Today was an exciting day for Tyler, he had his first haircut! His baby hair was getting a bit long in the back, so he went in for a little trim. He looks like such a big boy now! He had such little hair for so long, this was a big event for our family. He did very well, hardly any crying. He fussed a bit with the clippers, but all in all was a good boy. I'm a proud mama!
I am really looking forward to Saturday. It's my Spa Day, one of my Christmas presents from Chris. I'm going to have a pedicure, a facial, and a massage. It's going to be wonderful!!! Can't wait. Then in the evening, we're going out with Chris' family for his Dad's bday.
Tomorrow is back to work. I am really loving my new job/schedule.
Did I mention that Tyler only cried for about a minute tonight when I put him in his crib? This new routine is WORKING!!! And he's sleeping better, too... we're going on 5 nights of sleeping from 9:30pm-8:30am with very minimal waking during the night. We are happy with this.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Weekend recap
Well, our new sleep routine seems to be working!!! Each time we lay him down, Tyler cries for a shorter period of time. He also seems to be sleeping better at night, with less waking. We are very hopeful that he is learning. He is such a little cutie when he wakes up, so happy. I love waking up to his little oohs and aahs!
We had a great long weekend. Chris and I both had the day off on Friday, and we lounged around the house. For New Year's Eve, we went to a party at Chris' sister and her hubby's house. It was 80's themed which was very funny! I haven't seen that much blue eye shadow and spandex in quite a while. I had to wash my hair several times to get all the Aquanet out!
We also had our new couch delivered! It looks so nice. Thanks to Chris and my brother Travis for all their hard work moving things around. Unfortunately, our old couch would not fit downstairs (or upstairs for that matter), so to the donation place it went.
Today was lunch at Mom and Dad's. I picked up a 4 hour block of call for work, and didn't get called in at all! Pretty sweet. Tyler took a 3.5 hour nap... he must have been tired!
Well, the holidays are officially over. It's been a wonderful Christmas season. We have been blessed with lots of time with family and friends. I am very excited about the year to come ... the birth of my first nephew, a vacation to Arizona, plenty of time at the lake, my little brother's wedding next fall, Tyler's 2nd birthday, and so much more. Life is good!
We had a great long weekend. Chris and I both had the day off on Friday, and we lounged around the house. For New Year's Eve, we went to a party at Chris' sister and her hubby's house. It was 80's themed which was very funny! I haven't seen that much blue eye shadow and spandex in quite a while. I had to wash my hair several times to get all the Aquanet out!
We also had our new couch delivered! It looks so nice. Thanks to Chris and my brother Travis for all their hard work moving things around. Unfortunately, our old couch would not fit downstairs (or upstairs for that matter), so to the donation place it went.
Today was lunch at Mom and Dad's. I picked up a 4 hour block of call for work, and didn't get called in at all! Pretty sweet. Tyler took a 3.5 hour nap... he must have been tired!
Well, the holidays are officially over. It's been a wonderful Christmas season. We have been blessed with lots of time with family and friends. I am very excited about the year to come ... the birth of my first nephew, a vacation to Arizona, plenty of time at the lake, my little brother's wedding next fall, Tyler's 2nd birthday, and so much more. Life is good!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Best Baby Items (in my humble opinion)... Part 1
I am going to list my very favorite baby items. Hopefully other new Moms might be interested in this info, but I'm also writing this for my own benefit for when we decide to have baby number 2 :)
For the newborn...
1) The Swaddleme blanket by Kiddopotamus. Love this. It helped my little boy sleep so well until he was about 3ish months old. They have several different varieties and sizes. We had both the cotton (for summer/warmer months) and the fleece (very cozy) in small and large. They work very well until your baby is starting to roll over.
2) Pack N Play ... If you click on the link, you'll see the type of Pack N Play that we had/have. Ours is by Graco, and we have one of the more basic models. It has the "newborn" insert, which fits over the top and raises the baby up. This is wonderful for newborns and young babies that are not able to move around much. It keeps them up a bit higher, which is much easier. I kept our Pack N Play on our main floor. I used it all the time, especially the first few weeks we were home from the hospital. Tyler would nap in it, I also would put a pad down and use it for a changing table! It worked great. I really liked this model and would highly recommend it. There are much fancier (and pricier) types available, but save your money. This one is super! We still use it for our fourteen month old. He will nap in it if we are away from home. My Mom and Dad even bought one just like it for their house!
