Baby T still loves his bouncy seat, play gym and lambie swing.
This month I have noticed Baby T putting his fingers in his mouth quite a bit. It's not really sucking though. He chews on them. I'm pretty sure this is part of the teething process, so I am not really concerned.
Baby T loves music. From the time he was a newborn, we played music for him. He went to sleep listening to Shannon Horn's CD Like A Little Girl. He still loves to be sung to. Sometimes it is the only thing that will distract him from a crying fit. He also likes to be bounced and danced with. He loves kisses and tickles.
We had to put the exersaucer up while we had our house on the market. We got it back out today, and the bouncing scared him. It was sad. I'm hoping he gets used to it moving up and down. We put him in the jumper chair, and he seemed to really like that.
Products
Exersaucer
I don't really have a good opinion about this yet. He seems to like the toys and music but not the bouncing.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3420756
Doorway Jumper Chair
We have a Graco bouncer/jumper chair thing we put in the door. I don't think I know the right name, so I can't find the link for it. He likes to stay in it awhile but gets bored after about 10 minutes. It's pretty funny to watch though.
Car seat toys
We received a car seat toy that straps on either side of the handle. Baby T loves to bat and hit the little rattles and mirrors. It makes music too. It helps him from getting bored in the car and in stores. He doesn't like to be in his car seat too long. It is from Target.
Mobile
This is Baby T's favorite thing right now. We have a lambie mobile from PB Kids. He just lays underneath and touches the lambs. He loves to talk to them. I think they have their own language. Only thing is that I wish it wasn't wind-up. I wish it had batteries.
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/lamb-mobile/?cm_src=oldlink
Pacifiers
We use Gerber NUK. This is what he got in the hospital, so he didn't like anything else.
Blankie
We have a Little Giraffe chenile blankie that covers him perfectly in his car seat. They have some at Storkland.
http://www.littlegiraffe.com
Bunnies By the Bay
This brand has lovies, toys, books, clothes and more. We have sever of the lovies (stuffed animals). We also have a blankie and a few onesies. It is precious stuff. You can get it at Dillard's and Provence in Edmond next to Hobby Lobby on 33rd and Broadway.
http://www.bunniesbythebay.com/
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Month Four
It's just getting more fun! We took a trip with Baby T this month. He rode in the car for six hours! We had to stop twice. I thought that was a success! I bought him Mustela sun screen, but I later learned that I cannot put sun screen on him until six months. Oops! I just try to keep him covered up. We use our Aiden & Anais blankets a lot. He loves to cuddle with them. They are light and breathable, so they don't make him too hot.
I like Baby T to look like a little boy. I'm not really into smocking and gigham rompers. It seems like most baby boutiques have 75% girl clothes. It's extremely frustrating. I would not say I am frugal where clothing is concerned for Baby T, but I am not outrageous either. Here are a few of the brands that I have come to love!
Products
Polo Rompers. These are great for boys. You can get these at TJ Maxx for $12.99. They are so cute and great for diaper access. I think they have like 4 snaps. Makes diaper changing a breeze!
Tea Brand Clothes
A little pricey but really cute and soft. They have this brand at Ladybugs and Lizard's in Edmond at Spring Creek.
http://www.teacollection.com/
Zutano Brand Clothes
I love Zutano! I don't know of a place in the OKC area that has a good collection. Ladybugs and Lizards has some but not a lot. Some of it can be a little babyish for me, but it's still really cute.
http://www.zutano.com/
Baby Gap
We love the Gap! In my opinion, they have the best boy clothes. Sizes vary however. You have to really look at the item to see if it will work.
Gymboree
Not really a fan... Darling girl clothes, but not so much on the boy side. And what they do have is just silly.
I like Baby T to look like a little boy. I'm not really into smocking and gigham rompers. It seems like most baby boutiques have 75% girl clothes. It's extremely frustrating. I would not say I am frugal where clothing is concerned for Baby T, but I am not outrageous either. Here are a few of the brands that I have come to love!
Products
Polo Rompers. These are great for boys. You can get these at TJ Maxx for $12.99. They are so cute and great for diaper access. I think they have like 4 snaps. Makes diaper changing a breeze!
