|
Category Archives: Motherhood
EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY…
I braced her Lulu close in an effort to soothe her back to sleep for the second half of her much-needed afternoon nap. I held her and swayed from side to side, back and forth in a rythmn that is so familiar to mothers; a movement I often find myself doing when I hear any baby crying or when I am talking to a friend who’s holding a tiny babe. As her heated sobs quickly gave way to sleep, I squeezed her even tighter. Her light hair tickled my checks and I craned back bit to see if she was sleeping. I had stopped feeling the tick-tick-tick of her lashes, but sometimes she snuggles, eyes open, waiting to pop her little head out from under my chin to grab my nose or flash a big, silly smile. But as I pulled back a bit to peer at her, her heavy head stayed perfectly still on my shoulder.
I stopped swaying and held her; breathing in her sweet baby smell, letting our tacky sweat blend together, letting her soft, purposeful exhales swirl around my neck and collarbone. I let my eyes wander around her room and they rested on a photo that my sister had taken of her when she was only three precious days old.
.jpg) PIN Perhaps it was because it was her birthday but I felt that predictable sting in my eyes and tingle across my sinuses, and whatever that is, deep in the very center of my chest that cramps down at moments like these, tighten up and twinge.
I hate to use the word bittersweet to describe the emotion; although it defines the too-quick growing up of babies and children perfectly. It is a well-fitting adjective but there is really nothing bitter about any of it. Lulu’s turning one is ordinarily extraordinary. It’s such a blessing to have gotten to watch her grow, thrive, and learn these past 365 days. With every day I get to spend with my children, my love for them becomes more deeply- rooted and my desire to give them the world grows stronger.
As Lulu turns one and I look back at the last year, and forward into the future, I think about how lucky I am to have her. I can’t wait to watch her actualize her ideas and dreams, to watch her emerge and grow, and to see who she becomes, to make room for her and her needs, and to be the best mom to her I can be.
Yesterday, we had a little birthday barbecue for her with a couple of friends. We kept is small and simple. Our menu was as easy as can be: hot dogs, Burg’s Potato Salad from Molly Wizenburg’s first book A Homemade Life, salad, and, for dessert, Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats from Smitten Kitchen! Kyle stocked up on Lulu Saison and I made Sangria.
.jpg) PIN
.jpg) PIN PINPINPINI started making sangria last summer after Lulu was born. For my 30th birthday a few of my girlfriends and I had gone for dinner at Toro Bravo in Portland. They had the most amazing looking sangria, but as I was mid-pregnancy with Lu, I was unable to have a glass. I did have a sip of someone else’s and I vowed to myself that that summer, the summer of 2013, would be the summer of sangria! But, once Lu was born things were busy, our backyard was a major work in progress, and I didn’t manage to perfect my recipe.
This year is different. With Lulu being a big one year old, I have a lot more time on my hands for important things like making Sangria. Our backyard, while still a work in progress, is really coming together and the patio is just begging for folks to come kick up their feet with a chilled Sangria in hand. My neighbors have all been called on to help drink the batches I’ve been making over the past few weeks and I think I have a winning recipe. So, without further ado, I officially declare this, the summer of 2014, the Summer of Sangria. Now you know what to expect when you drop by.
PINPINPIN
SUMMER SANGRIA WITH STRAWBERRIES, PEACHES, CITRUS FRUIT AND GINGER
Ingredients.
1 lemon
1 lime
1/2 orange, sliced
2 small peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup raspberries
6 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
2” piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 bottle cabernet sauvignon
1/2 cup club soda
fresh mint or basil
Directions.
Begin by making a ginger simple syrup. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and stir in the sugar and ginger until the sugar has completely dissolved. Simmer and reduce until you have 1/2 cup of syrup. Turn of the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Strain and set aside.
Juice half of the lemon and half of the lime, slice the remaining halves of both. Toss both the juice and the slices into a large pitcher along with the orange slices, raspberrries, peach slices, and sliced strawberries. Then pour in the ginger simple syrup, orange juice, pomegranate juice, and the wine. Stir gently to combine. Place the sangria in the refrigerator and allow it to sit for a few hours (any recipes call for letting sangria sit overnight but I prefer it “fresher”).
