dumb stuff people say....

... about my son when he was a few weeks old: "don't pick him up every time he cries, you will spoil him."

... about my 8 1/2 month old son: "he really should be talking by now."

keep calm and carry on

I wrote a draft of a post a while ago (back at the beginning of November) and never posted it..... I have decided that I want to post the previous material as well as some current stuff.  The post is-- you guess it-- more mommy related stuff..... I am finding that this first time mom gig is incredibly consuming! 

previously written material:
I used to think that I could make everyone like me.  It crushed me when I would realize that someone didn't like me.  I also used to pretend like no one ever talked behind my back.  I allowed myself to be blissfully ignorant and it was great. 

I'm not sure what changed, but I have begun allowing myself to realize that not everyone is going to like me, that people will judge me, and that people are going to talk behind my back. 

I'm sure that one person will judge me for nursing my son for too many months and the next person will feel I didn't do it long enough.  One person will say I take being a mom too seriously and the next person will say I don't take it seriously enough.  I will not please everyone.  Friends, family and strangers will probably talk behind my back at some point.  Maybe not in a hurtful way but I'm sure they will have their opinions and won't agree with all of my decisions as a mother.  I'm working on getting more comfortable with that. 

Some people tell me to let him cry more at night and he will learn to sleep better.  Or that I should have started solids earlier.  Sometimes I get upset because I feel like they are judging me and don't think I am doing a good job as a mother.  But then, I get home from work and see my big {exclusively breastfed} healthy baby boy smile and he wiggles with excitement and throws his arms up to me and I know I am doing a good job.


new material:
On Wednesday evening I experienced my first audible criticism from a stranger about my parenting. The story goes like this...... Josh, Jack and I went to Bonefish for dinner so I could get my bang bang shrimp fix.  It was a very cold night (probably about 25 degrees out) and I had Jack in a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and a little fleece jacket.  He also had on socks, sweatpants and a blanket wrapped around his bottom half.  We were walking to the front of the restaurant where the plan was for Josh to pull the car up while Jack and I waited inside where it was warm.  On our walk to the door an older lady looked at me and Jack disapprovingly and said to her friend "they should have gloves on that child." 

BOOM.  Did you just fall out of your seats from that doozy?  No? Ok, ok.  So it wasn't the most horrific thing someone could have said about my parenting but it really got to me.  I'm sure she promptly forgot about my son and his (assumingly frozen) little fingers but here I am writing about it and venting to anyone who will listen.  I need to take the advice above.... keep calm and carry on.  I knew that we didn't have far to walk in the cold.  I knew that his fingers were not going to freeze and break off.  I need to move on.  I know that that won't be the last time I hear someone comment on my parenting.  So the next time I hear someone comment on how I am raising/clothing/diapering/feeding my kid I need to take a deep breath and remind myself that I am doing the best job I possibly can... which I think is pretty good.

The Obligatory New Mom Halloween Post

I had big plans for Halloween this year... my little prince was going to be... Prince.  Or is it "the artist formerly known as Prince"?  I'm not sure... it is whatever he was when he made the cinematic gem that is Purple Rain.  But then October flew by and somehow it was three days before Halloween and I was wondering where to get purple sweatpants or how to sweet talk my mom into making a purple, velour blazer and matching pants and billowy top.  Maybe next year.

So this year my little prince was a little brown horse (costume courtesy of Meesh and her wonderful, little vintage clothing store Myrtle Dove) and a skeleton (a onesie I picked up on clearance from Old Navy)... and he was a good sport while I took about a hundred pictures of him... first trying (unsuccessfully) to get photos of him with our black cat and then making him sit outside of my grandmother's house in the cold while I tried to get at least one picture of him where he isn't looking down at leaves.

So here are some pictures from our first Halloween together!

Jack was really interested in touching and trying to eat the pumpkins so he wasn't the most cooperative little skeleton... I tried to get a picture of Bagheera (our black cat) but he wasn't too cooperative either.  I learned a lesson during this photo session...... don't expect much from a 6 month old skeleton and a clumsy black cat.

Then we headed over to my grandmother's house for a visit and photo session number two (aka mild baby torture).  He was much more interested in the grass and the leaves than worrying about posing and bringing the Blue Steel for me.

