Last night was a weird night at our house. Aside from Elena's midnight hour long scream fest, Karina fell asleep at 7pm, one minute before Sesame Street started, while Bill was telling her it was coming on. So I took her up to bed and later she woke up, I'd say around 11. She was a little confused and I just put her in with me.
Sometime around 130 or 2, after dealing with Elena for over an hour and finally crawling back into bed, I heard Karina call me.
"Mommy?"
"I'm here, baby, everything's okay."
"Mommy, I can't get this potty seat to stop talking."
Pause.
"I'll make it stop, baby, go back to sleep."
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Roseola. Maybe?
On Thursday I got Elena undressed for a bath and noticed she felt really warm. Now you should know that both of the girls always feel warm, to the point that I took Karina's temperature almost every day when she was a baby because she always felt hot to me. It turned out Elena had a fever of 101.4, which is not too high, but no fever is good news to me. Then I noticed she had a pale rash all over her back. I had noticed a rash on her bum but figured she'd gotten diaper rash from the overnight diaper or something. We took her to the doctor in the morning when the rash was worse, and she no longer had a fever. Our pediatrician tested her for strep and said it was probably roseola. Roseola is a common childhood virus where they run a fever, sometimes very high, for several days and when it breaks, they develop this rash all over their bodies which lasts for another few days. During the illness, they usually act as if they are totally fine and not sick at all.
It was weird that Elena still had a fever when the rash started, but the weirdest thing was Saturday night when she was up all night, from 9pm til 3am screaming. We now think it was unrelated, and she was constipated, but still, all at the same time? Really? Thanks, universe.
I kept crossing my fingers Karina wouldn't get it, because Roseola is contagious (very) and she did not have it as a baby. Sure enough, yesterday she ran a high fever all day which we controlled well with ibuprofen. (It was 103.9 at one point). This morning, the fever is totally gone. But she has no rash yet. One website said it could take a few days for the rash to appear.
I am so frustrated because I don't know whether to send her to preschool on Thursday if she doesn't have a rash yet or not. I believe she is no longer contagious but still....just not sure. What if she never gets the rash? How long do I keep her out? I hate this illness. It's annoying.
But I'm glad her fever is gone because that for me is the scariest part. I remember being sick as a child, probably 4 or 5 years old and hallucinating in my bedroom that numbers and letters were dancing all around the room. They looked like Sesame Street numbers and letters. You know, like puppets. Then another time I don't remember, Mom had taken me to see the doctor and while we were there I had a convulsion from a fever. I don't remember this because I was very little, but the story is enough to scare me where fevers are concerned.
Karina and I did do something super fun on Friday though. We drove across the water to a church fair where my friend had a Tupperware booth set up. The fair had vendors, crafters, games, rides, and food. It was overall kind of small, but we had the best time. Elena was sick so she stayed home with Bill, and just Karina and I went. We had a blast! One thing we discovered was a company called Paparazzi, which is one of those direct sales companies where you host parties. The girl had her booth there and everything is $5! Kids' jewelry was $1! Karina got to pick out three things and I got a really pretty necklace and earrings set--$5! That was fun. We ate hot dogs and played a bunch of games. I spent $3 on tickets and she ended up winning a bunch of trinkets and candy and 3 fake dollars to spend in their "store". She loved that! She also turned out to be a good golfer. She got 2 holes in one! She has never golfed or even held a golf club in her life. That was pretty cool. The drive home was less than stellar, as apparently the department of transportation in our area is run by people whose brains have been consumed by zombies, or perhaps it is run by the zombies themselves. There are three bridge or tunnel crossings in this area that are used by millions in this area. Millions of people every single day. So they decided to shut down two of them at the same time, but then secretly the one that was supposed to be open was having road work while another that was supposed to be closed was opened up, except that to get to that one you had to sit through construction on yet another bridge. So we left at 7:30 and didn't get home til almost 9. It should have taken about 30 minutes. Now apparently the DOT has decided to reschedule some of this construction/maintenance because I guess they didn't realize it would cause so much traffic backing up. Um, really? Zombies. I'm sure of it.
Hope you all had a good weekend!
It was weird that Elena still had a fever when the rash started, but the weirdest thing was Saturday night when she was up all night, from 9pm til 3am screaming. We now think it was unrelated, and she was constipated, but still, all at the same time? Really? Thanks, universe.
I kept crossing my fingers Karina wouldn't get it, because Roseola is contagious (very) and she did not have it as a baby. Sure enough, yesterday she ran a high fever all day which we controlled well with ibuprofen. (It was 103.9 at one point). This morning, the fever is totally gone. But she has no rash yet. One website said it could take a few days for the rash to appear.
I am so frustrated because I don't know whether to send her to preschool on Thursday if she doesn't have a rash yet or not. I believe she is no longer contagious but still....just not sure. What if she never gets the rash? How long do I keep her out? I hate this illness. It's annoying.
But I'm glad her fever is gone because that for me is the scariest part. I remember being sick as a child, probably 4 or 5 years old and hallucinating in my bedroom that numbers and letters were dancing all around the room. They looked like Sesame Street numbers and letters. You know, like puppets. Then another time I don't remember, Mom had taken me to see the doctor and while we were there I had a convulsion from a fever. I don't remember this because I was very little, but the story is enough to scare me where fevers are concerned.
Karina and I did do something super fun on Friday though. We drove across the water to a church fair where my friend had a Tupperware booth set up. The fair had vendors, crafters, games, rides, and food. It was overall kind of small, but we had the best time. Elena was sick so she stayed home with Bill, and just Karina and I went. We had a blast! One thing we discovered was a company called Paparazzi, which is one of those direct sales companies where you host parties. The girl had her booth there and everything is $5! Kids' jewelry was $1! Karina got to pick out three things and I got a really pretty necklace and earrings set--$5! That was fun. We ate hot dogs and played a bunch of games. I spent $3 on tickets and she ended up winning a bunch of trinkets and candy and 3 fake dollars to spend in their "store". She loved that! She also turned out to be a good golfer. She got 2 holes in one! She has never golfed or even held a golf club in her life. That was pretty cool. The drive home was less than stellar, as apparently the department of transportation in our area is run by people whose brains have been consumed by zombies, or perhaps it is run by the zombies themselves. There are three bridge or tunnel crossings in this area that are used by millions in this area. Millions of people every single day. So they decided to shut down two of them at the same time, but then secretly the one that was supposed to be open was having road work while another that was supposed to be closed was opened up, except that to get to that one you had to sit through construction on yet another bridge. So we left at 7:30 and didn't get home til almost 9. It should have taken about 30 minutes. Now apparently the DOT has decided to reschedule some of this construction/maintenance because I guess they didn't realize it would cause so much traffic backing up. Um, really? Zombies. I'm sure of it.
Hope you all had a good weekend!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Just a few miscellaneous notes
Elena was weighed yesterday at the GI doctor's office (Gastro-intestinal doctor) and she is 19.5 pounds!!! That girl is something!
She has two teeth on the bottom and I think she's getting more somewhere because she is still chomping like crazy on anything she can get her hands on.
