I haven’t done one of these in a while. Obviously I’m joking about being an expert, here are my other posts: SUMMER BABY SUPPLIES,BABY FAVORITES, and NEWBORN FAVORITES. I’m not paid to share my thoughts on any of this stuff…unless you wanna give me something (;
It’s so funny how fast they grow out of their baby stuff. You think all the swaddles and gadget and nipples are sooooo important, and then you blink and they are a big kid and you can put all that stuff away. I will say there are a few items that we STILL use from last year, like our SPACE SAVER HIGH CHAIR which is so fantastic and we take it everywhere we go because Vada eats best in a high chair. We also of course still use our crib, and we still use our changing table/pad, and I still rock the same diaper bag. Other than that, we’ve upgraded or grown out of so much stuff. Some things that were pricey or our favorites we have kept for a future baby, but so much of it I have passed on to friends babies. We got so much stuff handed down to us, and I think it’s such a nice way to keep the giving going. I know when we have another we will be given more stuff. Like the swing we used for maybe a few months, we just borrowed it from a friend, then gave it back to her when she had another baby, it’s so much less wasteful.
Anyway I wanted to share some of our current favorite items as we move into summer.
1. TODDLER TULA: We just bought this used from a friend and I am SO happy we did. We had a Boba 3G when Vada was born, and I really loved it, and we used it sooo much. It says the Boba can carry up to 45lbs on the back, but Vada is 31lbs and it was so uncomfortable and UN-suportive for her weight. I talked to a few friends about getting a Toddler Tula, and everyone questioned whether I would actually use it to make it worth the price. I ended up borrowing one for a month from my local babywearers lending library, and was pretty sold on how comfortable it was. When a friend offered me a great deal I went for it, and I am so glad! We have used it so much in the last month. I’ve even started wearing her in places that I had stopped (like grocery shopping) because she is usually way more content in the Tula than on the ground or in a cart. Last weekend we went to a festival and she even took an hour-long nap in it. I know toddler-wearing isn’t for everyone, but we love it! Vada is super independent, and likes to walk (we really aren’t stroller people although I do LOVE our BOB) but sometimes mama needs two hands and to not have to chase after a crazy kid. I can’t recommend a Toddler Tula enough!
2. RADIO FLYER PATHFINDER WAGON: We were given this wagon, and ours has kind of a bum wheel from an adult sitting in it, but it still works great and Vada is obsessed with it. Mr. Gaunt takes her all over the neighborhood with it, to parks, the school, we took it to a parade, and the other day my mom and I used it to grocery shop at Cash N Carry! It has two seats, cup holders and seat belts so Vada and a friend can ride in it (way easier than a double stroller! It fits in the back of my minivan, it’s totally outdoor safe, and Vada has spent many an hour playing solo in it. I HIGHLY encourage this wagon for a toddler!
3. HONEST COMPANY DETANGLER & BRAIDING BANDS: Vada’s hair is finally long enough to put in piggie tails! I had been using some crappy pony tail holders from Clair’s, but when those ran out I bought these Braiding Bands from Amazon and they are soooo much better! I can often use them more than once if they don’t get lost, Even Mr.Gaunt can use them with his big fingers, a major win. The other thing I bought a while ago is The Honest Company Detangler spray. It smells like a creamsicle, and is the best to spritz on crazy bed head, or to dampen hair to get it easily into nice tight piggies. She actually likes me brushing her hair now, no pulling or rats, I love this stuff even for my hair.
4. HELLO HIGHLIGHTS FIRST MAGAZINE: Vada’s Nana subscribed us to these, and they are so cute and always perfect for what she is into. Lots of pictures of kitties and balls and blankets and sippy cups. There are fun little activities and songs. She often thinks the baby on the cover is her, it’s very cute. They are also durable so we can keep all of them. I think it’s the perfect gift for a first birthday!
SWIMZIP & SUNSCREEN & SUN HATS: I’m so crazy about sun protection. Sunburns freak me out! My baby has skin like me, pale and pink, a bad combo for sun. I wont lie, I generally thing rash-guards are dorky. BUT I’m soooo paranoid about sunburns that I love this thing. I originally saw Swim Zip on Shark Tank (HELLO I LOVE SHARK TANK!) and it seemed really smart to have a full zipper on a rash-guard rather than struggle to pull them over their heads! I ordered mine Amazon Prime (FREE FAST SHIPPING) and we have used it a lot. I even throw it on her as a little light coat. It dries super fast too. I got a 2T and it fits Vada perfect (shes a 2/3t). This year we upgraded our sun hat to this Columbia Packable Sun Hat, and I love it. Its got UPF 50, and a good Velcro clasp and its wide-brimmed. We have always done sun hats, and we put it back on if she takes it off so she is use to it. I also think these are so dorky but so freaking fantastic. I don’t worry about her face, neck and scalp now. Lastly we have switched from Badger to Honest Co sunscreen. Partially because its cheaper and I get it in my Essential bundle, and partly because the Badger sunscreen is so thick it makes her look all white and greasy for hours! I much prefer the way the Honest Sunscreen goes on. So overall we are all sun-protected around here!
WATER BALLOONS: Toddlers LOVE water balloons! They aren’t quite old enough to realize they pop if you throw them, so it takes them forever to go through a bowl of them. They are cheap and so fun in summer weather! We bought a tub of 500 and I break them out any time kids come over.
SIPSSNAP LIDS: These are really fun and so easy to use. I ordered the three pack, and now I keep one in my bag, one at the restaurant and one at home. They are a stretch sleeve that pulls over any cup that creates a spill proof (not leak proof as they could shake water out the straw hole) lid for a straw to go in. Vada is really hit or miss on the sippy cup front, she MUCH prefers a straw or real cup, but she can’t be trusted. Plus now I don’t always have to worry about bringing a sippy cup everywhere. I’ve been really pleased with these.
SUMMER SHOES: We like shoes that can get wet, be washed and dry quick. Our go to shoes are our Natives, Salt Water Sandals, and Nock-off Natives from Old Navy (currently not available). They are all easy to get on, The Salt Water Sandals are so cute and can easily be dressed up with a cute dress. Keep in mind there are two kid styles of Salt Water Sandals, we got the ones with the thicker textured sole for traction. I hear crocs are great, but I don’t love the look as much.
That’s all for now. I battled my toddler for at least have of this post so I’m shocked I actually finished it.
My sweetest (spoiler: she’s not that sweet) babe turned ONE YEAR OLD on the 12th! A year ago I was giving birth to a huge-o baby, spending hours and hours on my coach learning to breastfeed, soaking in all those newborn smells of joy and fear and wonder. Oh how times have changed. Now my big girl is leaping off the couch and trotting around like a crazy girl, talking about babies, and papas and sisters (her cat). She’s pushing her toy shopping cart around, swimming under water, and hosting her first party like a pro.
