In Mourning

Last week, I said goodbye to a longtime companion. 

I had no idea how hard this would hit me.  I had actually gotten to the point where I was excited to get rid of it.  It's big.  It takes up a lot of space.  And my garage is plenty full with the bikes, scooters, helmets, skates, pads, and various toys of three children.  When pool season finally ended, I was anxious to clean out the space, and getting rid of the stroller that I hadn't used in probably a year seemed like an important first step.

I listed in on local Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook groups for what I thought was a steal and waited for a taker.  It took a couple of weeks, which surprised me, since this stroller is THE BEST, and I knew there had to be plenty of moms out there that dreamed of owning one without having to endure the $400+ price tag.  But I finally found a buyer- a new mom who wanted to get into running after having a baby four months ago.  Perfection.

We arranged a time for her to come and pick it up, and I happily showed her how to use it and wished her well as she loaded it up in her car and drove away

...and then I went back into the house and completely lost it.  I'm talking the ugly cry.  Loud sobs, tears pouring, breathless, splotchy face, swollen eyes kind of crying.  And for some reason, I never saw that coming.

This was our last stroller.  The last remnant of the baby years.  Having it folded up in the garage collecting cobwebs allowed me to hold onto the idea that yes, my children are growing, but Charlotte is still my baby.  Two of my kids may be big, but one is still little, right?  But the reality is she hadn't ridden in that stroller for many months, and she'd rather be running free with the other big kids.  She's no longer a baby.

Letting go of this stroller was also letting go of a time when I had the ability to run with it.  My knee has not been able to withstand the extra weight of pushing the stroller while I ran in quite some time.  Saying goodbye to the stroller was saying goodbye to a time when I could run double digit miles on a Saturday morning, when I could train for races, when I was gaining both speed and endurance instead of barely making it through a flat 3-miles, when I had the ability to run a 100 mile month.

Charlotte used to love riding in the stroller, carrying her little sippy cup and snack, covered with her blanket on cooler days, meeting up with our running friends.  She loved to feel the wind in her hair when we went fast.  I guess I should have expected this reaction.  Babies and running were the two biggest things in my life for quite awhile.  The stroller was the marriage of my two favorite things, so seeing it drive away in someone else's car wasn't easy.

A week later, and I still feel a little sadness about it, but the ugly cries have stopped.  As silly as it sounds, I think I legitimately needed to mourn this loss.  I will always have the fondest memories of that stroller, and the times that I spent running free with my tiniest running companion strapped snugly inside it.

    

Let's Play Catch-Up

I know.  I suck.  I have great intentions to keep my tiny corner of the internet interesting and up to date.  Currently, that's just not going so well for me.  So instead of several thoughtful, well written posts, here are the quick and dirty versions of what could have been several great posts over the past few weeks.

1. Father's Day

Guys, I picked THE BEST guy to have babies with.  He gets a serious A+ on the parenting report card.  He has never shied away from any responsibility (except clipping nails- somehow we've been at this parenting thing for 6 1/2 years and he has yet to clip a fingernail), and he's just as great at the fun stuff.  You know what part of the day our kids LIVE for?  The fifteen minutes of playtime with Daddy just before bed.  They would give up just about anything in order to ensure they get that time.  And even though some days he's tired from a long and stressful day at the office, he always musters up the energy to play the monster that chases the little ones around and finds them in their hiding spots.  The giant belly laughs that come out of the kiddos during this time melts me.  

2. Back To School
Can we take a minute to process this?  The nugget is in first grade.  FIRST GRADE.  And he didn't even want me to walk him into class on the first day.  He was so ready to go back to school.  As a first grader, he is getting a bedtime extension, allowing him an extra 30 minutes to read to himself before lights out.  And he has told us that since he's now in first grade, he'll be able to read chapter books all by himself (he can totally already do this, he just lacks a little confidence).  He got off the bus that first day excited to show me his agenda and get to work on his homework.  (Seriously- he has an agenda.  Next thing you know he'll be carrying a briefcase.)  The first few days of first grade  have been a success.

3. The Pacifier
I decided to take it away.  I think that may be the last tiny remnant of baby life my littlest lady had left, and I took it away.  Her little front teeth are really starting to suffer the consequences of the "fire," as she called it.  The pediatrician told me six months ago that her time was up, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Until now.  Even though the damage is probably already done, I don't want to prolong her years in orthodontia just because I'm desperate to hang onto the baby years.  Which I totally am.  If you need me, you can find me curled up in the fetal position over there in the corner, sobbing.   

Baby Music

For the nugget's birthday, I really hoped he would receive some CDs.

J scoffs terribly at this, by the way, as CDs are SO last millennium.  But hey, they play in the car, and I can still add their music to the baby iPod.  And yes, he has his own, a discarded Nano from my past.  So it doesn't really count as his iPod.

