Baby book Publishing

For the past week I have been struggling to find the ultimate self-published baby book website/design and order it in time for Mother's Day. Finally, an easy Mother's Day gift for Mom S and Mom G with none of the out of the house shopping required. Plus, neither moms really "internet" much (thats how mom says it) so I knew that they probably hadn't seen one of those photo books yet and would be impressed by the quality- just like a professional book. I was familiar with the basic options from Kodak and Shutterfly, but I was looking for a custom designed look that didn't take forever. Here is what I found.


1- http://www.photoworks.com/- This website has some nice options and I found it by trusting some reviews I found online. I didn't end up ordering from them and here's why. It took 4ever to load up photos to the website. I don't generally load photos to share with people, so I didn't realize how long it took. It took several hours (no we aren't on dial-up- wireless Cable internet) and it kept messing up and requesting that we make it try again. I finally got them all on there, and found an acceptable layout. This website had several layout options that I liked- I was looking for not too cheesy, but baby looking, yet sophisticated. So then it was time to add the photos. The program had some major problems with my images. It kept switching out photos on its own, and it even got to where I would look in the folder where I loaded the photos and there would only be one photo there, copied 50 times. It was really weird. I did their online chat help and they informed me that my java was bad and I needed to download new version. By this time I was pretty much tired of fooling with it and was ready to move on to a different site.

2-www.mypublisher.com - With only a few hours left to make the book and make the standard shipping deadline in time for Mother's Day, I decided to try this My Publisher that several of my friends had recommended. I downloaded the software from their website and was please to see that orders over $50 were 20% off and orders over $100 were 40% off! Plus, as soon as I logged in the emailed me a coupon for one book free. Naturally, you can't use the one book free with the other offers, but still, either was good deal. So I downloaded the program and flipped through their layout options. And then, I wasn't so happy. There were only a handful of design options and they didn't seem to be super customizable. Maybe if I had gone further with the process I could have found more customization options, but I didn't have time for another disappointment. I needed groovy designs and I needed them fast. Despite the great deals, I decided to try one other site I heard good things about.

3- http://www.blurb.com// - Jackpot!
I am completely infatuated with blurb and its blurberati. It’s changing my life. I will take this opportunity to count the ways I love the blurb.
Their free software Booksmart is wonderful. It’s easy, fast and has super sophisticated layout options that totally customizable.
You can post your book on their site and sell it directly through them to the public. You set your own profit margin (if you choose to sell your book for profit).
After publishing with them you can "Announce" the publication of your book through them or through posting a blog badge of their site.

You can browse their bookstore for inspiration- and I highly recommend it. They have some incredible books in there.
They have great templates, including a cookbook template and blog template that will automatically link up with your blogger account. Genius.
Their books are reasonably priced- even as low as $13, full color. I chose the hardback- 40 color pages fro $25.
They just came out with a facebook option for getting photos off your facebook page. It's amazing.
I can't stop talking about how much I love this site. I have ordered Davis's baby book (don’t tell the moms) and I am in the process of designing a family cookbook, my design portfolio, my art portfolio, and I'm teaching my dad to use their software to do a book of my great uncle's photography.
Here is a link to Davis's baby book, a preview of which is currently available in their bookstore under new releases. The photos in this posting are from his book.

Davis Timothy ...

By

Book Preview

I named it "Here Comes the Son"
Enjoy your own Blurb creation.

Jenn

4th Trimester Must-Haves

Sorry for the delay in posts. We celebrated my 30th at the house a couple of weekends ago, then headed to St. Augustine for some beach time. I was completely unpreparred for the amount of time that it would take to prep fro a party and care fro a baby. Pics of Davis’s first beach trip to come in the next post. But this post is all about some of the stuff that we just couldn’t have made it without. If you are pregnant, you have probably already heard people refer to the first three months of the baby’s life as the “fourth trimester”. I think there is even a book with that title. This posting is all about what I found to be the best gear to be prepared for those first few weeks. Speaking of, Davis is two months old today! It doesn’t seem like that long, yet it feels like he has always been with us. Weird, in a good way.