Here’s what 12 months is looking like in our world:
The End Of Nursing:
Around 11 months, Vada weaned herself. She just plain old stopped caring, and never made attempts to nurse again. Our 11 months of nursing were NOT like I had planned. They weren’t easy, they weren’t that enjoyable, and they were anything but perfect. The start of nursing was fine, painful but fine. Vada had a good latch, and although it was more time-consuming than I had thought it would be, we got the hang of it. Around 3 months I felt a drop in my supply, but was told by breast-feeding advocates that this was just my supply evening out. By 4 months Vada was thin and angry. I had two lactation consultants come to my house and tell me that she hadn’t gained any weight in a month, and that she was “failure to thrive” ugh. We spent about a month pumping, taking supplements, drinking water, nursing around the clock and supplementing with formula via an SNS tube. It was hell and it made no difference in my supply. by 5 months I threw all the pumps away, swallowed my pride and began a formula schedule of 4 bottles a day, plus nursing when she wanted. It worked great, Vada gained weight and was happy as a clam. I however felt sad and hurt and robbed of this magical breastfeeding process. Why did this happen to me? I tried so hard! I was so on board! All those stupid Le Leche women acted like if I tried hard enough it would work for me! WHY DIDNT IT WORK FOR ME!? It took me 10 months before I let the anger and guilt wash away, before I felt ok with our situation, ok with how things turned out. If we have another baby I’m going to give it another shot, to start fresh and hope for a better turnout, but I won’t be nearly as let down as I was this time around. I will say that there were a lot of really great things about feeding Vada formula, and I think that mothers who formula feed should feel good about those good things. The fact that Mr. Gaunt could feed Vada, or my mom, or her nanny, that was wonderful! When she was older Vada fed herself, even in the car she could hold her own bottle, or she wander around the kitchen while I washed morning dishes holding her bottle. NO PUMPING! Weaning her from the breast was no big deal, I didn’t even do anything, I would have been happy to let her continue her (by then once a day) feeding for a few more months, I had no plans to take it away, but she just didn’t care about it anymore. Formula also probably was a huge contributing factor to Vada sleeping through the night by 5 months. Being able to give her 6 oz right before bed kept her belly full from 7pm-7am, and lordy that is nice. So I’m glad that she is healthy, and happy, and perfect, and I’m glad that I tried and managed to give her at least some breast milk for as long as I did despite our struggles. Hooray to all moms that keep their baby bellies full.
My little Fish and Other Activities:
We have now completed our 3rd session of swim lessons at the local pool, and we have hit a major milestone in Vada’s swimming abilities (we started at 6 months old). Now when we count 1,2,3 Vada plunges her own head underwater and kicks her feet and arms and can swim about 3-5 feet underwater. ITS AMAZING! She will also on the count of three jump off the side of the pool and swim to you (again about 3-5 feet). She is such a good swimmer. Her teacher was absolutely amazed at her skills and has encouraged us to push her limits with distance. We hope to regularly keep her swimming to she gets more and more comfortable with swimming. Id love for her to be swimming on her own (like being able to stay afloat) by next summer. We also did a music class this fall, it’s been fun, but not amazing. We won’t do another session, as it just isn’t quite are style. To be honest I HATE The Itsy Bitsy Spider, that song is so stupid, and I refuse to sing it or do them dumb hand signs. Really I hate all kids music, cant we just play Vada the kind of music we like? Cant we teach her how to drum or play the piano, or dance hip hop? Toddler music is a bit too cheesy for me. I feel this way about library story time too, and to be honest, I think Vada thinks it’s lame too. She’d much rather run around the restaurant chatting with the customers, or play outside, or do toddler indoor gym time, and I’m cool with that. Those baby-baby activities just aren’t for us. We are thinking about trying out a toddler gymnastics class soon, which I think Vada would really like. It’s a slippery slope of signing up for too many activities though, I like to keep busy, but I also like to be able to do last-minute play dates too, and sometimes just quiet dinners at home without a bunch of stuff going on is really nice.
Kind Actions:
This might sound odd, but as Vada has gotten older, and smarter, I have found it easier to be kind and patient with her. When she was younger it was so frustrating because we just couldn’t understand each other, I couldn’t always meet her needs. Now that she’s smarter I can manipulate her emotions with my words and actions a little more. For instance she doesn’t like to have her hands and face wiped down after a meal, but if I get down on her level and I make a goofy song “wipe wipe wipe those hands, pat pat pat those cheeks” she loves it and will happily stick out her hands to be washed. If she’s in the hallway whining, I can stick my hand out and say “come see mama” and she will get up and run over to me and hold my hand, and we can take a little stroll over to some toys and talk to them until she is happy and lets go of my hand to play. In the morning when I brush her teeth we say “ahhhhh” and show our teeth, and if she gets distracted I show her how to brush mine and then she lets me finish brushing hers. I know that seems so DUH! But I couldn’t do those things a couple of months ago, she didn’t understand commands or jokes or fun games like she does now. It makes connecting with her on a friendship level so much more rewarding. I can make her feel happy with things other than food, or nursing. Its been really good for me too, I feel so much more compassion for her when she’s having a tough day. Sometimes she just needs to sit on my lap while she plays with her legos, when she’s done feeling needy she will climb up and venture out to play on her own. To know that my mood and reactions can keep her calm and happy is really empowering as a mother. I’m hoping that her and I can continue to grow and communicate with each other through all these coming stages.
Mom Friends, and having the best ones:
I’ve been really really fortunate to meet some awesome moms with babies Vada’s same age. Mom’s who are like mindedly “chill” with their parenting technique, mom’s who have good style, interesting hobbies, who like to drink (; Mom’s that are supportive, and casual, and up for random play dates, good birthday parties, and chatting about shoes and food and business. Last weekend I threw a big birthday party for Vada, and at one point a family member came up to me and said “what an awesome group of friends you have” and I looked around and had to whole heartedly agree! I hope these are the friends Vada grows up with, that these mom friends of mine last a long long time. I’ve had a little bit of a rocky year with my own pre-motherhood friends, I had always imagine that all my friends would have children around the same time as me, and that our kids would all grow up together, but life doesn’t always work that way. Most of my friends have moved to other cities, some other states, and are in various stages in their lives, some ready to have children, some not, but we are all in different chapters of our lives and that’s ok. We aren’t connecting the same way we once were, maybe we never will, sometimes holding on to what you had makes the present harder than it needs to be. I’ve decided to let my relationships be fluid, to let them flow to and away from me as life sees fit, and to respect and be ok with that. For now I know that I have love for my old friends, and love for my new friends, and to feel really damn lucky that there are so many cool people in our lives.