Tea Brand Clothes
A little pricey but really cute and soft. They have this brand at Ladybugs and Lizard's in Edmond at Spring Creek.
http://www.teacollection.com/
Zutano Brand Clothes
I love Zutano! I don't know of a place in the OKC area that has a good collection. Ladybugs and Lizards has some but not a lot. Some of it can be a little babyish for me, but it's still really cute.
http://www.zutano.com/
Baby Gap
We love the Gap! In my opinion, they have the best boy clothes. Sizes vary however. You have to really look at the item to see if it will work.
Gymboree
Not really a fan... Darling girl clothes, but not so much on the boy side. And what they do have is just silly.
Month Three
This was the start of the real fun for me. Baby T started smiling consistently and even laughing. It was precious. He still loves to read books in the morning. His new favorite is Eric Carle's Numbers. He also loves his Colors book. He smiles and touches all the animals in the book.
There are not really any new products for this month. Baby T still loves his Play Gym and Lambie Swing.
One thing I forgot to mention in the previous posts is the video monitor. This is a MUST have. We got ours on Amazon for half the price of the one at Babies R Us.
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Handheld-Monitor-Screen/dp/B0007OD8SU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1272577654&sr=8-2
Products
Car seat cover for the cold
I looked all over for this. Walmart is the only place that had the kind that just go over the top of the carseat. All of the other one's fit into the car seat.
It has two sippers on the top, so you really don't need a blanket at all. I could not find a link to it on their site. Probably bc it is summer time.
There are not really any new products for this month. Baby T still loves his Play Gym and Lambie Swing.
One thing I forgot to mention in the previous posts is the video monitor. This is a MUST have. We got ours on Amazon for half the price of the one at Babies R Us.
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Handheld-Monitor-Screen/dp/B0007OD8SU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1272577654&sr=8-2
Products
Car seat cover for the cold
I looked all over for this. Walmart is the only place that had the kind that just go over the top of the carseat. All of the other one's fit into the car seat.
It has two sippers on the top, so you really don't need a blanket at all. I could not find a link to it on their site. Probably bc it is summer time.
Month Two
By the fourth or fifth week I was starting to get the hang of the baby thing. I had to pay my sister to stay up with the baby one night because I thought I was going to loose my mind if I didn't get one night's sleep.
We were following a very strict schedule for feeding but sleeping was a whole other matter. Baby T would sleep off and on throughout the day but nothing regular. We put him in his crib the second night we were home from the hospital. This was a good thing. He loves his bed now. We NEVER put him in bed with us. Oh yes, there were many, many times I wanted to. Times I thought I was going to go crazy if I didn't get some sleep, but I did not want to start bad habits. This was something my husband and I talked about when we were pregnant. We decided that our marriage came first, and (for us) putting the baby in the bed was not healthy. I am so glad that I stuck to this commitment.
Between 5 and 8 weeks I slowly started to ease Baby T into going longer between feedings at night. I took out the 2 o'clock feeding and would feed him at 11:30pm or 12:00am and then again at 5:00am or 6:00am. I slowly moved that last evening feeding up. Eventually, by 8 weeks I was feeding him at about 9:30. The first night was rough. I closed the door and let him cry. Some people ask me if this was hard to do. To be honest, it wasn't. I was so miserable and exhausted. It was time for us all to have some sleep. Baby T cried from 9:30 to 11:30 that first night. I did NOT go in the room. I could see him on my video monitor. He was just fine. He was just mad. He cried from 4:00am to 6:00am the next morning. Again, I did not go in the room until 6:00am. The second night was a little better. By the third night--no crying. So at 8 weeks, Baby T slept from 9:30 until 6:00. It was magical. He was happier, and I was happier. Now at almost 5 months, he sleeps from 8:30pm until about 8:00am.
We also started reading books at about 5 or 6 weeks. At first, his favorite books were the Eric Carle board books. He loved Polar Bear, Polar Bear and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. He loved the animal noises we would make. We read books every morning after his first bottle.
Products for this month
The Lamb Swing
This is a miracle worker for us. When Baby T out grows this, I will cry. It works wonders. It swings side to side.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3090973
Bibs
We were not aware of the excess amount of bibs that we were going to need. We go through about 6 a day. A new one for every feeding. Lots of laundry...
Play Gym
This is Baby T's favorite toy. He can literally play with it for an hour. He hits and swings and even takes off the toys.
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/farm-play-gym/
Bumbo
We used this some, but not as much as other people. Baby T does not like to be in it for very long. I think we might use it more when we start spoon-feeding.
Boppy
Also not something I used much. I think bc I didn't breast feed. I did sit Baby T in when he was little and feed him.