But I digress.

Gabe loves music.  If he is playing and the TV is on, he will drop whatever he is doing to look up and listen to the theme song of a new show.  He has even started to dance, in the way that babies do, bouncing up and down.  I LOVE THIS.

My mom happily obliged, and bought the boy some Raffi discs.  J and I purchased The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band as well as the Barenaked Ladies children's CD.  I've got the disc changer in the minivan loaded up, and when Gabe and I are rolling through town, you can be sure we're listening to some kid's tunes.

Seriously, who is this guy?

The only problem?  I HAVE THIS MUSIC STUCK CONSTANTLY IN MY HEAD.  There is a loop, over and over again.  I can't escape it.  And it's pushing me over the edge.  My quiet time is no longer quiet, as my mind is humming Baby Beluga.  HELP ME!

Fellow mommies, please tell me that this is only temporary, and that once we have listened to these CDs for awhile, I will have tuned them out and ignored their existence.  Please?  

Not To Stir The Pot

Although I'm about to post some CRAZY hot topics, I promise, I am not trying to drum up drama! 

Today's news featured two articles that were of interest to me (notice how non-judgey that is?).

Here's the first: http://news.yahoo.com/milwaukee-runs-provocative-ads-wake-parents-dangers-co-213117311.html

And here's the second: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/more-hospitals-banning-elective-c-sections-184500620.html

Regarding the first- I am curious about your reactions to this ad?  I look at it and think that if it helps reduce the occurrence of SIDS in any way, I am okay with it, regardless of its shock value.  And this comes from a mom who swore she would never co-sleep (because I want my bed to belong to me and J, and not the tiny humans) and then ended up with a baby in her bed.  If you remember correctly, little man slept best cuddled next to me in my bed, and so there he remained for the first three weeks of his life.  I then wept as I moved him into his own crib in his own room.  And he loved it there.  He continues to sleep safely and soundly on his own, however, I have no regrets about starting him off in our bed.  It was either everyone slept in our bed, or no one slept anywhere.  A no-brainer when you read it like that, eh? 

And regarding the second- Do you feel that it's your body, your baby, and your right to schedule an elective c-section when you're ready to be "done" with pregnancy?  I've gotta say, I felt r.e.a.d.y. at 36 weeks.  And I can't say with certainty that I wouldn't have jumped at the chance to deliver my wee one a little early.  But to choose a c-section for no valid medical reason- and before 39 weeks at that- seems a little selfish to me.  (Okay, apparently I am a little judgey about this one.  I'm glad to see this choice being taken away.)

Anyone care to weigh in? 

 

Magic Puffs

I've determined that no matter what is going on, no matter the sad baby face, no matter the situation, I have a magic trick to make my child happy.  It's the puffs.

We've tried the green puffs (collards, spinach, and kale), the red puffs (strawberry), the orange puffs (sweet potato), and the yellow puffs (banana).  The flavor matters not.  The boy loves him some puffs.

He's learned to recognize the container.  When he sees me pull it out of the pantry, his little feet kick, kick, kick.  Literal squeals of delight escape his mouth.  He is SO EXCITED about the puffs.

Turns out, this has not only made the nugget a happy boy, it's made me a happier mama.  Saturday, Aviator Tap House.  The parents want to sit on the patio and enjoy the beautiful afternoon while sipping a delicious beer.

THIS, folks, is why you need the big stroller.  There's a try for snacks.  Puffs.  YES!

Happy baby, happy mama.  Success.

Product Review: This One's For The Moms

My apologies in advance to those of you who have absolutely no use for this information, but I feel the need to share.

My diaper pail is amazing.

Believe it or not, I spent quite a bit of time trying to decide which diaper pail to put on my baby registry.  I already knew that I am not a fan of the famed Diaper Genie.  I find it a tad difficult to use, and a tad wasteful, what with all of the twisted up packaging between each dirty diaper.  (I once heard a friend compare this to a string of pearls- WORST PEARLS EVER!)

I had also seen the Baby Trend Diaper Champ, and found it awkward.  You've gotta have serious muscle to pull the lever far enough back to dump the diaper down into the pail!

More importantly, neither of these pails, in my humble opinion, do an excellent job of hiding the smell, and that is truly their main purpose, no?

SO, after doing my research, I decided on the Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Pail.

LOVE IT.

It simply occurred to me last night, as I was rocking the nugget to sleep, that there was absolutely no odor in his room.  And believe me, there are plenty of dirty diapers down in that pail!

The genius in the design of this diaper pail is that it releases a little bit of baking soda each time you close its lid.  What could be better than that?!  It's true that you do have to buy special refill bags for this pail, which is something that I was initially looking to avoid, but they last forever.  I believe that Amazon has only delivered these refills to us twice in seven months, and they are not expensive. 