She has started "investigating" objects. What I mean is when babies will pick something up, turn it over and over and just look at it and touch it and really seem to be scientifically observing it. I love this stage; I think it's so cute. She was investigating my phone and I scared the daylights out of her when she started to put it in her mouth! I grabbed it and exclaimed, "no!". Poor kid.
Karina is getting consistently fantastic reports from preschool, though I expect nothing less from her at this point. I am sure there will be some negatives someday, but the way she is right now, I'm just soaking it up! Yes, please, tell me again how awesome my child is. Oh yes. She is. (I figure I should get my fill now because Elena....I just don't know. She might be just as good or she might be um, ornery.) (Every time I use that word, I think of my grandfather "Pop" and the first time I saw that word spelled out and I didn't realize it was the same word he used all the time to refer to my brother and me. "Ornery kids" he'd say, but lovingly. He wrote it in one of my grade school yearbooks. I digress.)
Karina is really having fun with my old My Little Ponies. She insisted on getting them all out of my closet, and I gave in, finally, because I figure they should be getting played with rather than stuck on a shelf, although my first ones I did not give her to play with. They are just too special. She still adores her Cars and likes Barbie dolls and Disney Princess dolls of the same size, and she also really likes paper dolls still.
Karina wants to be Rapunzel for Halloween, but I have no idea what to do with Elena. I have the outfit Karina wore, but frankly, I'm not sure Elena will fit in it, and the way she whines when getting dressed, I don't think she'll go for it anyway. I think she is just going to have to be something simple.
A friend of mine recently gave birth to a son, expecting him to need multiple surgeries immediately for some kidney issues he had that they had detected in utero. However, he is doing GREAT and has not needed any surgeries so far! Yeehaw!
I know I promised pictures but I haven't watermarked any yet. I'm sorry, I just don't have the time right now. I will get to them sometime though.
Hope everyone is well!
She has two teeth on the bottom and I think she's getting more somewhere because she is still chomping like crazy on anything she can get her hands on.
She has started "investigating" objects. What I mean is when babies will pick something up, turn it over and over and just look at it and touch it and really seem to be scientifically observing it. I love this stage; I think it's so cute. She was investigating my phone and I scared the daylights out of her when she started to put it in her mouth! I grabbed it and exclaimed, "no!". Poor kid.
Karina is getting consistently fantastic reports from preschool, though I expect nothing less from her at this point. I am sure there will be some negatives someday, but the way she is right now, I'm just soaking it up! Yes, please, tell me again how awesome my child is. Oh yes. She is. (I figure I should get my fill now because Elena....I just don't know. She might be just as good or she might be um, ornery.) (Every time I use that word, I think of my grandfather "Pop" and the first time I saw that word spelled out and I didn't realize it was the same word he used all the time to refer to my brother and me. "Ornery kids" he'd say, but lovingly. He wrote it in one of my grade school yearbooks. I digress.)
Karina is really having fun with my old My Little Ponies. She insisted on getting them all out of my closet, and I gave in, finally, because I figure they should be getting played with rather than stuck on a shelf, although my first ones I did not give her to play with. They are just too special. She still adores her Cars and likes Barbie dolls and Disney Princess dolls of the same size, and she also really likes paper dolls still.
Karina wants to be Rapunzel for Halloween, but I have no idea what to do with Elena. I have the outfit Karina wore, but frankly, I'm not sure Elena will fit in it, and the way she whines when getting dressed, I don't think she'll go for it anyway. I think she is just going to have to be something simple.
A friend of mine recently gave birth to a son, expecting him to need multiple surgeries immediately for some kidney issues he had that they had detected in utero. However, he is doing GREAT and has not needed any surgeries so far! Yeehaw!
I know I promised pictures but I haven't watermarked any yet. I'm sorry, I just don't have the time right now. I will get to them sometime though.
Hope everyone is well!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Oh wait, I still exist? Hey, actually I do!
Well, as I posted recently--I mean, a while ago--things have been crazy and wild around here. I've been busy and tired, and busy. Most of this is an Elena update, but I do have a few Karina things to share.
Basically what happened was this: Elena was born in January and began crying the second she entered this world. She proceeded to cry so much in the hospital that we got zero sleep until our night nurse finally agreed to take her out so we could get a few hours of sleep. Thus began our descent into the month of nightmarish screaming. After about a month of this, our pediatrician realized that she has acid reflux and prescribed some medicine for her which helped. We had her sleeping in an inclined bassinet which was great, except that she grew really fast and is in the 90th percentile so she outgrew the thing. She would wake quite a few times during the night, as normal newborns do, but this continued for months, even when she should have been giving up some of those feedings. Finally, at her 6 month appointment, we increased her medicine dose based on her weight, but due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, the dose was actually less than what she should have been getting because the strength was not the same as she'd been getting. We got that fixed, and by 7 months, Momma over here had had enough of the waking up 2-5 times a night. I hit a wall. I was so tired one day, I literally could not make breakfast. For anyone. I gave her to Bill, announced through tears that I was never, ever getting up with her at night again, and attempted to cry myself to sleep. Bill and I agreed that I would turn off the baby monitor at night and he would try to help Elena learn to sleep better at night by not immediately responding to all of her cries, something I always did. We did try other things, no cry methods, and various other things, but the bottom line became this: I could not function normally or safely, and I could not be a good mother unless I got some stinking sleep. So the "kind" methods had to go. Bill used our video monitor to decide if her cries were urgent or just "I woke up where are you come put me back to sleep". He never let her cry to the point of hysterics or anything like that. Miraculously, from the first night he took over she slept better. I jokingly say she heard me say I wasn't getting up anymore! So now she's 7 1/2 months old, and only waking once a night. It started out around 130am, shifted back to 330am, and is now between 5 and 530am the last three nights (knock on wood). The best thing about these last three nights is the part where she goes back to sleep for another 2 hours! She has been getting up at or before 6am every day (on top of the bajillion night feedings). So that is on the way towards becoming normal, if she'll keep it up. Yay!
She is not crawling yet, but very close. She does the little baby push ups, scootches around on her tush a little, and reaches like crazy. I think she will be crawling very soon.
Today, she got her first tooth! I knew it was coming, I could see it just under her gums, and last night I could not get her to sleep. She cried for an hour, which she has not done for a long time--even with the crazy night feedings, she'd at least start off going to sleep. So I knew something was wrong. Then this morning, she was grinning at me and I saw it--it looked different, so I stuck my finger in there, and yes! It's just barely breaking the surface, but it is there! She has been gurgling and goo-gooing all over the place the last few days, too. Now I just need her to stop spitting out her baby food...I'm not sure she has actually ingested any of it. She just starts spitting as soon as she sees the spoon! Sometimes I can't even get the spoon into her mouth at all!
Karina's chair, my nose.
The now famous Lambkin.
Her toes. The girl takes millions of pictures of her feet.
Her face.
Elena's grin.
Fountain at church; below, some flowers at church.
