Ethan has had a few firsts this week that don't warrant their own post independently but are still worth noting. First of all, since I forgot his sippy cup when we went out to eat last Friday, Ethan successfully drank through a straw for the first time! I was feeding him yogurt so he needed water, but he didn't grasp the concept of the straw. Per his daddy's suggestion, I filled the straw with water and had him suck it out apart from the glass. That was apparently all it took because when I offered him the straw in the glass again, he sucked it up so quickly he got choked up!
Last weekend also saw my first attempt to get Ethan to nap in the crib since he was 3 months old. On Saturday, he was fighting going down for a nap and, honestly, I was just sick of bouncing with him so I went through our usual bedtime ritual before putting him in the crib. Even though at night he puts himself down with no fussing whatsoever, he apparently hasn't translated that to naps because it took 30 minutes of fussing before he went to sleep. However, he slept for 2 hours, which is the longest he's ever napped in the crib! On Sunday, I tried again, this time for his morning nap, and it still took 30 minutes of fussing on and off. When I tried on Monday, however, he screamed for an hour before I finally gave in and wrapped him, at which point he fell asleep immediately. I gave him a break on Tuesday and Wednesday, but he took his afternoon nap in the crib today. He still fussed for about 30 minutes, but I'm hopeful it will get better with time. I just need him to be napping in his crib by the time classes start back since I'll be leaving during nap time.
Finally, Ethan is getting better at standing unassisted and at initiating standing unassisted (i.e. at letting go while standing up). He stood without holding onto anything for about 10 seconds this afternoon, which was the longest he's done yet. So he still has a ways to go, but he's learning!
It seems like almost every day brings a new discovery or a new way for him to get into mischief!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Mall Rat
Tuesday morning was just the day for play dates! Our neighbor was hosting another meet-up that we had planned on going to, but then my local babywearing group decided that Tuesday would be the day for a gathering closer to our house. Since I'd been one of the people helping to plan this, I decided to bail on the meet-up and head to the mall for the babywearing meeting, and I'm really glad I did!
Ethan woke up early from his nap so I was able to feed and change him before we left and we still were the first ones there! We met at the nearby mall's children's play area, and it was a lot of fun. Ethan enjoyed crawling up to the other babies and mamas and attempting to play on some of the equipment. His favorite was a turtle that was the perfect size for him to play on.
Please excuse the crappy iPod pics. It's all I had with me.
Two of the other members brought ring slings for me to try, and I liked them a lot, so that's being added to my ever-growing babywearing stash wish list. Ethan cooperated much better with being worn this time and remained a happy baby for the entire hour and a half we were there! Here are some more (edited for anonymity) pictures of our gathering:
Ethan woke up early from his nap so I was able to feed and change him before we left and we still were the first ones there! We met at the nearby mall's children's play area, and it was a lot of fun. Ethan enjoyed crawling up to the other babies and mamas and attempting to play on some of the equipment. His favorite was a turtle that was the perfect size for him to play on.
Please excuse the crappy iPod pics. It's all I had with me.
Two of the other members brought ring slings for me to try, and I liked them a lot, so that's being added to my ever-growing babywearing stash wish list. Ethan cooperated much better with being worn this time and remained a happy baby for the entire hour and a half we were there! Here are some more (edited for anonymity) pictures of our gathering:
The Five Ws of Cloth Diapering: Part III
And, finally, part III!
Where: So where does all the diaper storing/changing/washing action take place? And what exactly is involved in washing cloth diapers? Let's start with storage:
Here is my newborn stash (minus prefolds and covers):
Aren't they cute?
And here are my Bum Genius 4.0s as of yesterday morning:
Not quite as little, but still awfully cute:
Here is the swing-out drawer with our cloth wipes (actually, they are Babies 'R' Us Brand washcloths that I got for free with a coupon!):
After diaper removal, the diaper, insert, and cloth wipe go in the large metal step trash can lined with our Kissaluvs liner. The trash can is just from Target and was around $30. Any trash (like tissues, random threads, and the occasional disposable wipe) goes in the small metal step trash can, which my in-laws purchased for us.