When you are ready to serve the sangria, add the club soda, stir gently, pour into glasses and garnish with mint or basil!
PRINTABLE RECIPE.
SUMMER SANGRIA
I have been asked so many times by my friends (and lots of readers) about my experience with cloth diapering, and specifically about my experience using the Bum Genius 4.0 Snap Diapers. I created this post when Gigi was about 1 1/2, and have updated it now that we’ve gone through the process twice! So here is a post all about cloth diapering…
PINWhy We Use Cloth Diapers:
1. Money: From what I researched the average child is diapered about 7,000 times. Disposables cost about 25 cents each. In the end we would have ended up spending close to $2,000 per child on disposable diapers.The Bum Genius 4.0 diapers cost about $17 each when you buy the 24 pack for $400. The comparable cost (at 7,000 uses) makes the cloth diapers 5 cents each and they can be used for multiple children. Even with the added cost of energy and detergent (about $200 a year with a HE washer), it’s still so much lower. That’s $600 vs. $3,000!
*We do always keep current-sized disposables on hand.
2. Environment: I couldn’t stand the thought of throwing away 7,000 disposable diapers over the next two years (and that’s per child). We use environmentally friendly laundry soap and we air dry the diapers.
Other Pros:
-Less leaks: they don’t leak very often (and when they do there’s usually a solvable solution).
-They’re cute: they come in cute colors that make the online shopper in me excited.
-They are easy: once you get a hang of a system they are easy to wash, dry, and stuff.
And Now, The Cons:
-Big and bulky: they are bulky to pack in the diaper bag. I use my large purse a diaper bag and I’m sometimes frustrated with all the space they take up.
-Tricky travel: traveling long distances can be hard. It’s no fun to be dealing with them on a trip. When we can afford it, we buy disposables for traveling.
-They can start holding odor, and they can all start leaking at once and need to be stripped (notes below).
-Poop is gross: you do have to handle these diapers quite a bit more than disposable and sometimes it’s just plain disgusting.
-Sometimes, even with extra washing, they get a funky smell as soon as they are peed in.
Diaper Choice:
For the first two months with both girls, we used the Pampers Newborn Swaddlers. They are amazing. There are newborn cloth diaper options but, for us, the Newborn Swaddlers were the best choice. We did try a couple other newborn brands but found these specific diapers to be the best.
Our personal experience with the Bum Genius 4.0 Pocket Diapers with Snaps has been great. They fit Gigi well and I love the colors. They are also a little less bulky than some of the other brands. That being said, I have friends who use and love the following: Fuzzibunz (great for chunkier babies because they have adjustable leg openings).
Where To Buy – Diaper Junction:
PIN
I wrote about our experience with Diaper Junction before but I’ll say it again, they are awesome! It’s a small company run by sisters, Robyn and Valerie. Their 30 Day Test Drive program is fantastic. You can try all different kinds of diapers and return the ones that don’t work. We originially tried the Fuzzibunz, Rumparooz, and Bum Genius with Velcro, and Bum Genius with Snaps. We sent back the others and used the store credit to buy all of our Bum Genius Diapers 4.0 with Snaps. They sell gift certificates and have a gift registry. We got a few gift certificates when we were expecting and it was great, when we were ready we had money in our account to buy our diapers. Their customer service is fantastic. They are always available to answer questions or help you troubleshoot a problem. I really have nothing but wonderful things to say about our experience with them.
PINPIN
What You Need:
What is a Pocket Diaper:
A Pocket Diaper (like the Bum Genius 4.0) comes with 3 parts: Liner, Insert, Newborn/Secondary Insert. You get all three pieces with every diaper you purchase. We use the main Insert alone most of the time but add the Newborn/Secondary Insert for long naps, car trips, and at bedtime.
PIN
PIN
PIN
A drying rack.
We got this one at Ikea for $20 years ago and we use it for diapers and line dry stuff. It’s lightweight and colapses easily so you can put it away. I also recently purchased a clothes line for our yard and love that too.