My dad was able to get his attention for a few minutes....

Overall, I think our first Halloween was a success!  Plus, we only had four trick or treaters so we now have had a big bowl of snickers at home... so, yeah, it was a good Halloween in my book. 

I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween!!

The Birth of Jack Gerard...

Jack is almost six months old (wow- when did that happen?!) and I am finally starting to work on his baby book.  I figured it would also be fun to share the story of his birth....

The week before Jack arrived was a busy one.....

Tuesday April 26th: I left work a little early to get a pregnancy massage and told the masseuse to feel free to focus on the pressure points which might induce labor.  The massage was wonderful (I highly recommend About Faces Day Spa)... I left feeling calm and relaxed.  Then my car broke down. During rush hour.  In busy Towson.  On a one lane road.  Talk about stress!  I got it started again and quickly pulled into Towson University's campus where it died again.  Josh was working late and I wasn't able to reach him so I called my official muffin taster friend, Meesh, and she came to rescue me.  We decided to meet across campus from where my car was parked because it was a place we both knew.  So there I was.... nine months pregnant, covered in massage oils, hustling my sweaty, cankled self across campus as fast as possible on an unseasonably hot April day. 

Friday April 29th: I went for weekly doctor's appointment.  She checked me out and told me that I was about 2 cms dilated 75% effaced and my cervix is very "ripe"... a description I found quite gross, but I was still happy to hear because it meant that I might be reunited with my ankles soon.  We went into her office to chat and she told me that I could be induced on Wednesday, May 4th... I went back and forth with the decision because I would like to let labor happen naturally but I also really missed my ankles.  I decided to schedule the induction.

Saturday April 30th: Josh and I decided to hang around the house that evening and go to bed pretty early.  I took the only documented photo of my "bare belly bump" using my crummy camera phone and sent the pic to my sister and my mom....

Sunday May 1st:  I woke up at exactly 5:00am with some cramps.  It kinda felt like I have to poo... so I, well, went poo.  I got back into bed and was still feeling a little weird and crampy.  I decided that maybe a shower would help. 

I got out of the shower and crawled back into bed.  At that point it was about 5:45am and I decided that it was time to wake up Josh.  I told him that I was feeling really crampy and weird and he suggested that maybe we start timing the cramps....... they are four to five minutes apart and one minute long.  I'm still not convinced that it is labor but Josh thinks we should head to the hospital.  I stand up to get dressed and double over in pain.  As I am standing there, gripping the comforter on the edge of the bed, Josh says "ok well I'm gonna take a quick shower"..... umm, really?!  I'm not sure what happened next because I was in a haze of pain.... maybe I shot him a look, maybe I hit him over the head with a boot or maybe he decided on his own that it wasn't the best time for a shower... either way, the next thing I remember is getting into the Pathfinder and high tailing it to the hospital. 

The city is so calm at 6:30am on a Sunday morning.  The scene in the car was not.  I had both hands gripping that bar on the ceiling/inside of the door and while it wasn't the cliche-tv-screaming situation, it was an eye-squinting, teeth gritting, heavy breathing situation.  Josh was clearly starting to get really nervous.  We seemed to be getting a lot of red lights even though we were the only car on the road.  He starts talking about running the lights and all I can think about is how many more contractions I would have to endure if we got pulled over so I convince him to just wait until it turns green. 

Me: "Can you just wait for the light to turn green??" ........ and then five minutes later as we are going 90mph in a 50 mph zone.... "Can you slow down so we don't get pulled over??"
Josh: "I can do anything."
Me: " You can do anything??"
Josh: "Yes, I can do anything. I can deliver this baby right now."

I called my mom. It is 5:45am in Chicago. I told her that I thought I was having contractions and that we are on our way to the hospital.  I told her just to wait to hear from us before she heads to the airport.  She didn't listen.  She headed right to the airport.  Good thing she did.