Marriage and The Empty Heart:
You know how people worry about having a second baby, that they won’t love it as much as their current baby, and people say “you will, your heart will automatically grow to accommodate your new love” and I hear this is true, that there is instantly enough love. That same thing isn’t really true with your spouse. When you have a baby your heart doesn’t necessarily grow to accommodate equal amounts of love for your baby and your spouse. When I say “love” I really mean: Patience, kindness, sensitivity, passion, love, strength, tolerance, control…… you get my point. When you have a baby, your spouse takes a back seat, even if you really really really don’t want them to. I love Mr. Gaunt to the moon and back. He is my best friend, and the greatest person I have chosen to have in my life. I believe our relationship is the backbone of our lives, of our family, and nothing will be good if we are bad. That being said, I had to pull some of my compassion, patience and kinds from him in order to tolerate this first year of motherhood. Vada, and ALL newborns are greedy greedy love-sucking creatures. They take take take take take and they give you back so little, but you MUST LOVE THEM! But where do you find the strength to muster up all that extra love? Well in my case, I ripped it from my husband and left him a big IOU that I have yet to repay. It’s been a rough year. We take it day by day and we say IM SORRY, I FORGIVE YOU every single day, because every single day we are not nearly as loving to each other as we should be. We talk about this a lot, we acknowledge our shortcomings as spouces all the time, we know we will get through this, that in our lifetime together we will have shitty days, months, years, maybe even decades, but when we got married, we swore to stick it out, and we will, because when times are good, he is my greatest love, and our family is so worth it. Until then we will be kind when we can, and we will forgive when we can’t. We will respect each other as much as we can, and we will love our baby with everything we have, even if it means short-changing each other a little bit.
It’s been a really interesting year. Its been fun, and sad, and challenging, and adorable. I’m excited for all the fun and new experiences we will have with our big girl this year.
Also I’m hoping to get photo back from Vada’s birthday soon to share with you, it was an amazing party!
We are just 10 days shy of Vada’s 11 months birthday. I remember last year around this time thinking THIS COULD BE THE MONTH! Obviously I was new-mom-delusional, but still, October was full of excitement and the buzz of new baby in our household. This year is pretty darn exciting too! I’ve already finished sewing Vada’s first Halloween costume, and if I can convince her to leave the head-piece (no she’s not a Native American!) on for 5 minutes, I will get a photo of the cutest thing on planet earth. It seriously turned out way better than I could have imagined. As for Mr.Gaunt and I, he likes to get his moneys worth out of costumes, so he will be the Stay Puff Marshmallow man again this year. I went simple and sweet and am going to be the Morton Salt Girl.
We also have plans to attend at LEAST two farms to do the whole “How Tall This Fall” pumpkin hay-ride bonanza. We love Stoney Ridge (whose website is sorely lacking in showing you the cool-ness of this place), and possibly Foster’s Corn Maze, and maybe Bellewood Acres too for some apple picking. We plan to take Vada trick-or-Treating (I’m hoping some houses have non-candy treats, yes I’m THAT mom, no she can’t eat any candy) a little bit either downtown, or just in our neighborhood early, and then pass out candy in the evening at our own house. I think she will LOVE all the kids in costumes! We have some super fun Halloween decoration plans too that will either go up this weekend or next, depending on how long I can hold out. EEEK!
I haven’t blogged in a while. Did you notice the blog name change! It was a big step for me, but I wanted the blog to reflect more what I’m blogging about, and not so much my weight. Cha Cha Changes! So onto a few topics that I’ve been storing in my head for a time when I paid someone else to watch my kid so I could blog….ehem…right now.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND THOSE LOSER STAY AT HOME MOMS ALL OVER INSTAGRAM:
I went last night with my friend Haley to see the new documentary The Empowerment Project which you should totes go see, and cry, and feel super empowered to go out and do something amazing with your life. UNLESS that something is being a SAHM (Stay at home mom), because then you are only doing something kind-of-empowered-but-you-gave-up-all-the-dreams-that-would-have-made-you-actually-inspiring type a thing. I kid, kind of. The documentary features tons of awesome women of all ages and races, and all types of careers. They even interview (the producer’s mother in law) a STAHM, but I STILL cant help but get the underlying message of “SAHM’s are the OTHER thing you can choose to do, if you aren’t going to do a cool job” they ask questions like “did you feel like you had to give up a career” “what will you do with yourself now that your children are raised and you have no work experience?” It all tied back to a slightly “I’m sad for you” tone. I wish they would have talked to that SAHM and asked her:
“How did you instill morals in your children?”
“What training and life experiences got you to the position of being a PEOPLE CREATOR?”
“What dreams and goals came to fruition for your child because of your help?”
“How many hours/days/months did it take you to teach your boys to be good honest people”
“What mothers are your inspiration?”
“Show us these awesome people who YOU created. What good are they doing in the world?”
Because seriously folks. Every time you meet an awesome, loving, intelligent, talented, respectful person in this world, I can almost guarantee there was a good parent (or parental figure) who was there building them from scratch. Children are not born with the skills to be a good person, someone must teach them. And ITS A DAMN HARD JOB! It’s not a cushy job, it’s not a job that gets credit or praise or PAY! So lets all stop acting like being a SAHM is a job you have when you give up the opportunity to have a REAL COOL JOB, and just talk about it like it’s a hard-ass career, and thank god someone out there wants to do it. (note: this goes for all parents, working or otherwise)
I would say I straddle the line of working outside the home, and working in the home. I NEVER thought I wanted to be a SAHM, just like I never thought I wanted to be an astronaut, it just didn’t sound like my cup of tea. It sounded too restricting, not independent and creative enough for me. Then I had a baby, and it really struck me hard that I didn’t want someone else to be spending the majority of her waking hours with her. I wanted her to know me, so see me interacting with people in the world, to learn her behaviors from me, not someone else. I wanted the opportunity to sculpt her life, and fill her sweet baby brain and heart with all the things I know. BUT I also wanted to work, and to keep filling and inspiring my own brain and heart. So I do both, kind of. I work from home, I drag Vada to work (I own a restaurant with my mom) with me. We run errands together, and she spends many an hour sitting at the counter with the regulars. It’s hard though. I can not get nearly enough done with her, so I have two days a week where I have someone watch her so I can really focus on a task, like taxes, or blogging, or ordering things, or helping in the restaurant. I’m thankful for this time, as she is exposed to more kids, a different home, new toys and adventures. I want to teach her everything I know, but I don’t know everything she needs to learn, and for that I am so thankful for all the people in our community who inspire her as well.
One thing that I hadn’t prepared myself for was the guilt and the judgment of motherhood. I have my own personal guilt (as do almost all SAHMs) that I might not be doing an equal amount of work as my husband (he would disagree). It’s challenging for me to ask him to solo parent after he gets off work, so I can go do something on my own. It’s challenging for me to ask him to wash the dishes (is this in my contract?) it’s challenging for both of us to not throw each other under the “who worked more today” bus. It just is. We are new at this, our roles are different, and we are still adjusting. We both have eternal respect and support for each other, but the fact is we have been together for 8 years, and only one of those years did we have our current rolls. It takes time.
