Things We Love Right Now

Disclaimer: Trust me, I got NOTHING from anyone to give my opinions on these products.  Not even free samples.  In fact, I spent money.  That being said, if any companies want to send me free stuff to review: I ACCEPT.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottles

We continue to be very lazy about using bottles with Hazel.  But.  She HAS used her Tommee Tippee twice, which is two times more than any other bottle, and the only times we’ve offered her the bottle when she was actually hungry (due to her love affair with my boobs, it’s often hard to tell when she’s really trying to eat).  What I LOVE about these bottles, though, is that her latch looks almost the same as when she latches onto my breast.  NO WONDER she can figure out these bottles.  I would definitely recommend these for anyone doing a breast/bottle combo.

Kidco Go Pod Activity Seat

When my kid started using her Megasaucer a month ago, I was reminded of this piece of gear I purchased with a gift card before she was born.  I thought it would be great for camping but it actually is useful anywhere we go.  It is easy to unfold, just like a camping chair but with a locking pin.  Easy to collapse, and is about the same size and weight as a camp chair.  It comes with toy loops so you can attach whatever the current fave toys are.  Hazel doesn’t like being on the ground and sometimes needs some independent (not held by mom) time; she LOVES this option.

Sleepy Wrap

We lived in our Baby Hawk Mei Tai for Hazel’s first few months.  I thought we’d transition from the Mei Tai to the Oh Snap (just like an Ergo, but cuter) when she hit the requisite 15 pounds, but we got to an awkward time when she was between the newborn hold and the front carry.  I thought we would never be able to walk the dog again, but then someone reminded me of the wrap – I have a Sleepy Wrap, but it is similar to the Moby and others.  IT CHANGED MY LIFE.  It’s super comfy, as it has some stretch and bounce to it, and goes wide across my shoulders.  The best part is that Hazel can start out facing forward, checking everything out and feeling the wind in her face, and when she gets cold or sleepy, I can easily flip her around so she can snuggle against me to nap or nurse.  Also, it lies snug against me when not in use, so I can tie it on before we get in the car and be ready at our destination.  With the mei tai, I had to deal with long ties dragging in snowy parking lots – ugh – plus take my coat off in frigid weather to get the baby in.

Citrus Lane

“Care Packages for Parents”?  I mean, really, what parent doesn’t need – and deserve – a care package?  I ordered one for my friend, and then, because I got a screaming deal (50% off), I ordered one for myself.  Each month, Citrus Lane sends out a gorgeously-wrapped box of 4 or 5 baby products on a theme.  This month was “Play to Learn.”  Month-to-month and 3-, 6-, and 12-month subscriptions are available.  At $25 per month, it’s a good deal because they are packed with items totaling twice that amount.  They are customized for the age of your child (0-3yrs), so my friend 20-month-old got a different toy than we did.

Our box contained: a Rainstick Ball, a CD of children’s folk music, a caramel corn snack (for mom), an issue of Babybug that is almost as sturdy as a board book, and a pretty illustrated ABC poster.  Our friend got the same items except for the toy.

For $12.50 (half off, and NEVER any shipping cost), I got more than my money’s worth.  And as for the gift, it was definitely worth $25 or more, especially since I never know what to get for this kid (his mom is one of those wonderful gift-givers who always gets Hazel something wonderful, then I go out to Old Navy and get her kid a Bart Simpson t-shirt).

I have to admit that if I were going to spend $25 on products for Hazel, I wouldn’t have picked this group of items.  We already have a similar toy, and kids’ music?  Well, Hazel seems happy with a mix of Journey, They Might Be Giants, and Colbie Callait ($3 on itunes).  The baby magazine is cute, but I would just go with one of our favorite Sandra Boynton books ($6.99).  And the snack, well, if I am grocery shopping with my husband, he picks up the tab ($0.00).  That would leave me $15.00 to buy whatever toy most interested Hazel on our next shopping trip.

But, looking through past boxes on their website, I think that if you did 3 or 6 months, you would come out ahead most months, and overall get more than you paid for.  Also, they give you hint about what the next box will contain by telling you the theme ahead of time, so you can always purchase a single month if the theme sounds interesting.  PLUS you have the anticipation of the coming box, which is worth a lot, in my opinion.

And for gift-giving, it is stress-free and a great value.  And right now, they are being very generous with promo codes – 20-50% off.

Speaking of gift-giving, for slightly older kids (3-7 yrs), Kiwi Crate offers a similar monthly package but with 2-3 craft projects instead of baby stuff for $20 a month.