Karina. She is doing great, as usual. My sweet little girl is getting so big! She starts 3 year old preschool on Tuesday! Wow, how time flies! She is really excited and can't wait to go back to school. This weekend we gave her a kid camera of her own because she has been taking pictures with mine and I'm so afraid she'll break it. But she loves taking pictures, and some turn out okay, too! This one is by Vtech and has only about 1.5 megapixels, but it stores 1000 pictures and has been super easy for her to use. She loves it! And I love that she's no longer asking to use my camera every five seconds. :-) I need to edit and watermark a ton of photos of mine, but that takes forever, so I'm sorry but you will all just have to settle for a bunch of Karina's pictures! I know they are blurry, most of them, and that's because there is no flash on her camera. The outdoor photos did better, but she has to learn about holding the camera still and things like that. I think she did all right for not even being four years old yet. Aren't the flowers pretty? And the one above them is the fountain at church in our columbarium garden. I don't know why there are suds in it. I guess they cleaned it or something.
So we're all doing okay, doing better in a lot of ways, too. My dad is working on the girls' playhouse and when he's done I will definitely post some pictures of that, because you all are not going to believe how awesome this thing is. It's huge, first of all. He has two walls framed up now and once he gets two more done, woo hoo it's going to look like a real building! So I will post about that later. (People, it has a porch! A real one, like with decking and stuff! My own house doesn't have that!)
There you go, all updated, sort of, in summary form. As Elena gets older and is more able to play on her own I should be able to carve out a little more time for photo editing and blogging so you can keep track of my ever-so-exciting life!
Oh, my cousin's baby is due in about 8 weeks! So exciting! I'll keep you posted about that, too!
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend everyone!
Basically what happened was this: Elena was born in January and began crying the second she entered this world. She proceeded to cry so much in the hospital that we got zero sleep until our night nurse finally agreed to take her out so we could get a few hours of sleep. Thus began our descent into the month of nightmarish screaming. After about a month of this, our pediatrician realized that she has acid reflux and prescribed some medicine for her which helped. We had her sleeping in an inclined bassinet which was great, except that she grew really fast and is in the 90th percentile so she outgrew the thing. She would wake quite a few times during the night, as normal newborns do, but this continued for months, even when she should have been giving up some of those feedings. Finally, at her 6 month appointment, we increased her medicine dose based on her weight, but due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, the dose was actually less than what she should have been getting because the strength was not the same as she'd been getting. We got that fixed, and by 7 months, Momma over here had had enough of the waking up 2-5 times a night. I hit a wall. I was so tired one day, I literally could not make breakfast. For anyone. I gave her to Bill, announced through tears that I was never, ever getting up with her at night again, and attempted to cry myself to sleep. Bill and I agreed that I would turn off the baby monitor at night and he would try to help Elena learn to sleep better at night by not immediately responding to all of her cries, something I always did. We did try other things, no cry methods, and various other things, but the bottom line became this: I could not function normally or safely, and I could not be a good mother unless I got some stinking sleep. So the "kind" methods had to go. Bill used our video monitor to decide if her cries were urgent or just "I woke up where are you come put me back to sleep". He never let her cry to the point of hysterics or anything like that. Miraculously, from the first night he took over she slept better. I jokingly say she heard me say I wasn't getting up anymore! So now she's 7 1/2 months old, and only waking once a night. It started out around 130am, shifted back to 330am, and is now between 5 and 530am the last three nights (knock on wood). The best thing about these last three nights is the part where she goes back to sleep for another 2 hours! She has been getting up at or before 6am every day (on top of the bajillion night feedings). So that is on the way towards becoming normal, if she'll keep it up. Yay!
She is not crawling yet, but very close. She does the little baby push ups, scootches around on her tush a little, and reaches like crazy. I think she will be crawling very soon.
Today, she got her first tooth! I knew it was coming, I could see it just under her gums, and last night I could not get her to sleep. She cried for an hour, which she has not done for a long time--even with the crazy night feedings, she'd at least start off going to sleep. So I knew something was wrong. Then this morning, she was grinning at me and I saw it--it looked different, so I stuck my finger in there, and yes! It's just barely breaking the surface, but it is there! She has been gurgling and goo-gooing all over the place the last few days, too. Now I just need her to stop spitting out her baby food...I'm not sure she has actually ingested any of it. She just starts spitting as soon as she sees the spoon! Sometimes I can't even get the spoon into her mouth at all!
So we're all doing okay, doing better in a lot of ways, too. My dad is working on the girls' playhouse and when he's done I will definitely post some pictures of that, because you all are not going to believe how awesome this thing is. It's huge, first of all. He has two walls framed up now and once he gets two more done, woo hoo it's going to look like a real building! So I will post about that later. (People, it has a porch! A real one, like with decking and stuff! My own house doesn't have that!)
There you go, all updated, sort of, in summary form. As Elena gets older and is more able to play on her own I should be able to carve out a little more time for photo editing and blogging so you can keep track of my ever-so-exciting life!
Oh, my cousin's baby is due in about 8 weeks! So exciting! I'll keep you posted about that, too!
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend everyone!
Friday, August 10, 2012
You probably all think I dropped off the face of the earth
But I didn't! See, I'm still here. Just overwhelmed lately. We are desperately trying to get Elena to sleep more at night (she still wakes up between 3 and 4 times, and she's going on 7 months old!). Plus I just participated in a flash consignment sale that is actually in progress right now. I pick up my stuff tomorrow, whatever is left over (I hope not much!). So it's been hectic around here.
Yesterday we went to Bill's softball team's picnic and Karina had a blast playing on the playground.
The day before that I was able to shop the consignment sale early, so I took both girls and went off with them to that. We first ate lunch with my dad and brother and I had to coordinate with a friend to bring something to Stephanie on my way. We didn't get home til almost seven pm, Sesame Street time. Makes for a very hectic night, especially when we hadn't had dinner yet!
The day before that I actually can't remember what we did. I know it was something.
The day before that (Monday if you're having trouble keeping track) we went to my grandmother's house for dinner while my mom was on her second mini-vacation and my aunt was in town. In the morning, we followed my mom over to the beach and saw my brother's new house.
Most of these days, the excursions were combinations of things, like Wednesday; lunch then shopping. Or Monday, visit, then second visit.
It's been crazy around here. On top of it all, my dad is working on Karina and Elena's playhouse out back and he'll call in the morning to see if we're around, and then come over. So I don't really always know when he's coming. He did tell me that he'd come either today or tomorrow, and since he didn't come today I'm assuming he'll be here tomorrow at some point. Of course, I also have to go pick up consignment stuff.
You see what I mean? So it's not that I'm intentionally neglecting you, my sweet and faithful blog following readers, it's just I have no time for myself in any capacity right now. I'm lucky to shower daily!
Hang in there with me. It's bound to improve some day!
Yesterday we went to Bill's softball team's picnic and Karina had a blast playing on the playground.
The day before that I was able to shop the consignment sale early, so I took both girls and went off with them to that. We first ate lunch with my dad and brother and I had to coordinate with a friend to bring something to Stephanie on my way. We didn't get home til almost seven pm, Sesame Street time. Makes for a very hectic night, especially when we hadn't had dinner yet!
The day before that I actually can't remember what we did. I know it was something.