Judgement from outsiders is a whole ‘nother story. It comes from friends, from family members, from strangers. It’s people’s opinions or perceptions of your life that they get from online, or quick encounters. People love to judge, it’s just in our nature. People develop a fantasy about what they think your life is like, and what you do all day, and they compare it their own lives, and then they judge. I share a lot online, on my Facebook, blog, and Instagram. I share the good things, the sweet things, the messy things. I share the projects I am proud of, I share my family photos, I share our adventures. I share because I believe my life is WORTH SHARING! I believe the things I do are awesome, and that my family is awesome, and that my struggles are valid, and that I am an inspiration to other mothers and other women. I do(should) not care if you think that I am not working HARD enough. I do(should) not care if you think I am doing the right things with my time and money. I do(should) not care if you think my food photo is stupid, or my lunch date is frivolous, or my workout picture is bragging, because it’s not. These are pieces of me, they are what get me up in the morning, and what keep life worth living, and sharing them, and building a community of people who love and support the things I do with my life MAKES ME FEEL GOOD.
PARTY OF FOUR?:
I am knee-deep in apple craft projects for Vada’s first birthday (November 12th- Apple Of My Eye). I am having so much fun planning this party. It’s feeding my soul so much! It’s so important to feed your soul, to fuel the passion-fire, to really bring yourself joy. That’s what party planning does for me. Some people love politics, some people love cooking or traveling, I love party planning. So I’m going all out, and it’s really rocking my world. I heard recently that your job doesn’t have to be your passion, but that you must have passion in your life. That really spoke to me. I want my job to encompass parts of my passions, and it does sometimes, but I also need to accept that it wont be my main passion. Do I want to turn my passion into a job? I’m not sure right now. I feel like I already have a lot on my plate, and that it would be silly to add more. I know that I adjusted (NOT GAVE UP) my priorities this year to have a baby. She’s awesome, but she does not allow me to do whatever the hell I want. Right now I am raising a person full-time, and when she is bigger, and doesn’t need constant attention, then I can re adjust my priorities again, and maybe make money from my passion. Planning parties for other people takes a lot of time, and you need to be reliable. I am NOT RELIABLE right now. I am only reliable for Vada, and she needs that reliability 24/7 right now, so everyone else has to take a back seat to her. That’s the truth, and when you are running a business you have to be able to be really reliable to your client, and because I can’t be, I wont be.
This brings us to baby #2. I’ve finally after 11 months, decided that there will be a baby #2, and we will probably try for one sooner rather than later. Let me be very clear that I hate pregnancy, and I am completely terrified of having two babies, and our house is way too small, and we are pretty poor most of them time, and I realize that having another baby will SUCK A BUNCH for at least the first couple years. That being said, I do not want Vada to be an only child, and I want to get this baby-stage over and done with, as opposed to dragging it out. I want to work more one day. I want to follow my dreams, and live for myself, and have some freedom, one day. I do not want to be a mother of small children for 10+ years, I just don’t. I want them to grow up and be more independent, and I want to move into the next phase of our lives. Therefore I’m going to jump off a cliff and just be a little crazy for a few years, and then we can start a new chapter. (not currently pregnant, not currently trying to get pregnant, ill let yah know when that happens….maybe)
EASY BABY:
I get that a lot, the “she’s such an easy baby” and maybe it’s true? I guess. When shes pulling toilet paper out of a toilet that wasn’t flushed, and falling off the cat hammock, and dumping glasses of wine on her head, she doesn’t FEEL THAT EASY, but whatever. She’s not a hard baby per say. She didn’t have colic, she slept through the night in her own crib by 4 months, she’s rarely sick, she has no allergies, she eats everything, she has no stranger-danger, and she’s friendly as hell. She’s social, and funny and mostly happy. So yeah, she’s pretty great. I’ve heard from a lot of people who say she seems older than babies her age. I don’t know that many babies her age, so it’s hard for me to compare, but yeah, she’s pretty smart. Someone once said that Vada was an old soul. I can see that, she seems wise, and fiercely connected to people. She just loves people, she is so different from me in that way, it takes me a lot longer to warm up. You know those people that when you are around them, even if you just met them, they make you feel so good, so happy, so welcomed, she’s THAT person. It’s really inspiring. I watched a crabby older woman come into the restaurant and order some food to-go. She did not smile or joke or chat when she ordered, she did not come off as happy or friendly. Her face looked old, and tired and annoyed. Vada happened to be sitting at the counter eating some snacks, and she caught the women’s eye. While the woman waited for her food I watched her interact with Vada, and literally LIGHT UP. She chatted with Vada, and shared some of her snack when Vada offered it to her. It was like her and Vada were in their own little world, where they were best friends having lunch together. When the woman’s food was ready I handed it to her, and she said “Thank you for letting me hang out with her, she’s amazing.” I felt my heart swell! This baby, who can not talk words, is so in love with interacting with people, so full of joy, that she can make a complete strangers day brighter in just 5 minutes. How did I grow this perfect little person? That is not something I instilled in her, that is something that grew inside her from the start, and I am not a religious person, but I PRAY THAT SPARK LASTS HER A LIFETIME. If she can bring so much joy to people, see so much good in them, inspire them to feel good about themselves and the world around them. She is a gift. She is easy.
Well, Ive rambled enough about my life for today. I have to actually shower and clean my kitchen before the family comes home. The weather is beyond lovely today, and a walk is in order.
Despite the streak of 75 degree weather we are having, Fall really is coming. I’m ready for fall, even though I know I will dearly miss the summer, the days already feel shorter. I’m ready for a change in events, a change in weather, something new to look forward to. Fall has long been a favorite season of mine. My birthday, my wedding anniversary, Halloween, Vada’s birthday, Mr. Gaunt’s birthday, and Thanksgiving ALL happen in the fall. Not to mention most of my best friends birthdays are in the fall too. So Fall is a good time in this household.
This past weekend I began to sort through Vada’s drawers, pulling the outgrown items out, putting away the sentimental pieces (For baby number two? For friends babies?), and selling off the things she wont wear again. We have held onto a few pairs of shorts and tank tops to get us through the coming weeks, but her drawers are already bursting with sweaters, long paints, tights and wool dresses just waiting for the leaves to fall, and the first frost.
