6/3: Thoughts from the week
-This is the reason why mesh bumpers exist.
As far as appearance goes, there’s much to be desired, but totally worth it because no matter where we put Livi in her crib, she inchworms up to the corner so she can sleep with her face next to the bumper.
To everyone to said not to buy the entire bedding set: you were right.
All you really do need is a fitted crib sheet, a mattress cover (and a backup of each to have for middle-of-the-night bedding changes), a bed skirt if you’re feeling fancy, and mesh bumpers if you want bumpers at all. Our comforter is for decoration on the nursery couch and the fluffy bumpers are stored in the closet. They’ll never be used, even though they’re so dang pretty.
I’ve been thinking about baby stuff and how some of it ends up being wasted, and some things I didn’t think were worth it ended up being total lifesavers. It’s challenging because you never know what your baby is going to like, and some things that work for some families obviously won’t work for everyone. Some that weren’t used very often in our house: the Bumbo seat and tray (I have a brand-new one if anyone wants it- some babies love it, others like mine just sit in it with a look on their face that says “take me out now, please”), the swing (she tolerates it ok, but it’s not her fave), sleep sacks, pacifiers, cloth diapers (we use them, but I don’t love them as much as I thought I would).
Some of the things that were worth their weight in gold: all of the baby wraps and babywearing stuff (the Moby, K-tan and BabyHawk for me, the Ergo for Tom), the babysitter balance, the pump (a huge reason why Livi has been able to get as much breast milk as she does. I hate pumping, but I’m sticking it out for as long as I can), the video monitor and books. She likes toys, too (especially her plush puppy, Lamaze toys, Abby Cadaby doll and Sofie the giraffe) but she gets SO excited to read books. It makes me happy because I love to read, and love reading to her.
Random things that we’ve gotten a lot of use out of: the mobile hanging over her crib (for nap time, I tell her to have a nice nap and I love her, turn on the mobile and walk out. On the video monitor I see her watch the mobile go around and play music and when it’s done, she rolls over onto her belly and falls asleep), the bottle warmer, the plastic tub from Target. It’s so much easier to give her a bath now, instead of having to get in with her like I used to.
-Thank you SO much for all of the awesome travel tips and advice. Thanks to your help, and our little road trip experience today, I feel a lot more comfortable about it. It was an hour drive each way and she was a champ. I think I’ll be able to juggle her stuff for the trip, and am a lot less anxious about her ears popping now (just gave her some water on the drink up, and a bottle of milk on the drive back down the mountain). Thank you!!
-I think there’s a secret (or not so secret?) competition in families to see whose name the baby will say first. All day today, Livi has been saying “Ma ma, mama, mom, ma, maaaaaa, ma.” It’s without any intention whatsoever, but I still win, right? Apologies to Kyle, who has been trying to teach her to say “Kyle is the best uncle ever” since the day she was born 😉
What was your first word? After the usual ma-ma and dada, my words were “what’s that?” and “why?”
For everything I’d say, “what’s that?” and as soon as I got the answer, “why?”
-Baby shows are creepy. I’ve never been one of those “don’t let her look at the TV ever” type of person but since I don’t watch a ton of TV, she’s not exposed to it too much. I was scrolling through the guide channel to see if there was anything I could put on during the day for background noise (E! and CNN are the usuals over here, but hearing Ice Loves Coco is the worst) and found out we have a baby channel. So excited, I switched over to see what was on. SCARY. Giant images of farm animals dancing around.
It reminded me of this:
When I was about 3 or 4, my favorites were Sesame Street, Mister Rogers (best ever!) and watching Wizard of Oz over and over again. I’d hide when the green witch came, though 😉 We talked about our TV philosophy the other night and are thinking maybe when she’s older, Tom and I will let Liv pick one show each day and let her watch it via DVR so we can skip the commercials and advertising companies direct towards children. Back in the day, I begged my mom to buy Flintstone push-pops as soon as I saw the commercial for them, haha.