The day before that (Monday if you're having trouble keeping track) we went to my grandmother's house for dinner while my mom was on her second mini-vacation and my aunt was in town. In the morning, we followed my mom over to the beach and saw my brother's new house.
Most of these days, the excursions were combinations of things, like Wednesday; lunch then shopping. Or Monday, visit, then second visit.
It's been crazy around here. On top of it all, my dad is working on Karina and Elena's playhouse out back and he'll call in the morning to see if we're around, and then come over. So I don't really always know when he's coming. He did tell me that he'd come either today or tomorrow, and since he didn't come today I'm assuming he'll be here tomorrow at some point. Of course, I also have to go pick up consignment stuff.
You see what I mean? So it's not that I'm intentionally neglecting you, my sweet and faithful blog following readers, it's just I have no time for myself in any capacity right now. I'm lucky to shower daily!
Hang in there with me. It's bound to improve some day!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Where have I been?
I know I haven't posted much lately. I haven't been sleeping well and am pretty overwhelmed during the day with the girls. Elena is not sleeping through the night and I am struggling with how to deal with it. Back and forth between the wait it out and the not so much wait it out methods. I can't stand for her to cry, on the other hand, I would like to sleep. Early August I'm participating in a huge consignment sale, so I'm crazy getting things tagged and bagged and hung up, so I'll be using any free time I have between now and then on that mostly. But I'm still here and I will post again. Thanks for hanging with me in the meantime!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Ginger's Blog Candy giveaway
My friend Ginger is having a blog candy giveaway to celebrate four years of her blog! You can find her at Andora's Stamping Studio and check out her giveaway. Since I'm semi-blogger-illiterate, I couldn't get her image to post on my sidebar but here it is!
Happy blogiversary, Ginger!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Elena's 6 month checkup
Today was Elena's 6 month checkup. We got to go to our pediatrician's new office; he and two other doctors from the practice actually opened a new practice, and I couldn't be happier! We went in and found out that Elena is 18+ pounds and in the 90th percentile. There was a little girl in the waiting room who was just so cute. She was smaller than Elena. She was 9 months old. Pretty funny! (Oh, and she was soooo cute!) Dr. B answered all of my 1,000,000,000 questions and I probably backed him up a few hours, but what a patient, understanding doctor he is. So great. We donated some books and gave him a picture of the girls for their new bulletin board, and he said it was their first picture! So that was cool.
But basically, Elena is healthy, growing just fine, and can start solids. He recommended some sleep training to get her sleeping better through the night, and I'm just hoping and praying that it works fast, because I have a feeling it's going to be, um, hellish. She wakes up screaming in the night sometimes and it's just awful. She wants a bottle so she can go back to sleep. Because she has trained herself to fall asleep while eating, so that's yet another strike against us. Oh, do we have our work cut out for us....I told Dr. B it was a job for Daddy! I can't stand hearing them cry. He assured me that going in and comforting them without picking them up still lets them know that "Mommy will come when I cry".
Well, that's about it, really. Nothing much going on otherwise, my dad's building a playhouse in the back so I'll have a post on that once it's done. He's really been going to town on it, but so far it's just the foundation and stuff, so not that exciting yet. He's out of town for a week but will start back up after he gets back. Once it's done I'll do a post on it. It's going to be amazing.
Have a good night!
But basically, Elena is healthy, growing just fine, and can start solids. He recommended some sleep training to get her sleeping better through the night, and I'm just hoping and praying that it works fast, because I have a feeling it's going to be, um, hellish. She wakes up screaming in the night sometimes and it's just awful. She wants a bottle so she can go back to sleep. Because she has trained herself to fall asleep while eating, so that's yet another strike against us. Oh, do we have our work cut out for us....I told Dr. B it was a job for Daddy! I can't stand hearing them cry. He assured me that going in and comforting them without picking them up still lets them know that "Mommy will come when I cry".
Well, that's about it, really. Nothing much going on otherwise, my dad's building a playhouse in the back so I'll have a post on that once it's done. He's really been going to town on it, but so far it's just the foundation and stuff, so not that exciting yet. He's out of town for a week but will start back up after he gets back. Once it's done I'll do a post on it. It's going to be amazing.
Have a good night!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Navy and pink with polka dots and some stripes
Friday, July 6, 2012
An outing and a bunch of pictures of Elena
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Paper Dolls and Coloring
Monday, July 2, 2012
Baby bunny
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Funny story
Last night we had a bizarre and horrific wind storm blow through that caused my mom and grandmother's house to lose power. It is also in the 90s around here right now, so not having power is a bad, bad thing. My grandmother is also 86 years old, so there was no way they were staying at their house without power. At lunchtime they came to our house and stayed til about 730 when the power finally came back on.
We decided to have fast food for dinner and I was going to go get it. Karina was playing around on the couch with Bill, who asked her if she wanted to go with me to get dinner. She squealed, "Yes!" and he got up and started to walk to the other room. She stood up on the couch and called out to him, "Daddy! Get me down from here! You know I can't fly!"
Have a nice night and cross your fingers the storm coming our way tonight isn't as bad!
We decided to have fast food for dinner and I was going to go get it. Karina was playing around on the couch with Bill, who asked her if she wanted to go with me to get dinner. She squealed, "Yes!" and he got up and started to walk to the other room. She stood up on the couch and called out to him, "Daddy! Get me down from here! You know I can't fly!"
Have a nice night and cross your fingers the storm coming our way tonight isn't as bad!
Friday, June 29, 2012
I'm still here
Hi all, I'm still here just really really busy. Elena almost never naps, and when she does it's super short. I don't like to take too much time when she is sleeping to do stuff on my own, because I really treasure the time I have with just Karina because it's so short. I thought I'd get all this baby nap time with her and I don't. So I try to do as much as I can at night, and I'm really tired then so not much gets done. Some day I'll be around more but for now, I'm sorry I'm kind of sporadic, more so than usual.
You probably noticed a long post about baby stuff. It's really for my cousin (I think it's okay to say it's my cousin now that she announced it on Facebook), but I hope it might be helpful for anyone.
I am working on getting some pictures ready to post, but again, long slow process due to time constraints. But they're coming....
You probably noticed a long post about baby stuff. It's really for my cousin (I think it's okay to say it's my cousin now that she announced it on Facebook), but I hope it might be helpful for anyone.
I am working on getting some pictures ready to post, but again, long slow process due to time constraints. But they're coming....
Baby item list (a post for new moms, the rest of you might want to skip this one)
So my relative is having a baby. Yay! She's a new mom, and I am chock full of advice and ideas for her, but I don't really want to overwhelm her and be annoying. So I've sent her some of my top picks and things to skip, and decided I'd put the rest of it here, for anyone to enjoy (He he). I've tried to organize this some to make it easier, so check out the headings and that way if you want to know what I think about, say, bottles, you don't have to read about strollers to get there. You can also use the "find" feature in your browser (if you have that) to look for key words you might be interested in. Or you can just read the whole thing!)