A storage spot bin.
We got these Ikea storage boxes for $5 and use them for diapers, toys, and stuffed animals.
Diaper liners.
I made really quickly from scrap flannel but you can also use rectangles of fleece. The fleece doesn’t need to be sewn, just cut it and use it. I would recommend using a colorful fabric! We accidentally toss our white ones out with the wipes. You can also buy them here. You need to use these every time you use diaper rash cream. Since diaper rash cream creates a water barrier it will clog up your cloth diapers and cause them to leak. When Gigi has really bad diaper rash, we find that switching to disposables for a day or two does the trick. Disposables really wick the moisture away from the skin a bit better than the cloth diapers do, but using a flannel or fleece liner should help too. You can buy some diaper creams that are approved for cloth diapers.
Detergents for Cloth Diapers.
You can find a great list of the best detergents for cloth diapers here. We use a homemade soap-free detergent (will share soon) and it works great. Bleach and color safe bleach. (Some diapers cannot be washed with bleach so make sure to check).
Dish Soap.
Helps break up build up on the diapers. (More on stripping diapers below).
Scraper.
I use a hard spatula to scrape the poop into the toilet. People buy sprayers for this too. The spatula works. Then we just toss it in the wash with the diapers.
Dirty Diaper Storage.
We use a little garbage bin with a lid. Another inexpensive Ikea purchase. This one was $15 and comes in lots of colors. I also like using these Planet Wise Dry/Wet Bags which are great for multiple uses. I take them to the pool and toss in the towels, swimsuit and reusable swim diapers.
How Many to Buy:
We bought the 24 pack for $406. I sometime wish we had a few more and will probably order the 3 or 6 pack to add to what we have. The 24 is plenty of diapers but, when I’m really busy, it would be nice to have a couple more.
How to Wash Your Cloth Diapers:
I run a short (express) cold/cold wash. During this wash I use the recommended amount of detergent. For washing cloth diapers the recommended amount is one-half to one-quarter the usual amount. Then I run by a regular length hot/cold wash adding about a tablespoon of color safe bleach. The color safe bleach seems to help lift out the odor and keep them cleaner. I don’t use detergent in the second wash. You want your diapers really clean and free of all soaps when they are done rinsing. Then, we hang them to dry. Bum Genius says you can tumble dry the inserts but I prefer to just line dry it all.
How Often Do You Wash Your Cloth Diapers:
We try to wash them every other day. You don’t want them sitting for long.
What To Do If Your Cloth Diapers Start Leaking:
Run a strip wash (direction below)! Also, if the diapers are too big or too tight they can leak. When she’s inbetween sizes I sometimes find that putting a snug onesie over the diaper helps hold the sides in.
How to Strip Your Cloth Diapers:
If your diapers are leaking, they may have gotten some build up. To strip them, I put them through a regular length hot/cold wash with color safe bleach and a tiny bit (about 1/4 teaspoon) of dishwasher detergent. Then, I remove the liners and run a sanitizing (extra hot) wash on just the inserts with the recommended amount (1/4 cup) of regular bleach. I run a strip-wash on them about once a month or after I’ve had to throw them in the dryer. If they get really clogged (which ours did because I didn’t know about the diaper liners!) you may have to use a dish brush and scrub the liners with lots dish soap by hand to really break it up. Also, pouring boiling water over the inserts and letting them soak helps too.
Never:
-Use diaper rash cream directly in contact with the cloth diaper, always use a liner.
-Boil your diapers.
-Use fabric softeners or dryer sheet with your diapers (or in a dryer that you will be drying your diapers in).
Tips for Removing Odors:
Most cloth diapers do not recommend using vinegar and baking soda! Usually a second hot wash does the trick. The once a month bleaching and sanitizing of the inserts helps a lot. Also, line drying them outside in the sunshine works great. The sun is a natural bleacher.
I really hope this helps answers some of your questions about my experience with cloth diapering. If I missed something you want to know, ask in the comments and I’ll add it to the post! Cloth diapering is relatively easy and I’m really glad we made the choice to do it. I do like keeping a small batch of current size disposables on hand for trips, last minute drives, or extreme diaper rash situations but, 99% of the time we use and love our cloth diapers.