We arrived at the hospital around 7am.  We went to the emergency room to check in because neither of us could remember where we are actually supposed to go.  Josh dropped me off at the door and I waddled in while he parked in a "police only" spot.  The nice front desk guy seemed to be talking in slow motion.  I politely asked him to hold on while I cried (literally) through a contraction.  He offered to get me a wheelchair but I was too focused on getting to the Labor and Delivery wing quickly... no time to wait for a wheelchair.  Josh and I hurried to the elevators, the whole time I'm babbling on about the car being parked illegally and how Josh should go move it...  he wouldn't leave my side... thank goodness, because looking back now I realize I wouldn't have been able to handle it alone.

After walking through about four million hallways (or maybe only three) we arrived at L&D.  They have a little check in area where they check to see if you really need to be there.  I changed into a gown and lie down and squirm around on the bed because squirming is the only thing that makes the contractions manageable.  Oh and death gripping Josh's hand.. that seemed to help too.. he later told me that he was shocked at how strong my hands are.  The nurse hooked me up to a monitor and a doctor came in to check me out.  I was 3cm dilated and 100% effaced so they officially check me in and walk me down the hall to my own room.  It was about 8am by that point and I let them know that I want an epidural AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! 

My room was cozy and the nurse, Linda, was so nice.  Honestly though, I don't remember much from the next couple hours... pain haze and all.  People say that you forget details of your wedding but you never forget details about the birth of your first child... those people probably got their epidural early.  It took a while for me to get mine so much of that morning is blurry.  I remember my doctor coming in to check me (she was on call at the hospital that weekend so it worked out well for me!) and I think I was about 4cm dilated when she checked me. 

It was almost 9:00am by the time the anesthesiologist came to the room to give me the epidural.  Apparently I was lucky enough to catch them at a change of shift so it took a lot longer than it should have to figure out who would be administering my miracle drug. The anesthesiologist finally came in and got right to work... bless his heart.  Josh was not allowed to be near me while I got the epidural.  I sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over and put my arms around the Linda the Nurse's neck and she told me to sit as still as possible.  She told me to stop wiggling my toes and legs.  I told her I wasn't.  She told me that I was.  I focused all of my energy on staying still... I needed this epidural to work.  The anesthesiologist tried to put it as low as possible but it didn't work so he redid it higher... even though it took two tries, it was still very quick from what I remember.  He finished up and I thanked him about 56 times.  I laid back down and breathed through some more contractions.  A little while later, from across the room, Josh said "so I guess the epidural is working?"  I said I wasn't sure and asked how he could tell... he said "you're smiling." 

Shortly after the anesthesiologist left, my doctor came in to check me again.  It had been about an hour since her last prodding... in that time I had gone from 4cms to 9 cms!  We were told that most women progress at about one centimeter per hour.  I had gone five centimeters in an hour.  Apparently, my contractions were stronger than what most women experience because I had progressed so quickly.  It made me feel a little less wimpy for not being able to handle the pain and for wanting the epidural so bad.

Josh and I sat and talked for the next hour.  Sometime in that hour my sister, Jessi, my best friend, Eliza, and Josh's mom arrived at the hospital.  I remember feeling an occasional dull cramp and asking if I was having a contraction.  Josh would look at the monitor and let me know if I was in fact having one.  Suuuch an exciting game to play.  Sometime in there I was checked again and was 10 cm but no one really said anything about when the action would begin and I guess I was too epiduraled up to ask.

At about 10:15am, the nurse told my sister to leave the room.  Linda, Josh and I started talking about how the process of pushing would work.  Linda told us we should practice.  I put my feet up into that wonderfully humiliating position and Josh took hold of my right knee.  Linda took my left knee and then instructed me to put my arms out "like chicken wings" and grab under my thighs.  She told me we would wait for a big contraction and then I would push four times through the contraction.... it would go like this: hold my breath and push HARD for ten seconds, breath and rest for ten seconds, repeat, repeat, repeat.  Then she explained that I should bear down like I am "having a bowel movement"... I asked if I would have one... she said "maybe," I said "eek," and she politely asked me to focus.  We practiced pushing through one of my big contractions and I did pretty good with it.  I relaxed thinking that we had some more down time. 

