Crib Cozies: A Nice Alternative to Bumpers

Crib Bumpers. Dun dun duh! A very popular product and a very touchy subject with moms today. Most safety advocates tell you to remove all soft bedding from your crib...including those uber popular, pretty crib bumpers. It's quite controversial.

I chose not to use them. I wanted to be on the safe side and with all the research out there advocating both sides of the story, I figured I would err on the side of caution.

Then I had a son who absolutely LOVES to sleep with his face smooshed up against something. In his bassinet, the bug would scoot as close as possible to side. When he slept in his EuroTote , his entire face would be turned toward the side, cramming his face toward the soft cotton. No matter what we did, this was how he chose to sleep.

So when we transitioned to our crib last month, I wasn't sure what to do. I was fairly certain I didn't want the traditional soft, flimsy bumpers. The first few weeks I just stuck blankets around the edges of his crib so he couldn't stick his feet out the slats and again, so he could put his face against something if he wanted to. It didn't really work as he would end up grabbing the blankets and pulling them out from under the mattress. (Strong little bugger.)

Then we receive a FABULOUS gift - Engage Environment's Crib Cozies . There is no other word for them; they are AWESOME. The bug just loves them. Each set includes two wedges and two cylinders that are covered with plush slipcovers that are easily removed for laundering (as we tested when he was sick last week :()These iParenting Award winners are firm but soft, so he has something to cuddle against. They aren't floppy at all, so I don't worry about him re-breathing stale air. Even if he's right up against them, he still has room for his mouth and nose. Plus, they are really pretty!

Engage Environments mission to create a calm sleep environment. They wanted to meet the developmental needs of infants and young children by using soothing textures and consistency of surroundings, making the crib free of visual stimulation. I admit I sort of break that rule as you can see from our ever-fabulous Baby Star sheet. It's VERY bright and very busy.



If you are looking for an alternative to the standard crib bumper, the Crib Cozie is the way to go. And better still, when your child is able to pull up (time to TAKE OUT the bumpers and cozies) you can continue to use them for playtime outside of the crib. I give them four stars!

Engage Environments also sells Banded Crib Sheets, Adjustable Bed Skirts and Lovey Blankets. Available at Coastal Cuties

Becoming a Foodie

As we have established in earlier posts, I can be sort of lazy when it comes to certain aspects of parenting. It's not that I don't want the very, very best for my baby...because you all know I do. I want better than the best for that handsome little man.

But...I am truly a child of convenience. I admit it. I can't help it. It's just who I am.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to try the cloth diapers again. I have friends who swear by them and I know that the products I have will be fantastic. I just have to put in the hours figuring it out and getting it to work.

And I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to make my own baby food. But so far, that's been a bust. We have the Beaba Babycook , which is a fantastic little machine that steams and purees food for your wee one. It's extremely easy to use and I love the idea of whipping a batch of veggies for the Wonderbug that J and I are going to have for dinner anyway. But I am not a chef. And I am not uber creative when it comes to food. So we've been chowing down on the Earth's Best Organics and some occasional Gerber food. If I'm going to BUY baby food, I really prefer organic since I am not a fan of all the hormones and other weird additives that go into most foods.

But I need recipes. I need to know what foods can actually go together. I didn't realize that yellow squash is not so yummy for babies...got to stick with the butternut. Oooops. I had a colleague recommend zucchini and apples so we might try that tonight. I tried to smash up a banana last night with breast milk but the lumps made him gag. I guess I jumped the gun on some textured stuff. We'll stick to the purees for now.

What do you all make for your baby? Pass it on.

Never the Same

When you have a child, you inherently know that your life will never be the same. The very thought of CREATING another human being just reeks of - never, ever the same - and that's a good thing. There is an excitement to it, a raw, earthy feeling of creativity. I am creating something. I am changed.

But then there are the regular, old changes that come later. Some of the them SLAP you in the face, like the fact that you may never sleep in AGAIN..at least until your kids are teenagers and are sleeping until noon themselves. Or the fact that really and truly, make-up is your best friend. Au natural is not my thing.

Other changes creep up on you and subtlely take root in your body - like my most recent discovery. My immune system may be on the fritz forever.

I am not one to get sick. I take my 1-2 colds a year with gusto, pop a little Zicam and call it a day. I, unfortunately, have been plagued with migraines for most of my life, but I don't consider that being "sick", it's just a royal pain in my tookus.

But since Wonderbug has been born, I have been sick at least 4-5 times. And this last time, this heinous, nasty stomach bug, made me ponder if my immune system is ever coming back. The colds I've had seem to take up residence in my lungs and nasal passages. They have this firm grip and seem to want to suck the life out of me like a horrible tick. I am WIPED OUT! I don't even think a weeks vacation complete with massages and other spa treatments could cure me.

I don't mean this to be a complaint. I wouldn't trade this for anything since it means every morning I peak over the edge of the crib and see this little grin on an adorable face of drool. The bug is my everything...and therefore, worth sacrificing my immune system. It's just that it caught me off-guard. I hate being sick. But bring it on.... Parenthood rocks!