1. Itzbeen Baby Timer-

This gadget is simple, yet such a life saver. Since Davis was our first, we came out of the gate stunned and a little intimidated by the race of parenthood that lay before us. All of the sudden, every nurse that came in wanted to know when he ate last, how long it took him to eat, when he doodled last, how many tinkles he had, etc. Those of you that know me well, know that I had only a loose understanding of time before I had Davis, so I had no idea how long it had been since he had done all that stuff. Plus, they keep you pretty doped up, making clock-reading and simple math a real challenge. I’m sure that the nurses at the hospital would never believe that the bloated and befuddled new momma that couldn’t calculate the total number of feedings in 24 hour period had once solved complex Calculus problems and proofs. Even Tim, whom my family believes to be one of the smartest people on Earth (and I agree), was having a hard time adding it all up. Thank goodness we had the Itzbeen. The gadget has four timers- each with a different image so there’s no reading required. Feeding is represented by a bottle, diapers with a little diaper, sleeping with some zzzz’z, and then the magic star button. I used that one to track my pain meds so I didn’t look like a total addict and start requesting the pain meds every 30 minutes or something. The Itzbeen even comes with a little nightlight that is great for checking to make sure that everyone is breathing OK in the middle of the night. Yes, even two months into this, I still check that he is breathing OK in the middle of the night, and when we are in the car, and even if he is asleep in the swing.

I have found this item on amazon and at traget online. http://www.amazon.com/Itzbeen-Baby-Care-Timer-Green/dp/B0012BS2O2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1208540749&sr=8-2

BTW- Target has finally released their mod line nursury furniture- I could tell it was coming, but way too late for us. I'm still shocked they were so behind the curve with that. It also appears they have some nice Dwell bedding available. These Dwell patterns appear to be made especially for Target, as most Dwell bedding is more pricey than the Target price-point.

2. The 5 S’s- This comes from the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. It comes in book form, too, but there is no way you will have time to read through a book once the baby comes, and even if you do, you may be so sleep deprived and disoriented that you may forget how to read. The 5 S’s are five ways to sooth your baby when they are wailing. Unfortunately for me, Davis has got quite a set of lungs that he chooses to exercise frequently, so these techniques have been super helpful. The five S’s stand for shushing, swinging, swaddling, side (place baby on their side), and sucking. Its worth getting the DVD to get the visual on these. You’ll also want to avoid our version of the 5 s’s- Swearing, Screaming, Sobbing, Snacking, and Sipping. I can assure you that our 5 S’s are completely ineffective in resolving your little ones gripes and will likely result in weight gain, increased use of antidepressants, and inability to operate vehicles or heavy machinery (note- breast pump may be classified as heavy machinery).

http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Crying-Longer/dp/B0006J021C/ref=pd_sim_ba_title_1

3. The Pump- Speaking of breast pump, lots of my friends have asked me which one I chose. Its not galmerous, its not stylish, but you are going that route- you gotta have it. First of all, I hate pumping, but the pump I chose seems to be pretty good. And if you prefer for your baby to only have breast milk, then a pump is a must. No pump and you can pretty much kiss your former social life goodbye because you will be hold-up in the house with your crib munchkin (to qoute Josh C.) until they are on solid food. Think you can feed and then take off a couple of hours? Think again. There seems to be no pattern to Davis's feeding schedule and he often gets in to a feeding frenzy that is a real drag. On the reccomendation of my sis-in-law Kim, I chose the Lansinoh Double Electric Pump. This model comes with a DVD and highly reccomend having your hubby watch the video with you. It was way better for Tim to see someone else hooked up to that contraption before he saw me in it. After watching the DVD and seeing what pregnancy can do to another woman's body, he just kept telling me how beaustiful I was. I secretly think he was just really greatful that my bod didn't go all National Geographic like the ones he saw on the DVD. Anyway- back to the pump. To put it crudely, it sucks like its supposed to and its not too big and it only costs about $150. And really, wouldn't you rather only spend $150 and use the rest of the dough to get a message while you hubby stays at home and feeds the baby?

http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Double-Electric-Breast-Pump/dp/B00157DIWE/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_title_2

Warning- chicks only for next paragraph-One more thing- be sure to get the nurses at the hospital to give you nipple sheild. We've all heard the horror stories from the breast feeding trenches, but with the help of this little thing, I never experience any of it. And I only had to use it for about a week. It somehow helps the baby learn how to latch on easier and for your bod to adjust to it. I have survived the first two months of feedings with no nipple caualties and only minor pain.