Obviously I am just a big kid, because the allure of a monthly surprise gets me every time…

No picture for this one, because my kid has been sick for a week, and all of the pictures would include unsightly snot bubbles.

*

I recently read on a blog that the writer/mom was DONE with zip-up pjs because she had to take the whole thing off for nighttime diaper changes, whereas with snap pjs, she could just undo the bottom half.  I had to laugh, because Hazel has decided she HATES nighttime diaper changes, and trying to snap snaps in the dark on a flailing, screaming baby is nearly impossible.  My current recommendation for pjs would be ZIPPERS, or better yet, the two-piece style with bottoms you can just yank off.  So here’s a second disclaimer: if you purchase these products, your child will likely hate them all.

To the Monster Who Is Sleeping For At Least This Minute

Someday, these feet will demand expensive sneakers. But for now, they are just so darn cute.

Gourmet

Wood dish and spoon from Grandma Julie

Home Made Organic Carrot Mush

Anticipating the Bite

Almost There

Success!

Not Sure About That...

Trying to Decide How to Feel About This Food Stuff

Delicious!

Snow Bear

Why aren’t I in this picture?

Oh, yeah, because I’m shredding the powder.

Or I’m taking a few conservative runs in some spring-like slush.

Either way…

Last time I was skiing, I was four months pregnant, and possibly not having the most fun.  I was terrified of skiing again – I feel like it’s been so long since my body was my own.  And between the two pregnancies and becoming a mommy, I thought maybe I had lost that part of myself that could execute a turn without eating sh*t, but I even made it off the lift with some sort of grace (in my mind, I am very graceful getting off the lift, but if you read my past posts, you will know that I have a very active but not very accurate imagination).

Three or four years from now, my kid will probably be skiing circles around me.

That’s less of a brag about her motor skills, and more of an indication of my own proficiency.

What I Do When I’m Not Blogging

In my mind (again), as a stay-at-home mother, I’d use my daughter’s two hour-and-a-half-long naps to do some laundry, cook a good meal for dinner, write a little, read a little, and maybe catch a nap.  And after she went down for the night, I would eat a leisurely meal with my husband before turning in myself.

STOP LAUGHING AT ME.

Today started at 3a.m. when Hazel decided that it was time to play.  She cried in her crib, 4 feet from my bed, for… a long time.  Long enough that I gave up on sleep and headed downstairs, where I did, in fact, have plenty of free time until 6:30, when I gave up on either of us sleeping and got her out of bed.

I did make it to my first Mom Meet Up, where Hazel spread her message of total rebellion against sleep amongst a group of babies and toddlers.

During her short nap, I started an “easy” cassoulet.  Which, it turns out, is a fancy word for soup.  And is less easy when that sweet child wakes up just as it is underway.

After a few hours of entertaining an exhausted 5-month-old, it was FINALLY bed time, which left us both in tears.

Then I whipped up some homemade mac and cheese.  The recipe was deceptively short; I should have paid attention the various instructions to “stir constantly.”  This recipe is as high maintenance as an over-tired infant.

Suddenly it’s 9 o’clock, dinner is done.  And there are still those “as easy as disposable” cloth diapers to be washed.  And milk to pump.  And all those dishes I dirtied during my culinary frenzy.

And at any moment a still-very-tired Hazel is going to be calling her version of my name, which is something like “WAH!” repeated over and over at top volume.

So.  Staying at home is not exactly how I thought it would be.

But sometimes?

It’s even better than I could have imagined.

You Don’t Need to be an English Major

… to know there is often a ‘p’ in gross.  In case my last post didn’t cover enough of the bodily-fluids-and-babies genre, I’m back with this confession:

Two nights ago, in the wee (get ready for the pun) hours of the morning, my daughter’s diaper leaked as I was nursing her in our bed.  Possibly the same night she peed into my hand.  The comforter got slightly damp.

And then I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I probably knew it was time to wash the comforter, but my husband was sound asleep in bed.  And the next time I thought about it, it was the middle of the night again.

So, yeah, I slept in a pee bed.

Why am I making this public knowledge?

Well, first of all, I am hoping that by writing this down, I will remember to rip that comforter off the bed as soon as my husband gets up.

Second, it is a public service on this dreary Monday.  For all of you out there who sometimes question your parenting skills or personal hygiene habits, you can smugly think, “Hey, at least I’m not sleeping in a pee bed.”

You’re welcome.