Avocados are a no go

My little man is a champion eater. He loves all foods...or so we thought. We tried avocados tonight. Totally bombed.
But the pear yogurt afterward was met with much better success.

In Honor of Father's Day - Guest Post

*In honor of Father's Day, I invited CPA-Papa to guest post with his thoughts on being a father. Happy First Father's Day Honey!*




Since this is my first father’s day, Erin asked if I would make a guest appearance on her blog. I absolutely love being a father so I anxiously agreed; however, since being serious is not my forte and PG is not in my genetic makeup, this may be the last time I get such a request.

Being a new father is euphoric. The lack of sleep and the realization that I’m just a few years away from never having to mow the lawn, take out the trash, or get my own beer definitely add to the euphoria; however, the foremost underlying is when I look into his eyes and envision all the love, encouragement and nurturing support Erin and I are going to unconditionally provide in order to ensure a blissful, healthy, flourishing and rewarding life.

Being a new father also brings a lot of questions to mind.
For example, if I change to an all ice cream and beer diet that results in fat rolls the Michelin man would be envious of and the loss of all but two teeth which would foster uncontrolled drooling…would hot women pinch my cheeks and ogle me every 10 feet as I was wheeled through the mall in my man stroller?

To conclude, I leave you with the top 5 things I never knew about myself:

1. I never thought I’d show a stranger on a plane pictures of my child (Note: I still loath sitting there while you show me pictures and talk about yours).

2. I never thought I’d be shat on by another Homosapien.

3. I never knew that when I was shat on, my reaction would be to laugh (Note: peeing isn’t on this list b/c my lovely sister took care of that one about 20 years ago so I know first hand being pissed off is much, much better than being pissed on).

4. I never thought I’d clean a penis or wipe an arse that wasn’t my own. By the way, how did we ever learn the latter task for ourselves as children? Was it trial & error b/c I don’t recall being coached? It’s probably good that I don’t remember as the error part of each trial could not have been a positive experience.

5. I never knew I could love anything so unconditionally. For example, I love my wife dearly but if she went on a binge and William Mark Felted the NC State basketball team my next tax return would be filed as Head of Household. If my child did the same, I might puke a few times but I would still claim him as a dependent.

A first

Yesterday we experienced a parenting first. The little bug caught a stomach bug.

I would like to tell you I put on a brave face and took care of the little guy like a champ, but that would be a lie. First off, I don't do vomit. No even a little. Even as a kid, I would freak out. My mom used to have a harder time taking care of ME when my sister was sick than my actual sick sister. What can you do?

So the little guy woke up from his afternoon nap - getting sick all over the place. I don't mean to be too graphic, but REALLY all over the place - his outfit, his hair, his lovey, etc. So Jason and I clean him up, start a load of laundry and I try to figure out the culprit. We had our first experience with peaches that morning....could that be it? Did he get some viral bug at school? Was this a one time thing?

The bug was smiling and playing so I figure all is well. J goes outside to mow the lawn, my mom stops by and we continue on the day. It's been about 6 hours since he last ate, so I decide to give him a small bottle. He drinks about 3 oz. and promptly throws up...all over me, all over him, all over the blanket we're sitting on. Thank GOD for my mother! It is really amazing how when stuff like that happens your brain freezes. What do I do first? Clean off the baby, clean off me?

Needless to say, the bug was not better. The next few hours were quite painful for me as a mother. Not only do I hate vomit with a crazy, freaky passion, but my little baby was sick. I was in tears! It was the scariest thing to see this precious thing so out of sorts. I hated every LONG second of it.

We spent the rest of the night watching him like a hawk, feeding him small amounts of Pedialyte while he slept in random fits. Last It was a long night - up at 1, up at 2, up at 4 and 5. Fun times!

But this morning, he was all GIGGLES! I am so relieved. I am not looking forward to future illnesses if I am going to feel that sense of panic and fear EVERY TIME! I just love him SO much; I don't ever want to see him hurting in any way.

Anyway, sorry for the TMI post on the barf, I just felt it was necessary to share since it is something all parents will go through eventually. HUGE PROPS to my husband for being, not only, SO FABULOUS with the bug as usual, but also dealing with his freaking out wife. LOVE YA! Looking forward to showering you with gifts, love and affection tomorrow.

The Downside of Nursing...

I have been one of those lucky women, who after a few days of painful ta-tas due to the little one not latching on correctly, nursing has been smooth sailing.

However, as TMI as this probably is to all of you, can I just say TEETH HURT!!!!! Wonderbug has two bottom teeth and every now and again, he gets a tad over eager at breakfast or bedtime and chomps down. Oh. My. God. It hurts. It hurts bad.

I feel like I have to write a love letter to my boobs. "Dearest Boobies, I am SO sorry for all that you are going through. Know that you are providing lots of valuable nourishment for the bug. We both really appreciate you and in six months, we will probably leave you alone. Thank you for your time."