3) Burp cloths. Need I say more? Before I had Tyler, I was given lots of burp cloths. I washed them and put them away in his dresser, not really thinking much about them. Then we had the baby. I really underestimated how much babies spitup! And how stinky a burp cloth becomes if you use it over and over again! It is a good idea to have lots of burp cloths. As in... upwards of ten/fifteen or so. Really. Maybe I am overestimating a tad, but it sure is nice to not have to do the laundry daily. My favorite ones were hand made. My Mom bought some of the quilted cloth diapers (like the Gerber prefolds here) and sewed cute printed fabric along the top. I had some other ladies make me nice ones out of flannel, too, which I liked a lot.
4) Pampers Swaddlers. Hands down, best diaper for newborns (I love Pampers diapers for Ty in general, really..). I just loved the "wetness indicator" stripe down the middle, but I do think it makes you change their diaper a little too soon :) Keeps baby's skin healthy, though. And they actually smell good, too. You can also save up the Gifts to Grow points, enter them on the Pampers website, and cash them in for free stuff! I saved up enough points for a free 8x8 Shutterfly book.
5) Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo Tyler had very sensitive skin as a newborn. Johnson & Johnson's would make him break out into a rash. Once I changed soaps over to Aveeno Baby, his rash cleared right up! It is very gentle, and it also contains a nice light scent.
6) Boppy pillow - My Mom and Dad came over the night we came home from the hospital. Since Tyler was born early, we didn't have quite everything we needed. So, before coming over, they stopped at Babies R Us and picked up some essentials... and one of the items was a Boppy pillow. I used this a lot, especially those first few weeks of nursing. It helps to lift the baby up to the right level and saves your neck from getting stiff. You can also use this to help support baby before he can sit on his own. They have really cute covers for the pillow, too.
7) Medela Harmony Manual BreastPump - this was another item my Mom picked up for me. Moms just know what their daughters are going to need! Definitely a necessity, even if you are going to stay home with your baby! It also comes with a few Medela bottles and nipples, which are perfect for a newborn. I was so happy that I had this... I had to take a class for work when Tyler was about 9 weeks old. It was an eight-hour class, with no "nursing room" with an outlet for my electric pump. I was very happy to have this!
8) Ipod Touch ... this might seem a bit silly, but it was very helpful when Ty was little! He was jaundiced when he was born, so it was very important to nurse him every 1.5 to 2 hours. Around the clock. My Ipod touch helped keep me awake during those nighttime feedings. It also has apps you can download to help keep track of feedings, diaper changes, etc.
9) Pacifiers. Tyler liked the Nuk pacifiers when he was really small (his mouth was so tiny!), and once he was a little bigger, Mam pacifiers. They helped to keep him happy and content :)
10) Bouncy seat. We had a nice bouncy seat that would vibrate, and it also had a toy attachment across the top. Tyler really liked this, in fact, he will still sit in it occasionally to drink his milk! This is very helpful when you need to set baby down, but he's not sleeping. It helps him to sit up a bit and see what you are doing!
Stay tuned for Part 2!
For the newborn...
1) The Swaddleme blanket by Kiddopotamus. Love this. It helped my little boy sleep so well until he was about 3ish months old. They have several different varieties and sizes. We had both the cotton (for summer/warmer months) and the fleece (very cozy) in small and large. They work very well until your baby is starting to roll over.
2) Pack N Play ... If you click on the link, you'll see the type of Pack N Play that we had/have. Ours is by Graco, and we have one of the more basic models. It has the "newborn" insert, which fits over the top and raises the baby up. This is wonderful for newborns and young babies that are not able to move around much. It keeps them up a bit higher, which is much easier. I kept our Pack N Play on our main floor. I used it all the time, especially the first few weeks we were home from the hospital. Tyler would nap in it, I also would put a pad down and use it for a changing table! It worked great. I really liked this model and would highly recommend it. There are much fancier (and pricier) types available, but save your money. This one is super! We still use it for our fourteen month old. He will nap in it if we are away from home. My Mom and Dad even bought one just like it for their house!
3) Burp cloths. Need I say more? Before I had Tyler, I was given lots of burp cloths. I washed them and put them away in his dresser, not really thinking much about them. Then we had the baby. I really underestimated how much babies spitup! And how stinky a burp cloth becomes if you use it over and over again! It is a good idea to have lots of burp cloths. As in... upwards of ten/fifteen or so. Really. Maybe I am overestimating a tad, but it sure is nice to not have to do the laundry daily. My favorite ones were hand made. My Mom bought some of the quilted cloth diapers (like the Gerber prefolds here) and sewed cute printed fabric along the top. I had some other ladies make me nice ones out of flannel, too, which I liked a lot.
