Hello all! It’s been a quick month since the birth of Avin and I have to say, It’s been a wonderful first month! A big change has happened and Adrienne and I are taking it in with open arms.

I was a little apprehensive at first about how I was going to handle a newborn baby, but as soon as I held him the first time, none of that worry mattered anymore. Parenting seemed to come so naturally that I never needed to double check myself about holding him, changing him, or feeding him. Our family was incredibly wonderful and made sure to help us out when we needed and also give us the space to relax during the chaos of it all.

Avin has been doing extremely well, and we couldn’t have asked for such a perfect boy! Everyone keeps telling us that we’re lucky to have such a calm and alert baby, so we must be blessed. Thanks to the book my sister recommended to us, Babywise, we’ve been able to keep a pretty good schedule of parent directed feeding which allows the entire family to be happy and get enough sleep to make it through the day.

I may be getting ahead of myself when I say this but, taking care of this baby isn’t half as hard as everyone makes it out to be! We figured out a comfortable controlled chaos atmosphere where everything important gets done and everyone stays happy, including baby. We’ll see what becomes as he gets older, but I doubt Adrienne and I will have any problems with him since he’s so amazing already!

BULLY!

This day will be a day Adrienne and I will forever remember. An amazingly beautiful yet terrifying day. I’m not sure I can even think of the words that would come close to describing the emotions that were flowing through all of us yesterday.

The Thursday before we had decided to induce labor because it wasn’t looking like her cervix was going to be opening anytime soon, and the baby being 4 days late already, he really needed to get out of there! We arrived at the hospital at Monday morning at 5AM. Neither of us had slept the night before because of the anticipation of what would happen the next day. Early in the day they decided to give her (drug escapes me now) which is just a gel tablet placed inside to help the cervix to open. While waiting for this drug  to work they drew some blood to make sure everything was looking a-okay. Unfortunately they weren’t. Adrienne had an abnormally low amount of platelets in her blood, and on top of that her blood pressure was starting to rise. During the course of the day they ran 3-4 more blood test which all revealed her platelets sinking lower and lower. At this point our doctor had told us that she indeed had preclampsyia and could become a serious problem if her platelets kept dropping. Since the platelets were so low they decided upon not allowing us to induce with pitocen, and also not allowing the use of a epidural.

Considering the size of the baby and not being able to use an epidural, or any other drugs because of her high blood pressure, the only other option was a c-section, and the doctor made it clear that it had to happen now. My subconscious must have known something because that uneasy feeling I felt on the way to the hospital that morning was now justified.  Adrienne had been poked and prodded, wires everywhere, machines all over the place, and now had to go into surgery to make sure our son was able to get out there and take his first breath!

I wasn’t able to join her in the surgery room, which was horrible, because I couldn’t imagine how scared she was in there, and her parents and myself were stuck in her labor room waiting for the word. The word came, about an hour after she left the room and we immediately ran up to the nursery to make sure everything was well. And indeed it was.

The moment I saw him was surreal to say the least.  I kept telling myself, “This is your son, this is your son!” but my brain never replied back. I couldn’t stop staring, i couldn’t take myself out of the moment, and it lasted forever.

I was still worried about Adrienne’s condition and left my son in the nursery to see how she was doing. She was in an immense amount of pain as anyone can imagine, and it was horrible not being able to do anything about it. And through all of this pain, she still managed to smile for the rest of us.  At this moment she is now anemic, but making a speedy recovery. Her blood pressure is getting better and her platelet count is almost back to average. The doctor is letting us go home tomorrow (wednesday) after they take out the staples and glue the incision, OUCH!

There are so many things I’m feeling right now, and so much I wish I was able to say and express because I’ve never felt as alive as I do now in this very moment. I want to say thanks to all of our family and friends who supported us through the ridiculously long 9 months of anticipation. I know that all of you will still help and support us through Avin’s life and that is more than we could ever ask for. We love you all!

Avin Koan Keller, born June 2, 2008 at 3:46pm. 9 Ibs!!!!!!! 

With Avin being about 4-5 months away, we are starting to get more and more of the essential type things ready for him. Things like diapers, bottles, clothes, etc. so I started thinking about the possibility of buying Green products for our baby, and if it was even worth it. I’ve always been an idealist my entire life, and being able to do things that take little effort that pay off big in the long wrong seem like a win win situation for anyone. I decided to do some googling about going green with your baby and found some fantastic information from Treehugger, and their guide on How to Green Your Baby. If you want the whole package, check out their guide, if you want a simple summarized version of the info I found, than keep reading.

Why go Green?
The Go Green Initiative can answer this one for me:

The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?