A Troublesome New Perspective

My little girl is a champion pooper.  We can’t get through three days without a blowout.  For awhile, she was pooping during her diaper changes.  Every.  Single. Time.

So I’ve become more or less immune to messes that are less disgusting than liquid poop dripping down my daughter’s leg, into her  sock, and onto the floor.  Or less embarrassing than poop leaking through her fleece suit and soaking into my shirt while I stand in line at the grocery store.

Last night, as I was putting Hazel into her crib, I was holding her just right to create a gap between her leg and her diaper and she peed.  And pee filled my hand, dripped down my wrist, and onto my sock.  I got us clean and dry as quickly as possible, then had to settle her down again so I could finally get her to bed.

I came downstairs and tiredly told my husband what happened.

“That’s gross,” he said in commiseration.

Gross?  I thought.  That’s totally not where I was going with that.  Inconvenient, bad timing, upsetting for the baby (because she had been asleep and woke up during the diaper change, not because she gave a hoot about peeing on me)… Gross didn’t even make my top ten words to describe it.

And that’s my point.

I'm pretty sure this is the only person in the universe who gets to pee on me.

Somehow, I’ve reached a place in my life where GETTING PEED ON DOESN’T REGISTER AS GROSS ANYMORE.

Some Thoughts On Breastfeeding

Since my story of “How I Thought It Would Be Versus How It Actually Is” would be way too long for a single blog post, I am sprinkling these revelations throughout my posts as they come up.  They probably add up to a book at this point.  And if I gathered together summary of In-My-Imagination parenting and gave it to a group of mothers, they would probably laugh loud enough to drown out the cries of my NEVER GOING TO CRY IT OUT daughter.

Here’s how I imagined the whole breastfeeding thing:

Moments of serenity and peace and intense bonding, with my sweet baby gazing into my eyes with obvious adoration.  Quiet moments of joy and milk in noisy restaurants, where I proudly but subtly nourish my dear daughter.  Moments of rest with my little angel, snatched out of days otherwise frantic with some sort of outwardly productive but truly meaningless tasks (laundry and dishes).  Moments with somewhat defined beginnings and ends.  Moments holding my darling child’s warm, soft body to mine as we both relax and just enjoy being not-quite-separate-people.

Here’s the reality:

Nursing my child began when she was born and hasn’t actually stopped since.  She just kind of comes up for air and a peek around and then goes right back to what she does best.  If it weren’t winter right now, I’d be topless, because what’s the point of covering my boobs for those 5 minutes?

Breastfeeding is at least as relaxing as a wrestling match or a gymnastics meet.  My kid NEVER STOPS MOVING.  As she drinks, she kicks her legs.  She finds the arm of the chair with her feet and then suddenly pushes with her legs with all her might, nearly launching herself off my lap.  Her arms wave and pump.  She holds my nipple tight in her mouth AND SHAKES HER HEAD LIKE A DOG WITH A CHEW TOY.  She wraps her hands around my shirt, she snaps my bra, she gives me titty twisters when I take my eyes off her for a nanosecond.

Did I say wrestling match?  My sweetie has TEETH and (due to my fear of clipping them) nails that are like claws.  So, really, it’s like wrestling with a small tiger.  She bites.  She pinches.  She digs her fingernails into my breast.  She digs them into my nipples.  She digs her nails into my nipple AS SHE IS BITING.

Quiet?  She hums.  She grunts.  She gurgles.  She slurps.  If I have my shirt on, she begins sniffing for the milk.  When we are in public, she shrieks, because she wants everyone to know HEY! MY MOM HAS THE BEST MILK EVER, EVERYONE CHECK IT OUT!  CHECK OUT MY MOM’S BREASTS!  AND NIPPLES!  THEY’RE GREAT!

Speaking of public breastfeeding.  My little girl has this great trick where she latches on just long enough for my milk to let down then releases so milk sprays every where.  Usually she does this accompanied by the aforementioned shrieking.  And as soon as I try to staunch the flow, she re-latches.  And repeats.

As hard as it is to still be waking up every hour or so all night long (because it is hard to be away from her walking pantry for any length of time) (don’t tell her, but this is going to change soon), I have to admit that I love those moments of feeding and cuddling my semiconscious daughter, moments that entirely outdo the love, the peace, the serenity, the warmth I once imagined.

And those other times?  Truthfully?

No question there.  I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for the ones in my imagination.*

(Although we are working on the biting.)

*Also, in my mind I never got mastitis.  Despite its limitations, the imagination can really be a great place sometimes.