Vada is in 12/18 month size right now, I KNOW SHES ONLY 9 MONTHS OLD! So I’ve been slowly purchasing 18 month/2T winter stuff for a few weeks now. I love shopping for Vada’s clothes, it is pure stress relief for me. It is more relaxing and enjoyable than wine and Netflix. It is my absolute favorite thing to do right now, color me crazy. But I don’t shop new, oh hell no, its thrift stores all the way! It’s the only way I could afford to have a slight shopping addiction. With most items averaging $1-$3 I can afford to fill her drawers with awesome stuff. My mom always asks “where did you get that” and 99% of the time the answer is Value Village. I have a lot of friends that don’t thrift shop, and that’s ok, it’s not for everyone, but if you are interested here some of my opinions on thrifting kids clothes:
Value Village is by far my favorite thrift store (In Colorado it’s called Savers, same company). There are a few reasons I love VV:
1. Its BRIGHT, SPACIOUS, and CLEAN (well as clean as a bunch of used clothes can be).
2. The racks are large, and rarely packed so full that you can’t flip through garments (I HATE THAT)
3. The prices are generally good, and they rarely jack up prices because of the brand.
4. I feel like the employees don’t even know what a good kids brand is, so often times Tea and Hanna Anderson are $1.99!
5. The HUNT! I love the hunt of digging through a bunch of trash to find a gem! I love it!
Other than VV, I also like Goodwill, and then after that Ill check out the actual kids consignment stores. Kids consignment stores tend to be more expensive, have less selection, have been picked over, and don’t have those GEMS hidden amongst the trash. They know that they should price name brand kids clothes higher, and they do. They also tend to not take vintage clothing, or handmade stuff, and I buy a lot of handmade stuff at VV. Not that I don’t get some good stuff at kids consignment stores, because I do. I also consign some of Vada’s stuff too, so I have a little $$ to spend. Last week I needed a pink leotard in Vada’s size for her Halloween costume, it was much easier to hit up a kids consignment store that I knew had dance-wear, then to try to hunt VV for a few weeks to find one. I also recently found a new consignment shop that seems to carry high-end kids clothing. While I like to hunt, sometimes its nice not to have to dig through a bunch of Granimals and Carters.
At any store I try to look through the entire section of her size, boys and girls. I kind of hate that they separate the boys and girls, because really we shop from both pretty evenly. I like girls leggings better, boys pants tend to be bulky and “cargo-pant” style, which I don’t love. I love boys sweaters and long sleeve shirts. We buy almost exclusively boys pajamas, they are way cooler! Boys prints tend to be dinosaurs, space/rockets, bugs, sharks/whales, frogs, nautical, and come in greens, blues, oranges, yellow, red. Girls stuff tends to be flowers, bunnies, cupcakes, and come in pink, purple, and more pink. I hate it. Good thing I don’t give a crap about my kid being called a boy. I always just say “Thanks!” whenever people compliment my little guy, no need to correct them.
As for the brands of clothes, I definitely find myself selecting similar brands time and time again. I can also almost immediately detect a nicer item of clothing based on the print or fabric. There are an endless supply of good brands at thrift stores!
On top of that I do buy lots of Carters and other kids basics brands too. But I find that better brands, make clothing that lasts longer. Not that she wears things that long, but she’s the second or third or fourth person to wear these items, and I will pass them on to another child, so it’s nice if they don’t fall apart. I’ve had a few items from Target and Crazy Eight that I bought new totally fall apart, but GAP clothes feel sturdy and last a long time in my opinion.
As for the style we go for, it’s all about the basics. I stock Vada up on lots of neutrals, and lots of fun modern prints. I avoid things that are way too childish (cartoons, silly sayings, and things that are too embellished with bows and ruffles that don’t wash well). I basically dress Vada in clothing I would wear, if I felt like I could wear whatever I wanted. Some people might think that you should let a kid dress like a kid, and I do, just not a tacky kid. (; I mix and match prints, and we layer a lot too with fun cardigans and longsleeves under t shirts. We dont do a ton of dresses and skirts because she’s still crawling a not walking, and they are a tripping hazzard. We’ve gotten some great coats this year too! North Face, Gap, and Lands End, we will be so nice and warm! Shoes on the other hand I like to buy new, kids destroy shoes!
So if you have kids and you haven’t thrifted, I say give it a try, its really great! Happy clothes hunting!
I feel like the title of this post is only perpetuating the LIE that is being pregnant for 9 months, you’re not, you’re pregnant for 10 months, or 9.5 months, or 40 weeks. It’s all very confusing. And hell, if you go over due, you’re pregnant even longer.
Vada is now 9 months old! I haven’t blogged much recently, because I worry it’s all a bit boring, but then I remember that this is MY journal, and that one day ill look back and say “hey look at that cool shit Vada was doing around 9 months” so without further rambling:
MOVING:
This could be two topics, hell, its gonna be two topics! First is Vada being on the move. She started crawling the night before her 8 month birthday. We got it on camera, and you can watch it here:
Adorable right! Similar to the video of her laughing for the first time, this crawling business made us ecstatic! We just think she is so smart and so freaking cool. BUT then we woke up from our parenting wet dream and realized that HOLY SHIT OUR BABY CRAWLS and gets into everything! Every electrical cord, garbage can, pile of papers, dirty shoes, everything. And it all goes in her mouth. Its disgusting. I feel like I can’t keep my house clean enough, and the worst part is, I now have even less time to keep it clean because I’m too busy chasing after her. So yeah, its adorable and all, but hell its challenging. Let me be clear though, in no way has this development stopped me from taking a shower and getting dressed every single day. MOTHERS OF THE WORLD! STOP USING YOUR CHILDREN AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES! (unless you have 3+ kids, in which case I’m shocked you are even still breathing). Vada also loves to stand up. She pulls up to everything, and has even started “cruising” around furniture. She also likes to downward dog a lot, I’m thinking we have about a month until she stands up alone, and maybe 2 months until she takes her first step. It wont hurt my feelings at all though if it takes longer. PLEASE be A 15 month walker! She also loves to climb, crawl under things like tunnels, and break through any possible barricade I make for her. Shes sneaky like that. We have also mastered stairs and most playground jungle gyms.
Second part of this moving topic is our house. The bigger that baby gets, the smaller this house feels. Just to remind you all, we live in a 2 bedroom 1 bath 936 sq feet home. And we love it, we really do. We live in about the best neighborhood in town, we feel safe, we have a pretty great private yard, and the character of the home is divine. But its way too small. So small. Teeny tiny. Our living room is also our office, playroom, and entryway. We have no closets, so our stroller lives in the living room too, and the sewing machine, and the computers, etc. Its all a bit much. I just really need one extra room and a little more storage. I need a place to pile all my tax stuff where Vada can’t get to it. I want her to have enough room to have a large safe play area. I want a dining room where we can’t eat meals as a family. Our current house is just not cutting it, but we don’t have the money to live in anything bigger. Mr. Gaunt and I have continued to live just below our means, and part of that is because we drive old cars we own outright, we rent a small house (that is honestly priced way below market), and we don’t have any debt. There are so many days that I am able to look past the problems and see our personal success, our sweet home, and our lovely lives. There are also days where I drown us in “I want more!” and I let everything become and excuse for “its not fair” its one of my biggest character flaws. I know. The only thing I can do now though, is plan for things I want, and look for the good in the things I have. I love our home, I do, but it is not our forever home, which we are planning for. I’ve got a 5 year plan, hopefully more like 3, for us to increase our income, build our credit (funny story, no debt often leads to no credit too) and find the home we really want and can afford.