Sleep Positioner
We used this from the start. It helped him stay in one postion and feel secure. He out grew it by three months.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2341851
Bath Products
We use Mustela products. They are expensive, but the one time I used Johnson & Johnson, Baby T broke out in a rash. Scared me to death.
Birth Announcements
I looked everwhere for a cute birth announcement. I love paper! So this was very important to me. I finally decided on one from Minted. Here are few suggestions:
www.minted.com
www.tinyprints.com
www.paperstyle.com
We were following a very strict schedule for feeding but sleeping was a whole other matter. Baby T would sleep off and on throughout the day but nothing regular. We put him in his crib the second night we were home from the hospital. This was a good thing. He loves his bed now. We NEVER put him in bed with us. Oh yes, there were many, many times I wanted to. Times I thought I was going to go crazy if I didn't get some sleep, but I did not want to start bad habits. This was something my husband and I talked about when we were pregnant. We decided that our marriage came first, and (for us) putting the baby in the bed was not healthy. I am so glad that I stuck to this commitment.
Between 5 and 8 weeks I slowly started to ease Baby T into going longer between feedings at night. I took out the 2 o'clock feeding and would feed him at 11:30pm or 12:00am and then again at 5:00am or 6:00am. I slowly moved that last evening feeding up. Eventually, by 8 weeks I was feeding him at about 9:30. The first night was rough. I closed the door and let him cry. Some people ask me if this was hard to do. To be honest, it wasn't. I was so miserable and exhausted. It was time for us all to have some sleep. Baby T cried from 9:30 to 11:30 that first night. I did NOT go in the room. I could see him on my video monitor. He was just fine. He was just mad. He cried from 4:00am to 6:00am the next morning. Again, I did not go in the room until 6:00am. The second night was a little better. By the third night--no crying. So at 8 weeks, Baby T slept from 9:30 until 6:00. It was magical. He was happier, and I was happier. Now at almost 5 months, he sleeps from 8:30pm until about 8:00am.
We also started reading books at about 5 or 6 weeks. At first, his favorite books were the Eric Carle board books. He loved Polar Bear, Polar Bear and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. He loved the animal noises we would make. We read books every morning after his first bottle.
Products for this month
The Lamb Swing
This is a miracle worker for us. When Baby T out grows this, I will cry. It works wonders. It swings side to side.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3090973
Bibs
We were not aware of the excess amount of bibs that we were going to need. We go through about 6 a day. A new one for every feeding. Lots of laundry...
Play Gym
This is Baby T's favorite toy. He can literally play with it for an hour. He hits and swings and even takes off the toys.
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/farm-play-gym/
Bumbo
We used this some, but not as much as other people. Baby T does not like to be in it for very long. I think we might use it more when we start spoon-feeding.
Boppy
Also not something I used much. I think bc I didn't breast feed. I did sit Baby T in when he was little and feed him.
Sleep Positioner
We used this from the start. It helped him stay in one postion and feel secure. He out grew it by three months.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2341851
Bath Products
We use Mustela products. They are expensive, but the one time I used Johnson & Johnson, Baby T broke out in a rash. Scared me to death.
Birth Announcements
I looked everwhere for a cute birth announcement. I love paper! So this was very important to me. I finally decided on one from Minted. Here are few suggestions:
www.minted.com
www.tinyprints.com
www.paperstyle.com
Month One
The first month was wonderful and horrible all at the same time. The endless crying. The spitting up from reflux. No sleep because I was the one "staying at home and not going to work in the morning". I was literally sick from exhaustion. Also, horrible for me was the breastfeeding. It didn't work. I had a c-section and the pain from that was unbearable. But let me tell you. The pain from the breastfeeding was worse than my labor. I cried every time I breastfed and every time I pumped. It was a torture. Part of the problem was that my milk never came in. I would pump for 30 minutes and get maybe an ounce and a half. I was miserable. Finally, my pediatrician asked me why I was torturing myself. And I told him that if I didn't breastfeed then I would be a horrible mom. He looked at me and said, "Go buy formula today." I did and things got a lot better. I slowly let go of the guilt of not breastfeeding. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made because I finally got enough strength back to start healing from the c-section.
