Tag: baby

Diaper Dilemma

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For some reason, when Baylie gets diaper rash she REALLY gets diaper rash. It seems like the combination of a new tooth and the super chlorinated water she inevitably drinks at swim lessons makes for a lethal combination for her booty.

This past week was particularly bad. She was at the point of refusing to let me  use wipes – she would scream and squirm and it was obvious that her poor red booty was just too sore for the harsh wipes. That said, I was giving her a quick rinse twice a day in addition to her nightly bath. Then, I found California Baby Diaper Area Wash. I love this all natural brand any way so it was a no brainer for us to try it.  It uses Calendula and Aloe Vera to soothe and then cleanse the tender skin. It cools the burn and helps wash up saving us from 19 baths a day. It also really helped clear up the rash.

Target, Buy Buy Baby and Diapers.com all carry the California Baby line as well as Californiababy.com. I love their “relaxing  aroma therapy” scented line – it makes for pleasant bubble baths and a nice smelling kiddo – I think the fact that the bubble bath comes with a bubble wand is adorable.

Clean Up Clean Out

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The spring cleaning bug has bitten at our house. Peter and I have gotten into the “clean up, clean out, organize and get rid of it” mode. Slowly but surely, we’re making our way through the closets, the cabinets and the toy bins (yes, there are more than one) and getting organized.  And hopefully getting enough stuff out to make a few bucks at a garage sale.

It’s amazing the amount of crap that you accumulate – especially when you have kids. It becomes very apparent after Christmas and birthdays when there is an influx of new toys and clothes. Or after a growth spurt where the “too small” clothes are tangled in a pile with the new clothes.

Because we are planning to have more than one child, we don’t get rid of a lot of Baylie’s stuff. Rather, we clog up most of my parent’s storage unit, which they are undoubtedly regretting offering us to use. As first time parents and first grandchild for my mom, there is an excess of stuff. We didn’t have 4 bottles, we had 10. And 10 of the various size nipples that are required for each stage of baby-hood. Don’t get me started on clothes – first grandchild, girl, first child – enough said. I could build her a full size house out of the storage bins of just clothes. Toys that she has grown out of, the baby bath that’s too small, the beastly stroller we used until she was big enough to fit in the jogger and two baby carrier car seats all are wrapped in trash bags (we’re classy organizers) and marked waiting for their next owner.

That said, I have come across a lot of stuff that I just don’t think we need to hang on to. Like stuffed animals, we have 29,000 of them and maybe 5 get played with. I’m not saying I’m the grinch and I’m going to get rid of them all, but some of the little trinket ones need to goooo. And the books that have been chewed up, torn apart and ripped up are out.

Moving on to my side of the closet….When you gain and lose 50 lbs over a 2 year period, the sizes of clothing in your closet vary wildly. There’s the pre-pregnancy clothing (aka, the skinny bitch stuff), the gaining-a-few-pounds sizes, the starting-to-need-elastic-waist pants, the super-cute-maternity clothes and finally the whatever-will-fit-over-my-ass-belly-boobs-and-doesn’t-look-too-bad clothes. And the process reverses after the baby is here. As the pounds have come off, I’ve moved clothes to what else, a storage bin. But I’ve never done a full sweep of the closet and the off-season stuff I put in storage under the bed. I’m more than half way through, just two drawers and accessories to go!

Peter has been hard at work in the garage. We have a great garage; it holds two cars and lot of stuff, which is both great and terrible as it tends to get messy easily. Thus causing me to walk through a maze of Costco paper towels, boxes of diapers, the jogger, the wagon, a bag of trash…the list goes on. He totally changed the layout of the storage racks and added a HUGE work table complete with peg boards and a new miter saw. Not sure how that’s helping us organize…but it is helping him make me a new “lettuce table”. More to come on that in a later post. It’s nice having a hubby who can sue people AND make stuff.

The kitchen, office and laundry rooms are next on my list. I think the level of difficulty will go in that order with the hardest being the laundry. We have a lot of great storage, but do not utilize it well which means a lot of extra work trying to decide the most efficient way to set it up. Currently it is the catch-all for a lot of crap – I found dog treats under a lot of other crap on the counter across from the washer the other day and started to freak out. I was picturing being on that show Hoarders and finding things I haven’t seen in years when I finally clean out all the junk. It was a frightening thought and has only fed my need to keep going!