Brands I have had a lot of success with, across their product lines
Graco
Britax
Fisher Price
Bright Starts
Munchkin
Equipment
bouncy seat or vibrating seat (I have a Boppy brand and really like it). You won't hold your baby all the time and you'll want a nice place to put him or her down. Elena loves her bouncy seat.
swing (look for one that plugs in; otherwise stock up on D batteries). This is another must have, in my opinion. When Elena was smaller, she was often hard to get to sleep in anything other than the swing. The one in this link is very similar to ours.
floor gym (mine is Bright Starts) The little flower plays the sweetest tunes when you pull the tab under it. Unfortunately, when we stored it between kids, all the slobber from when Karina was a baby kind of, um, made it dirty....so it's gone. I miss the flower's tunes! I wish I could play them for Elena.
Fisher Price rocking bassinet (this thing is amazing!). Some days I wished I had two, one for upstairs and one for downstairs! Elena loves it and prefers sleeping in it to anything else in the house. She sleeps longer overnight in it than in her crib. And it was perfect when we were dealing with the bad, bad, horrible, horrible, awful, bad, bad reflux. Did I mention her reflux was bad?
Some type of exersaucer or walker. As baby grows, you won't want or be able to carry him or her around all the time. Karina's was by Safety 1st and had dinosaurs on it; she was fascinated by the lights.
Doorway jumpers--we used ours all of three times. I say either skip it or get it on consignment.
Bumbo seat. Very useful, but not used for very long. This is one of those amazing baby items that is so awesome for the one month or so that you use it. As soon as baby can sit up unassisted, you don't really need it anymore. I recommend finding one on consignment or a hand me down from a friend.
Monitor. I have two Gracos and both are great. The older one is analog and you can't get it anymore, but we are still using it 3 1/2 years later and it works great. Then we have a new digital one that has talkback, and I love it. I also just won (I know, this is so cool!) a V-tech audio-video monitor and it is AWESOME. I wish I had had one with Karina because I worried so much, and it would have helped me a lot to be able to see her as well as hear her. Go ahead and spend the money on a good baby monitor. You are going to use it for many years, well into the toddler years. Get one with talkback so that when your sweet toddler starts the nightly, "Mommy can I sleep with you?" calls, you don't have to get up out of your bed to tell them no.
Diaper Bag. If you use cloth diapers like I did, you will need a very large diaper bag. Larger than a standard bag, because the basic truth is cloth takes up more space than disposables. There are lots out there. I have a Carini Bambini that I used constantly with Karina, and now I'm actually using a Miche bag my friend gave me. It's not quite big enough all the time, but I like it so much I keep using it anyway! I also had a smaller bag for quick outings. I would suggest that you shop in a store though, so you can really tell how big it is and how the pockets work etc. Buying online can be great, but sometimes you get the thing and it's not at all what you imagined.
Carriers
I have used Baby Bjorn, Infantino, Baby K'Tan, and Munchkin jellybean slings, which was a regular stiff cotton sling. Karina liked them, Elena hates them. My recommendation is to see if you can borrow one from someone first and see if your baby likes it. If so, spend the money on a good one, especially if you plan to use it a lot. The Baby Bjorn I used has lumbar support but the Infantino did not, and it made a huge difference. Same with the two slings, the Baby K'Tan was much more versatile (because you can put the baby in more positions) than the other sling, although Karina liked both of them a lot. (I think the Infantino link is the one I have). This is just one of those items where spending more on a quality item is really worth it. And if you didn't know it, I'm a tightwad. :-)
Feeding
Unless you breastfeed at home and never leave your baby with anyone until s/he weans, you will need bottles. I use formula and we have used the Playtex Vent Aire Advanced with both our girls and I love them. They worked so well with Karina that she almost never had to burp. For breastfeeding moms, I have heard great things about Avent and Tommee Tippee, though I have not had experience with either one. I suggest buying just one of several brands and styles and see what your baby prefers (because they do have preferences!)
Get a good drying rack as well as a dishwasher basket. You'll also probably want a microwave steam sterilizer, unless you would rather just boil water on the stove, which you can very easily do. To sterilize this way (I have done both) just boil water in a clean pot and drop the desired item in for about five minutes. You probably don't even need to do it that long, but that's what I do.
Get a high chair that reclines and then sits upright. I have never used those clip to table styles because I personally am afraid they'll fall off (but that's my paranoia). I also got the Cooshee booster seats for when Karina outgrew the high chair. I really love them because they grip without straps, and are nice and soft.
If you breastfeed, get a brand new, high quality pump. Don't borrow or buy used as I am led to understand that bacteria can linger and you don't want that. Plus, we're talking about your parts here, so let's take good care of them, right? :-)
If you use formula, I recommend a partitioned formula dispenser, but not a mixing pitcher or electric mixer. They just aren't necessary. I have both and don't use either one. In fact, I actually do use the mixer...for hot chocolate!
When you buy baby spoons, I recommend the long ones made by Munchkin, because when the baby graduates to the larger size jars, you won't get as messy digging out the last bits with the long spoons.
Brita makes a water bottle with built in filter. Great if you use formula so if you run out of water you can have clean water from any tap.
Nuby sippy cups were a great transition for Karina. They have a textured spout that is more like a nipple than most sippy cup spouts. With Karina, I had found one, and she loved it, and then I could never find anymore just like it. I found some recently and got two for Elena.
Bottle brushes--I found a soft rubbery one recently made by Sassy, and it has saved my hands. I also use a regular bristle one by Munchkin. I use the bristly one on the actual bottle part, and the soft one on the small parts that I have to hold in my hand and rub the brush across (this is why I love the rubbery one; no more scratching my hands while cleaning the bottle parts).
Plates that suction to the table tend to not work, in my experience. I say skip them. Instead, just get some of those grippy drawer liners (you can usually find the stuff at the dollar store) and use them as a placemat. It will grip any of the plastic plates your child is using enough that it will be hard to knock it on the floor.
Diapering
I love cloth diapers and if you read this blog you know that already. Cloth is cheaper (it has a higher start-up cost, but in the long run, they are much, much--like thousands of dollars--cheaper. And they can be reused on subsequent children. Seriously I haven't bought diapers for Elena since I bought the newborn ones I didn't have with Karina. I have spent probably a total of $50 on her diapers in 5 months and that was only those newborn diapers), better for your baby's health (disposables are hot and use chemicals to absorb the urine), and better for the environment (reusable and recyclable). I often hear people express the opinion that they are "gross" because of the poop. Well, the truth is that if you have a baby, you are going to deal with poop. Cloth or disposable, and you are more likely to have blowouts requiring massive poop cleanup if you use disposables, because the slipperiness of the diaper interior doesn't 'catch' the poop like cloth fibers do. So I recommend cloth, but not everyone wants to use cloth. Okay, that's fine, just please, please flush the poop down the toilet, even if it's in a disposable. Poop is NOT meant to go into landfills. It creates a biohazard waste situation and most people don't realize this. Please flush the poop. :-)
Rash cream. I talk below in the bathing section about Grandma El's, but I'll repeat myself here. Grandma El's makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe, unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb. Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Diaper sprayer. If you use cloth, please just get one. Really, just do it. It makes poop cleanup so easy. I didn't have one at first, and once I got one, I felt like I had a new lease on my cloth diapering life!