Feeding and Schedule
Our pediatrician, Dr. Kelly Stephens, is here in Edmond where we live. He is a very no-nonsense type of guy. I have many friends who take their children to him. I was skeptical of his ways at first, but I did not have any other ideas for a feeding and sleeping schedule, so I went with his. I thought he was a crazy man for about 6 weeks, but I stuck to the schedule like glue. Mostly because I didn't have a better idea. More on schedules in Month Two post.
Remember to DVR many TV shows because you will be up at night with a crying child, and you will need something to watch.
Products I Liked the First Month
Aiden & Anais swaddle blankets
http://www.adenandanais.com
* You can get these at Storkland in OKC and The Gingerbread Cottage in Edmond, OK. I love them because they are large enough to swaddle tightly and they are muslin which make them breathable.
Receiving Blankets
You must have many, many receiving blankets. We used these as burp clothes, changing table towels, and blankets.
Changing Table
I love my cheap changing table from Target. The best thing about it is all of the storage underneath. I got all these cute cloth baskets from PBkids that match the nursery. I keep all my supplies in these boxes--diapers, blankets, onesies, burp clothes, etc. It makes everything so accessible.
Dr. Stephen's Feeding/Sleeping schedule
http://www.mercyok.net/mhn/edmond/Stephens%20-%20Newborn-2%20Wk%20Ckup.pdf
Wedge
My baby had reflux pretty bad so we used a wedge we got at Babies R Us in the crib at night. This really did help. We actually propped it up even more with towels.
The Bouncy Chair
My husband was skeptical of this at first. He thought it looked stupid. He later said, "that was the best thing we ever bought". When babies are little there are not many places to put them. The bouncy chair worked perfectly. There were even a few nights when my baby slept in it. Those were rough nights... Ours has rings and even now he loves to grab onto the rings
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3160407
Diaper Bag
I have a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag. They are pricey, but it's worth it. I love mine because it can be a backpack and it has a changing pad that folds out on the front. It has been wonderful!
http://petuniapicklebottom.com
Carseat cover
Very practical and cute! Also a little pricey. I have seen them on Etsy for cheaper. So look there too. They have these at USA baby, Storkland, and Room to Dream all in OKC.
http://www.itzyritzy.com/
Stroller
My Uppa Baby Vista Stroller is terrific. It was very expensive but well worth it. I only need one stroller for every thing. I use it at the mall and to walk in the neighborhood. It has great wheels and suspension. It has its own child seat, but you can put your car seat on it as well. You can put several different kinds of car seats with this stroller. I will not have to get another stroller when he is a toddler bc the seat fits in the chassis. Many people like the Orbit. And I do too! Except for two things... Because the Orbit has a round bottom, it won't rock. Sometimes it is good to rock the car seat with the baby in it if your out in a public place. Also, the child seat has a round bottom. It doubles as the child car seat. I was confused on how you would get your toddler out of the car and the car seat and get them both on the chassis while in the mall parking lot.
I got my Uppa Baby at USA Baby.
http://www.uppababy.com/
Cribs & Furniture
We got our crib at Storkland and the rest of the furniture at Mathis Brothers. My only opinion about cribs is that PBKids is overpriced.
Rocker Chair
I got this at Storkland also. Bad thing, they only have one book of fabric to pick from. It is much cheaper than PBKids. Room to Dream in Northpark also has custom chair options, but they are very pricey. I'm talking like $1,000 to $2,000 a chair. I love my rocker chair. I use it every day.
Bottles
We use Born bottles. They have worked out great. The nipples have been good with the rice cereal in the formula.
Bottle Cleaning
We use the Medela Quick Clean micorwave bags to disinfect the bottles. You use them 20 times then throw them away.
Nose Frida
Best thing ever!!!!! It's Swedish. Baby T had horribe congestion when he was first born. This was the ONLY thing that worked. You can get it at a pharmacy in Edmond called Innovative Pharmacy Solutions. It's on Kelly between 15th and 33rd.
http://www.nosefrida.com/
Feeding and Schedule
Our pediatrician, Dr. Kelly Stephens, is here in Edmond where we live. He is a very no-nonsense type of guy. I have many friends who take their children to him. I was skeptical of his ways at first, but I did not have any other ideas for a feeding and sleeping schedule, so I went with his. I thought he was a crazy man for about 6 weeks, but I stuck to the schedule like glue. Mostly because I didn't have a better idea. More on schedules in Month Two post.
Remember to DVR many TV shows because you will be up at night with a crying child, and you will need something to watch.
