest to the wonderfully helpful customer service that I so value in any type of trading. Shipping is not quite as fast as others, but it's not the slowest either. It's worth it though, as you can always find a deal and/or coupon at KC.

Sweet Bottoms Baby made me feel like it was my birthday. It all started when I was looking for a discontinued diaper. Not only did they have it, but their prices were lower, if not the same as other shops, of most products. The nicely wrapped package was a pleasant surprise, and the handwritten note was truly sweet. There's a lot of care oozing from this place. SBB also has fast and free shipping every day no matter the purchase total. Don't forget that there are tiers for free samples with each order too.


Green Diaper Demos lured me in with an early Black Friday sale and the fact that they had the sold out diaper I was looking for. Michelle also included a handwritten note (call me old-fashioned but it's just a nice touch - just like snail mail!). My free gift was another diaper whose style name was "Moovin' Strawberry." She couldn't have sent this strawberry lover a better gift. Another perk about GDD is that you can cash out your reward points faster. Mo' money, mo' money!

Many of these shops offer samples of products that you can try before committing to a larger quantity. (Their Tiny Bubbles detergent sample packs are great for taking to Grandma's!) I kept seeing CJ's BUTTer around so I decided to try one, Monkey Farts. Maybe I was too tired to make any connections, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what kind of scent it would be. Some people reviewed it saying that it was their favorite, so I took a chance. This BUTTer is a natural muli-purpose cream for babies and adults, but I'm more intrigued by all the scents. (Monkey Farts!?)

I'll give an update on my Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases once they all arrive. Our checkbook definitely took an upfront hit, but I'm excited to not put plastic against her soft tushy. Plus, all the cute prints make it so addicting! Happy mommy means happy baby.


Disclaimer: I have not been paid nor compensated for any of the reviews (though I would leap at the chance if it meant more free fluff). All opinions expressed are my own. :)

Thanksgiving from the Woos

It's a rainy morning that started with a diaper that leaked onto her clothes and our bed, but from our little nest to yours, hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving! There's much to be thankful for all year round :)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever. Psalm 107:1"

Psst! Cardstore.com has been having big sales. They address your envelopes and even add postage for free!

100 days of life

This weekend marked our Selah's 100 days outside the womb. Yay! It's celebrated in the Korean culture because long ago many babies didn't make it to this day due to poverty, lack of medical attention, etc. Instead of throwing a big bash for her (maybe for her dol?), she attended her first wedding.  It's been an incredible three months nurturing her. Selah's so curious, strong, and sweet - such a happy baby, crying only when she needs something (e.g. feeding, diaper change, ...)

No balloons and confetti here, but surely a recap is in order. From birth to now, our Selah:

Happy 100 Days, little one! 

 Mommy and Daddy love you SO much! :)

 

Owl Always Love You

Mary had a Little Lamb

Following our family outing at the pumpkin patch, our Selah Bear gussied up for Hallelujah Night as a...

Little Lamb.

Let's review one of the well-known children's songs, shall we?

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.

I wouldn't say her costume's fleece was that bright of a white, but it was furry and close to white.

Everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.

My Little Lamb definitely goes wherever I go. That's probably because I'm her milk supply.

It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day.
It followed her to school one day which was against the rules.

I am actually planning a trip to visit my previous students and co-workers - which is not against the rules. I just need a visitor sticker).

It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.

My students saw my belly grow from the beginning (and saw it the most too), so it'll be neat to have them meet her.

And so the teacher turned it out, turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near.

I'm shooting for a lunch time or afternoon recess visit.

And waited patiently about, patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about til Mary did appear.

I don't know about Selah being patient yet, but that's due to her still being so young.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?" Mary so? Mary so?
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the eager children cry.

We humans tend to follow the food, no? Where there is food, there the crowd is also.

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know." Loves the lamb, you know. Loves the lamb, you know.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," the teacher did reply.

I LOVE my Selah Bella!


And at Hallelujah Night (Halloween alternative), she sang praise songs and listened to Daddy preach a mini sermon.

She also went to some of the activities:

took pictures in the photo boo(th):

and then konked out to suppress her hunger (Mommy ate Kit Kats on her behalf - though technically she got a taste of it via milk):

So Selah was a little lamb, Mr. Woo turned down the role of the Wolf, and I was Mary - not Bo Peep. She lost her sheep.

My little pumpkin

I used to look at moms who would ask their infant questions like, "Which dress do you want to wear today, pink or purple?" and think, 'Why are they asking if the baby can't even respond? That's so silly.' But I've become that mom. I want Selah involved in everything!


So even though she barely has any depth perception, I insisted that we take her to the pumpkin patch. Luckily, we stumbled across a mini patch that was just the right size for our wee one. And of course I was asking her, "Which pumpkin do you want Selah Bella?" in between, "Oh, Pooki! Let's take a picture next to the scarecrow!" and, "Look at Daddy! Look at Daddy! Look at Daddy!

I'm so glad I didn't have to take her in front of Trader Joe's make shift pumpkin patch for her (going to be) annual pumpkin pictures. I might have gotten some funny looks...

We decided to save the petting zoo section for when she can chase the animals around, or at least stand next to them. Or maybe it's because we're pinching our pennies and didn't want to pay for it.

There's my little pumpkin!

I've been wanting to make pumpkin bread since last year, but got caught up with a different kind of bun in the oven so it never happened. I would have roasted the seeds with a sprinkling of salt too. And when we're going to carve pumpkins I have no idea, but I've got some pumpkin decor ideas saved for whichever year I commit to being crafty no matter the circumstances.

In the end, this is the pumpkin that Selah chose Daddy chose for our Selah. It's cute, little, and round - just like her!