BIG BABY & BIRTHDAYS:
Having a big baby (6+ months) is soooo much better than having a tiny baby. Despite the fact that I often act a little like this kid, when talking about Vada getting bigger, really it’s the bees knees, and I wouldn’t go back in time no matter what. BIG BABIES ARE BOMB. Now we can go places and Vada actually plays, like by herself, or with other kids! Its soooo cool. We have an indoor play place in town that we have started to frequent. They have a special area for 3 and under (although its more like 2 and under) and its filled with safe toys, books, furniture and benches for moms to sit on. It’s so fun to go and hang out and drink coffee (or wine!) with friends and let Vada crawl around, make a mess, and play for HOURS! Seriously, hours folks, its so great. ALL WE WANT FOR HER BIRTHDAY IS MEMBERSHIPS AND GIFT CARDS TO PLACES LIKE THIS FOR THE WINTER. Why buy toys to clutter my own living room when we can go somewhere fun with other kids and tons of toys and room!
As you can tell I’m already thinking about Vada’s birthday (November 12th), and boy do I have BIG plans. And for all you nay sayers who think “save your money, she wont remember it” well jokes on you because it’s not for her, it’s for me! Her party planning-loving mama! Its my party! If I were to list my top 5 superficial favorite things about being a mom, it would be this:
1. Decorating a Nursery
2. Dressing them
3. Baby Showers and Birthday Parties
4. Taking photos of them next to cats
5. Hanging out with other moms
See, doesn’t that all seem like a great time! So yeah, not doing a big birthday part was just out of the question! Ive got at least 10 years of big fun themed birthday parties (until she asks me to just drop her off at the mall with my credit card and her friends) so I’m not missing a single one! BIRTHDAYS FOREVER!
And in talking about how big Vada is, and since I didn’t do a baby book (aint nobody got time for that) here are some milestones we have met:
-At her 9 month visit she was 30.5″ tall and 22.66lbs! 95th percentile for everything.
-Dancing! Vada now rocks back fourth or shakes her booty when certain songs come on. She likes this song and this song the best. Check out her sweet dance moves here.
-FAST crawling
-Pulling up on everything, and quickly getting down. She also climbs everything.
-Some “cruising” along furniture.
-Downward dog (I’m thinking she’s getting ready to stand soon.
-2 teeth (and the top two are looking like they may show up this week)
-Clapping
-Waving
-Shaking her head
-Responds to her name
-Open mouth kisses!
-Gets excited whenever she sees people she knows (mama, papa, grandma, nana, nanny)
-Eats all foods (except peanut butter and honey at one year) and can drink from a sippy cup, straw or bottle.
-Good pincer skills, and other fine motor skills. Likes to pick at tiny things on the floor.
-Much better at riding in the stroller since we upgraded to the BOB stroller and have been using it more. I also still wear her in the BOBA, but only on my front.
-Takes 1-2 hour naps once or twice a day
-Loves swimming. Will “jump” off the edge into our arms, and holds her breath when she goes under water.
-Loves to swing at the park and to yell at other kids.
-Has started to listen to me. She knows when I say NO, and she will sit still while I put her shirt on. She’s got great balance.
SAFE & CLEAN: or things my house is not.
Childproofing. We have done a very very small amount of childproofing. I have one of these on the cabinet under the kitchen sink so she doesn’t suck on a bottle of bleach, and we have a few of these in exposed outlets next to her toy basket. That’s about it, and honestly we probably wont do much more. I also bought one of these for our front door once she is big enough to reach the door knob. Last week I also broke down and bought this baby gate at Target. It was cheap and has a pretty easy arm to remove it. It’s not one of those annoying ones that falls to pieces when you remove it. I move it a lot, depending on what room I’m in, and what room I don’t want Vada in. If I’m in the kitchen, then I let her play in there, and block off the laundry room. If I’m in the living room I use it to block off the kitchen (and laundry room) and if we want the front door open, we use it to block that off. Downside is that Hula can’t jump over it, so it can’t stay up all the time or she can’t get to her litter box and food (in the laundry room). Overall though, I’m glad we got it, and I use it all day long. Otherwise I’ve started sweeping and steam mopping a lot more, so all of her pants aren’t dirty on the knees all the time. I’ve also just been slowly clearing out all the rooms of stuff she can get into. The livingroom lost a lamp, and the coffee table. The kitchen lost the little shelf I used for bills and printer paper, garbage cans all over the house have been moved on top of tables. Less clutter and less things for her to get into. And doors are closed more often now. It’s nice to keep things uncluttered, but its a full-time job keeping her alive…sheesh. If I had a bigger house (see above) we could have rooms that were baby-off-limit, as well as bigger areas that were just for her to play, someday. For now she likes to crawl all over the house, so the more space I can keep baby safe, the more time I get to do things like blog.
EAT ALL THE FOOD:
Vada is still breastfeeding twice a day, in the morning after I get her out of her crib, and usually at night in the rocking chair. She also drinks about 25-30 oz of formula a day. On top of that we have been pretty good at doing breakfast and lunch with her most days (We eat dinner after she goes to bed, so dinner for her). Her and I are often home alone in the morning, so I try to make a good breakfast and sit and eat with her. She likes eggs, green beans, blueberries, peaches, potatoes, grilled onions and peppers, yogurt, pretty much anything I’m eating. For lunch I usually give her whatever I am having: sliced turkey, sweet potato fries, olives, string cheese, pretty much anything. I actually love feeding Vada, she has such an open mind about food, and seems to love nearly everything. I can’t wait for her to have more teeth so we can do more vegetables that require chewing. I have no qualms about giving her interesting “adult food” like sushi or ribs, or soups, she gobbles them down! Mostly she feeds herself (except soup, yogurt, and the very occasional puree) and has a great pincer grasp and is so good at gum-chewing. A few fun foods we have tried:
The list could go on and on. The only food she hated so far was homemade Kale chips lol! I want Vada to have a love and appreciation for all good food, and to be willing to experiment and try new things. I know this could change, but so far, she’s a little baby foodie, and I love it!
WHATS NEXT:
Having a baby puts a lot of things on hold, and gives you a whole new set of stuff to do every day. I’ve stopped working a lot. I mean I still do a lot of little things for our restaurant (office stuff, taxes, bills, marketing, emails, ordering, and some cleaning and shopping), but I don’t work in the restaurant. Mr. Gaunt got a new job, with longer hours, so I’m doing a lot more of the home stuff too. I have Vada go twice a week to a nanny right now so I can have a few hours a week of time to just get things done without her. Sometimes this is work specific, sometimes its home stuff. It’s nice though.