4) Pampers Swaddlers. Hands down, best diaper for newborns (I love Pampers diapers for Ty in general, really..). I just loved the "wetness indicator" stripe down the middle, but I do think it makes you change their diaper a little too soon :) Keeps baby's skin healthy, though. And they actually smell good, too. You can also save up the Gifts to Grow points, enter them on the Pampers website, and cash them in for free stuff! I saved up enough points for a free 8x8 Shutterfly book.
5) Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo Tyler had very sensitive skin as a newborn. Johnson & Johnson's would make him break out into a rash. Once I changed soaps over to Aveeno Baby, his rash cleared right up! It is very gentle, and it also contains a nice light scent.
6) Boppy pillow - My Mom and Dad came over the night we came home from the hospital. Since Tyler was born early, we didn't have quite everything we needed. So, before coming over, they stopped at Babies R Us and picked up some essentials... and one of the items was a Boppy pillow. I used this a lot, especially those first few weeks of nursing. It helps to lift the baby up to the right level and saves your neck from getting stiff. You can also use this to help support baby before he can sit on his own. They have really cute covers for the pillow, too.
7) Medela Harmony Manual BreastPump - this was another item my Mom picked up for me. Moms just know what their daughters are going to need! Definitely a necessity, even if you are going to stay home with your baby! It also comes with a few Medela bottles and nipples, which are perfect for a newborn. I was so happy that I had this... I had to take a class for work when Tyler was about 9 weeks old. It was an eight-hour class, with no "nursing room" with an outlet for my electric pump. I was very happy to have this!
8) Ipod Touch ... this might seem a bit silly, but it was very helpful when Ty was little! He was jaundiced when he was born, so it was very important to nurse him every 1.5 to 2 hours. Around the clock. My Ipod touch helped keep me awake during those nighttime feedings. It also has apps you can download to help keep track of feedings, diaper changes, etc.
9) Pacifiers. Tyler liked the Nuk pacifiers when he was really small (his mouth was so tiny!), and once he was a little bigger, Mam pacifiers. They helped to keep him happy and content :)
10) Bouncy seat. We had a nice bouncy seat that would vibrate, and it also had a toy attachment across the top. Tyler really liked this, in fact, he will still sit in it occasionally to drink his milk! This is very helpful when you need to set baby down, but he's not sleeping. It helps him to sit up a bit and see what you are doing!
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Ferberizing.
Well, today is day 1 of Ty's new sleep routine. It has been... not. easy.
Ty used to go to sleep so easily. I'd nurse him, swaddle him, and turn on his little music box in his crib. He'd be sound asleep by the second song. And he'd sleep until his next feeding. Easy! Then, he outgrew the swaddleme blanket. So we changed up our routine. He loves to be snuggled to sleep. And I have LOVED the extra snuggle time. No baby can have too many snuggles, I firmly believe that. But. In 2 weeks, Tyler is going to go to playschool (aka day care). And they are not going to be able to snuggle him to sleep like we do now. He is fourteen months... so we are trying to help teach him to fall asleep in his crib by himself. Our routine is this: bath, jammies, bottle, story/snuggles, and then into the bed while he's still awake. So far he's been crying and crying when I leave. I go back and check him, hug him, and lay him back down every 10 minutes or so until he's settling down. I just HATE to leave him while he's crying. But I know that in the end, it will be good for us all. It's just a rough process.
Ty used to go to sleep so easily. I'd nurse him, swaddle him, and turn on his little music box in his crib. He'd be sound asleep by the second song. And he'd sleep until his next feeding. Easy! Then, he outgrew the swaddleme blanket. So we changed up our routine. He loves to be snuggled to sleep. And I have LOVED the extra snuggle time. No baby can have too many snuggles, I firmly believe that. But. In 2 weeks, Tyler is going to go to playschool (aka day care). And they are not going to be able to snuggle him to sleep like we do now. He is fourteen months... so we are trying to help teach him to fall asleep in his crib by himself. Our routine is this: bath, jammies, bottle, story/snuggles, and then into the bed while he's still awake. So far he's been crying and crying when I leave. I go back and check him, hug him, and lay him back down every 10 minutes or so until he's settling down. I just HATE to leave him while he's crying. But I know that in the end, it will be good for us all. It's just a rough process.
2010 ... Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I learned how to balance being a full time mom and wife with working 3 days a week. Maybe I should say that "I am learning..."
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Year's resolutions, I think they are silly.
3. Did anyone close to you add children to their families?
My sister-in-law found out she is expecting this year.. but baby Owen won't be born until February. I had a couple friends from work have new babies.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
A friend of my Dad's recently passed away.