Seems pretty obvious to me, save your resources so the generations after us will be able to live with them as well. What’s better for the environment makes it better for humanity as a whole. Having this mentality also teaches a wonderful lesson to your children. It teaches them how to look at the big picture, and how to make decisions based on what’s best for everyone, and not just for themselves. This is something that I learned at a young age, and something I hope my son will learn as well.

Some info you may or may not know….

• For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
• You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
• By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

(from the Go Green Initiative)

Here are some tips on how to start Greening your baby:

1. Diapers - The average baby uses approx 6,000 diapers before potty training. Babies in the U.S. uses approximately 49 million diapers a day. Babies use a crazy amount of diapers, we all know that. While disposable diapers may be cheaper in some places, and easy to obtain, they still pose a problem for the environment. According to the numbers, petroleum-based disposable diapers take between 200 and 500 years to decompose. Finding an alternative to the disposable diaper is definitely something to consider.

So what are the alternatives?

Cloth - a.k.a. kickin’ it old school. An obvious reason to use cloth diapers is that because they are reusable, you save a lot of money in the long wrong by not having to buy a ton of diapers. A drawback to this is that even though you don’t have to buy new diapers, you are still spending money, time, and energy by having to wash them.

One study has found that home-washing cloth diapers has only 53% of the ecological footprint of disposables, and if you use a diaper laundering service that impact is halved again. (Treehugger)

Even though the days of cloth diapers are long in the past, there are still new types of reusable diapers that are worth considering. Some companies have created eco-friendly cloth diapers which are made of hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton. Some of these diapers also give you the option of using removable flushable liners. By using a laundry service, or an energy efficient machine at lower temps, reusable cloth diapers may be a great alternative to the disposable.

Where to buy and how much?

Better For Babies - This website sells Organic Cotton Diapers for $19.95 and come in a variety of colors such as White, Willow Green, Sunny Orange, and Elemental Blue. They come in many sizes and types of closures. They also sell Organic Hemp Fitted Diapers that range from $15.95 to $17.95 and also come in a variety of colors.

Want to know more about cloth diapers? Check these out:

Cloth Diapering Basics - http://www.betterforbabies.com/clothdiaperingbasics.html
Why Cloth Diapers? - http://www.betterforbabies.com/cloth_diapers_vs_disposable.html
DIY Oz Cloth Nappies - http://www.ozclothnappies.org/links.html#knitting

Biodegradable Diapers - These types of diapers are made with plant based plastics, also known as bioplastics. They are derived from plant sources such as hemp oil, soy bean oil, and corn starch rather than petroleum which disposable diapers are made from.

While these have been found not to break down under landfill conditions, there are other options to compost them such as using a composting toilet, an earthworm system, or a highly active and properly conditioned composting area. Hybrid diapers, like gDiapers, have removable inserts that can safely biodegrade when flushed. (Treehugger)

These diapers are designed to break down quickly after they are disposed of, and is usually made without chemicals from postconsumer material. They are designed to be comfortable, ecologically sound, and easy to use. These biodegradable diapers can be used in composting and vermicomposting, where they can break down quicker than they would in a landfill. And although these composts wouldn’t be suitable for most plants, they can be used for flowers and other decorative plants. Check with your local utility company to see if your local garbage collection includes composting, where you can discard these diapers.

Where to buy and how much?

gDiapers - gDiapers sells biodegradable flushables for $14.49 for a 40 pack. These flushable inserts are to be used with their Little g Pants, which can be purchased for $16.99 and are available in a variety of colors. They also have a starter kit for sale which includes 2 Little g Pants and 10 flushables for $26.99, which makes for a great gift for parents to be!

More info on flushables:

Why flushing is good for the planet - http://www.gdiapers.com/flushinggood

2. Clothing - Green baby clothing comes in many different materials including hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton. They are extremely trendy, super soft, and designed oh so beautifully. They are also created without the use of toxic chemicals which is wonderful for sensitive skin, and also last longer through constant washing. The problem however, is that most Green baby clothing is a little more expensive than the traditional cotton clothes. Considering that babies grow incredibly fast, spending a lot of money on clothes that won’t be used for that long isn’t the greatest idea.

Where to buy and how much?

American Apparel - AA sells organic sustainable clothes that range from $8 to $14 in a variety of styles.
Better For Babies - They have a variety of styles and colors of organic cotton and wool clothing.

some others I enjoy:

• Go Goose Go! - http://www.gogoosego.com
• My Conservation Baby - http://www.myconservationbaby.com
• Ferdinand - http://www.ferdinandhomestore.com
• Nina and Tom - http://www.ninaandtom.com
• Bamboosa - http://www.bamboosa.com
• WonderToast - http://www.wondertoast.com
• Irie Star - http://www.iriestar.com

3. Other Green Stuff

Food - I don’t really need to go into eating healthy organic food. You find these products everywhere because it’s all the craze. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then check out your local Target or Whole Foods Store.