Diaper Pail. Not a clue, really. Sorry. I don't use one, so I don't know. I do know that the wetbags I use for my cloth diapers do not smell nearly as much as any other diaper container for disposables I've ever come across (probably because no one flushes the poop, so it sits in the diaper pail making stink. Flush the poop, really.) I've hear Diaper Genie, Diaper Champ, some other brands, but to be honest, if you use disposables, don't flush the poop, and don't take each individual diaper to the trash outside, you're going to have some level of stink. I have a level of stink with cloth, but it's not that bad really.
Wet bags. Not just for cloth! These things are good for wet swimsuits, wet clothes, spitup on clothes, soaking soppen wet burp cloths, transporting things that can leak, such as shampoo and so much more. And unlike plastic zipper bags, you don't throw them in a landfill, you just wash them and reuse them. Woohoo!
Sleeping
Woombie--I loved ours. It's a swaddler that stretches kind of like baby is still in the womb, plus it has a double zipper, so once it's zipped up and baby needs a change, you zip it UP again from the bottom only as far as you need to. You don't need to remove the entire thing. Awesome.
White noise machine--helpful if your baby doesn't like quiet or needs some kind of noise to sleep. You can get lots of them and they have pretty standard sounds. You can get some that even have "womb" noises. Elena didn't like that setting but she does like the ocean waves.
Crib Mobile--Take it or leave it. Elena hasn't really needed one, but Karina and I had a fun time making one anyway. Karina had one and it was more of a pain than it was worth, in my opinion. It hooked to the crib, so as soon as she could reach for it, it had to go. Of course, that's when she finally got interested in it. Elena's is actually suspended from the ceiling, far from the reach of anyone including me.
Bathing
Get lots of washcloths. Lots, because they're also great for keeping in the kitchen to wipe messy faces off. So get some for the bath and some for the kitchen. You won't need as many towels as you think though. I have five and I never need that many, ever. I could have done with three and been fine. The towels with hoods are good though to keep baby warmer when s/he comes out of the water.
A good bathtub is essential. Get one you can use in the sink and transition to the tub. Mine is by Summer Infant and I love it. It locks onto the center post in the sink, and can also be used in the tub. Plus, it came with this hammock-like netting that I used when the girls were infants.
I say skip the tub kneeler. You're just being raised up higher, which only makes your back hurt more. I just use a towel folded up, which does double duty as a catch for the water that sloshes over the side when toys are set on the side of the tub or little hands splash too much.
Shampoo. I really love Grandma El's shampoo. You can get it at Target.com, and if you have a Target card the shipping is free. It also appears on sites like babyhalfoff.com sometimes. I love it because it got rid of Karina's chronic cradle cap. We literally spent $70 on a prescription foam because the stuff wouldn't go away. The Grandma El's arrived in the mail, and after only one application of the foam, and shampooing with the Grandma El's, no more cradle cap, ever. Really. (No one paid me to say that, it's just true). Waste of $70. (If you read the diapering section above, you've already read this part) Grandma El's also makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe, unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb. Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Tub spout cover (see below in safety-household)
Safety Items-Household
Doorknob covers, outlet plugs, and cabinet locks are a must.. We did not need toilet, fridge, or stove locks with Karina, but every child is different. I think you will be able to tell by your child's behavior if you need these items, but I would say wait to purchase them later. I'm thinking we're going to need every kind of lock available for Elena. She's such a turkey.
Cushioned corner covers. These don't have to all go on one item. We have them only on exposed corners, such as the corner of Karina's nightstand that was at a higher level than her toddler bed (I worried she'd bump it in the night). I didn't get the all-around table cushion, although that would work well if you have a table in your living room. Ours is pushed to the side because our room isn't that big and Karina needed room to play. You probably also want a tub spout cover. But check your tub first--if the shower pull is at the back of the spout near the wall, you may have trouble finding one that works. So check that before you buy or register for one.
Safety Items/Mommy Helpers-Travel
Car mirrors. These are useful but some of the small ones that go on the rear-view mirror don't work well. I got one that velcros on. I tried one style that had this bungee type cord, and it didn't work for me. The larger mirror that goes in back doesn't seem to make much difference, although I have found all the ones I've ever used to be hard to position easily. It just takes trial and error.
Swiv'lrs stroller hooks--I like these more than the carabiner type hooks because there's nothing to open when I want to hook something on, they're strong, and they fit just about any stroller because the two C-shaped ends are different sizes. You just snap it on.
Clothing
Lots of footy pajamas/sleepers/creepers/whatever they call them. Lots. And lots. In lots of sizes.
Pedoodles makes fantastic first walker shoes with very soft soles. They have high ankles and velcro, and for us, they were the greatest shoes for Karina. She was comfortable and the shoes stayed on.
BePe Baby is a small business but they make the only slippers that stayed on Karina's feet, and they are now the only slippers she will wear. I get her new ones now every winter. She loves them. They make very tiny ones for babies, even newborns, but I don't think they're necessary. The toddler ones have no-slip grip on the bottom, too. Sizes are pretty true, although when you order them sometimes they look really big.
Socks usually fall off. Carters and their subsidiary brands (Child of Mine and Just One Year) made (and might still make) some with thick, terry cuffs that didn't fall off. The other really random place to get good baby socks that I had a lot of success with--the Target dollar spot. No kidding, I got lots of cute baby socks there and they didn't fall off. Most of the other ones I tried, even name brand ones, fell off. Not until baby is a little older do the socks start staying on!
Onesies with foldover cuffs on the sleeves are the best. Babies can scratch their faces unintentionally and the mittens you get at the stores just don't work well (in my opinion). But those foldover cuffs are lifesavers.
Miscellaneous Things
Lots of Links or other brand of links. They are good for holding all kinds of things and the baby can chew them, too.
O-ball toy. This thing is so cool; it's a ball but it's open inside. Imagine a soccer ball but instead of having a sold outside, all the seams were plastic and the stuff in between was gone. It's easy for baby to grip, and it can be chewed on. It will bounce but not a lot.
changing table covers--you'll need a bunch of them.
wetbags. I recommend these for every mom. They are not just good for cloth diapers, but also for wet swimsuits, spitup clothes, or basically anything that gets wet and you need to transport home. The best thing is, instead of an environmentally unfriendly plastic bag, you just wash these and reuse them. I have to recommend MonkeyFootDesigns on Etsy (or she has a regular shop but I don't know the address for it). I absolutely LOVE her wetbags.
Skip gas drops. They don't work well at all. Some pediatricians also do not recommend using things like baby Orajel for teething babies. I use it, and I used it on Karina, but if you choose to do so you are doing so at your own risk. Always consult your doctor first. I like the nighttime formula better because it seems to be stronger. I don't even buy the regular kind.
I hope this list was helpful to you. I was not compensated for any reviews and everything expressed above is my opinion. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing anything, or if you have any questions. I'm not liable if you do something I suggest and it doesn't work out for you. . This is just what works and worked for me. Others may have different opinions.