-Even though she’s still a little baby, it feels like she’s growing so fast. Everyone says the days are long, but the years are short, and I’m starting to believe it. Before bed, I’ll rock her and smell her baby hair, listening to Jewel for as long as I can until I put her down. I try to take mental pictures on top of the tons I take everyday with my camera. Time is creeping and flying at the same time, and I’m trying to savor every second <3
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I drove my mom crazy with saying, “why Mama why?”
I Still love watching Mr. Rogers occasionally. He was such a good man.
thy still show it?! hopefully by the time liv can understand it i’ll be able to dvr it for her
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qj8PhxSnhg
You can see a bunch of them on Youtube, and I know you can buy DVD sets, OR just watch em on PBS here!
http://pbskids.org/rogers/videos/index.html.
😀
yay, thank you!
it’s also on PBS one morning a week. we don’t have cable but PBS has the best cartoons. they are actually (for the most part) educational, you don’t have to worry about violence and no advertisements. i LOVE pbs!
And Muppets. The old muppet show. Still do! Bork bork bork!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qj8PhxSnhg
Pretty sure I spat coffee on my computer screen when I saw the new Swedish Chef video. So full of win.
Enjoy the Mr. Roger’s videos!
The inchworm is a funny thing. I don’t know how many times I went to check on J and she had inchwormed herself to the end, then continued and was fully asleep with her head down and bum up (on her knees at the back end). It looked SO uncomfortable, but I guess it worked for her. Plus, if they are deeply asleep and doing the baby snore, no caregiver in their right mind is going to wake them just because it looks like they are giving themselves a terrible crick in the neck.
Kinda glad that I’m not the only one who has a baby that doesn’t like the bumbo! 🙂
Omigosh that video is SUPER creepy!!
I babysit twin one-year olds and I was trying to do the same thing-find something I could have as background noise during the day- and I stumbled upon the Strawberry Shortcake show. I thought it was cute at first, but when I actually listened to the dialogue…it would probably make a feminist throw something at the tv lol.
You seem so happy to be a mom! I can’t wait till I have little ones of my own! <3
My son is one and we just recently discovered Sesame Street is still on! It brings back so many memories sitting and watching it with him. Love it!
I love these posts!!
When I was nannying, the younger one of the boys spoke his first word and it was BAGEL! hahahaaaa it was an awesome moment, but I never ever told the parents I heard his first word. After he said it once, he repeated it all day long for weeks! haha
Haha oh my gosh, kids shows are for sure the creepiest thing ever. I suggest to never watch Yo Gabba Gabba, when I nannied, the kids loved that show, and I almost died over the creepiness of that show.
This is so true! SO funny because our bumbo was in hiding and I just brought it out and Ella NOW loves sitting in it. Like it’s a new toy for her.
We have the same tub..it’s great! She still uses it! Ella said “mama mama maaa” first too. She says both now and we’re not sure if she knows what she’s saying but she definitely knows I’m “mommy” and Mike’s “daddy” and her “blanky” and pretty much knows all of her toys and people. You can tell her to go get something and she brings it right to you. SO cute.
I think all babies inchworm like that? No? Ella did from the time she was born. They are rooting for comfort and closeness! The mesh bumpers are great!
And Sesame street is where it’s at. Educational, cute, and entertaining.
Michael and I have our favorite episodes even. The wild nature survivor guy one with Jimmy Fallon is Mike’s fav. Ha! He kept trying to tell me how he dances in this one part and how “hilarious” it was…he even paused the DVR and called me in the room to show me. If you knew my husband you would know how ironic that was! The way your life changes I tell ya.
If you have On Demand out there….? There’s the “baby Genius” under “kids” section with nursery rhymes that Ella LOVES! They are educational too. Cute music, nothing creepy. It’s a bunch of kids singing…babies love watching other little kids! “All my parts” with the “piggy inspection” is our favorite LOL. They say “tofu” instead of roast beef during “this little piggy” –Ella comes over and shoves her toes in my face and cracks up because she wants us to do it. It’s hilarious.