4. Swaddle Me by Kiddopotimus-

We call this swaddling blanket the best burrito. It makes burritoing (that’s our term for swaddling) Davis super easy, even in the dark when he is screaming and wiggling around like an octopus. Check out this photo of D all burritoed up. Yes, it looks a lot like a baby straight jacket, but he seems to dig it. We liked the 123 Swaddle blankets, too. They come with a cheat sheet sewn into the tag of the blanket. I can’t believe how many blankets we use- I use the cuddly home-knit ones when we are strolling or just relaxing on the sofa.

http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-Co-Microfleece-SwaddleMe%C2%AE-Sage/dp/B000BF2V56

5. The Noise Maker-

This little device has made getting D to sleep and STAY asleep way easier. Plus, I think it works on getting Tim back to sleep, too. Our model has several settings, such as waves and the heartbeat. I find the heartbeat to be creepy, so we keep ours on waterfall. Davis’s fav sound is AM radio, totally blasted in the car (I love to see the look on the drive thru attendants face when I roll up to order my diet coke -3/4 diet, ¼ regular- with the AM radio blarring) But since the AM radio noise is only slightly less irritating than screaming, we stick with the noise maker waterfall sounds at night. We have the homedics Sound Spa- note that I think the "on" light on this model is alittle too bright. It could almost double as a night light.

http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-2000-Relaxation-Machine-Nature/dp/B000F3QG0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1208542833&sr=1-1

You can get one at any drugstore or Target-type store.

6. Moses Basket-

I’m sure that this item wouldn’t be an essential for most people, but I LOVE ours. I keep it right by our bed so that when Davis wakes up at 3 am, I can just lean over and pick him up. Sometimes I can get to him so quick that Tim doesn’t even wake up. We have ours on a rocking stand that I often rock while I’m laying down next to it. Mom made an adorable liner for ours, but I think most baskets come with one. I love that we can easily move it from room to room. This was especially nice when he was very little and I didn’t want him out of my sight. Tim would just take it the front of the house for me in the morning when he left for work and then we would move it back the bedroom again in the evening. It’s not heavy or anything, I just couldn’t move anything after the C. We recently took it with us when we rented a house at the beach and it’s a lot less hassle and a lot more style than a full size pack and play. I recently read that “they” recommend that babies graduate to the crib once they are a month old, but I’m just not ready for him to be out of our room all night yet. I know I will have to get used to that soon, but for now, he is with me.

If your mom doesn't like to sew so much (I myself am alergic to sewing), Modern Moses Baskets can be found at http://www.allmodernfurniture.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=MBA1124&refid=FR32-MBA1124

http://www.urbanokids.com/

http://www.hoohobbers.com/mosesbasket.html# (Frilly but fun. Lots of choices)

Rocking Stands available at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Rocking-Wooden-Moses-Basket-Stand/dp/B00115LGHE/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0

jenn

Since you asked...