The bags are insanely easy to switch out (as opposed to the Diaper Genie refills, which I have never managed to figure out), and each one holds somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 diapers.  When it's full, snap the bag closed and the whole thing goes outside to the garbage can.  Easy peasy.

So there you have it, mommy (or future mommy) readers.  The diaper pail to end all diaper pails.  Get it here. 

Seriously, get it.

Adventures in Baby Food

You all know how I try to be the less crafty, more law abiding, better looking version of Martha Stewart, right?  Well, in true Martha form, I decided to give homemade baby food a whirl.

I put my trusty assistant in his seat on the counter, put some JT on the Pod, and set to work.

SUCCESS.

It really is much easier than I anticipated.  I started simple, with pears and apples (two of the nugget's faves).  Fruits are cut, cored, and steamed.  Steamed fruits are popped in the food processor, pureed, and voila!  Baby food!  Easy peasy.

To be completely truthful, there was one difficulty.  The tricky part was removing the skins after steaming.  Apparently, it's best to steam them with the skins on, as removing the skin beforehand takes mucho nutrients away from baby.  But I powered through and peeled away all remnants of skin. 

I bought a baby food cookbook to guide me.  It is divided up into sections based on baby's age, and the recipes get more complex as baby gets older.  I've gotta say, some of the later recipes look so good that I want to make them for myself!  Roasted red pepper and goat cheese spread?  Yes, please!  The book is great for the early stuff, too.  You can buy it here. 

I like the idea of making Gabe's food, as I can buy organic, and know everything that is going into his mouth.  (Funny that I should care about the food that goes into his mouth, when I clearly have no problem with him ingesting copious amounts of pet hair each and every day- but hey, my kid probably won't be sickly, as he's already been exposed to all kinds of germs.).

Excited to try more recipes, and hoping that this endeavor turns out to be healthy for Gabe and cost-effective for my wallet!

Another Martha moment, for sure.

Top Ten: Baby Edition

My good friend K's sister is having a baby.  Apparently, she is relatively unconcerned about what she needs to buy before baby arrives...next month...

We were chatting about this last night, and I got to thinking about what my "must haves" would be.  Now that I've got a few months of motherhood under my belt, I can appreciate much more what I actually use versus what I thought I needed prior to Gabe's birth.

So here goes.  My personal Top Ten Can't Live Without Items of Baby Paraphernalia (also known as Go Get This Stuff For Your Kid- For Realz).

1. The Miracle Blanket

I don't know about you other moms (and dads), but I think swaddling a baby in a receiving blanket is kinda hard.  Those nurses at the hospital are AMAZING at this task, but even though they showed us how to do it, we just couldn't get baby G tight enough in his little burrito to avoid escape.  And believe me when I say, you want your baby swaddled tight to sleep (if you also like to sleep, that is).  We tried other swaddling blankets, but our little Houdini got his arms out every time.  The Miracle Blanket is the best.  It wraps each arm individually, then wraps the whole body.  It's like a little baby straightjacket.  A straightjacket of awesomeness.  Gabe's afternoon nap is 15-20 minutes long without the MB, or 3 hours long with it.  Need I say more?
Buy yours here.

2. Activity Mat

We use this every.single.day.  In the morning, when J and I both need to be hands-free to get ready for work, Gabe needs to entertain himself.  This is difficult for one who is a mere three months old!  But as it turns out, babies are like goldfish.  They don't remember that they've been looking at the same sight every morning for a month.  Or if mine does, he doesn't seem to care!  He adores looking up at the lights, listening to the music, and kick, kick, kicking away while he babbles to himself.
We love this one. 

3. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment

Seriously, this stuff is AH-MAZING.  Clears up any hint of diaper rash in no time flat.  Put it on baby at night, rash is gone by morning.  No joke.
Buy it here.  (Or if you're a local pal...you know what to do!)

4. Travel System

I've heard various thoughts on travel system vs. convertible car seat, but for us, the idea of waking a sleeping baby is sheer and utter madness.  I love that if Gabe falls asleep in his car seat (which is inevitable), I don't have to wake him in order to get out of the car and run errands.  His car seat just snaps right into his stroller, and away we go!  The stroller is great on its own, too.  And a word to the wise: if baby will consistently be traveling in two cars, invest in an extra base.  The convenience factor is SO worth it. 
We love this one.

5. Bouncy Seat

Making dinner?  Put it on the counter and carry on.  Need to take a shower?  Put it on the bathroom floor and carry on.  Folding laundry?  Put it on the bed and carry on.  We put Gabe in his bouncy seat whenever we need the use of both hands.  The activity mat is rather large, and requires a fair bit of floor space.  When you can't sit on the floor with baby, this is a great alternative.  Take it with you wherever you are in the house.  Bonus: ours vibrates and plays music.  Baby lurves the vibration.  Naps have been had in this seat.  Additional bonus: ours folds down flat, so it's easier to take with us when we travel.
Get it here.