Brands I have had a lot of success with, across their product lines
Graco
Britax
Fisher Price
Bright Starts
Munchkin
Equipment
bouncy seat or vibrating seat (I have a Boppy brand and really like it). You won't hold your baby all the time and you'll want a nice place to put him or her down. Elena loves her bouncy seat.
swing (look for one that plugs in; otherwise stock up on D batteries). This is another must have, in my opinion. When Elena was smaller, she was often hard to get to sleep in anything other than the swing. The one in this link is very similar to ours.
floor gym (mine is Bright Starts) The little flower plays the sweetest tunes when you pull the tab under it. Unfortunately, when we stored it between kids, all the slobber from when Karina was a baby kind of, um, made it dirty....so it's gone. I miss the flower's tunes! I wish I could play them for Elena.
Fisher Price rocking bassinet (this thing is amazing!). Some days I wished I had two, one for upstairs and one for downstairs! Elena loves it and prefers sleeping in it to anything else in the house. She sleeps longer overnight in it than in her crib. And it was perfect when we were dealing with the bad, bad, horrible, horrible, awful, bad, bad reflux. Did I mention her reflux was bad?
Some type of exersaucer or walker. As baby grows, you won't want or be able to carry him or her around all the time. Karina's was by Safety 1st and had dinosaurs on it; she was fascinated by the lights.
Doorway jumpers--we used ours all of three times. I say either skip it or get it on consignment.
Bumbo seat. Very useful, but not used for very long. This is one of those amazing baby items that is so awesome for the one month or so that you use it. As soon as baby can sit up unassisted, you don't really need it anymore. I recommend finding one on consignment or a hand me down from a friend.
Monitor. I have two Gracos and both are great. The older one is analog and you can't get it anymore, but we are still using it 3 1/2 years later and it works great. Then we have a new digital one that has talkback, and I love it. I also just won (I know, this is so cool!) a V-tech audio-video monitor and it is AWESOME. I wish I had had one with Karina because I worried so much, and it would have helped me a lot to be able to see her as well as hear her. Go ahead and spend the money on a good baby monitor. You are going to use it for many years, well into the toddler years. Get one with talkback so that when your sweet toddler starts the nightly, "Mommy can I sleep with you?" calls, you don't have to get up out of your bed to tell them no.
Diaper Bag. If you use cloth diapers like I did, you will need a very large diaper bag. Larger than a standard bag, because the basic truth is cloth takes up more space than disposables. There are lots out there. I have a Carini Bambini that I used constantly with Karina, and now I'm actually using a Miche bag my friend gave me. It's not quite big enough all the time, but I like it so much I keep using it anyway! I also had a smaller bag for quick outings. I would suggest that you shop in a store though, so you can really tell how big it is and how the pockets work etc. Buying online can be great, but sometimes you get the thing and it's not at all what you imagined.
Carriers
I have used Baby Bjorn, Infantino, Baby K'Tan, and Munchkin jellybean slings, which was a regular stiff cotton sling. Karina liked them, Elena hates them. My recommendation is to see if you can borrow one from someone first and see if your baby likes it. If so, spend the money on a good one, especially if you plan to use it a lot. The Baby Bjorn I used has lumbar support but the Infantino did not, and it made a huge difference. Same with the two slings, the Baby K'Tan was much more versatile (because you can put the baby in more positions) than the other sling, although Karina liked both of them a lot. (I think the Infantino link is the one I have). This is just one of those items where spending more on a quality item is really worth it. And if you didn't know it, I'm a tightwad. :-)
Feeding
Unless you breastfeed at home and never leave your baby with anyone until s/he weans, you will need bottles. I use formula and we have used the Playtex Vent Aire Advanced with both our girls and I love them. They worked so well with Karina that she almost never had to burp. For breastfeeding moms, I have heard great things about Avent and Tommee Tippee, though I have not had experience with either one. I suggest buying just one of several brands and styles and see what your baby prefers (because they do have preferences!)
Get a good drying rack as well as a dishwasher basket. You'll also probably want a microwave steam sterilizer, unless you would rather just boil water on the stove, which you can very easily do. To sterilize this way (I have done both) just boil water in a clean pot and drop the desired item in for about five minutes. You probably don't even need to do it that long, but that's what I do.
Get a high chair that reclines and then sits upright. I have never used those clip to table styles because I personally am afraid they'll fall off (but that's my paranoia). I also got the Cooshee booster seats for when Karina outgrew the high chair. I really love them because they grip without straps, and are nice and soft.
If you breastfeed, get a brand new, high quality pump. Don't borrow or buy used as I am led to understand that bacteria can linger and you don't want that. Plus, we're talking about your parts here, so let's take good care of them, right? :-)
If you use formula, I recommend a partitioned formula dispenser, but not a mixing pitcher or electric mixer. They just aren't necessary. I have both and don't use either one. In fact, I actually do use the mixer...for hot chocolate!
When you buy baby spoons, I recommend the long ones made by Munchkin, because when the baby graduates to the larger size jars, you won't get as messy digging out the last bits with the long spoons.
Brita makes a water bottle with built in filter. Great if you use formula so if you run out of water you can have clean water from any tap.
Nuby sippy cups were a great transition for Karina. They have a textured spout that is more like a nipple than most sippy cup spouts. With Karina, I had found one, and she loved it, and then I could never find anymore just like it. I found some recently and got two for Elena.
Bottle brushes--I found a soft rubbery one recently made by Sassy, and it has saved my hands. I also use a regular bristle one by Munchkin. I use the bristly one on the actual bottle part, and the soft one on the small parts that I have to hold in my hand and rub the brush across (this is why I love the rubbery one; no more scratching my hands while cleaning the bottle parts).
Plates that suction to the table tend to not work, in my experience. I say skip them. Instead, just get some of those grippy drawer liners (you can usually find the stuff at the dollar store) and use them as a placemat. It will grip any of the plastic plates your child is using enough that it will be hard to knock it on the floor.
Diapering
I love cloth diapers and if you read this blog you know that already. Cloth is cheaper (it has a higher start-up cost, but in the long run, they are much, much--like thousands of dollars--cheaper. And they can be reused on subsequent children. Seriously I haven't bought diapers for Elena since I bought the newborn ones I didn't have with Karina. I have spent probably a total of $50 on her diapers in 5 months and that was only those newborn diapers), better for your baby's health (disposables are hot and use chemicals to absorb the urine), and better for the environment (reusable and recyclable). I often hear people express the opinion that they are "gross" because of the poop. Well, the truth is that if you have a baby, you are going to deal with poop. Cloth or disposable, and you are more likely to have blowouts requiring massive poop cleanup if you use disposables, because the slipperiness of the diaper interior doesn't 'catch' the poop like cloth fibers do. So I recommend cloth, but not everyone wants to use cloth. Okay, that's fine, just please, please flush the poop down the toilet, even if it's in a disposable. Poop is NOT meant to go into landfills. It creates a biohazard waste situation and most people don't realize this. Please flush the poop. :-)
Rash cream. I talk below in the bathing section about Grandma El's, but I'll repeat myself here. Grandma El's makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe, unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb. Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Diaper sprayer. If you use cloth, please just get one. Really, just do it. It makes poop cleanup so easy. I didn't have one at first, and once I got one, I felt like I had a new lease on my cloth diapering life!