Many people have asked me about my c-section experience, so I will go over what happened in not so graphic detail here. Im also including some random photos of his first days, as requested. First of all, my doctor and I discussed the possibility of having a C from the beginning. Before some of you start complaining that I was trying to do a "Hollywood" style birth, you should know that my doctor only brought it up because I have Crohn's disease, so get off my back about it. Guess you can tell I'm a little defensive about it, but i seems like everyone is all about having a baby at home or underwater or some other big "Experience" birth. I was just hoping on a healthy baby when it was all over, by whatever means possible. The experience was not my top priority. So anyway, back to what my bro calls my "stupid" colon ( he has other less pc terms for it that I won't repeat here). Its an autoimmune disorder where your digestive system just doesn't work so good. My OB worked with my Crohn's doc to make sure that I was healthy enough to try to have a baby, and that I stayed healthy throughout my pregnancy. They certainly did a good job, because Davis was gigantic for someone like me- 8lbs.3 oz- two pounds bigger than we expected. So both docs said I could try for a "regular" style birth if I wanted, but that a C would be more controlled and less likely to damage my insides. Since I preferred to have my hair and make-up looking good right after the birth, I knew the C was for me ;) Who wants to be all sweaty and tired a gross when you know that everyone is going to photographing you? Not me. But it really didn't matter what we decided ahead of time because Davis was breech and would have certainly been a c- baby anyway and his health was my number one priority.

So now is the time when I shamelessly promote my awesome docs at Shands. My Crohn's doc, Dr. Valentine, gave me my life back when he figured out what was wrong with me a few years ago. You might have noticed his name in the birth announcement as well as my OB's name. Under his care, I was able to get healthy enough to get pregnant and I am so grateful. To show my gratitude, I have agreed to assist in fundraising efforts to create the Southeastern Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (S.C.I.B.). This center will provide a location for research and patient support for those who are suffering with Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis and Celiac Sprue. The fundraising efforts are just now starting up and donations can be made at the following link.

(https://www.uff.ufl.edu/onlinegiving/FundDetail.asp?FundCode=008463 I will include more fundraising info as the fundraising efforts progress.

So- back to the birth. I was a little bummed that we wouldn't have the surprise of "oh my water broke" or "Yikes- I think this is a real contraction", so we did a few things to make the birth special and feel less clinical. It wasn't a big "Experience" birth- nothing like that Ricki Lake movie or anything, but even when having a C-birth it is possible to make it feel alittle more special and little less out of your control.

The Music- Tim and I always have music playing in the house and Davis would sometimes move around a lot before he was born when we were in the car listening to music. After asking our doc if it was ok, we made a CD to play in the operating room. This ended up being a really good idea for me, because Tim wasn't able to come into the OR while I was getting my spinal block- and I was terrified. I found that concentrating on the music helped me relax (a little) while they stuck the gigantic needle in my spine. I was a mess of fear, anxiety, and anticipation, and pain killers, so it would have been easy to get a little lost on how much time had passed. The music gave me a time reference so that I would know about how long we had been in there and when to expect Davis to be out and when it might be over. So here is the list of songs we played and I have noted when the big events happened.

Birth Songs

Just the Two of Us-Bill Withers & Grover Washington (This is one of our songs, and we knew we wouldn't be just the two of us anymore. The OR crew thought this was a funny/cute song to play, so we talked about that while I tried not to shake off the table in fear of the spinal block)

When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)-The Beach Boys (They tested my numbness during this song)

No Woman No Cry (Live) (Tim came in the OR during this song and I tried to stop crying. Tim said a quick prayer before the docs got started)

Caban La Ka Kratchie Georges Fordant ( The docs liked this song too- its really upbeat and we choose it remind us how the worst was over and we would soon know weather we were having a boy or girl)

Say a Little Prayer for You Aretha Franklin (I just like this song- I don't remember what was going on in he surgery, but the song reminds me of our wedding.)

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes Paul Simon (Ditto for this song- I had Rhinestones on the bottom of my wedding shoes)

Lullaby Billy Joel (When this song came on, I knew that they should have the baby out soon. It is a very special song because my dad and I danced to it at my wedding. During the last verse, Billy Joel says, "Someday we'll all be gone but lullabies go on and on, they never die, that's how you and I will be." And then Tim said, "Its a boy!"

One Sweet World Dave Mathews & Tim Reynolds (Tim was checking out Davis as they made sure all was ok)

That's How Strong My Love Is Otis Redding ( The nurses brought Davis over for me to touch his head. It was the most incredible feeling)

Build Me Up Buttercup The Foundations ( They weighed Davis and announced to everyone's surprise that he was 8lbs.3oz. I was thrilled because I finally knew after 9 months of worry that he had gotten enough nutrients.)