Products I Liked the First Month
Aiden & Anais swaddle blankets
http://www.adenandanais.com
* You can get these at Storkland in OKC and The Gingerbread Cottage in Edmond, OK. I love them because they are large enough to swaddle tightly and they are muslin which make them breathable.
Receiving Blankets
You must have many, many receiving blankets. We used these as burp clothes, changing table towels, and blankets.
Changing Table
I love my cheap changing table from Target. The best thing about it is all of the storage underneath. I got all these cute cloth baskets from PBkids that match the nursery. I keep all my supplies in these boxes--diapers, blankets, onesies, burp clothes, etc. It makes everything so accessible.
Dr. Stephen's Feeding/Sleeping schedule
http://www.mercyok.net/mhn/edmond/Stephens%20-%20Newborn-2%20Wk%20Ckup.pdf
Wedge
My baby had reflux pretty bad so we used a wedge we got at Babies R Us in the crib at night. This really did help. We actually propped it up even more with towels.
The Bouncy Chair
My husband was skeptical of this at first. He thought it looked stupid. He later said, "that was the best thing we ever bought". When babies are little there are not many places to put them. The bouncy chair worked perfectly. There were even a few nights when my baby slept in it. Those were rough nights... Ours has rings and even now he loves to grab onto the rings
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3160407
Diaper Bag
I have a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag. They are pricey, but it's worth it. I love mine because it can be a backpack and it has a changing pad that folds out on the front. It has been wonderful!
http://petuniapicklebottom.com
Carseat cover
Very practical and cute! Also a little pricey. I have seen them on Etsy for cheaper. So look there too. They have these at USA baby, Storkland, and Room to Dream all in OKC.
http://www.itzyritzy.com/
Stroller
My Uppa Baby Vista Stroller is terrific. It was very expensive but well worth it. I only need one stroller for every thing. I use it at the mall and to walk in the neighborhood. It has great wheels and suspension. It has its own child seat, but you can put your car seat on it as well. You can put several different kinds of car seats with this stroller. I will not have to get another stroller when he is a toddler bc the seat fits in the chassis. Many people like the Orbit. And I do too! Except for two things... Because the Orbit has a round bottom, it won't rock. Sometimes it is good to rock the car seat with the baby in it if your out in a public place. Also, the child seat has a round bottom. It doubles as the child car seat. I was confused on how you would get your toddler out of the car and the car seat and get them both on the chassis while in the mall parking lot.
I got my Uppa Baby at USA Baby.
http://www.uppababy.com/
Cribs & Furniture
We got our crib at Storkland and the rest of the furniture at Mathis Brothers. My only opinion about cribs is that PBKids is overpriced.
Rocker Chair
I got this at Storkland also. Bad thing, they only have one book of fabric to pick from. It is much cheaper than PBKids. Room to Dream in Northpark also has custom chair options, but they are very pricey. I'm talking like $1,000 to $2,000 a chair. I love my rocker chair. I use it every day.
Bottles
We use Born bottles. They have worked out great. The nipples have been good with the rice cereal in the formula.
Bottle Cleaning
We use the Medela Quick Clean micorwave bags to disinfect the bottles. You use them 20 times then throw them away.
Nose Frida
Best thing ever!!!!! It's Swedish. Baby T had horribe congestion when he was first born. This was the ONLY thing that worked. You can get it at a pharmacy in Edmond called Innovative Pharmacy Solutions. It's on Kelly between 15th and 33rd.
http://www.nosefrida.com/
About the blog
When I went to register at Babies R' Us, I had no idea what to register for. It seemed like none of my mom friends could remember what they liked either. I felt very ignorant. Here I was about to get all this free stuff, and I didn't even know what I wanted or what was good. Hopefully, through this blog I can keep track of everything that has helped me along the way so far. Things that didn't work for me and things that did! This is all my opinion. I haven't really done any research on things. I just know what I like and what I don't.
I will be posting some of my opinions on parenting. Just what I've learned. I think I have an unusual perspective on parenting from being a middle school teacher. I have seen what babies turn into! Teenagers! Ahhhhhh!
I'm not perfect, and I'm trying my best--just like every other mom out there. Please read and enjoy!
I will be posting some of my opinions on parenting. Just what I've learned. I think I have an unusual perspective on parenting from being a middle school teacher. I have seen what babies turn into! Teenagers! Ahhhhhh!
I'm not perfect, and I'm trying my best--just like every other mom out there. Please read and enjoy!
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