The next thing I know my doctor is coming through the door putting on latex gloves and saying something like "ok, Liz, here we go... shit is about to get real."  (I'm paraphrasing.)  So I pushed like we had practiced.  I pushed through one contraction.  My doctor and the nurse were both cheering me on (not in an annoying way like the nurse did to Miranda in Sex and the City) and telling me how great I was doing.  Josh seemed genuinely impressed with my pushing skills and kept telling me how proud he was of me and how he couldn't believe how good I was doing.  I felt so much love in that room. 

After the third round of pushing the doctor told us that she could see the baby's head and told Josh to lean over to see it.  He leaned over and then looked back at me with some serious fear in his eyes and said "his head is tiny!"  My doctor laughed and said "oh it gets bigger" and told him that it was just the top of the baby's head.  We waited for my next big contraction and I got to pushing again. 

And then..... at 10:40am..... he was here....... Jack Gerard Piette.

For some reason, I expected more of a maternal instinct to kick in... like I would cradle my baby in my arms and instantly feel the urge to nurse him and stroke his itty, bitty head.  Instead, the loop playing in my head was more like "ohmyGod ohmyGod- he is so tiny- ohmyGod ohmyGod- shit did just get real- ohmyGod this is real I can't believe this is real- I'm scared."  I guess I froze because the nurse had to take my hand and place it on Jack.  He was so tiny and so much cleaner than I had expected.. and so perfect.

I held him for a minute and then Linda took him to get weighed and cleaned up.  Before she even put him on the scale she started saying over and over "LOOK! He is a mini version of his Daddy! I can't believe how much he looks like Josh!" and was holding Jack up next to Josh's face.  I kept thinking "oh my gosh... really?  I like you and all but I'm hurting over here and I want my baby back.. please move it along.  Also, I think he kinda looks like Patrick Swayze." 

He weighed in at 6 pounds 15 ounces, which was a lot less than we had expected considering the fact that Josh and I were both nine pound babies and I ate about 479 tons of Chick-fil-a while pregnant. 

Jack was handed to Josh and THAT was hands down the best moment of my life so far... watching how proud and happy and excited and filled with love Josh was standing there holding his little boy.

Jessi and Eliza and Josh's mom came in to meet him.  They all agreed that he was perfect.

Around 2:00 that afternoon my mom arrived at the hospital.  I had hoped she would have been there when Jack was born (and we kinda figured she would) but he wanted out!  Josh kept bragging that I was in the top 1% of women with how fast I delivered Jack... it really wasn't something I had much control over but for some reason he still seemed very proud of me and I liked it.

The next two days in the hospital were wonderful and stressful and scary and happy.  It was awesome to have family and nurses there to help us.  We had learned about meconium (the sticky, messy greenish-black baby poo) in our childbirth class but nothing could have prepared us for what it was truly like.  It was terrifying and disgusting... thank goodness that people were there to help us change diapers. 

Josh rocked the baby while I tried to sleep and I held the baby and stared at him while Josh slept.  We learned ways to burp him.  I learned ways to nurse him.  We gingerly handled him because he was so tiny and fragile and watched in horror as the nurses manhandled him.  We buzzed the nurses when he had a freakout crying session because we didn't know what to do.  We asked a million questions and wrote down everything- recording every answer to every ridiculous question we asked the nurses and noting each dirty diaper and each nursing session.  And we stared at Jack constantly, like I imagine most new parents do.

Tuesday rolled around and the nice people at the hospital told us we had to get our nervous little butts out of there and go to our own house to change dirty diapers and raise our son.  So we packed everything up.  I was wheeled down in a wheelchair to the pick up area to meet Josh and was told by the guy wheeling me down that I "looked good for just having a baby" and that I "could get right back out there"... mmhmmm, I still got it. 

I sat in the backseat with Jack and freaked out everytime we went over a bump.  Josh drove about 40 mph the whole way home on the highway.  I got nervous when my mom wanted to take a picture of us out front of the house when we first got home because it seemed way too sunny for the baby.  I melted down during the first bath.  I checked the rise and fall of his chest seven million times a night to make sure that he was breathing.  I cried at weird, silly things because I was sleep deprived.  I had a hard time napping when he napped (like eeeeeveryone told me to do) because I was too busy checking to make sure he was breathing.  Typical new parent stuff. 