Diaper Pail. Not a clue, really. Sorry. I don't use one, so I don't know. I do know that the wetbags I use for my cloth diapers do not smell nearly as much as any other diaper container for disposables I've ever come across (probably because no one flushes the poop, so it sits in the diaper pail making stink. Flush the poop, really.) I've hear Diaper Genie, Diaper Champ, some other brands, but to be honest, if you use disposables, don't flush the poop, and don't take each individual diaper to the trash outside, you're going to have some level of stink. I have a level of stink with cloth, but it's not that bad really.
Wet bags. Not just for cloth! These things are good for wet swimsuits, wet clothes, spitup on clothes, soaking soppen wet burp cloths, transporting things that can leak, such as shampoo and so much more. And unlike plastic zipper bags, you don't throw them in a landfill, you just wash them and reuse them. Woohoo!
Sleeping
Woombie--I loved ours. It's a swaddler that stretches kind of like baby is still in the womb, plus it has a double zipper, so once it's zipped up and baby needs a change, you zip it UP again from the bottom only as far as you need to. You don't need to remove the entire thing. Awesome.
White noise machine--helpful if your baby doesn't like quiet or needs some kind of noise to sleep. You can get lots of them and they have pretty standard sounds. You can get some that even have "womb" noises. Elena didn't like that setting but she does like the ocean waves.
Crib Mobile--Take it or leave it. Elena hasn't really needed one, but Karina and I had a fun time making one anyway. Karina had one and it was more of a pain than it was worth, in my opinion. It hooked to the crib, so as soon as she could reach for it, it had to go. Of course, that's when she finally got interested in it. Elena's is actually suspended from the ceiling, far from the reach of anyone including me.
Bathing
Get lots of washcloths. Lots, because they're also great for keeping in the kitchen to wipe messy faces off. So get some for the bath and some for the kitchen. You won't need as many towels as you think though. I have five and I never need that many, ever. I could have done with three and been fine. The towels with hoods are good though to keep baby warmer when s/he comes out of the water.
A good bathtub is essential. Get one you can use in the sink and transition to the tub. Mine is by Summer Infant and I love it. It locks onto the center post in the sink, and can also be used in the tub. Plus, it came with this hammock-like netting that I used when the girls were infants.
I say skip the tub kneeler. You're just being raised up higher, which only makes your back hurt more. I just use a towel folded up, which does double duty as a catch for the water that sloshes over the side when toys are set on the side of the tub or little hands splash too much.
Shampoo. I really love Grandma El's shampoo. You can get it at Target.com, and if you have a Target card the shipping is free. It also appears on sites like babyhalfoff.com sometimes. I love it because it got rid of Karina's chronic cradle cap. We literally spent $70 on a prescription foam because the stuff wouldn't go away. The Grandma El's arrived in the mail, and after only one application of the foam, and shampooing with the Grandma El's, no more cradle cap, ever. Really. (No one paid me to say that, it's just true). Waste of $70. (If you read the diapering section above, you've already read this part) Grandma El's also makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe, unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb. Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Tub spout cover (see below in safety-household)
Safety Items-Household
Doorknob covers, outlet plugs, and cabinet locks are a must.. We did not need toilet, fridge, or stove locks with Karina, but every child is different. I think you will be able to tell by your child's behavior if you need these items, but I would say wait to purchase them later. I'm thinking we're going to need every kind of lock available for Elena. She's such a turkey.
Cushioned corner covers. These don't have to all go on one item. We have them only on exposed corners, such as the corner of Karina's nightstand that was at a higher level than her toddler bed (I worried she'd bump it in the night). I didn't get the all-around table cushion, although that would work well if you have a table in your living room. Ours is pushed to the side because our room isn't that big and Karina needed room to play. You probably also want a tub spout cover. But check your tub first--if the shower pull is at the back of the spout near the wall, you may have trouble finding one that works. So check that before you buy or register for one.
Safety Items/Mommy Helpers-Travel
Car mirrors. These are useful but some of the small ones that go on the rear-view mirror don't work well. I got one that velcros on. I tried one style that had this bungee type cord, and it didn't work for me. The larger mirror that goes in back doesn't seem to make much difference, although I have found all the ones I've ever used to be hard to position easily. It just takes trial and error.
Swiv'lrs stroller hooks--I like these more than the carabiner type hooks because there's nothing to open when I want to hook something on, they're strong, and they fit just about any stroller because the two C-shaped ends are different sizes. You just snap it on.
Clothing
Lots of footy pajamas/sleepers/creepers/whatever they call them. Lots. And lots. In lots of sizes.
Pedoodles makes fantastic first walker shoes with very soft soles. They have high ankles and velcro, and for us, they were the greatest shoes for Karina. She was comfortable and the shoes stayed on.
BePe Baby is a small business but they make the only slippers that stayed on Karina's feet, and they are now the only slippers she will wear. I get her new ones now every winter. She loves them. They make very tiny ones for babies, even newborns, but I don't think they're necessary. The toddler ones have no-slip grip on the bottom, too. Sizes are pretty true, although when you order them sometimes they look really big.
Socks usually fall off. Carters and their subsidiary brands (Child of Mine and Just One Year) made (and might still make) some with thick, terry cuffs that didn't fall off. The other really random place to get good baby socks that I had a lot of success with--the Target dollar spot. No kidding, I got lots of cute baby socks there and they didn't fall off. Most of the other ones I tried, even name brand ones, fell off. Not until baby is a little older do the socks start staying on!
Onesies with foldover cuffs on the sleeves are the best. Babies can scratch their faces unintentionally and the mittens you get at the stores just don't work well (in my opinion). But those foldover cuffs are lifesavers.
Miscellaneous Things
Lots of Links or other brand of links. They are good for holding all kinds of things and the baby can chew them, too.
O-ball toy. This thing is so cool; it's a ball but it's open inside. Imagine a soccer ball but instead of having a sold outside, all the seams were plastic and the stuff in between was gone. It's easy for baby to grip, and it can be chewed on. It will bounce but not a lot.
changing table covers--you'll need a bunch of them.
wetbags. I recommend these for every mom. They are not just good for cloth diapers, but also for wet swimsuits, spitup clothes, or basically anything that gets wet and you need to transport home. The best thing is, instead of an environmentally unfriendly plastic bag, you just wash these and reuse them. I have to recommend MonkeyFootDesigns on Etsy (or she has a regular shop but I don't know the address for it). I absolutely LOVE her wetbags.
Skip gas drops. They don't work well at all. Some pediatricians also do not recommend using things like baby Orajel for teething babies. I use it, and I used it on Karina, but if you choose to do so you are doing so at your own risk. Always consult your doctor first. I like the nighttime formula better because it seems to be stronger. I don't even buy the regular kind.
I hope this list was helpful to you. I was not compensated for any reviews and everything expressed above is my opinion. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing anything, or if you have any questions. I'm not liable if you do something I suggest and it doesn't work out for you. . This is just what works and worked for me. Others may have different opinions.
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