Toys - It really isn’t necessary to get into why we should or shouldn’t buy Green toys. Toys are toys. They are fun regardless. However, with the abundance of toy recalls in the past year because of lead, maybe going Green is the better option. They also seem to appeal to me and most of them are designed and marketed so beautifully, it’s no wonder why I’m attracted to them. Check out some of these examples.

Where to buy and how much?

Branch: Sustainable Design for Living - I would probably spend way to much on this site if I could. I especially like the Standing Leopard, which is made out of natural wool yarn, treated with natural vegetable-based dyes, and costs only $24.00.

Our Green House - This website has a variety of natural toys that range from dolls to puzzles to natural crafts.

Clean Green - Cleaning products are a necessity in any family. More so when you have a baby in the house. Buying Green cleaning products can help you not only have a clean house, but a toxic chemical free house as well. Check out this guide on Treehugger, How to Green Your Cleaning.

Need more Green? Check out these links:

Treehugger
Go Green Initiative
Great Green Baby

In conclusion, I think the whole Green revolution is great. It’s a needed step towards progressing society into sustainable living. We do so much that’s destructive to our environment and it’s great to see a growing trend on making sure we don’t do any more damage than we have to. So, are we going to go Green with our baby? We’re definitely going to try. It will take a lot more work, and maybe even a little extra money. You have to ask yourself if spending that extra dollar, and taking the extra time is worth the trouble of going Green. As I always say, the truth is in the middle. We want to save money and make things easier on the family, but we also want to save our environment, so meeting somewhere in the middle is what we’re going to try and do. As time goes by, society will start to accept Green products as the norm, which in turn makes the products cheaper, and more accessible for everyone. Sooner than later I hope.

Enough time has passed in my life where I can look back and (mostly) understand the things my parents had taught me, or at least tried to teach me, or maybe forgot to teach me as I was growing up. I wish now that I had paid attention and listened to the importance of knowing these things and how they will ultimately shape the person that I have become, or have yet to become. I plan and hope that I will be able to teach these things to my son, so he truly understands the importance of each lesson as he begins his life.

1. Don’t forget to be a kid. - Or better yet, don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. Life moves way to fast. Even when it seems to move slower than usual, it still passes by way to quickly. Kids are always stuck in a push-pull situation where parents and teachers are telling them to be responsible, grow up, act more like an adult, and yet, at the same time they are pushed back. Everyone telling them they can’t do this or that because they are just a kid. Or maybe because they aren’t old enough, or aren’t mature enough to understand. Try and recall a time when you can remember how this made you feel when someone treated you that way. I hope to remind not only Avin, but my self that being young is not something to be taken for granted. Because before we know it, responsibilities stack up and society forces us to give into it’s demands.

2. You can learn something from anything - I think this is something I’ve taught myself throughout the years. And it’s something I’ll never forget throughout my entire life. More importantly it means to never stop learning. Never stop seeking out knowledge. Never stop progressing. There is always something to learn from every experience, person, and situation that happens in your life. A lot of people seem tune out the world around them when it doesn’t involve school or work. I hope that my son understands the importance of learning from his experiences. I hope that I can teach him that you can learn things from anyone, no matter who they are, or what they do. Even if that person may disagree with you, or hold different beliefs and convictions than you do. In fact, you may even learn more from those people than the people you do agree with.

3. There is a time for work, a time for play, and a maybe even a time for both - I’ve come to learn that sometimes work and play have no distinction. Especially in the work that I do, where I actually enjoy it most of the time. It’s sort of my own personal play time that I get paid for. I want to teach my son that work can also be play, and even some play can be work, instead of teaching him the traditional sense of work first, play later. Work and play should walk hand in hand, and not take rank over each other.

4. Never let your school get in the way of your education - This almost goes hand in hand with #2. Never stop learning. Just because you’re not in school, doesn’t mean you can’t further your education, and also doesn’t mean you should stop learning. I want my son to always be seeking knowledge, regardless of how the school system should teach him to learn. In other words, I want his education to be far greater, and reach way further than what the school curriculum does.

5. Don’t be so serious - This one is pretty obvious. Just relax. Everyone takes life, work, and school so seriously that they often forget to stop for a moment and pay attention to their own lives. They forget to appreciate the smaller details, the ones that make life worth living for. The experiences that you share together with the people that are important to you. It’s great to have goals and determination, but not so much that it takes away from the time in your life where you can just let loose, relax, and enjoy those experiences you can share.