Okay I need to stop…could go on about silly baby stuff forever ;-P
We used out bumpers when our daughter got bigger ( about a year and a half). She is two now and not yet transitioned to a toddler bed so they are still in there. She used to roll into the side of the crib and wake up so the bumpers seemed to cushion the blow. But again, she was much older…I have also entertained the idea of turning the bumper into some sort of window valance when we transition to a toddler bed. Seems a good idea since it matches the room so well…
Netflix missus! No ads, and free choice of what you/her want to watch, streamed right to your TV (with an Xbox). 😀
Pingu Pingu! It drove me a little nuts until I realized they aren’t actually speaking a language.
I hear you on the what ends up being a lifesaver and what doesn’t! I was surprised how many things I didn’t end up using like I anticipated:
– I got tons of receiving blankets. The only ones I ever ended us using were the Aiden and Anais ones. They are the best for swaddling and perfect even as babies get older. So worth the money.
– The mobile was my lifesaver. Some people said not to bother, but my daughter was fussy and it was one of the first things that she truly enjoyed.
– Bumbo. She just wasn’t into it.
– Crib bumper- biggest waste ever! Not only was it unsafe but made changing sheets a pain!
When Olivia gets older, I’m sure many blog readers can give you awesome feedback on great toys. I’ve had many hits and misses there too.
Since my daughter was (and sometimes still is) colicky. We started introducing small amounts of tv fairly early. Her absolute favorite is The Backyardigans. At first I wasnt sure I liked it, but I love it so much now. She loves it too and claps when it comes on.. It’s true joy. What I love is that it’s visually stimulating and she loves the singing and dancing. We have a cd now and she adores it. She’s 11 months. Plus there are no commericials. 🙂 we Dvr a few episodes and sometimes it’s the only way she can kind of zone out for a bit and unwind after a stimulating experience. When she plays all day it’s like she can’t take more interaction and needs a break.
My daughter sleeps exactly the same way! We didn’t add bumpers to her crib until she was 6 months old and I was afraid she was going to bump her head on the rails. I heard that it was fine to put regular bumpers on the crib once babies are able to roll from back to front and front to back easily, which is pretty much the only reason I was comfortable putting them in 🙂
Oh my gosh, I totally remember begging my mom for Flinstones Push Pops too!! Something about your hands getting all sticky while eating them off that plastic stick was just the best 🙂
my nieces (no babes of my own yet, but i helped raise my brothers girls) both LOVED their swing. it was the only place they would tolerate to nap. (you know, and the car. many a drive around the neighborhood.)
on a side note, i wore out an awful lot of wizard of oz VHSs. in fact our upcoming housewarming (hello brand new first house!) the theme is ‘no place like home’!
“Before bed, I’ll rock her and smell her baby hair, listening to Jewel for as long as I can until I put her down. I try to take mental pictures ” <– I have tried to burn that baby smell, the tender moments at 3:11am together, the feel, the mood, the vibe and flow of life, I have tried to burn it all into my memory banks forever. We're now 5 years past that and it feels like a lifetime ago and they do grow up SO FAST. It's cliche, but it's so true. Cherish this time, as I know you are 🙂
Those are creepy!!
We put Leo’s bumpers on around 6mos., when he was moving really easily and rolling a lot. He often sleeps in corners, too.
Long days and short years- I can believe it. I just got back from a trip home to see my family and I always think that living away from my niece and nephew in particular is tough- they grow and change so quickly and I feel like I’m missing out so much! At least each new stage they get to is so great. Being able to have conversations with them now is so much fun.
They “why?” stage was funny too 🙂 Particularly embarrassing when you’re out in public and you don’t know the answer! 🙂
i love these posts! and love reading about baby essentials even though i now have a toddler. but i do have baby fever so that probably explains it 😉
i ended up not buying the full crib set for my son and now i regret it because my son is old enough to sleep with blankets and is about to move into a toddler bed and i don’t have a cute quilt/blanket for him to use. and all of his baby blankets are getting to be too small. all this to say, you may end up using it later on.
also, how did you “train” liv to fall asleep on her own for naps? we started using “the baby whisperer solves all of your problems” around 8 months but he didn’t learn to fall asleep on his own for a nap until closer to a year. and maybe around 10 months at night time. i always love to know how moms get their babies to sleep since mine didn’t sleep through the night until he was a year.