An Unholy Combination

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I had great hopes to write a lovely blog today regarding happiness. unfortunately, two vaccinations and a new tooth on the verge of breaking through the gum line created an unholy combination of pain that lead to a 3 hour melt down. I didn’t know the kid could actually cry that much. She was to the point of tear-less sobs and on the verge of dry heaving. All of my usual tricks did nothing – she sat in her bubble bath clenching two pacifiers and screaming with the third in her mouth. I even busted out chocolate milk thinking it might sooth the savage beast, but no. I resorted to driving her around on the 101 for about 40 minutes. It finally did the trick – she calmed down enough to fall asleep and then snuggle in once we got home.

I’m now exhausted, still staring at my to do list to get ready for the out-of-control huge brunch we’re throwing Sunday, tripping over the pile of presents to be wrapped and ignoring the fact that the dogs are in desperate need of a bath. I’m also seriously considering throwing in the towel and having a cocktail and nap myself….

What My Toddler Has Taught Me

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There are many lessons that Baylie has taught me. The two latest ones I’m still working on…

First, I’ve learned that I cannot rattle off a list of things we’re going to do anymore. I got into the habit of thinking out loud when Baylie was little. I read somewhere that it was good for their verbal skills or something. Now, it’s just a habit. I tend to list out the next things on our list like “Ok, lets pick up the toys, wash our hands and then we’ll get some dinner”. While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, to a kiddo who loooves to climb the stool to the sink in the bathroom, turn on the water and then splash around, this is music to her ears.  She doesn’t hear the order of the tasks to be completed, all she hears is “TIME TO PLAY IN THE WATER!!!!”. Which results in her running away while my  back is turned and helping herself to a sink full of fun.

Second, I cannot say a negative direction. Meaning, saying “Don’t spit out that carrot!” will result in her spitting out the carrot because I have said the word “spit” (I would like to thank Daddy for teaching her that one. Yes, Peter, it is important for her to spit out the toothpaste, however, she spits out EVERYTHING!!). Instead, I have to say “Please chew and swallow what is in your mouth” in order to avoid a deluge of partially chewed veggies.

Lastly, no matter how many times I try to sound out a word and ask her to repeat it, she will always say “da da”. Duh-uck = da da. Treee = da da. Airplane = air pane. Oddly, that’s the one she knows, can say and identify. Sigh…

 

 

What Christmas Cards Have Taught Me

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I have learned a lot from designing, writing, assembling, stuffing, stamping, sealing and addressing Christmas cards. Here are the highlights:

1. I am totally inept when it comes to accurately assessing how many cards I need.

2. No matter how many cards I think I need, I will always have more or less than what I need.

3. Putting a very cute picture of Baylie on the card only requires more work on my part.

4. The post office and the card people are in cahoots – 10 stamps in a book, 15 cards in a box.

5. 60 pictures centered and taped to cards, 60 envelopes stuffed and addressed (5 of which are still outstanding due to moved addresses) and the  taste of envelope adhesive on my tongue = we need less friends.

The out takes from getting the picture for our card. Note the marker, angel from the nativity scene, my phone and yes even the camera were used to get her to A. smile,  B. pose in a way that wasn’t weird and C. hold still long enough to get a good picture. The winner was actually a little soft, but it met criteria A and B so it wins!

And So It Begins

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Today began what will be a lifetime of milestones – education wise that is. Ms.B graduated from being a “little bird” to a “big beast” at the Little Gym.

We started attending Little Gym classes when Baylie was about 10 months old. At that time, she was the only baby in the class who didn’t walk. And much like her parents, her ego got the best of her and two weeks later, she walked! Not only is it fun, but I think she’s learned a lot too. Colors, textures, words, throwing, kicking, sharing and patience are just a few of the things I think she’s really picked up on.  It’s also a great excuse to put down my ever-growing “to do” list, get down on the floor and have fun. It’s hard to believe how much she’s changed in these last 8 months and how many more changes we’re in for. Today was so fun, but a little sad too to think how fast she is growing up!