When Vada was born I had a lot of preconceived ideas about what I thought I wanted, what I would be able to do, and what would work for our family. I thought I would want to work more, I thought I would be able to do more with Vada, I thought things would be easier. But the truth is, I don’t want to work a lot, and I don’t want her in daycare full-time, and even if I did, my brain is full up right now. I’m on edge a lot when it comes to work, and problem solving, and feeling overwhelmed. A lot of these things made me feel desperate and depressed and anxious in the beginning. Now they make me feel angry and annoyed. My ability to multi task family and work stuff sucks. I’m hoping it gets better as Vada gets older, but only time will tell. I’m trying to accept it and to keep myself in check, but it’s always a struggle. I also have noticed that no matter what, unless you spend 90% of your day with a baby, you do NOT understand what it’s like, you just don’t. I’m not saying it’s bad, but the limitations with a baby are real, and other people may chose to have judgements about that, and I just have to remind myself that other peoples feelings are THEIRS and not mine. I know whats best for us.
Vada is on the peak of being able to do more big kid stuff like finger paints, reading books (we try to read to her, but it does not hold her attention and she just rips at the books) and actually playing with things (stacking blocks, pushing buttons, that stuff) so I think this winter will be lots of fun. I have a whole Pinterest board of toddler activities that I’m excited to start with her. Hopefully the “put everything in her mouth” thing will die down around 15 months. We also plan to start swim lessons again in September, and we have signed up for a 10 week Mommy (and daddy) and ME Music class, which I am so excited about! I’m hoping to also get a membership to the children’s museum too.
The days of summer are coming to an end, and I genuinely feel sad. This has been such a fun and exciting summer for us, and for Vada. Getting to do all the fun summer activities with your kid, really makes things special, at least for me. This will be a summer to remember, really a year to remember, and I’m going to try to focus every day on living a good life and loving my family.
Summer is upon us! I’ve been dreaming about summer with Vada since the day she was born, at the very start of a long winter. I just think summer is the making of childhood memories. There are so many fun things to do, and see and experience. Mr. Gaunt and I always try to do lots of stuff in the summer, go outside, hit up happy hour, go to festivals. With kids, there are even MORE things to do. It’s our priority in life, we are people who like to spend time together doing stuff.
So before I get into items that you can purchase, I want to note a few other things that we are loving this summer!
-BABY SWIM LESSONS: We are on round 2 of baby swim lessons, we love it so much. We go at 5:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s a half hour class, and focuses on floating, blowing bubbles, kicking, splashing, chasing toys, and all things getting comfortable with the water. Vada LOVES it! Usually Mr. Gaunt goes with her, I have gone a couple of times, but I tend to be a distraction for her, and she can become fussy and obsessed with me. So I sit on the side and make videos of her (: We plan to continue lessons through the winter. We don’t have a pool available to us outside of lessons, and we really want her to be water comfortable.
-FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES: We do a local Organic Delivery Box, as well as keeping the fridge stocked with lots of good stuff for the whole family, especially Vada. At home she still nurses/formula at least 5/6 times a day, plus breakfast and sometimes dinner of solids. Lots of organic scrambled eggs, fresh raspberries from the yard, yams, blueberries, zucchini, she loves it all. When we go out to eat we try to offer her little bits of whatever we are having too.
-FAMILY TIME: Lots and lots! We read books together, sit in the front yard in the evenings drinking wine and watching people stroll by. We hit up (baby friendly) breweries with friends, the park for playdates with other moms, garage sales, park concerts, and sunday mornings in bed. We are soaking up this sweet stage of baby curiosity and filling our days with all the family time we can. Sometimes we are too busy, sometimes we are frustrated with each other, sometimes we are poor, but we focus on spending time together and making the little joys in life a priority.
-CAMERA: We continue to love our Canon Rebel t3i, as well as our iPhones, to capture all the memories!
On to my Summer Must Have Items:
1. SWIMSUITS: Vada has swim lessons twice a week, and we play in the baby pool in the back yard too. For a swimsuit I wanted something that was modest, simple (minimal ruffles, and flowers as these distract her), had good shoulder straps that stay on, and was affordable. The geometric shape suit is Marimekko ‘Polsku’ One-Piece Swimsuit (was around $50) which I LOVED but just couldn’t spend the money on. So we went with this cute bow suit from GYBOREE ($14.97), and I really love it! It fits so well, and although the teal has faded slightly from the chlorine, I think it will last a while. To be honest if you swim a lot, a suit really only lasts about one summer anyway.
2. REUSABLE SWIM DIAPER: We have an iPlay Swim Diaper (from Target), and a The Honest Co. swim diaper. I don’t really know why people pay so much for the disposable ones? I can attest that a proper fitting reusable swim diaper will hold in the poop. Then just hose em out, toss em in the wash. So easy.
3. SUN HAT: We bought the Flap Happy Infant UV 50+ Floppy Hat in Eyelet, and LOVE IT! We got it at Kids Northwest (which we also love!!!). This has been such a great purchase. It stays on (even if it comes untied) it folds up nicely to stick in a pocket, the brim ALWAYS stays up, and its way cute, and not dorky. It also WORKS so well. We have sat in the sun for 3+ hour with no sunscreen on the top of her head (it’s so hard with the wispy hair) and no burn. I LOVE this hat and wish it came in my size. Only downside would be that she does put the strings in her mouth so they are a little dingy. I kind of wish it maybe was velcro? but really I love it.
4. BABY ROMPERS: When the weather gets warm, these stretchy adorable rompers are our go-to outfit. They are cool, easy and don’t require me finding top/bottoms that match. Plus I find that they are roomier than just shorts for fatty-cloth diaper booties. I really like Baby Gap, Target and Old Navy’s styles, but honestly I do 90% of my clothes shopping at Value Village, so they cost me less than $5 a piece.
5. BABY ZIP UP HOODIE: Vada has a couple zip up hoodies and they are perfect for Washington summers. In the evening I throw one on over her romper, or tank top or swimsuit. They are easy and so cute. I definitely prefer a solid/adult style zip up over a really cutesy one with animals or flowers. A few of my faves are: American Apparel $18 (pictured) Old Navy $15, Andy & Evan $28.99, GAP $24.99.
1. SNACKS Happy Puffs are our go to Organic fast-easy-mess-free baby snack. Plus I can get them almost anywhere, Target, Grocery Store, online, wherever. They are also really safe, Vada has crammed a bunch in her mouth and not choked (we always watch her though). (from them): HAPPYBABY Puffs are nutritious and delicious organic finger foods that melt in baby’s mouth. Always organic, never any artificial flavorings. Our puffs are made with organic whole grains, fruits and vegetables. We support sustainable agriculture. No pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Our Sweet Potato and Strawberry puffs do not contain diary, corn, gluten or soy.
