Saturday, January 26, 2013
Snowed In (Sort Of)
Yesterday Will and I had a mommy date planned, but it was delayed on account of snow and crabby baby (mostly crabby baby :). William and I spent the day snuggling, napping and hanging out. There were a few moments I thought I might rip out my hair, but it was a pretty nice day.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
How Big is Baby?
How big can he be? (Insert "So Big" into my brain for the rest of the day :)
Will had his 2 month check up today, he weighs 11lbs, 12 oz and is 23.25 inches! Will went from the 10th percentile in weight at his 2 week visit to the 44th percentile! Woo hoo! I'm glad my little man is so big and healthy, especially since we had issues with him eating and gaining weight during his first few weeks.
Will also had his first round of immunizations, he squawked a little, but I had to choke back some tears when I saw how sad he was. Will just gave me this look like, "You've betrayed me!". Alas, thank goodness for baby Tylenol.
Dave and I feel so fortunate and blessed that Will is such an easy and happy kid. He's pretty easy to console, he naps like a champ and when he's ready to play he's so much fun! Aside from the first couple weeks of his life, I'm not sure what parents are referring to when they say "I don't have time for anything!", I feel like I'm missing part of some part of the baby equation.When Will is awake 100% of my attention is on him, but he takes such great naps that I feel like I have time to get a lot done. I don't have nearly as much time as I did before, but I think we manage to keep it together. Will is also so portable right now, I love that we can take him anywhere and he's so content and happy. I think in a few months when he's on a more set schedule and he's mobile is when we're going to start feeling like we don't have time for anything. We'll also see what kind of tune I'm singing when I go back to work in a few weeks... I have a feeling it's going to be interesting getting back into the swing of things. We shall see!
Here's my big man sleeping off his rough day. Hopefully tomorrow he's back to his happy self. :)
Will had his 2 month check up today, he weighs 11lbs, 12 oz and is 23.25 inches! Will went from the 10th percentile in weight at his 2 week visit to the 44th percentile! Woo hoo! I'm glad my little man is so big and healthy, especially since we had issues with him eating and gaining weight during his first few weeks.
Will also had his first round of immunizations, he squawked a little, but I had to choke back some tears when I saw how sad he was. Will just gave me this look like, "You've betrayed me!". Alas, thank goodness for baby Tylenol.
Dave and I feel so fortunate and blessed that Will is such an easy and happy kid. He's pretty easy to console, he naps like a champ and when he's ready to play he's so much fun! Aside from the first couple weeks of his life, I'm not sure what parents are referring to when they say "I don't have time for anything!", I feel like I'm missing part of some part of the baby equation.When Will is awake 100% of my attention is on him, but he takes such great naps that I feel like I have time to get a lot done. I don't have nearly as much time as I did before, but I think we manage to keep it together. Will is also so portable right now, I love that we can take him anywhere and he's so content and happy. I think in a few months when he's on a more set schedule and he's mobile is when we're going to start feeling like we don't have time for anything. We'll also see what kind of tune I'm singing when I go back to work in a few weeks... I have a feeling it's going to be interesting getting back into the swing of things. We shall see!
Here's my big man sleeping off his rough day. Hopefully tomorrow he's back to his happy self. :)
Saturday, January 19, 2013
These are a Few of My Favorite Things
When I was pregnant with little Will I wanted to know what baby gear items people couldn't do without. The baby stores are so totally overwhelming and it's hard to know what is decent baby gear and what is just a gimmicky wallet thief.
So far, here are my favs for taking care of a newborn and making your life just a tad bit easier.
Summer Infant SwaddleMe Wraps:
Make swaddling a squirming infant quick and easy, no loose blankets and baby is snug as a bug. Once Will got his brace and couldn't fit into his swaddle wraps anymore, it was a sad day at our house. We switched to aden + anais swaddle blankets because they are thin and large enough to snugly swaddle Will and he can't get out of them like some smaller or thicker blankets. (Summer Infant makes swaddle pods, too. I haven't tried them, but they look like they straighten the baby's legs out instead of letting them stay in their natural bent position, which is really bad for baby's developing hips.)
Baby Brezza Water Kettle:
Love this thing. Keeps water at 98* all the time. Perfect for whipping up formula bottles or warming up expressed breast milk. (so very, very convenient in the middle of the night) It's also handy for when I need to wipe down Will's face, I don't have to run the tap and wait for warm water (I know, he could probably handle having his face wiped with cold water, but the weather is so wintery and cold!)
Graco Pack n' Play:
William has slept in this right next to our bed since he came home. It has a handy little bassinet attachment so he's up at my eye level when I'm laying in bed, and I can just reach over to stroke his sweet face (or pop his paci back in his mouth...). No bells and whistles on this thing, just a regular old Pack n' Play. I'm not sure why you would need your crib to light up, vibrate, play music, or store diapers... but we chose to keep it simple.