that’s a good point- i’m hoping it will be perfect eventually!
we also used the baby whisperer + healthy sleep habits. we did “eat , play, sleep” from the beginning and she would only nap in my arms. then i started putting her down fast asleep and would hold her when she woke up, then put her down drowsy and pat her back until she fell asleep, then put her down awake following the same rituals (story, tell her to have a good nap and turn the mobile on). it was a long process, but it didn’t involve making her cry and now she goes to sleep easily without a fuss. i think the eat, play, sleep thing has been a lifesaver, because as soon as she yawns, i know it’s time to put her down.
xoxo
Yes, if you have any nap tips, please share. My son is 11 months, and he still doesn’t sleep through the night. I also still have to rock him to get him to sleep, and it’s a long process. Great post!
Whoops, didn’t refresh the page before posting. Thanks for the tips 🙂
are you on any type of routine?? have you read the baby whisperer?
bottle fed or breastfed?
(not that i’m a pro or anything but i’ve heard these things help or can make a difference) xoxo
We follow the eat, play, sleep routine and I try not to let him get overtired. He is bottlefed now, and sometimes he will fall asleep while drinking his bottle. Other times, he just fights sleep like crazy. A lot of people have told me that it’s normal and their kids fought sleep as well. The process is getting easier as he gets older, so my fingers are crossed!
that’s good, i’ll be sending lots of good sleep wishes to you!
i really think every child really is different. our daughter learned to put herself to sleep pretty much on her with little to no crying. she just started doing it around 3 months and was sleeping 12 hrs a night. our son on the other hand-different story! we did the exact same things with him and it has been a struggle. he is starting to get it at 6 months but he still cries at bedtime for a little while. if you have another-they may just figure it out all on their own!
My first word was car (: Pointing at a car driving by apparently (:
My newborn hates our almost $200 swing. It looks so comfy I’d love to jump in it. So frustrating! 😉
It’s true how quickly everything goes, even on the worst of days! It seems like we just brought our first one home and now we’re on our third and I have a THREE year old who thinks she’s a college student!?!? That’ll be Live before ya know it! Pregnancies are faster each time too, you just have other things to occupy your time and before you know it…..there’s a new baby! Much different than the first pregnancy that dragged on and on and on! You might want to hold on to the stuff she doesn’t seem to want to use right now…you may be surprised how much she uses it later or at someone else’s house. The bumbo might be a good one to take to barbecues or keep at the grandma’s house especially when she starts munching on her own! THings we didn’t use at first…..the pack and play and boppy for us, came in handy later in unexpected ways. My daughter used the boppy as a pillow for relaxing, drinking her milk or smoothies, watching a video, pretending to read, etc until she was 2 and we decided to keep the pack and play at my in-laws because we never used it and it gives the kids a place to nap when we go to their house for The Fourth of July for instance! You’ll hate yourself if you get rid of everything and then need it in a few months or with the next one!
Oh and as for that fluffy crib bumper…..you can turn it into rail guards when she starts teething and standing! It would be something like this http://www.amazon.com/Trend-Lab-Crib-Guard-White-Fleece/dp/B00208RTX6/ref=sr_1_12?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1338816574&sr=1-12 Life saver! My daughter took actual chunks from her crib before we were able to cover it!
oh i love that idea! thank you!
Totally agree with almost everything you said! We used the tub forever (like til he was 9+ months) and use the video monitor obsessively. Barely used the Bumbo and totally thought we would use it all the time. I think it was uncomfortable on his chunky legs. haha
We just use regular bumpers though…we used them in the beginning before he could move and then we took them off for a few months. Once he was bumping into the crib and letting his limbs hang out I put them back on and he seems happy with it…does the same thing snuggling right up there. 🙂
H babbles dadadadada all the time. I’m not counting it. You know, unless she starts babbling mamamama 😉
We use regular bumpers because H’s head would be covered in bruises if not. She likes to snuggle up against the side, too!