As you can see, it's crucial for the trash cans to contain the smells since they're right next to my glider. And here's an admittedly crappy picture with the whole set-up (I would take another one, but Ethan is asleep so I don't think I'll wake him up just to get a picture!):
Now let's talk laundry!
I wash the diapers every other day. On the morning of a wash day, I grab the liner full of diapers, carry it downstairs to the laundry room, and just dump the whole thing (including the bag) in the washer. First, they get a cold rinse. Then, they get a hot and heavy wash with 2 Tbsp. of detergent (halfway to the "0" in the Planet cap). Finally, they get an additional cold rinse. This usually takes place over the course of Ethan's morning nap, and then after he wakes up and I feed him, I transfer the wipes, liners, and pail liner into the dryer for 90 minutes on medium heat. The outer shells of the diapers are hung up with clothespins on the wire shelving above the washer and dryer.
(I used to put diapers outside on a clothesline to dry and to get rid of any stains. However, then it got really cold, and the diapers would freeze. Then it got warmer, but it also became pollen-y, and the diapers turned yellow. Now I could probably put them outside again, but they dry fine in the laundry room, and I don't really care about stains anymore!) At some point after the dry cycle finishes, I snap the liners to the correct position and stack them on top of the dryer. The following morning, I bring all the diaper laundry back upstairs to stuff and put away, either before Ethan wakes up or, if it's an early-rising day, after his first nursing of the morning. All in all, it doesn't take much time, and the rewards are well worth any extra exertion!
But what about the poop? Well, until they start solids, breastfed and formula-fed poop is water-soluble so it rinses away in the wash. After you start solids, however, it does have to be flushed. There's an awful in-between stage known as the "peanut butter poop" period when the stools are too loose to just dump in the toilet but not able to be thrown in the wash. Some people buy diaper sprayers, but it just wasn't worth the money for us. If we happened to remember to put a liner in, the poop is just thrown in the toilet with the liner, but if not, you just stick the diaper (and your hand) in the toilet and swirl it around until it's clean. Definitely the worst part of cloth diapering, but it's a short period of time in the grand scheme of things! Once your baby is eating more solids, the poop will become ploppable so you just dump it into the toilet and throw the diaper in the pail. Remember, by law, users of disposable diapers are supposed to be doing the same thing! Most of them just don't do it.
So there you have it! A basic intro to the world of cloth diapering. Perhaps in the future I'll do a post or two on cloth diaper resources and troubleshooting, but at the very least, maybe this series has shed some light on why we felt it was important to cloth diaper and exactly what is required of cloth diapering families. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment!
Where: So where does all the diaper storing/changing/washing action take place? And what exactly is involved in washing cloth diapers? Let's start with storage:
Here is my newborn stash (minus prefolds and covers):
Aren't they cute?
And here are my Bum Genius 4.0s as of yesterday morning:
Not quite as little, but still awfully cute:
Here is the swing-out drawer with our cloth wipes (actually, they are Babies 'R' Us Brand washcloths that I got for free with a coupon!):
After diaper removal, the diaper, insert, and cloth wipe go in the large metal step trash can lined with our Kissaluvs liner. The trash can is just from Target and was around $30. Any trash (like tissues, random threads, and the occasional disposable wipe) goes in the small metal step trash can, which my in-laws purchased for us.
As you can see, it's crucial for the trash cans to contain the smells since they're right next to my glider. And here's an admittedly crappy picture with the whole set-up (I would take another one, but Ethan is asleep so I don't think I'll wake him up just to get a picture!):
Now let's talk laundry!
I wash the diapers every other day. On the morning of a wash day, I grab the liner full of diapers, carry it downstairs to the laundry room, and just dump the whole thing (including the bag) in the washer. First, they get a cold rinse. Then, they get a hot and heavy wash with 2 Tbsp. of detergent (halfway to the "0" in the Planet cap). Finally, they get an additional cold rinse. This usually takes place over the course of Ethan's morning nap, and then after he wakes up and I feed him, I transfer the wipes, liners, and pail liner into the dryer for 90 minutes on medium heat. The outer shells of the diapers are hung up with clothespins on the wire shelving above the washer and dryer.