6. Car Mirror

This is great for two reasons.  First of all, it's nice to see if baby is sleeping, why he is crying, or where that lost pacifier went.  Second of all, baby is occupied, even whilst all alone in the back seat.  Looking at himself in the mirror gives Gabe minutes upon minutes of entertainment.  Believe me, when you're driving, you'll positively treasure those minutes.
Choose one here.

7.Pink Noise

I had never heard of such a thing prior to a few weeks ago.  It's kinda like the cooler older sister of white noise.  Much more pleasing to the ear, but has the same effect: calming baby.  It's like mama shushing her baby- constantly and without pause.  Babies love shushing, no?  If Gabe is screaming, this will calm him and put him to sleep.  Download this noise, burn it onto a CD, put it on your iPod, buy a noise generator, or yeah, there's an app for that.  Just find a way to get this noise into your baby's life.  You won't regret it.

8. Hats from The Children's Place

I never knew how difficult it would be to find a hat that would fit a small infant.  Even little babies go out in the sun, and they need a hat to protect their little faces from sunburn!  So far, The Children's Place is the only place I have found that sells (non-beanie) hats for those heads under six months of age.  Unfortunately for me, I had to order many super gargantuan hats in vain before making this discovery.
Fortunately for you, you can find several cute ones here. 

9. The Boppy

Yes, it looks ridiculous.  But if you are nursing, this thing is da bomb.  That's right.  It positions baby perfectly, saving your poor upper body strength.  You think it sounds simple to hold a 7 pound lil' lump, but try holding it in the same exact position for up to 30 minutes at a time.  Lemme tell ya, it ain't so easy.  The Boppy solves this problem.  Also, it's a comfy pillow to rest baby on.  Ssshhh...don't tell the people at the Boppy company that I let my child nap in this cozy little nook a time or two...it's frowned upon.
Buy a Boppy Bare Naked and choose a cover (or two, if you're smart!) here.

10. Video Monitor

I really, really hate to call this a need.  And truth be told?  We'd probably live without it.  But it is so nice to have.  There have been many times when Gabe has been whining and making noise, but not really been awake.  Had we not been able to see this on the video monitor, we would have barged into his room and really woken him up.  This was also really great in the very beginning, when new moms just want to see for themselves that baby is breathing.  This goes back to our personal rule: never wake a sleeping baby.  The video monitor has allowed us to follow that rule much more easily.  Favorite feature?  Ours has two-way communication capabilities, allowing us the option to talk back at Gabe without entering his room.  Not such a big deal now, but I can't wait until he's older, so I can freak him out when I know he's out of bed when he's not supposed to be.  I may actually be able to convince him that moms know everything.
We're fans of this one.

From the Peanut Gallery- SPECIAL EDITION: The Nursery

I know that I'm only a day away from Monday, when I normally post my updates.  But this was just too exciting to sit on for even one more day.

THE NURSERY IS DONE!

My mom arrived on Wednesday night, and worked tirelessly all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to help bring my vision to life.  J's mom drove into town on Saturday to help out, as well.  (Isn't Gabe a lucky boy to have his grandmas put so much love into his little room?)

I'll keep the words short and sweet, because I am HEAVY on the pictures.  But basically, I am in love with this room.  As a matter of fact, I have hardly left it since it's been completed.  Sitting in the glider and admiring this sweet space, all the while envisioning my baby being here in a few short weeks, is now officially my favorite past time.

Enjoy!

Remember a few short weeks ago when the room looked like this??

Then my friend Amanda and I painted the bottom half of the walls white, to help my mom get a head start on the huge transformation ahead!

Now we start to paint the top half of the walls light blue.

Supplies are ready, and light blue is coming along!

I go to work one morning, and come home to find the chair rail up!  Just needs finishing.

Grandma, the happy, handy helper.  Seriously- she's really handy.

Uncle Scott (and Delilah) helping to tape the wall for stripes.

BOTH Grandmas hard at work!

Stripes are done!

Room's still pretty empty, but Daddy is hard at work assembling many pieces of furniture!

And we have a crib!

and a glider...

and a dresser... (which is full of washed, folded clothes now, by the way)

and a bookshelf...

AND a changing table!

Still really loving these tiny shoes.

Pictures are hung! 

The dogs aren't quite sure what to think.

Grandma Clark knit this little sweater.  So sweet!

Of course, I had to get Gabe a personalized clock.

All in all, this is one happy mama.  I simply can't wait for Gabe to get here and call this space his own!  Until then, I will be here, happily gliding away.