PIN
HAPPY DIAPERING!
THAT DAMN JELLY BEAN…
Yesterday was one of those strange days where for everything that went perfectly, something was totally off… but in the end it was a really lovely day. We woke up early, a habit picked up when we were all sharing a room in Mexico for vacation last week! Did I mention we were going to Mexico? Well, we did and it was really lovely. My in-laws took us all (our family and Kyle’s brother’s family) to their time-share spot in Cabo. We went once before, when Gigi was only two months old. It sure was nice to get away and we came back to bursting tulips and 70 degree weather!
Lulu has a nasty cold, probably something she picked up by licking the airplane seats on the way home from Mexico, and sounds like a cranky frog. Despite her bug I had big plans for the day to get up to the local nursery and look at some different varieties of “stepables” to plant between our pavers on our patio, and to pick up a local planting guide so we can start planning and planting! So after Lu’s croaky morning nap, we stepped out to run our errands. We headed straight to the garden store, which is bright and open and was full of people buzzing with spring-fever. It felt so wonderful to soak in the late morning sun, smell the lavender, run our fingers over the crawling thyme, and eye the perfect rows and rows of Ranunculus.
PIN
Towards the end of our time at the garden store, Gigi was not being a great listener. I should have quit while I was ahead but I needed a few items from the grocery store, so I ignored my mothers’ intuition and we headed in. After all, we only needed six little things!
I was not all that surprised when Gigi had a major meltdown in the middle of the produce department. It all started when she stole a jelly bean from the candy bin. Why, one might ask, is there a big candy bin in the middle of the produce department? Anyway, we had a bit of a showdown that went a little something like this, “G, do not pick up that candy. Do not put that jelly bean in your mouth. Spit that jelly bean out right now! You are not choosing to be a good listener.” She said nothing, but when I finally pried that damn jelly bean out of her mouth she started wailing, “I want GRANDMA!!!!!!”, over and over again. I suspect G was suffering from a case of The Grandparent Withdrawals; I’m sure you know the symptoms. I plunked her in the cart, dashed away from the produce department over to the far end of the store while she cried and kid kicked my leeks, and grabbed the last couple items I needed before fleeing the store. I’m sure I was quite a sight carrying Lulu on my left hip, and Gigi around her middle with my right arm, crying and legs flailing, with the grocery gal following behind with my bag of bruised produce.
Once the girls were buckled in their carseats, I headed to the coffee shop, popped in for a couple of lattes (one for me and one for my sweet friend who just welcomed her third baby!), drove to her house and dropped off her caffeine (while G fumed in the car). I got a quick look at her beautiful new, fresh baby, and despite having a very snotty baby and very frustrated kid in my car, I felt a wave of desire. There’s just something about a teeny tiny newborn, sleeping with their delicate little arms up over their head, that makes me think crazy things. Once we were home, G said, “I need a naaaaaaaaaaaaaap!” Agreed.
I got the girls in bed as quickly as possible and started making dinner even though it was only 1pm. I just felt the desire to cook and prep, and zone out while I peeled garlic for a while. I didn’t even bother using a fast-peeling method, I didn’t even whack the cloves with my knife; I just did it, one clove at a time, tediously removing each little sticky strand of skin from the cloves while the breeze knocked around the curtains and the house was silent. I trimmed my herbs, scrubbed my chicken, juiced my lemons, in complete, blissful silence. By the time my chicken was prepped and in the fridge, I’d found that my heart rate had returned to normal and I was thinking back on how “funny” our little produce-section scene must have been to witness. It was, after all, a classic toddler-mom standoff… over a stupid jelly bean. If there’s one thing you need while raising a toddler, it’s a sense of humor… well, that and a good recipe for Roasted Chicken that takes just long enough to prep that you can regain said sense of humor after a trying morning.
