Singing

Ciaran begin his illustrious musical career:

Conversations with Ciaran

Our conversations go something like this:
Me: "Hi, Ciaran"
Him: "Ah."
Me: "Oh, really?"
Him: "Ah-i."
Me: "What else?"
Him: "Ah-o."
Me: "You don't say..."
Him: "Ah. Ah-i."

It goes on like this, sometimes for minutes at a time. He's usually smiling the whole time, delighted to be communicating in such a sophisticated manner.

And--this is beyond cute--when I sing to him he sings too, ah-ing right along with me, occasionally even hitting a harmonic note.

They grow up so fast... before I know it he'll be in a garage band.

Smiley O'Brien

Here's the happy kid on his 2 month birthday! We went to the doctor on Tuesday, and he is 14 pounds, and just over 26 inches long (how about that, 98th percentile)! He's happy and healthy as can be, and we couldn't be more overjoyed.

In addition to being incredibly adorable, Ciaran (or as I have taken to calling him, "Little Mister") is holding his head up and steady like a champ, lifting his head and neck up almost upright while on his tummy, cooing, tracking objects by sound and sight, and making his parents super-proud all the time.

Mommy's gonna try for her first "run" today, too! I can't wait to hit the great outdoors.

Lookalike

Like father, like son. This is Sean as a baby:

Little Irishman

Notre Dame has a new die hard fan!
He's smiling at the 3rd touchdown by the Irish in the first quarter against Michigan...

(Shout-out to cousins Chuck and Ann -- thanks for the adorable burp cloths!)

Reusable Diapers -- They're Easier Than You Think!

They may look a little goofy, but they're great!

Bum Genius diapers, washable and reusable one-size all-in-one diapers, are so cute (if a little bulky on a newborn). While Pampers leaked all the time, these hardly ever do -- and if they do it's because we put them on too loosely. They're also really soft -- softer than disposables -- and keep Ciaran dry enough with the microfiber absorbent inserts and the wicking fabric against his skin. The outer part, built into the diaper (so no plastic pants needed), are also soft -- but waterproof too.

They're easy to wash (cold wash, followed by a hot wash with an extra rinse), and they use very little detergent. Dry for a cycle in the dryer and we're all set -- only one load per day! Breast milk poop is water soluble, so there's no rinsing or soaking required. When this is no longer the case, we have a diaper sprayer (like a sink sprayer) that attaches to the toilet, so rinsing will be easy.

They're a hefty investment (running about $18 each), but it's still far less expensive than disposals, which run between $2000 and $3000 during the diapering life of the average baby. (If you have more than one kid, these really start to save you some serious cashola.) They're even better when you consider the environmental costs and the presence of toxins in disposables. Sure they're slightly less convenient than disposables, but not enough to make the other costs worth while. Oh -- and we use cotton reusable wipes, too! They stay moist and comfy with a diaper warmer, which has an anti-microbal insert. We just throw them with the diapers in a regular waste basket lined with a waterproof liner (which goes in the wash right with the diapers).

Some people say that reusable diapers are just as bad environmentally as disposables, and they have a point: the washing uses a lot of water and energy. But we have a front-loading Energy Star washer which cuts both water and energy use by quite a bit. And imagine thousands of diapers in a landfill for 500 years! And that's just for ONE baby! Nothing is perfect, everything has costs and benefits. But these are really great, and that'll have to be good enough for now.

More Family!

Last Sunday my sister, Renee, brought her kids down to see Ciaran. (Seth didn't come, though, because he's "not that into babies." His words.) There was lots of lovin', and even a walk to the park. Grandma and Grandpa also made an appearance. So much fun! Thanks, Renee!