6. Be a participant in your own life - In other words, be mindful of yourself. Be aware of everything you do or say. Nothing is as important as this very moment. I hope to teach my son that when you eat, eat. When you clean, clean. When you read, read. Be present in your reading, and participate in your journey. Usually we are all ahead, thinking for the future, planning something we want to do, or thinking about what we are going to say to someone, etc. Or maybe we are thinking about the past, reliving our memories, not wanting to forget about them. Because of this, we become unaware of what’s going on right in front of us. When being mindful of your thoughts and actions, you can take the time to stop and be aware of your own thoughts, and how you may interpret them, instead of being so quick to judge and assume before you even take the chance to see the truth for what it really is.

7. Deal with the consequences of your own actions - People love to point the finger, exaggerate, and even lie to make sure that they save their own face regardless of how it may effect someone else. No matter what happens, or who performs the action, everyone should man up and deal with the consequences of their own actions. Being able to make the right choice depends on being able to deal with the wrong ones.

8. Life changes, with or without you - Planning rarely works the way it’s supposed to, and most of us can agree with that. We never planned on having a child yet, but life decided that it’s going to happen, whether we are ready or not. I want to teach my son how to accept change and progress with it, or else he’s going to be left behind, not knowing what to do next, which causes a lot of people to just give up. And I don’t ever want my son to give up. We also spend so many years in school thinking that it’s going to prepare us for life in the “real world”, only coming to realize that we have no idea what we’re doing. Learning to adapt and accept change, whatever that change may be, seems to be the best way to get by.

9. Your financial status mean very little in the grand scheme of things - “He who dies with the most toys, still dies.” I heard this phrase at church at a young age, and it has stuck with me ever since (Ha, I did learn something at church!). Because the way our society glamourizes the rich and famous, we all grow up to believe that to be truly happy, one must have the most money, and the biggest and best of things. This of course, is untrue. Unfortunately it takes many people many years to realize this, and even then, some never do. I hope that my son comes to realize this at an early age. I hope that he comes to realize that happiness comes from his own experiences and how he interprets them. I hope he never judges someone based on their financial status. And I hope he never compares his life to anyone else by the amount of money or material things he has.

10. Do what you love - This is something that seems to be long forgotten once you start getting older. When you were a kid, you could tell your parents you wanted to be an astronaut and they would say, “That’s wonderful sweetheart! Be an astronaut!”. If I said that to my parents now, they would probably think I’m on drugs. (I know I can’t be an astronaut now, but that’s besides the point). So what happened between those years of having dreams and now? We all stopped doing what we loved. And what makes it worse is that no one cared! What happened to our curiosity? Our creativity? It all seems to dwindle away the more we age, and no one does anything to make it stop. By the time it’s all over we look back and realize we wasted so much time working for someone else, hating our jobs, because we never pursued what we truly loved to do, whatever that may be. I’ll never tell my son he’s crazy for wanting to do something he loves, no matter what age.

If anyone has anything they would add to the list than post it in a comment!

Since this is the first entry on the site, I may as well give everyone an idea of what’s going on here. Obviously, having a child is probably the most amazing and important thing that could happen to any couple, given the situation. Due to the large amount of family and friends we have who are also involved in our lives, I wanted to give everyone a simple and easy way to stay connected with what’s happening. So, illeatyouup.com (IEYU) is here to help document and photograph the life of Avin, his mother Adrienne, and myself. It helps remind me to never forget to stand up and live, a message that I hope to pass down to Avin. And quite possibly, one day he’ll look back at this and thank me.

From here on out, the updates will come as they happen, so I’ll take this moment to catch everyone up on what they already know is going on.

Adrienne and I had always talked about having children, when we were ready of course. A connection with a child is something we have always thought was important in one’s life, but we definitely didn’t think it was something that would happen as soon as it did. Initially she had thought she was getting sick; there was much vomiting and the morning sickness was becoming unbearable. We went to the doctor to confirm what we had already predicted. While there, we were sitting in the waiting room watching a father and his daughter playing. He was pretending to be a lion, chasing his daughter around on all fours, making lots of roaring sounds and the like. Adrienne had turned to me and asked, “That’s going to be you with our baby?”. “Nah” I said, “I can roar much louder.”

I sat and waited while she went in the doctors office to get checked out. Collecting my thoughts, I tried my best to prepare myself for what I already expected to hear. The nurse came out and called for a Kevin. I paused for a moment thinking she was just calling another waiting patient. She looked at me and said, “Are you kevin? Adrienne has something to show you.” Ah crap, I thought as my legs, apparently made of jello, carried my body into the dark room where I noticed Adrienne laying, hands on her face, in tears. She looked up at me, trying her best to hold in her emotions and somehow managed to smile. The only thing I could muster was, “Oh my God.” But the moment it truly became real was when we heard the baby’s heartbeat. Time stopped and everything else in my life was put away for a moment. The heartbeat was like an alarm clock for my life, telling me to wake up. So I did. I woke up.