I make my Roasted Chicken with Herbs, Garlic, and Lemon about every other week. It’s best when prepped around 1pm, so the lemon juice has time to tenderize and marinate the meat a bit. Doing the prep earlier in the day also makes dinner time feel like a breeze, and you end up with a crisp-skinned, tender, flavorful, comforting, chicken dinner. I almost always accompany the chicken with a side of crispy oven roasted potatoes (for which I’ll share the recipe next week), and a fresh salad. It’s one of our staple dinners, and it’s a dinner that fuels a few days’ worth of meals. I have stock simmering on the stovetop now to make Posole for dinner tonight, and tomorrow I’ll use a bit of the shredded chicken to make a spinach salad with and bruised veggies and a homemade dressing.
There is something pretty satisfying, and relaxing, about stretching one meal into three or four; about feeding a family of four for a few days from one main source. Plus, the homemade chicken stock should help us fight back against this spring cold (along with the homemade Elderberry Syrup I made last night)! I also made deodorant yesterday (please, please tell me if it’s not working, okay?). We’re talking serious homesteading over here! It just so happens I have some things to tell you about in regards to “homesteading” but it will have to wait for another day… maybe next week when I share the potato recipe with you. Potatoes and pioneering seem like a good match up.
In the meantime, here is my recipe for Roasted Chicken with Herbs, Garlic, and Lemon.
PIN
PIN
ROASTED CHICKEN
WITH HERBS, GARLIC AND LEMON
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
juice of 3-4 lemons
1 lemon, sliced
large handful of fresh herbs, thyme, rosemary, parsley (whatever you have on hand)
1 head of garlic cloves, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions.
Clean the chicken, inside and out, by scrubbing it with a good amount of kosher salt. Rinse it under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Using a pair of poultry or kitchen shears, cut out the backbone. Set the backbone aside for making stock, or discard.
In the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole dish, place a pile of herbs and fan out one lemons’ worth of lemon slices. Place the chicken, breast side up, over the herbs and lemon slices. Toss the peeled garlic cloves into the pan between the drumstick (you want them exposed, not tucked under the bird).
Pour the lemon juice slowly over the chicken, drizzle it with a good amount of olive oil (I use about 1/3 cup). Season the chicken and the garlic cloves generously with salt and pepper.
Cover the chicken tightly with aluminum foil and pop it in the fridge for a few hours… it doesn’t have to sit and marinate but it’s great if possible.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, take it out of the fridge and preheat your oven to 450˚F. When the oven is heated, place the covered chicken in and roast for 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes, remove the foil, baste the chicken with the juices in the pan, and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes. Then, baste it one last time and check the temperature. The size of the chicken you have will vary this final cooking time… generally a 5lb. chicken will take another 30 minutes or so.
I pull my chicken from the oven with the breast temperature is 170˚F. Be sure to let the chicken rest for ten minutes or so before carving it up. Serve it along with the roasted garlic cloves, or my crispy oven roasted potatoes (which use the garlic cloves from the chicken)!
PRINTABLE RECIPE.
ROASTED CHICKEN
PIN
I had fun things planned for last week; lots of cooking, playing, organizing. I was ready to get ready for Spring. But instead we spent the week engulfed by the plague (commonly referred to as the stomach flu). Gigi was the first to fall, then me and Lulu, and finally Kyle. One by one it took us down. I’d made some broth from scratch and chicken soup the day after G got sick so there was that.
I was thinking back on this month that’s already nearly over, and I feel like all I cooked was broth, Chicken Soup, Chicken and Barley Soup, Lentil Soup… and I bought the “Family-Size” box of Saltine Crackers, and a fair amount of Ginger Ale. I guess the silver lining, if there is one, is that I have been reading about different broth (or stock, or bouillon) making methods and I sure got an opportunity to put some techniques to the test. I even got caught up on a little bit of Vogue reading and in the November issue there was an article on making the perfect broth! In spite of that, I have no recipes of any kind for you today. I have only hopes that you all had a much healthier last week than we did. Here’s hoping that the remainder of this February is kind to us because the first 3/4’s have certainly brought us down a notch or two.
Since this post has been a bit on the “downer” side, here is a couple of photos I took of Gigi at her new favorite place she calls “the Lost Boys fort”. She certainly has a smile that can light up any grey day, both the figurative and literal ones.