I have no clue what my first word is, my Mom couldn’t remember by the time I asked her when I was a teenager. I was #5 of 7 and so by the time I came along she didn’t do lots of pictures or writing things down. Most of the time though if I have a question about something one of my older sisters can answer it. My oldest boy’s first word was dog. He would sit there and babble da da da and every time he’d start my sister, who was my daycare provider, would point to her dog and say dog! He’s always loved dogs.
I second the streaming Netflix. Jim Henson’s Pajanimals is adorable, and I also like Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! I keep TV on for background noise during the day, and usually have one of those playing for the music. Or I turn on some Raffi.
Eli never cared for the Bumbo much either. He really enjoys his high chair though, oddly enough. Also, now that he’s mobile (Army Crawl), he can’t be bothered to sit in his Bjorn Balance much. I’m not sure if Livi will be a jumper, but an Exersaucer (or two in my case) has been a LIFE saver.
And yes, the time does go so fast 🙁 Last night, 2 am, I was feeing Eli and was struck by how long he is! I couldn’t believe that the baby who used to fit in the crook of my arm now has long legs hanging off my lap. “mental snapshots”!
awesome, thank you!
we just got her an exersaucer and she LOVES it!!! she’s a jumping machine 🙂
OH MY GOODNESS. Did you read my mind or what?! This is AWESOME! Thank you for the advice!! I’m always wondering what actually is good to have, and what is kind of a ‘rip off’ to purchase. Do you guys have a Diaper Genie or did you get something similar? I have been hearing mixed things…like it’s not really worth it, because you have to buy the bags that go with it, or some people swear by it.
Again, LOVE your family page!! You are the best!! (& so is little Liv…could she be any cuter?! 🙂 )
we use a straw hamper with a lid from world market, with a trash bag inside. i put the arm and hammer little air fresheners in the bag and they work pretty well!
thank you <3
xoxo
So true, how what works great for one family isn’t really all that valuable to another. The Bumbo and swing were both worth their weight in gold for us, but we barely touched the bouncy seat or the bottle warmer. This stuff is all on the market because SOMEBODY finds it useful. Why would we expect all babies to enjoy the same things? Adults certainly don’t! When possible, we tried to test out items from friends/family before making purchases. Everybody told us we HAD to have an Exersaucer, but when I put my daughter in her cousin’s, she was totally bored. We tried out a Jumparoo and it was like striking gold! I can’t tell you the hours and hours of giddy, bouncing glory we’ve gotten out of that thing 🙂
Our first word was “mama”, then “da-da”, then “baby”. Then she learned to say “no no no no no” while rapidly shaking her head from side to side <—– grrrrrreat.
Logan loves the crib mobile, we just got it a few weeks ago. But when it stops he screams bloody murder like he is so sad it ended! I hope it will turn into naps one day.
My first *real* word was “bagel”. coincidence i’m now a foodie?
It’s funny the things that you can and can’t live without. My son loved the swing, my first daughter hated it, my second likes it ok. Same with the carriers–my older daughter hated to be confined when she was little. I have boxes of stuff in our basement that will hopefully find a new little one who will love them more then mine have. Keep things if you can though because your second may love things your first didn’t!
Awwww I melted when I read that Olivia watches the mobile till it finishes, and then rolls onto her tummy and falls asleep… Sooooooooo damn cute!!!
Love reading what items you like, I liked a lot of the same stuff with my 5.5 month old. Video monitor being one of the best purchases for sure!! And the Ergo. And the baby bath. 😀
I think you will use your pretty, fluffy bumber pads. We used a mesh one for awhile, but once he was big enough and started sitting on his own we put the regular ones back in. According to our doctor babies don’t suffocate against the bumbers – they inhale their own breath so it’s like carbon monoxide (dioxide? I always get those two confused!) poisoning. Once they are a little bit older though you don’t have to worry about that.
If Livi loves singing songs….Raffi! In fact, I’ll scold Megan this weekend for not having bought her Raffi yet. He is amazing….his songs are our childhood. The DVDs are his live concerts, they are definitely dated (go late 80s/early 90s!), but he is fantastic. He’s also a social/environmental activist and lecturer. Meg and I will have to hook little Livi up.
baby beluga!! you’re right- she needs raffi in her life 🙂