Cheap Baby

Combing the 100+ posts on craigslist selling double strollers, I found someone selling a Burley that can convert into a double stroller. I got it for under $200 and we are so excited to start using it! Well, Matt is, seeing that I won't be riding a bike (yet again) until next summer. So Matt is already planning to take Wesley out on bike trips on the prairie path while I bond with the new baby.

This reminded me that getting inexpensive baby things has been my modus operandi the last year. So far I snagged:

• a cozy coupe for FREE
• a four step slide for $15
• a rocking horse for $1

Wesley with his slide and rocking horse

Free Museum Days!

Taking advantage of the Free Days at the Museum of Science & Industry

On the train with mommy and "Gungun" (Big Uncle)

All of our great museums in the city offer free days to Illinois residents. We're making sure to take advantage of this especially with a toddler who couldn't stay all day in a museum.

Swim Class

A year ago like now Wesley took his first swim class at 6 months, and this Saturday he just finished up his 3rd session (he took a session in the Fall 2011, and a new one started in January).

 We switched to the YMCA in another town because the class was cheaper and the instructors/classes were better. In this new class, we're taught - together - how to get our kids in and out of the pool, for them to obey our hand signals so they don't just jump in, they're blowing bubbles, going underwater, and learning to reach out and lay on their backs.

The best part is that the class is on Saturdays so it's me and Matt together in the water with him (except this past week, so I could take pictures). Matt loves being able to do this with him, instead of it always being me taking him to classes during the week.

This is a video of "Submersion" where the babies go under water

 It's also a gym class (Swim & Gym), so the first part is spent in the gym helping their motor skills by going through tunnels, stairs, playing, and running. Let's just say that we usually enjoy a quiet afternoon when we get home from this class (he's asleep in the car before we leave town)!

Double stroller

Our trek into the city to look at a double stroller I found on Craigslist proved to be successful, and now that's one item checked off my list.

Baby Jogger (ours is black)

We ended up getting a used double Baby Jogger City Elite -- it's a side-by-side double stroller with inflatable tires that you can run with, or just off-road with. It's huge, but what can you do? I think it'll be perfect for long outings like the zoo and Lake Geneva, as well as long walks along the prairie path and into town.

The UppaBaby with rumble

For mall trips, and other short stays, I'm going to use our UppaBaby stroller with the rumble seat -- it's a front and back model so it'll be easier to fit in tighter places.






Since we were in Lincoln Park, we had a nice afternoon having lunch at the Bourgeois Pig and then playing at Oz Park. Here are a few pictures from our day.

having lunch outside... in February!!

Wesley throwing himself on the ground because I wouldn't let him play in an alley

Hoofing down the street to the park

Wesley on the ground, again, because... I dunno.

 Finally, at Oz Park ...

Changing a diaper in the car on Fullerton while Wesley plays with the ice scraper and many cars go past

New windows

So one of the major home improvements we made at the end of the year were new windows. For the most part they look the same - although we opted for grills for the bedrooms. Our biggest changes were in the kitchen and dining room.

In the dining room, the previous owners took out window and put in patio doors. So we did what any new owner would do and reversed it back -- but we opted for large windows to look out over the deck.

In the kitchen addition, the old owners put in a window, and we decided that french patio doors would be better (in other words, come in from the backyard through the kitchen instead of dining room).

And finally, in our bedroom we had enough room to replace the slider window with double hung windows. We really like the look better.

Refinancing the 'ol split level

After 7 years, we've finally decided to refinance the house.

Now that I'm officially not working and expecting baby #2, I've been in a serious financial restructuring mode and refinancing the house has been on my mind as of late.

My view on refinancing was that to make sense of all the closing costs, we should wait to secure a mortgage rate of 1% under our current rate. We've finally succeeded at that - in fact we've secured a rate 1.5% under our current rate which saves us a total of $465/month. I'm pretty thrilled especially since our property taxes are a little over $500/month, this savings will help cover those taxes.

My only worry now is appraisal value ... we're crossing our fingers that we haven't lost so much value that we can't refinance...

Flip Flops

Wesley loves to play dress-up with our shoes; mostly Matt's shoes. Well here he is trying daddy's flip flops -- not as easy as those gym shoes.