PINPIN
And just in case those photos didn’t do the trick this video of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers singing Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off, and dancing to it on roller skates, should help.
PIN
I get asked all the time by girlfriends what are the baby/toddler essentials they need to get through the first two years with a new addition. I put together a comprehensive list of the basic baby things you need to get started for putting together a registry or shopping for your baby. I made this list when G was about six months old, and have updated and made changes to it now that Lulu is (almost) 9 months. I hope this list and my opinions on these items help you get prepared for welcoming a baby into your homes!
Bathing and Toiletries…
Tub: We mostly just do sink baths or I dunk Lulu in with G for a quick rinse.
Towels: We use the Aden+Anais towels and washcloths for post-bath drying. They’re thick and well made and last forever!
Baby Wash & Lotion: We use California Baby shampoo and body wash and other products. We also love Dr. Bronner’s, we use their almond, lavender, and unscented soaps. A great site for looking at toxin levels in beauty/bath/sunscreen products is the Environmental Working Group. Burts Bees and Hello Bello also makes some great baby products.
Sunscreen: I prefer to use Badger Baby Sunscreen. It’s expensive but it doesn’t have all the bad stuff in it. (Pediatricians only recommend sunscreen after 6 months). Again, the Environmental Working Group is a great site for finding the best/safest sunscreen for your family
Tiny Colds: When Lulu gets sick we rely on the brilliant NoseFrida. It is totally disgusting but it works to clear congestion in a way those little bulb snot-suckers don’t. Kyle (and lots of other Dads I know) won’t go anywhere near it but mom’s everywhere love it. We have one in our travel bag too. It’s a lifesaver.
Tiny Fevers: We invested in the Braun Thermometer and love it. It’s fast and easy and accurate and it’s great for sneaking in for middle of the night fever reading.
Potty Training: We recently discovered and love this NextStep Toilet Seat. It fits discretely onto your toilet and the kid seat magnetically connects to the larger lid so it’s easy for everyone to use without having a bulky or awkward separate seat. We will keep our Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer Seat in the car for long road trips and visiting friend’s houses.
Diapering Needs…
Newborns: Disposable diapers are must in the early days! They fit tiny babes and have a yellow line that turns green when they are wet so you know when you need to change them.
Cloth Diapers: We tried a few but stuck with the BumGenius 4.0 Diapers. We love them. I did a big post here on cloth diapering.
Disposable Diapers: I always have current size, fragrance free disposable diapers on hand. We gave up trying to use the cloth diapers at night or while not at home.
Wipes: We use the Kirkland Premium Baby Wipes (the Costco Brand) and love them. They’re soft, inexpensive and unscented. The main issue for us is keeping as much unscented as possible. We never used a baby wipe warmer.
Diaper Cream: We use Bourdreaux’s Butt Paste or Hello Bello cream for diaper rash. Be sure to use it with disposable diapers only. It will create a water barrier on your cloth diapers and make them less absorbent. I never use baby powder but do sometimes use a bit of plain corn starch for major rashes.
Changing Table: We didn’t have a changing table! I found over the ten years that I nannied diaper aged babes I very rarely used one. Most of the time kids were changed on a mat or blanket on the floor. You never have to worry about the baby falling… although changing on the floor does allow for a faster escape once they’re mobile! We just put down a swaddle or little mat and changed them on that!
Sleeping…
Swaddles: We love the Aden+Anais brand for swaddles. They are easy to use and hold tight. Plus, these beautiful swaddles can be used for just about anything and everything. They’re on the top of my baby essentials list.
Chair: Baby Bjorn Chair By far one of my favorite baby items is the . It was one of the things we used the most. We also had extra covers for it.
Blankies: Gigi fell in love with the Aden+Anais Issie Security Blankets. She sleeps with them every nap and every night… we have 12! We’ve gotten a few of the Aden + Anais Dream Blankets for all the kids.
Co-Sleeper: We always used a travel crib/cot. Most recently, with Roux we used the Nuna Sena and LOVED it.