The level of new parent neuroses decreases each day and I'm figuring that by the time Jack is about 14 years old I'll probably be down to only checking his chest twelve times a night to make sure that he is breathing.

spidey senses...

I haven't discussed this issue with other parents, so I can't be totally sure, but I imagine a lot of new parents share the fear that they will not wake up to their baby crying at night.  I was a pretty heavy sleeper before Jack came along.  We live downtown and our house is next to a baseball stadium, a football stadium, shock trauma and a main road so I got used to noise.  I was worried that when Jack came along I would sleep right through his crying and feel like a horrible, neglectful mom.  Um, yeah, I was wrong.  I can hear an ant fart in his bedroom.  I wake up when he wiggles his toes. 

Just the other evening I was washing pump parts and bottles in the kitchen.  Josh was across the house with the monitor and Jack stirred (very quietly I might add) and I heard it!  I did that loud whisper thing across the house (the whisper where you might as well not be whispering at all) and asked if he was awake.  He had only wiggled, and I'm not even sure Josh noticed even though the monitor was in his hand.  It was pretty cool how my mothering spidey senses picked up his itty bitty baby whimpers from across the house with the sink running and the tv on. 

Additional improvements/modifications/aquired spidey senses since becoming a mother:

• Improved reflexes.  I am able to catch spit up in my hand.  Gross?  Yes.  But it beats cleaning it off the sofa.  I am also able to simultaneously fold clothes and catch Jack when he topples over while working on sitting up.
• Ability to function on about 49 minutes of sleep a night.  I might only be functioning at about 30% but I'm still functioning.  No one knows I forgot to put on underwear as long as I remember to put on pants.   
• Ability to differentiate Jack's cries.  Before becoming a mother, all baby cries sounded the same to me.  Now I can tell the difference between a hunger cry, a gas pain cry and a "help my legs are stuck in my crib rails" cry.

* Spidey Sense definition/image from Urban Dictionary.

Jumparoo, I love you...

We have a lot of baby stuff... like, A LOT.  I will admit it... we have too much.  We did the exact opposite of "keeping it simple."  But I'll tell you, I love every overly-indulgent and unnecessary baby item we have crammed into our teeny house... especially a few items that I was sure I didn't need but got anyway and now can't imagine living without.  Ok, ok, that was a bit dramatic... I can imagine life without a bumbo but I certainly don't want to.  And who cares if Josh and I have to get rid of our bed to accommodate the fisher price little lamb swing and bouncey seat... the floor is better for our backs anyway.

Below are reviews of just some the beloved baby items that junk up our tiny, already cramped rowhome... if you want to skip my rambling reviews and get right to the meaty center I will break it down with some pros and cons at the end of each item review.

* Please note: in my defense, a handful of the things that we have accumulated are hand-me-downs from a generous coworker and from my sister-in-law.


Bumbo

As you can see from the grainy camera phone picture above, Jack is a happy dude in his bumbo.  I snapped that artsy shot while I was putting some diapers in the wash... he just sat and laughed and talked to me the whole time.  Then we went down in the kitchen and he sat next to me while I made some food.  It makes my life soooo much easier.  Jack likes to sit up and, since he can't do it on his own yet, this little purple foamy seat make it possible for him to stay happy and sitting up next to me while I get stuff done.  I have read reviews that say not to have your little one sit in the seat too long because it doesn't encourage muscle development. 

Pros:
* Gives Jack a place to happily sit up and watch me do laundry, cook, etc without having to be held.
* Very portable.  Easy to move from room to room or take along to family gatherings.
* Babies look adorable sitting in a seat like a little tiny grown up.


Cons:
* Doesn't work well for babies with chunky thighs.  I knew Jack was on the chunky side but at just shy of four months he was already starting to outgrow this... I think we only have a couple more weeks until my little chubby buddy can't fit his fat little legs in anymore. (** update.. he just turned five months and he still fits! I guess his thigh chunkiness has plateaued for now)
* Could be mistaken for a tool to help develop babies trunk muscles which is does not.


Playmat: Tiny Love Super Deluxe Lights and Musis Gymini Activity Gym

At first I didn't really want one of these... I thought they looked kinda busy (and by busy, I mean tacky) and I didn't think Jack would really care one way or the other if you had some colorful mat to lay on.  I was wrong.  He loves this thing and I love it too. 