Diapers.com:
Not technically gear, but golly I love this site. Free two day shipping on orders over $49 (which with buying diapers and wipes in bulk is a piece of cake to achieve), they take manufacturers coupons, they are always running special deals and you earn money back on your diaper and wipe purchases to apply to future orders. Love it.
Diaper Genie:
I was skeptical about this contraption, and now I don't think I could do without it. Our house never smells like dirty diapers (unless Will has just filled his drawers :) and it's a cinch to empty. The refills for it are a bit pricey, but they last a long time and I think it's worth it to keep the poopy smell at bay!
Boppy Pillow:
We probably use this more than anything. It gives Will a place to hang out when we can't hold him, it props him up for tummy time, it makes holding him more comfortable when feeding him, and when he's bigger it will help support him as he learns to sit up. Get a few covers, especially if you have an urpy baby like William!
JJ Cole Car Seat Cover:
Looove this thing for a winter baby. It has elastic that holds it on the car seat and a nice little flap that zips open to easily pop baby in and out. It's lined with fleece so it's super cozy, we just put Will in the car seat with a blanket and we never need to put a coat or snowsuit on him. We get so many comments on how cozy this looks when we take William out! We ended up putting Velcro on the flap because when we had William's car seat on the stroller, the flap was always flying open when it was windy. The Velcro looks a little janky, but gets the job done. We were going to get the Bundle Me, which looks like a little sleeping bag for the car seat, but the AAP won't approve it as it's debated whether or not the Bundle Me is safe since it can re-route the straps on a car seat and make the straps not as tight as they should be.
Britax B-Agile Stroller:
I can't say enough good things about this stroller. I know everyone has different stroller needs, so for some families a big stroller like this might not be the best option. We were looking for a stroller that could be used as part of a travel system, was easy to unfold and collapse, navigated well inside and out (some strollers can barely even handle bumps in uneven sidewalk), and we also wanted a stroller that Will could use from birth through his preschool years. So far I have been in love with this stroller. I do wish the basket under the stroller was a little bigger, and that the handle didn't touch the ground when you folded the stroller, but other than that it is just about perfect. The best part? You collapse the stroller with one hand just by pulling a strap, nice!
What are some baby items you recommend? I love learning about new baby gear, especially stuff that will be nice for William as he gets older.
So far, here are my favs for taking care of a newborn and making your life just a tad bit easier.
Summer Infant SwaddleMe Wraps:
Make swaddling a squirming infant quick and easy, no loose blankets and baby is snug as a bug. Once Will got his brace and couldn't fit into his swaddle wraps anymore, it was a sad day at our house. We switched to aden + anais swaddle blankets because they are thin and large enough to snugly swaddle Will and he can't get out of them like some smaller or thicker blankets. (Summer Infant makes swaddle pods, too. I haven't tried them, but they look like they straighten the baby's legs out instead of letting them stay in their natural bent position, which is really bad for baby's developing hips.)
Baby Brezza Water Kettle:
Love this thing. Keeps water at 98* all the time. Perfect for whipping up formula bottles or warming up expressed breast milk. (so very, very convenient in the middle of the night) It's also handy for when I need to wipe down Will's face, I don't have to run the tap and wait for warm water (I know, he could probably handle having his face wiped with cold water, but the weather is so wintery and cold!)
Graco Pack n' Play:
William has slept in this right next to our bed since he came home. It has a handy little bassinet attachment so he's up at my eye level when I'm laying in bed, and I can just reach over to stroke his sweet face (or pop his paci back in his mouth...). No bells and whistles on this thing, just a regular old Pack n' Play. I'm not sure why you would need your crib to light up, vibrate, play music, or store diapers... but we chose to keep it simple.
Diapers.com:
Not technically gear, but golly I love this site. Free two day shipping on orders over $49 (which with buying diapers and wipes in bulk is a piece of cake to achieve), they take manufacturers coupons, they are always running special deals and you earn money back on your diaper and wipe purchases to apply to future orders. Love it.
Diaper Genie:
I was skeptical about this contraption, and now I don't think I could do without it. Our house never smells like dirty diapers (unless Will has just filled his drawers :) and it's a cinch to empty. The refills for it are a bit pricey, but they last a long time and I think it's worth it to keep the poopy smell at bay!
Boppy Pillow:
We probably use this more than anything. It gives Will a place to hang out when we can't hold him, it props him up for tummy time, it makes holding him more comfortable when feeding him, and when he's bigger it will help support him as he learns to sit up. Get a few covers, especially if you have an urpy baby like William!