Crib: The crib we used for all kids was a IKEA Gulliver crib. We got it in white but they have it in natural wood too. It’s inexpensive and simple. It transitions into a toddler bed as well so it works for a really long time.
Crib Mattress, etc: We got this Sealy Foam-Core mattress because it’s lightweight which makes it easy to change the bedding. We couldn’t afford the nice organic mattresses but this one has great reviews and we’ve loved it. We have this Organic Waterproof mattress pad cover and love it. It’s soft and cozy and easy to wash and dry. I originally bought cheap sheets from Target and we’re still using them but I don’t like them. I will be replacing them with these inexpensive Carter’s Jersey Cotton soft sheets.
Noise Machine: I can’t say enough about the Sleep Sheep. We loved it. It bought us lots of sleep! It works in two settings 23 minutes and 45 minutes. It takes babes 20 minutes to fall truly asleep so the 23 min setting was great for soothing her into sleep, it’s designed to shut off just after they’ve fallen asleep so it doesn’t disturb them or shock them out of slumber by shutting off too early or too late. Babies sleep in 45 minute cycles so the 45 minute setting worked great for buying us extra sleep cycles early in the morning. We listened to a lot of waves and rain those first six months (not so much the heartbeat or the whales)! We never really used the sheep itself but took the sound box out of the back and took it everywhere we went! This time I will be purchasing the On the Go Sleep Sheep which is smaller and straps onto the car seat or stroller.
Baby Monitor: We never really used one.
Movement Monitor: We did not have a movement monitor when G was a newborn but we got one this time because I had pretty severe postpartum anxiety last time. I was pretty nervous and anxious and checked on Gigi about 5,000 times a night/a nap in those first months (I wish I was exaggerating). The Snuza Hero Baby Movement Monitor snaps onto the diaper and is designed to vibrate if the baby hasn’t moved (a.k.a taken a breath) in 15 seconds, a audible alarm sounds after 20 seconds. It’s $120 but I loved it. It gave me such peace of mind and I was able to relax and get more sleep. We used it until Lulu was rolling around (up until she turned 6 months). I am so glad we got it this time.
On the Go…
Infant Car Seat: Diono, Britax, Nuna are our favorites.
Car Seat: Once your baby reaches the height/weight limit you’ll need a bigger car seat. We love the Diono car seats beacause they last forever. Our kids used them to rear face, then forward face. Our five year old son is still in his!
*If buying or registering online through Amazon I highly recommend choosing a car seat that’s “shipped and sold” by Amazon. Our infant car seat was sold from a smaller company via Amazon and when we had an issue with it, it was impossible to deal with! Had it been purchased directly from Amazon they would have been able to replace it/work with us directly. All three car seats i linked to above are shipped and sold by Amazon.
Stroller: We have and love two Nuna strollers, the Nuna Ivvi Savi which is a fancy “luxury” stroller, and the Nuna Pepp Luxx which is an umbrella-type stroller. Now we have the Ergo Baby Metro Stroller because our Nuna Pepp was stolen in England.
Baby Carriers: We have the Ergo Baby Carrier and love it. It’s comfortable and can be used for a long time. The only other baby carrier we have is our Solly Baby wraps. They are lightweight, beautifully made by wonderful mama named Elle, and I can’t say enough about these wraps and the Ergo. They’re must haves! We use the Ergo for more active outings and the Solly for lighter use.
Diaper Bag: I mostly use my great Tano purse that has lots of pockets as a diaper bag but for bigger outings and when Gigi was really tiny we also used the Skip Hop Duo Diaper Bag. It was inexpensive and it wasn’t ugly. That’s saying something when it comes to diaper bags! The Skip Hop bag is still in use ELEVEN years later!
Emergency Kit: After 10 years as a nanny and 7 as a mom, I’m a big believer in the “emergency kit”. It’s amazing how many times I’ve been saved by having a bin in the car with extra diapers/wipes, a change of clothes, a few squeezy packs of food, a small container of formula, an extra bottle, a blankie, pajamas, a binki, a board book… The trick is to remember to replenish it when you deplete it.