I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews on Amazon and decided on this one... more expensive but well worth it in my opinion.  I rarely opt for the Cadillac version of items but I'm sure glad I did for this.  Reviews of other activity gyms said that the hanging toys were heavy and were prone to fall off and clunk little ones on the head... not the Tiny Love Super Deluxe.. the toys are soft and colorful.  Each toy has at least one neat feature for kids to explore... the giraffe rattles, the ears on the elephant make crinkle sounds, etc.   There are two music features (classical music and kiddie nursery songs) and I don't find them nearly as annoying as I thought I would.  The playmat also has a mirror which has turned out to be a favorite feature of Jack's... he just looooves to roll over onto his belly and have nice long conversations with himself.

Pros:
* Cute toys that can be switched up/moved about.  Each toy has its own feature for kids to explore.
* Music is not obnoxious.
* Folds up and snaps which makes it easier to transport from room to room or to a family gathering.
* Easy to wipe down when baby spits up a gallon of milk.

Cons:
* One of the more expensive playmats.
* Can't think of anything else... it is pretty great!

Bonus advice:  I would like to mention something regarding my feelings about this playmat, as well as other items I have purchased or been given......  I am very quick to get discouraged if Jack doesn't immediately take to an item.  For example, when we got the playmat he liked the giraffe and only the giraffe.  I was convinced that the mirror and the other animals would never interest him... why did I spend all this money and all he cares about is a cloth giraffe with a rattley butt??  Then he started reaching for toys and he became interested in the other animals.  And he started rolling over and quickly came to love the mirror.  The moral of my rambly story.... don't write off a baby item right away... give it time. 

Video Monitor: Lorex Live Snap

I really wanted a video monitor... then I thought "Who do I think I am??  Am I sooo obsessed with technology that I can't get by with a regular old monitor??"  The answer is: no, I can get by with a regular old monitor... but do I want to?? NO.  Here are some reasons that I came to realize that life is easier for us with a video monitor:
1. I'm a new mom.  I like to stare at Jack 98% of the time that he is sleeping to make sure that he is breathing.  With the video monitor I can now stare at him while I catch up on Project Runway, do laundry, wash dishes and pet my cats.. I am much more productive since getting the video monitor.
2. Jack's room is on the third floor ("wow, they must live in a mansion!" you say?... no, no.. just a very creaky, very narrow rowhome)... sneaking up the creaky stairs to make sure he is breathing is very hard.. the video monitor makes my obsessive worrying easier.
3. In addition to creaky stairs making my sneaking more difficult is a loud bifold door.  We took the door off of my closet and repurposed it to be a door to the third floor.  Sounds pretty crafty huh?  It would be if it actually fit.  Again, makes sneaking difficult.
Overall, the monitor makes spying on my son much easier.

Pros:
* No interference with other electronic equipment.
* Great night vision.  I read reviews of other video monitors and it seemed like some have lights that flash at night to capture pictures of little dudes... the Lorex has excellent night vision which doesn't light up the room at all.
* Ability to have up to four cameras synced up... doesn't mean much for us now but it will be great when we have more kids or a playroom we also wanna keep an eye on.
* Two way communication.  Worked great a few times when I knew that all Jack needed was a little white noise when a car outside woke him up... so I clicked the two way talk and "shhhh"ed him back to sleep.  Also good for controlling wives who want to give instructions to husbands putting babies to sleep.

Cons:
* Kind of expensive... but no more expensive than other video monitors.  We were lucky enough to get the monitor through my dad's credit card reward points... but knowing how great it is I would totally pay $199 for it.


Munchkin Elmo Mirror

Josh and I feel strongly about the brand "Brica"... and NOT in a good way.  We registered for two brica mirrors and two window sheilds for our cars and we quickly realized how seriously crappy their products are.  By the second day the top part of the window sheild which attaches to the car window was cracked and busted.  The mirror was also crap.  No matter how well we followed the directions, or created our own setup after the instructions didn't work, the mirror would ride up with each bump so that after five minutes on the road we couldn't see Jack in the backseat anymore. 