JJ Cole Car Seat Cover:
Looove this thing for a winter baby. It has elastic that holds it on the car seat and a nice little flap that zips open to easily pop baby in and out. It's lined with fleece so it's super cozy, we just put Will in the car seat with a blanket and we never need to put a coat or snowsuit on him. We get so many comments on how cozy this looks when we take William out! We ended up putting Velcro on the flap because when we had William's car seat on the stroller, the flap was always flying open when it was windy. The Velcro looks a little janky, but gets the job done. We were going to get the Bundle Me, which looks like a little sleeping bag for the car seat, but the AAP won't approve it as it's debated whether or not the Bundle Me is safe since it can re-route the straps on a car seat and make the straps not as tight as they should be.
Britax B-Agile Stroller:
I can't say enough good things about this stroller. I know everyone has different stroller needs, so for some families a big stroller like this might not be the best option. We were looking for a stroller that could be used as part of a travel system, was easy to unfold and collapse, navigated well inside and out (some strollers can barely even handle bumps in uneven sidewalk), and we also wanted a stroller that Will could use from birth through his preschool years. So far I have been in love with this stroller. I do wish the basket under the stroller was a little bigger, and that the handle didn't touch the ground when you folded the stroller, but other than that it is just about perfect. The best part? You collapse the stroller with one hand just by pulling a strap, nice!
What are some baby items you recommend? I love learning about new baby gear, especially stuff that will be nice for William as he gets older.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Two Months
I cannot believe William is two months old today! Time with this little man is just whipping by (and so is my maternity leave for that matter... only three weeks left!)
This past month has been so wonderful and also such a blur. William is starting to kind of sort of get on a sleeping schedule. Daytime naps are still pretty variable, but most nights William will go to bed around 9:30p and not wake up until.... somewhere between 4 and 5:30am!!!! I feel like I'm jinxing myself by even typing such a thing. It's so amazing though, especially after weeks and weeks of waking up every two hours like clock work. I can actually get up at a decent time in the am now, too! When I go back to work William will be a nice little alarm clock, too, since that is about the time I'll have to get up (barf...)
In addition to technically sleeping through the night, William is also tracking objects, smiling like crazy, beginning to grasp objects, bringing his hands together, holding up his head for short stints of time and pushing up on his forearms when I can convince him that tummy time is a fun thing to do. I know this is all perfectly normal for a baby his age to be doing... but I have to brag about my little man :) It's also just absolutely amazing to me that 8 short weeks ago he was just a teeny tiny person that just ate, slept and cried, and now he's getting such a personality and learning so many new things!
It hasn't been all roses though, he is going through a major fussy period and some days I feel like the whole time he's awake he just cries. It makes me nervous for when I go back to work, but hopefully in a few weeks he'll get over this little stage.
I'm also not quite sure how his hip is doing. I'm constantly worried that we don't have his harness on in the correct position and he's going to end up in a terrible Spica cast. The pavlik harness has proved not to be as terrible as I thought it would be, but I just have a feeling that a Spica cast is going to live up to my worst fears. (knocking on wood, keeping my fingers crossed and saying a million prayers we don't go down that road!) William also spits up all the darn time and every once in a while has explosive poopy diapers, I try to spot clean the harness, but we end up actually having to wash it more often than I'd like, which results in him being out of the harness for around 10 hours while it dries, which of course again leaves me feeling like he's doomed for surgery. The other day I was scrubbing poop out of his harness (again) and I thought, maybe there are suggestions online on how to avoid this type of situation. Here is literally what one site suggested:
Until your baby is able to come out of the harness, try to protect the harness from being soiled or spat upon. Wipe any soiled spots clean with a damp cloth and blot dry.
Hmm... thanks for that stellar advice. I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Now for some two month old pictures of Will! I just love this baby more than I can express :)
I can't even handle it!
Two months old... yaaaay.... I'm so excited.
Some post bath time adorableness!
Pictures are over! :)
Sunday, January 6, 2013
What is a WeekEND?
It's that time ... Downton Abbey Season 3!!!! Eeep!
9:00pm I'll be on my couch with a bowl of popcorn. (William had better cooperate, I don't have DVR in this joint!)
Also:
If you're on team Thomas/O'Brien... we should probably just not discuss that, for sake of our friendship :)
9:00pm I'll be on my couch with a bowl of popcorn. (William had better cooperate, I don't have DVR in this joint!)
Also:
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Adventures in Ikea Land.
Will had a very busy day doing all sorts of important things at Ikea.
First, a little breakfast in bed.
After that, a quick jaunt through the rainbow curtain.
Will then spent some time getting to know a new friend.
All in all, a pretty productive day! (Please note that Will is sound asleep in every one of these pictures, which I think is the best part :)
First, a little breakfast in bed.
After that, a quick jaunt through the rainbow curtain.
Will then spent some time getting to know a new friend.
The trip was ended by lounging in a pile of foxes (it's the simple pleasures in life...)
All in all, a pretty productive day! (Please note that Will is sound asleep in every one of these pictures, which I think is the best part :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
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