The Bug's Stats

My little man is 15lbs. 7oz. (20th percentile in weight)
and 26 3/4 inches (60th percentile in height).

He did GREAT with his shots...much better than mommy, who was already crying before the first needle went in.

A Letter from your Mama

My sweet sweet Wonderbug,
I can't believe you are SIX MONTHS OLD today! It's hard to imagine that six months ago today your daddy and I were hanging out at the hospital just waiting anxiously for you to arrive.



Do you know how much you are loved? We waited a long time for you and you were completely worth it. All the heartache and tears were just necessary steps in life for us to get a perfect little angel...you! I am amazed by you every day. I love listening to you talk, giggle, coo and even fuss. You are constantly learning and changing.



Thank you for being such a beautiful baby. Thank you to your daddy for helping bring you into the world. I am honored to be your mother. I am lucky to be your mother. And I promise I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy.

Love,
Mommy



*Thanks to Tess Jensen Photography for these adorable photos!

Peas and Carrots

Man my baby loves to eat! How cute is he in his Svan Chair?





Monday is his 6 MONTH well visit,so we'll find out how much weight he's put on and how much he's grown. I am so proud of my big boy and can't believe how fast time flies.

Struggling with a decision.

I consider myself very lucky because breastfeeding came fairly easy for me. The first few weeks were tough but once the wonderbug and I mastered it...we were home-free. I exclusively breastfed until he was three months and then we had to start supplementing a bit of formula when he started day care since I wasn't pumping enough. So at school, he got 3 bottles, all 1/2 breastmilk, 1/2 formula.

Pumping has been a bit of a challenge for me. I have an awesome pump (Medela Freestyle) - it's the time to do it that I'm finding difficult to manage. Over the past few weeks, my supply has diminished (during the day) significantly. I have set alarms at work to make sure I pump twice a day but I hit ignore or think "Ok, I'll do it in a sec." and all of a sudden half my day is gone. Plus, work is pretty hectic right now. And I know stress has a big effect on supply as well.

So here's my issue --- do I wean the bug from daytime feedings? I COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY intend to nurse him in the morning and at bedtime until he is one. But this pumping thing is really getting to me. And on weekends, he ends up turning away and getting distracted when I nurse mid-day....probably because he's not getting much. In fact, right now, I use all the pumped milk in his breakfast and dinner cereal and he's getting three bottles of formula at school.

The guilt is KILLING me. I feel like I've failed him in some way, but I also feel like I need to manage my sanity. Getting breastmilk twice a day is still really beneficial for him right? I just can't make a decision - but I know I need to and just get on with it already. I don't need extra mommy guilt clinging to me like a needy ex-boyfriend. I have enough already.

Car seat annoyance.

So we got this FABULOUS car seat at my baby shower. My aunts and grandmother went in and bought us the Sunshine Radian80. I was really excited and knew it was going to be great for the bug. You can use it up to 80 lbs! (We probably won't as I think as the bug grows he'll be more comfortable in a booster like Clek, but still, good to know.)

Well, this past weekend, I was FED UP with the Graco Infant Seat and said ENOUGH! It was time to put in the convertible car seat. Enter problem. The hubby spent a big chunk of time trying to configure it into the Acura. We figured out quickly that it wouldn't fit behind the passenger seat, but we thought for sure that it would fit in the middle. WRONG! I'd be driving like a granny all up on the steering wheel to even consider it fitting. )@#($*#@_)(

I am so bummed. We are pretty sure it'll fit in the Accord, so into daddy's car it goes. And it'll be great once we can turn the bug forward facing, but that's another six months. So....mommy needs to buy a new car seat. A new car seat that will fit in the back seat of an Acura RDX rear-facing. I want a Britax ...now I just have to dig up the mula. Waaa!

The Meaning of "Home"

Twitter Moms is participating in a contest to help promote the new movie, Away We Go, about a couple expecting their first child and looking for the perfect place to call home.

Home to me is easy....it's wherever my husband and baby boy are. I could be anywhere in the entire world, and as long as I have my boys with me, I'll be content. There really is nothing better than being in the arms of my husband, staring at our sweet little bug while he sleeps, plays or giggles. Ahhh, life is good.

Major props...

I have to give major props to all those who use cloth diapers. I put the bug to bed in a cloth diaper and he woke up 50 minutes later and he was SOAKED. I don't know what I did wrong, but obviously something wasn't right. I mean, people wouldn't use these things if they leaked all the time.
So sometime this week, I need to sit down and watch the video to make sure I am folding the cloth diaper correctly. I have to admit...this may just not be for me. I may, in fact, just be too impatient to learn, which is sad because patience is usually my strong suit.

Testing 123

So I just put the bug down for a nap...in a CLOTH diaper. I just sucked it up and said "ok, I'm going for it.." Will let you know how it goes.