Josh talked to guys at work who all had the same problem!  They suggested we get a mirror that swivels... so off to Babies-r-us we went.  We only found one in the store that had the swivel feature we wanted and it had a big Elmo on it.. I thought it was kinda tacky but my hatred for all things brica trumped the tackiness of a giant red Elmo head and we purchased it.  I LOVE it.  I can see Jack's face so much better... it is a normal mirror, not a fish eye mirror like the brica, so I get a clear view of him.  Plus, Jack loves sitting there staring up at Elmo... they have had some pretty deep conversations. 

Pros:
* Jack likes it a lot.
* Solid and we haven't had any issues with function (besides our own mistakes.. see con below about bumping)

Cons:
* Only have a view of his face (not a wider picture like we had with the brica fish eye style mirror) so if he leans forward pretty far then I can't see him very well.
* If someone bumps the mirror when getting him in or out of the car seat then we can't see him.  But it is an easy fix to reach back before starting to drive and swiveling the mirror back so I don't think of this as a very big problem.


Jumparoo: Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo

It is hard to get a good picture of him in his
jumparoo because he never.stops.jumping!

I'm not sure there are words for how much I love the rainforest jumparoo... I might love it more than Josh... no, I don't... but if it starts rubbing my shoulders and making me bowls of ice creams then I'm leaving Josh and marrying the jumparoo.  Seriously though, this thing is the shit.  Sorry to use such strong language in a post about baby products... but if you have a wiggly, jumpy, active baby who never wants to sit still then you understand!  I don't leave him in it for more than 5-10 minutes a few times a day (see cons below) but he loves every second of his jumparoo time.

I thought this one was kinda tacky (obviously I'm not a huge fan of super busy, colorful baby crap... even though I should have listened to my sister who was a nanny and told me that babies love colorful, tacky crap) but Josh picked it out and so I read reviews and found that it got the best reviews.  According to reviews, the seat spins much easier than other models and brands. 

Pros:
* Very easy to assemble.
* Folds up... great for us with such limited space... we can tuck it away if we have company.
* Different volumes of noises and music.  So while I eat my morning cereal we choose no music (me + mornings + loud monkey sounds = bad mood)... afternoon bounces have mid-level volume music/sounds and evening bounces depend on how much elephant honking and monkey squaking I can take.
* Variety of toys and activities.

Cons:
* I have heard (not researched much on my own) that jumparoos are not great for the developing hips of little dudes (and dudettes)... so we limit the bounce time.
* Takes up quite a bit of space.  If you have a play room or a large house then it isn't a problem.. but for people with teeny, tiny houses it is a large item to bring into the mix. 



Cloth Diapers: LOVE.  We have a lot of different types.  I will review them on another post.  Tooooo much to review and discuss on here. Please let me know if you just can't wait for my reviews/suggestions post and I will email you or answer any questions you might have!



Other items that are great and deserve a shout-out......

Swaddling Blankets: Aden and Anais blankets I love these blankets.  They are a little pricey but well worth it.  Great for swaddling, perfect for covering up while nursing because they are lightweight, and also great to lay out on the floor and let baby play and roll around because they are bigger than most receiving blankets.

Dr. Brown's bottle warmer: I have not personally used it because I only nurse Jack when I'm home but my mom (who watches Jack) is obsessed.  It is pretty expensive and we probably wouldn't have bought it for ourselves but it was a gift and I'm so glad we have it.. my mom says it is very, very easy to operate and I'm hoping it will deter anyone else who watches Jack from using the microwave to warm his bottles.

Sassy go go bugs: Jack looooves these silly little bugs that attach onto his carseat handle... they keep him occupied when he is being wheeled around Ikea for hours and hours.

Boppy: I like the boppy.  I could live without it but it certainly comes in handy sometimes.  I used it occasionally when nursing at the beginning and now Jack sits in it while I fold laundry.

Boppy lounger: Was nice when Jack was a little, little guy.  He could lounge next to me and doze while I did laundry (I feel like I'm constantly doing laundry) or replied to emails.  It is nice to have but I probably wouldn't have purchased this if I had to do it again.