The Practice Child

I’ve heard people say that second children get, well, screwed.  The first child gets time, years even, of being the center of the family, the only child, the parents’ whole world.  Then the second child comes and is, by necessity, a pack-along kid.  That poor child never gets that top spot.

I can see that, for sure.  My whole life is absorbed by Hazel.  Her moods, her naps, her needs dictate my every minute.  If we have a second child?  Well, judging by the strong-willed nature of my little girl, her sibling will also be subject to her whims…

On the other hand, I kind of feel sorry for Hazel.  Because she is my practice child.  Already, I have a long list of should-haves with her – and she’s not quite five months old.  In some ways, I am ready for another kid, just because, really, this time I’ll get it all right!  I promise!

There was the whole sleep debacle – you know, I didn’t put my kid down for the first two months of her life, and then it occurred to me that I might not want to spend 15 hours a day in bed with a toddler firmly attached to my boob.  So we’ve endured a painful transition to the crib.  So maybe, maybe I would let my second baby sleep alone every once in awhile.

Then there’s the bottles.  I purchased, pre-baby, some great glass bottles.  Glass!  Plastic free!  Because I am a good mom.  5 months after my kid was born, I researched the best bottles for breastfed babies, because it FINALLY dawned on me that perhaps those standard nipples on my eco-friendly bottles did not look or feel like food to my child.  So I got some Tommee Tippees, and what do you know, she took a bottle (no repeat performances of THAT miracle, unfortunately).   So potential future kid?  You have the right bottles awaiting you.

The list goes on and on.

I’m ready to have another kid RIGHT NOW just so I don’t forget any of these lessons I’m learning with my practice child.

What’s holding me back?

Oh, I know how these things work: I have another baby, and it will be TOTALLY different than my first.  And NONE of these lessons will matter.  I will have a new list of wish-I’d-knowns, longer than the first.

And then I have to try it on Child #3.

Better just enjoy the one I have – even if I’m learning everything a little late.

Really, how do you improve on this?

In the Past Month…

1. You have started to laugh, this throaty laugh that is, finally, CLEARLY a laugh.  You love raspberries on your tummy.

2. You are still a momma’s girl.  But the grocery store puts you in some kind of trance, and you let your dad carry you up and down the aisles for as long as it takes to get our groceries.  You don’t even care if I leave to go get “bunch of carrots” (3 pints of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked Fro Yo).

3. You’ve discovered animals.  The cat, in particular, fascinates you, but you’re not above giving the dog a smile, too.

4. You can sit up for a millisecond.  And since I am so excited about it, I make you do it about 10,000 times a day.  Do the math.  That’s a lot of sitting up.

5. I’ll say it again: Teeth.  You have three all the way in, but the ghosts of many more are already appearing in your gums, turning them white and lumpy and, best as you can tell us, PAINFUL.

6. More teeth: Instead of getting your top two front teeth after your bottom two, you got your third tooth on the bottom, as well.  Your smile is bottom-heavy and a little lopsided.  Even cuter.

The last we are going to see of your gummy baby grin...

7. You can roll back and forth and push yourself forward on your belly.  Unless you know I’m next to you, and then you put your face down on the floor and cry for help.  Yeah, girl: I’ve got your number.

8. You’re a momma’s girl.  But.  As long as I am holding you, you are also the ultimate people person: you are a social butterfly, smiling and charming everybody who says hello.

9. You are facing the world: when we go out for a walk, you mostly choose to face out in the wrap.  You laughed out loud the other day when you felt the wind hit your face.

10. Your determination is becoming more focused and noticeable.  For example, you are absolutely insistent about getting the toys from your Megasaucer into your mouth, and you don’t care that they are securely attached to the tray.  It is fascinating to watch you attack this problem each day, changing your grip, using those arm muscles, sitting back and staring at the toy for a minute, trying to get your face down to the toy instead…  I suppose only your mother would find this so interesting…

Hazel v. Megasaucer, Round 1 of the day...

And after 5 months of you, the best part of my day is still waking up with you, those first minutes in bed together when you are all smiles, when you look at me and grin as if to say, “Oh!  IT’S YOU!  You are my FAVORITE!”  (Speaking of which, you give me that look sometimes when I’ve been carrying you around for awhile, as though you had forgotten who was holding you or that you were being held at all, then you glance at my face and suddenly you are wild with excitement, as though I’d been gone and just came back.)

And what can I do but smile back so that you know: YOU are MY favorite, too.