5. What countries did you visit?
We stayed in the good old US of A this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A bit more organization.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 25, 2010 ... my baby boy turned ONE!
8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
Hmm. I'm pretty proud of how we are parenting our son. We taught him to first roll over, then crawl, and now walk. I'm also proud of starting a new job, which works out much better for my family.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Hmm. I don't know.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The GI bug that had us down and out for 3 days! Plantar fasciitis. Nothing too crazy.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new refrigerator!
12. Who's behavior merited celebration?
Tyler learning to walk... big celebration!
13. Who's behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Probably shouldn't put that here.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Pampers and Target.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new job, planning a trip to Arizona, Tyler's first birthday.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
"I'm just a kid who's four, each day I grow some more, I like exploring I'm Calliou" - Tyler's favorite TV show theme song.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? Happier. ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. iii. richer or poorer? Probably a little bit richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Organizing and decluttering.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Snacking.
20. How will you be spending this New Years Eve?
Going to an 80's theme party at my SIL's house.
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Not with anyone new!
23. How many one-night stands?
Um, ZERO!
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We love Sprout at our house... Calliou is one of the favorites, or the Sunny Side Up Show. I don't watch a ton of TV on my own :)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I can't say that I *hate* anyone. There are some people I dislike, but do not hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
I really am enjoying this wedding quartet by Nora Roberts.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmm. Not sure.
28. What did you want and get?
A GPS, thanks Trav!
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm totally boring but I really didn't watch many movies this year. None stick out to me.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My birthday was right before I went back to work after having Tyler! I think we went out for dinner with my family.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
This was a very satisfying year. I can't think of anything.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Clean and comfortable ... and hopefully spitup free if leaving the house!
34. What kept you sane?
My hubby and my Mom & Dad.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
There's a Princess Diana exhibit in our town, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Obamacare plan... nationalized healthcare.
37. Who did you miss?
My Grandparents... they would have loved to see Tyler.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
???
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Standing up for yourself is sometimes a lot harder than you'd think!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"You are the best thing that's ever been mine." ~Taylor Swift
I learned how to balance being a full time mom and wife with working 3 days a week. Maybe I should say that "I am learning..."
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Year's resolutions, I think they are silly.
3. Did anyone close to you add children to their families?
My sister-in-law found out she is expecting this year.. but baby Owen won't be born until February. I had a couple friends from work have new babies.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
A friend of my Dad's recently passed away.
5. What countries did you visit?
We stayed in the good old US of A this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A bit more organization.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 25, 2010 ... my baby boy turned ONE!
8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
Hmm. I'm pretty proud of how we are parenting our son. We taught him to first roll over, then crawl, and now walk. I'm also proud of starting a new job, which works out much better for my family.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Hmm. I don't know.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The GI bug that had us down and out for 3 days! Plantar fasciitis. Nothing too crazy.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new refrigerator!
12. Who's behavior merited celebration?
Tyler learning to walk... big celebration!
13. Who's behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Probably shouldn't put that here.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Pampers and Target.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new job, planning a trip to Arizona, Tyler's first birthday.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
"I'm just a kid who's four, each day I grow some more, I like exploring I'm Calliou" - Tyler's favorite TV show theme song.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? Happier. ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. iii. richer or poorer? Probably a little bit richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Organizing and decluttering.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Snacking.
20. How will you be spending this New Years Eve?
Going to an 80's theme party at my SIL's house.
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Not with anyone new!
23. How many one-night stands?
Um, ZERO!
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We love Sprout at our house... Calliou is one of the favorites, or the Sunny Side Up Show. I don't watch a ton of TV on my own :)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I can't say that I *hate* anyone. There are some people I dislike, but do not hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
I really am enjoying this wedding quartet by Nora Roberts.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmm. Not sure.
28. What did you want and get?
A GPS, thanks Trav!
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm totally boring but I really didn't watch many movies this year. None stick out to me.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My birthday was right before I went back to work after having Tyler! I think we went out for dinner with my family.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
This was a very satisfying year. I can't think of anything.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Clean and comfortable ... and hopefully spitup free if leaving the house!
34. What kept you sane?
My hubby and my Mom & Dad.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
There's a Princess Diana exhibit in our town, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Obamacare plan... nationalized healthcare.
37. Who did you miss?
My Grandparents... they would have loved to see Tyler.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
???
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Standing up for yourself is sometimes a lot harder than you'd think!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"You are the best thing that's ever been mine." ~Taylor Swift
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