Ergo carrier: LOVE.  My sister-in-law let me borrow her sling and I did not like it... admittedly, I think I couldn't figure out how to wear it properly.  Jack has had pretty good neck control for a while now so I have been able to use the Ergo and I love it.  Very easy to put on and so comfortable.  My mom also loves it and uses it almost every day to take Jack for a walk around the neighborhood. 
One con is that it gets very hot.  In hindsight, I should have ordered a performance or sport Ergo because they are made with more breathable material... I didn't know about the different types when I registered.

Graco Snap n go stroller frame: This is perfect to keep in the car.  Soooo much easier than the big, bulky stroller that came as part of the travel system.  Don't get me wrong... I like the big stroller (the Cadillac) for walks around the city but the graco frame (the Civic) is great for trip to the store, the mall, Ikea, etc.


That's not even everything we have.... just some of my favorite stuff.  See, I told you we have too much!!

my shoulder...

has spit up on it.  I just realized it. I don't care. I kinda like it.

is that weird? probably.

Babies don't keep...

My house is covered in laundry... literally. There are towels, clothes, baby blankets and burp rags covering every inch of our bedroom floor and it is now spilling out into the hallway and even into the bathroom. 

Each day, I tell myself I will do a few loads after work but then I start playing with Jack and he smiles and giggles and I lose track of time.  I saw this poem the other day and, yes, some of the verses are kind of weird but I still like it... and I love the last verse...



Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Rocking my baby when he was just a few hours old

reeeeeel it in...

I usually pride myself on being able to reel in the crazy.  Well, I am getting concerned because I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep it together.  I kinda thought I was in the clear and would get through this pregnancy hormone/crazy free... no such luck.

People ask me all the time how I am feeling... I usually do the same thing-- I smile, put my hand on my stomach and say "really great!"... and usually I really mean it.  Usually.  However, sometimes the crazy creeps in and the following are some ways I have considered answering....

• "Well, I have gained almost 50 pounds so far and I still have two months left.  I have three chins, waddle around and know that I'll probably tip the scales at 200 pounds by the time this is all said and done... which is not what I expected when I started at 130 pounds.  Otherwise, I guess I'm ok.  Now, could you leave me alone so I can finish my big mac value meal, mcflurry and four piece nuggets in peace, please??"

• "Eh. Physically it has been kinda rough.  I had pretty bad morning sickness for two months and on top of that, around the same time, I had the skin of a 13 year old boy.  Recently I developed carpal tunnel, have a rib out of place that has been pretty painful, have been congested for 7 months due to swelling of my mucus membrane.  I'm exhausted (maybe because I'm up five times a night to pee), have crazy heartburn and my hands and feet are extremely swollen. Oh and my butt is so big that I can't fit into most of my underwear.  Now, could you leave me alone so I can finish my quarter pounder value meal, berry smoothie and four piece nuggets in peace, please??"

• "How am I feeling?  FREAKED OUT!  I am about to have a baby... a baby!!  I don't understand kegels so I am anticipating a painful situation down there... go ahead and try to explain them to me... I know you want to... I still won't get it when you're done.  Oh, I can do them at work while I sit at my desk, you say??  That sounds super pervy... I think I'll pass. Thanks. Now, could you leave me alone so I can finish my angus burger value meal, m&m mcflurry and four piece nuggets in peace, please??"

• "How am I feeling?  FREAKED OUT!  I am about to have a baby... a baby!!  Mentally, I'm feelin' a little stressed.  I have to make major decisions about stuff like circumcision and childcare.  I worry about if I am choosing a safe crib/mattress/car seat.  I worry about basically keeping him alive from day to day.  And on top of that, I have to convince Josh that "crib lids" don't exist... and I also have to convince him that we are having a baby boy and not a baby monkey who will climb out of his crib at two months old.  Now, could you leave me alone so I can finish my big mac value meal, and my angus value meal, and my quarter pounder value meal, and my oreo mcflurry, and my m&m mcflurry and my four piece nuggets in peace, pleeeease??  But, hey, before you go.... thanks for asking about how I'm feeling... that was nice of you."

I guess no one who reads this is going to ask me ever again how I'm doing, huh?  Well, maybe just don't ask while I'm eating McDonalds.