Nursing/Breastfeeding and Eating…
Breast Pads: Lansinoh Nursing Pads are the way to go, they are the best disposable breast pads. There are also great washable pads that I’ve used and loved. I know some moms who have used used and loved the reusable silicone Lily Padz.
Lanolin: I loved the the Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter and I loved it so much. I also had a few of these Lansinoh Soothies. If you put them in the fridge for a few minutes before putting them on sore or cracked nipples it will help you get through the first few weeks of breastfeeding! Another thing that works great is taking cold green cabbage leaves, rolling over them with a rolling pin and then tucking the cold leaves into your bra… green cabbage has antibiotic and anti-irritant qualities and reduces swelling and engorgement. Also, you look really glamorous with cabbage in your bra.
Breastfeeding Pillows: I loved my Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow. In the early weeks I propped it up with an extra pillow to get Gigi up to the right height. I know some moms prefer the My Brest Friend Pillow but it looks a little cumbersome to me. The third and fourth time around I didn’t use any pillows, but it was great in the beginning with G and L.
Cover: Sometimes I used an Aden and Anais Swaddle, but mostly people just saw my boobs.
Pump: The Madela Breast Pump In Style is the best breast pump around. I didn’t use one after baby 3 or 4 cause none of my babies like bottles until way later (like after six months).
Bottles: I’m a fan of the Born Free Bottles. We have both the glass and the BPA Free plastic ones in both the 5 and 9oz sizes . They are easy to use and Gigi never seemed to have any issues with air bubbles from bottles. They are wide-necked so the nipple is wider which Gigi also preferred.
Highchair: In place of a highchair for Gigi we opted for the more discrete Stokke Handysitt which also allowed Gigi to sit at the table with us rather than separately. It’s made by the same company that makes the Handysitt. This time with Roux we got the Nuna Zazz and GREAT. We now have the amazing Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair
Baby Food: You can read my big baby food post here. I bought about 50% of Gigi’s baby food and made about 50% of it. I made it in large batches using our Cuisinart which worked perfectly. However, Gigi was a slightly picky little eater and flat out rejected many of the combos I made which left me feeling exhausted and frustrated with a lot of wasted food/time. I love the idea of using a small system like the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker because you can make smaller batches, defrost frozen food and you only have one small thing to clean instead of several large things but I have opted to use a 4 Cup Cuisanart Food Processor instead. After reading French Kids Eat Everything I’m determined to introduce Baby #2 to a variety of foods early on and this will make that easy and doable without all the waste and all the dishes. Lulu has been loving her purées and I’ve made them all at home. I use a small pot with a lid and a simple basket steamer and then I use a Hamilton blender to purée the food really fine, as she grows we are using the Cuisanart Food Processor more (it leaves a bit more texture than a blender). I use these OXO Tot storage containers, this set has both 2oz and 4oz containers. We love both these Baby Bjorn “pelican” Bibs, and these Aden+Anais Bibs.
Miscellaneous Things I LOVE…
Sophie the Giraffe Teether toy. All kids have LOVED it. It’s cute. It’s French. It worked on her little gums.
We had a salt rock lamp in our room when Gigi was sleeping with us. The light was soft and peaceful and made it easy to see her, change diapers, feed her, etc. but it didn’t interrupt her sleep or ours. I normally need it to be really dark for sleep but this soft light never bothered me. We never used a nightlight and Gigi doesn’t have on in her room now. It would be wonderful to have a dimmer switch in her room/in the nursery for late night visits/diaper changes/etc.
Gigi loves her Melissa and Doug shopping cart, her Fisher Price Medical Kit, and her Ikea Kitchen.
Books…
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems which have great methods, ideas, routines and advice. The Baby Whisperer books were my favorite and I still use the Solves All Your Problems book now.
Brining Up Bébé was a fun book to read and gave me some perspective on the French parenting style which I am really drawn to. French parenting seems to be a bit more in sync with my instincts than some of the more American based options like Free Range or Attachment Parenting. I didn’t always love the author’s attitude but I appreciated the main points about parenting.
Well, there you have it! Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! This list is bookmarked along the left hand side of the blog so you can easily refer back to it.
|
.png)
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}