A few pics from today’s graduation. Please note that not only is she standing on the podium, she gave all her friends a nice “parade wave” as she got her medal. She’s 18 months going on 18 years!

iBert is Imazing

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We recently purchased a bike seat for Baylie – I had seen the seat we wanted on other people’s bikes, but couldn’t find out what it was.  It attaches  right under the handle bars and so your kiddo is right in front of you. We finally figured out it’s called an iBert and we promptly ordered one – strategically combining our rewards program number, coupons, a gift card and a free shipping deal from Babies R Us. The verdict? It. Is. Awesome!! Not only do we love it, the kiddo loves it. It took about 10 minutes to install and is very comfortable. It’s not any harder to ride the bike and it’s easy to steer. The part I was most worried about was my knees hitting the seat and the reality is I haven’t bumped it once. It’s very easy to get B in and out and is very stable. So if you’re looking for a fun new way to get around with the munchkin, be sure to check it out: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3006280

If You See This…

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If you see this, it might be time to take away the pacifier….

I think my plan of “wait until she is old enough to understand and say ‘bye bye’ to them” may have to come a little sooner than I anticipated….

Mom V. Dad – Dressing the Kiddo

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This will make sense in a minute.

We all know that moms and dads are different. I think every couple has great examples of what dad does better and what mom does better – everything from discipline to bathing are unique. Peter is great at putting Baylie to bed and I think better at swim lessons with her. I think I can get her to eat just about anything and can usually defuse the worst tantrum.

There is one thing I KNOW I’m better at…and now I have proof. This is how Peter dressed Bay:

And this is how I dressed her later that same day:

Now, in all fairness, it was Thanksgiving morning and they were getting ready to go for a bike ride. I’m not really sure why that meant she had to wear pink socks and shoes of two different hues and a sweatshirt from the lodge where he goes bird hunting (note the pheasant).  But really, there’s a clear winner, no?

Kiddo Milestones I’m Grateful For

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I read another blog this week called Ironic Mom. She is a Canadian mom of twins and writes very funny and honest posts about life with her kids. I also hear her read with her Canadian accent in my head which makes it even better. Her post last week was about ten milestones that her twins had reached that she was grateful for and I started thinking of my own list. There aren’t ten of them, but they are huge milestones so I figure a few will do.

Sleeping through the night – Baylie might be the only kid I know that waited until she was almost 7 months old to finally sleep for a consecutive 8-11 hours at night. I am not a person who deals well with a lack of sleep, and after roughly 210 weeks of rarely sleeping more than 4 hours at a time, I was near death. I looked like a zombie and felt like one too. Finally, the excitement and exhaustion of getting together with family let her sleep for 10 hours Christmas Eve.  It was a Christmas Miracle!

Taking less than 40 minutes to drink a bottle – I never knew it would take so long to feed a baby. The first month of her life, it felt like it took hours to feed her. I remember watching reruns of talk shows at 3am willing her to eat faster.

Feeding herself – for a long time, Bay was a really picky eater. I would have to trick her into taking a bite of food and then push her to finish a few bites so that she would actually eat solid foods. Once she could feed herself finger foods, all that went away. She could feed herself what she wanted and at her own pace. I wasn’t locked to a chair but could make coffee, feed dogs or, gasp, feed myself!

Walking – I was so excited for B to walk. And then when she did, I was ready to jump off the roof. She was into everything that had previously been out of reach. She was also suddenly silent – there were no more hands slapping the ground as she crawled so she was able to slip away when I wasn’t looking. She instantly knew how to climb the couch, chairs, tables, walls and proceeded to do so often. After 2 days of baby proofing,  I was suddenly back in love with her walking. We could play chase, she could carry things, push things, be set down in a public place without me worrying about her contracting something horrible off the floor.

Understanding what I’m saying – We have been at the point for a few months now where Bay can comprehend what I’m saying. It’s amazing to be able to communicate with her. I love asking her where her nose, ears, fingers, belly button and booty are and she can find all of them. She understands that “bye bye” means that the person, place or thing is going away – or more likely that we’re going away. So when it’s time to leave the park we say “bye bye park” and she gets it. No tears, no fuss, just time to go. Mostly I like asking he to pick up all the toys out of the living room (one by one I identify them, but hey, it’s a start) and take them to her room. Some might call it child labor, I call it creative parenting.

I can’t wait for what is coming next. Although I’m concerned that when we get to the talking phase that I’m going to really regret not curbing my snarky remarks and swearing…