2. BIBS: I made the mistake of buying cheap bibs from a grocery store, and regretted it with stained clothes. That’s the whole purpose of a bid, right? Keep them from staining their clothes. Welp don’t buy cheap bibs. So far I really like the Skip Hop (love everything they make!!) Zoo Tuck Away Bib in CAT (duh). Its lightweight but stays down, the velcro stays on tight, they are machine washable, they don’t have any fabric on them to get nasty, and they fold up into a tiny pouch that I can clip onto things. WIN! I also really liked our Now Designs Laminated Bib (which we purchased locally at Greenhouse) but the fabric trim gets a little gross, but otherwise they stay down great and collect all the food droppings like a good bib should. Plus these ones spray off and air dry really nice. I will probably buy more of both of these.
3. MUM MUMS: if you’re a Mum, then you have probably bought Mum Mums. They are the absolute best first baby snack. They are somehow both safe, and mess free. It’s like it just vanishes in their tiny drooly mouthes, unlike most baby teething-cookies that get all nasty and soggy. Vada can’t get enough of these. We buy Banana and Vegetable, and Organic. I’m not stoked on the ingredients though. While mostly just powdered rice and vegetables, there is also sugar in them, bleh, and they are from China, double bleh. I like this post that Kath did on making some, or not making some, but the comments are interesting to read. I wish that the Happy Family company would sneak into the Mum Mum factory and steal their recipe, make it organic, healthy and GMO free, and sell em! Alas, we try not to do too many of these, but damn the babies love em.
4. MESH FEEDERS: There are a few different brands, we have the Munchkin Mesh Feeders, but I like the look of the Baby Safe Feeder brand too. We put organic frozen fruit (mango, strawberries, blueberries) in her feeder and it’s like a tiny baby popsicle. They are kind of messy if they really suck on them for a long time (which my kid does) but they are safe and way fun. I’ve read reviews that they are a pain to clean, but I’m use to washing everything by hand (no dishwasher) and these really don’t seem bad. I just use the sprayer to spray off all the food inside out. I also feel comfortable sending these with her to her nannies with a ziplock of frozen fruit. She can feel like a big kid when they get frozen treats. I kind of wish they had a cap to go over the mesh so I could load it up on the go. Get on it Munchkin!
5. SNACK HOLDER: We have a few of these Munchkin Snack Catchers, and we like em. Vada usually manages to hold the inside flap down and shake out snacks, but they also mostly stay in. They don’t spill in a purse either, and its kind of a toy for her. I would assume when she gets bigger that we will upgrade to something like the Munchie Mug, (watch review here) which has a lycra-type fabric that you reach your hand into to retrieve snacks, eliminating the ability to shake things out, or crumbs spill in your purse. It’s on my wish list. Snacks in summer are a must. We are on the go a lot, and they keep her busy, happy, and entertained. I always offer a toy first, but if that isnt doing the trick, then a few snacks really help.
6. ORGANIC PUREE POUCHES: Let it be known that my husband would eat these…or has eaten them. At home we do mostly solid foods, not purees. We are doing the Baby Led Weaning route, so no spoon-feeding. However 4 days a week Vada goes to a nanny for 3 hours, and I like to send her with some food. I just don’t have time to cook her a lunch, and I don’t want to have to worry about her nanny having to prep any food for her (know what size and how soft food should be, but her nanny doesnt, so it gives me piece of mind), so I send a pouch with her. There are so many great organic baby food pouches out there, and they really aren’t that pricey, under $1.50 usually on sale. I tend to pick ones that are veggie heavy, as oppose to fruit (Look at the ingredients and make sure that APPLE/PEAR isn’t the first listed ingredient). So far I havent done any meat, grains or dairy ones, Id prefer we do solids for those items. I’ve read a lot about these pouches too, searching out negative reviews and articles so I have a rounded idea of what I’m giving Vada. My opinion is that these should NOT be used as the majority of babies food. Even thought they are organic and vegetables, they are convenience food. Not REAL food. I think it is so important that babies learn all about what REAL food looks like, how to handle it, chew it, squish it, everything. REAL food is not pureed, and although I know many parents start babies with purees, it’s completely unnecessary to continue purees once a baby is 9+ months. I especially think toddlers and bigger kids should not be eating these pouches very often, definitely not full-grown husbands. But like I said, we like them on occasion for trips to the beach or when she is being watched by someone else. They are very handy.
1. BEACH BLANKET: We have an awesome quilt that came from Target a few years back. Its durable, washes well, is heavy enough that it stays down on the corners, it doesn’t really stain, and its large enough that all of us can lay on it, but light enough that I can fold it up and carry it while carrying Vada. It’s perfection. However I can’t seem to find a link to the one I have. This Skip Hop one looks pretty great too though! And it folds into a little pouch. It’s a bit small for our large folked-family, but would work great for kids. We drag ours in the front yard, lay it in the back of the car, at the park, the beach, anywhere. It’s a must have for summer.
2. HOODED TOWELS: We were gifted 2 of these adorable Pottery Barn Hooded Towels, and love them. Id skip any towel sized just for a baby, and do a kid size one. I’ve heard the baby ones are too little, and its nice to have a lot of towel to wrap them up in after pool/bath.
3. BABY SUNSCREEN: I’m paranoid about Vada getting a bad sunburn, so we do lots of sun protection. That being said, we also love to play in the sun. I read a lot about sunscreens and love this cheat sheet from SafeMama on which ones she recommends. We went with BADGER, and although its expensive $15 for 2.69oz, I LOVE the way it smells! It’s a little greasy but not too bad. I will say that you need to reapply it every 1.5-2 hours. The other day we were out for 3+ hours and Vada got a slight burn on her arms (I nearly cried) overall though I really like it. As for the price of safer-baby sunscreens, I think its worth it. I’ve blown $15 on all kinds of stupid things, and your baby’s skin is so important. I also think I have so rarely gone through a whole tube of sunscreen before it expires, so I HOPE I run out of this stuff! I will say thought that when my sister asked if she could use some I cringed….”sure…sparingly…its liquid gold!”
4. FOAM BATH WALL APPLIQUE: This was a fluke favorite toy. I bought a big bag of Circo Brand Jungle themed foam wall bath toys a while ago, and then one day I opened them and gave one to Vada. She’s obsessed, and I love that they are waterproof, safe, chew-friendly, washable, cheap, and there are a million of them in a pack! I think I might get these Boon Dive ones (also love this brand!). They are great in the tub, pool, car seat, anywhere.
5. BUCKET: We got this bucket at a birthday party as a favor bag (thanks Jen!), and its been an awesome summer toy receptical! I fill it with small toys to take outside, to the park, beach wherever. I can clip the handle of the bucket onto my diaper bag, and it becomes an easy toy travel case from car to park. It’s also safe, easy to wash and fun. Sometimes its the easy cheap things in life.
Well there yah have it! I’m sure we will discover more fun summer things, and we are working our way through BellingFAM’s awesome summer Bucket List.
The Family Chapters 