100 Years Five for Fighting ( They got Davis all "burritoed" up and let Tim hold him next to me the rest of the time. This was a big surprise because my doc and the nurses had said he would probably have to go straight to the nursery. Since he was so big and healthy, they let him say in with us, which was good because I had dreaded what it would be like when Tim and Davis left).

Shaking Through- R.E.M.
Anyone Else But You- Michael Cera & Ellen Page
Yahweh- U2
New Slang- The Shins
The Three of Us- Ben Harper
The Scientist- Coldplay
Somewhere Over the Rainbow -Iz

We made it through the whole CD and it was just a few minutes before they wheeled me out. The next few hours were a blur of extreme joy as we introduced David to all our family members who were anxiously waiting.

I can't believe its already been a month. What a great month!

Jenn

Jenn Gets Fat- Looking back

Well the first week has gone well. Davis is feeding great and I must say- this is the best weight loss program I've ever been on. Davis seems to be enjoying it, too. Tim took this week off work to help me recover from the surgery and to enjoy his new role as a father. the photo above was taken right after we got home from the hospital- Tim and Davis were so tired- and so cute. He is a great dad and has changed every diaper so far. That's right, I haven't changed a single diaper yet. I hope that every week after this is just as good, but as my sister is quick to point out, I'm still being medicated. Tim did finish up that "Jenn Gets Fat" video and I am finally posting it here. I have some great still photos of the pregnancy that my friend Gina Mae took, but I need to get her permission before I post them, so those are yet to come. The following video is not so glamorous, but the final photo makes it all worth it.

Jenn

Aunt and Uncles and friends

It was so wonderful to have all of our family here for the birth. Even though we were in the hospital for three days and would have preferred to be home sooner, it was great to have your support and I looked forward to your frequent visits. It was a great welcome for Davis to how we do things in this family- Big and Loud!

And thanks to all the great friends who came to visit- Tim's GCRC and Lab folks, friends from church (including a special prayer time with Pastor Dan), Jay and Audrey, John and Jill, Cindy, my baby recovery coach Nick (running bud), and my new mommy friends, Elaine (who had her baby last week), Amanda (who had her baby in December) and Prov (who will have her baby in July), Rose (Rob's girlfriend who we love), Amir (our Pediatrician research friend ) and other friends. I was nervous about staying in the hospital, but with everyone coming by, it made it feel less like a hospital and more like an extended party. I know that some people want some rest after having a baby, but everyone who knows me knows that I'd rather party! Since we got home, mom has made sure that Tim and I both have gotten some rest so we will be refreshed for more visitors and more exciting firsts with Davis.

More photos......

Uncle Chase- On a crude note, Davis had his first big explosion while Chase was holding him. Chase was so proud.

Aunt Kathy- check out the super cute polka dot swaddling blanket from Emily- thanks! A close-up photo of Aunt Kathy was in the previous posting.

Aunt Kim

Aunt Heather

Uncle Rob

Audrey and Jay- and a note on photo taking from me. People on pain meds SHOULD NOT be taking the pictures. I didn't even get Davis's face in this one, and you can totally tell that I'm taking the photo from the hospital bed. Which reminds me, people who are coming off of anesthesia SHOULD NOT be emailing. Its kind if like drunk dialing- always a bad idea. I was on that laptop just hours after the birth trying to get the email anouncement out. I just wan't convinced that anyone else could get it done. Obviously, since almost no one got the anouncement, I couldn't get it done either. Oh well, I think I finally go the news out to everyone. Sorry for the wait.

John

Prov (with Davis's future friend in belly)

Jenn

He's here!!!

Its a boy!

Tim and I are ecstatic to announce that we are the new parents to Davis Timothy. He weighed in at a whopping 8lbs. 3oz., a full two pounds heavier than we expected. He is our little blessing and we couldn't be happier. Here are some photos- more to come.

When Nerds Reproduce

One of my favorite things about pregnancy has been watching Tim's reaction to the whole experience. As you probably know, Tim is PHD chemist and he has a lab at the hospital where I will be delivering. He has been incredibly supportive- in his geeky science way. The following is a summary of how his science brain is adjusting to the idea of fatherhood and all that baby gear.

1- The Literature- One of the first things Tim did was buy me both the "What to Expect" book AND the "What to EAT when you are expecting book". He was worried that my sluggish appetite and vegetarian ways might be a challenge during pregnancy. He offered to start doing the cooking, but I told him that wasn't necessary. It was a very sweet offer, but when he cooks, he measures everything to the microliter, and I really didnt want to wait until midnight to eat everynight. I agreed to start eating some chicken bc it was abvious that I was not going to be disciplined enough to eat all the veggie protien sources it would take to grow a baby. Plus, he was doing all this eye research and one of his collegues scared me to death about some eye defect caused by lack of some chemical compund (lipid?) only found in animal protien.



2-The Lead Paint- About half way through the pregnancy the whole lead paint issue came up in the media again. Well, this company that Tim works with a lot, Thermo, just happens to sell these high tech lead scanners. He looked into them, but seeing that we didn't really have an extra 20k laying around, we have setteld for the over the counter lead testers. He will have fun testing the accuracy of the lead test kits.



3- The Thermometer- Tim is desperately in search of the ultimate in baby thermometers. While most people are really into those forehead ones or the the ones for the ear- not Tim. his research indicates that these thermometers are not nearly accurate enough. At last count, we have a total of three digital thermometers, none of which have met his standards for accuracy. He just found another one on amazon and has registered for it- its a pacifier model. I'm just wondering how he is going to test that one- I will take pictures.


4- Alignment-

Tim is completely obsessed with having the car/jeep porperly aligned. I look over when he is driving and he is constantly taking his hand off the wheel slightly monitoring even the tiniest sway left or right. Then he asks if I have recently jumped the curb or backed into something to cause the faulty alignment, which I usually have. Upon the arrival of the Bob stroller, he took it into the long gallery hallway and, I kid you not, tested the alignement of the stroller. When I asked why he was rolling the stroller up and down the hallway and not holding on to it, he said that he needed to test that the stroller was properly aligned and he was quite satisfied that it was. Well, we'll see how long that lasts. If my driving record is indication of my strollering capabilities, I'll have that Bob aligment outta whack in no time. Tim was quick to show me the safety stop mechanism in case the stroller ever got away from me.

5- The Gear- Since I didn't want to have to make sure that all my baby gear (diaper bag, carrier, etc) was manly enough for Tim to carry, we decided to get Tim his own baby gear. that way I can have all the frilly, loud, luscious fabrics I want, and he wont get stuck carrying them. So mom gave Tim this great, manly diaper bag for chritsmas. Its by Fleurville, the mobi Rerun bag- army green, has an Ipod jack and holder (to drowned out the sounds of baby screaming?) and it made of recycled plastic bottles. Tim loves it and has already found that it fits his laptop perfectly.

He also has his own carrier, as he informed me he would not be wearing the polka dot Hotsling that I registered for. His carrier is made by Combi (Combi Urban Carrier) and looks alot like his North Face hiking pack, except that you can slip a baby in it. It has water bottle holder and fat zippers and all kinds of pockets for his nerdy gadgets. I can't wait to see him and the baby in it.

6- The Delivery- Since Tim's lab is at the research hospital and I already have docs at that hospital, we decided to have the baby there. Tim's first thought was that this would be perfect- he could be running experiments even while I was in labor- perfect. Well, he now relaizes that this plan won't really work that way, but I do take some comfort in knowing that all his nurses and stuff are right down the hall.

Only a two days to go. I will try to load the "Jenn Gets Fat" video that Tim made in the next post. Of course thats what I call the video, he refers to it as his documentation of fetal growth. He took pictures of me about once a week throughout the pregnancy and made them into a video. int he mean time, here are some pics that my grad school prof and good friend Susan Tate took when we met for lunch last week. She took one with mom, too.

jenn