(I used to put diapers outside on a clothesline to dry and to get rid of any stains. However, then it got really cold, and the diapers would freeze. Then it got warmer, but it also became pollen-y, and the diapers turned yellow. Now I could probably put them outside again, but they dry fine in the laundry room, and I don't really care about stains anymore!) At some point after the dry cycle finishes, I snap the liners to the correct position and stack them on top of the dryer. The following morning, I bring all the diaper laundry back upstairs to stuff and put away, either before Ethan wakes up or, if it's an early-rising day, after his first nursing of the morning. All in all, it doesn't take much time, and the rewards are well worth any extra exertion!
But what about the poop? Well, until they start solids, breastfed and formula-fed poop is water-soluble so it rinses away in the wash. After you start solids, however, it does have to be flushed. There's an awful in-between stage known as the "peanut butter poop" period when the stools are too loose to just dump in the toilet but not able to be thrown in the wash. Some people buy diaper sprayers, but it just wasn't worth the money for us. If we happened to remember to put a liner in, the poop is just thrown in the toilet with the liner, but if not, you just stick the diaper (and your hand) in the toilet and swirl it around until it's clean. Definitely the worst part of cloth diapering, but it's a short period of time in the grand scheme of things! Once your baby is eating more solids, the poop will become ploppable so you just dump it into the toilet and throw the diaper in the pail. Remember, by law, users of disposable diapers are supposed to be doing the same thing! Most of them just don't do it.
So there you have it! A basic intro to the world of cloth diapering. Perhaps in the future I'll do a post or two on cloth diaper resources and troubleshooting, but at the very least, maybe this series has shed some light on why we felt it was important to cloth diaper and exactly what is required of cloth diapering families. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Five Ws of Cloth Diapering: Part II
And now part II of the three-part series on cloth diapering!
What: OK, so what's in my stash? I have two: newborn and OS (one-size). This is where hindsight comes in because if I could do it all over again, I would change my newborn stash. But here's my current stash:
Newborn -
- 10 Diaper Rite newborn prefolds
I absolutely love prefolds! I didn't think I would initially, but if I could do it all over again, I would have just gotten 30-36 prefolds. We used the angel wing fold, and it is amazing at EBF newborn poop containment! Plus, with the invention of Snappis, there's no need for pins! For the newborn stage, you cannot go wrong with prefolds.
- 2 Bummis XS Super Whisper Wrap covers
These were basic, cheap covers. Nothing fantastic about them, but they did the job. If I exclusively used prefolds, I would need 4-6 covers, but for the amount I had, 2 was fine.
- 8 Thirsties XS AIO (all-in-one) pocket diapers (no longer available)
These discontinued diapers were purchased off a deal-a-day site. They were a bit big in the beginning but worked great for several weeks before they began leaking a bit. We often used them at night when he wouldn't be changed as often since the synthetic material would keep him feeling dryer than a prefold. The aplix was pretty poor and came apart on several of them. Not the biggest disappointment, but not as good as prefolds.
- 12 Rump-a-rooz Lil Joey AIO diapers
These seemed like they would be perfect, and they were decent for the first week or so before they began leaking. They are TINY, so they would have gotten more use if he was a smaller baby. They are also completely AIO, so they took longer to dry than the other diapers. However, they are absolutely adorable! My biggest complaint with these was the cost, and I definitely wish I hadn't even bothered with these, despite the cuteness factor.
OS -
- 22 BumGenius 4.0 OS pocket diapers with snaps
We have 20 BGs in regular rotation and two that live in the diaper bag. These began fitting Ethan around 2 months and should fit him up until potty training. Since they have snaps, they will hold up longer than the aplix variety. We've had some issues with repelling (see below), which is common with synthetic pocket diapers, and occasionally we have issues with leaks due to fit, but overall, these are great diapers.
- 2 BabyKicks Bumboo OS pocket diapers
I purchased these on a deal-a-day site, and, in hindsight, I wish I hadn't bothered since I haven't actually even tried them out yet. I FINALLY got around to prepping the hemp inserts this week, but I'm actually using them as overnight doublers for my BGs since hemp is so much more absorbent than the synthetic inserts in the BGs.
Accessories -
- 3 Snappis
These are basically necessities for prefolds, replacing those huge diaper pins of yore. They are similar to the closures for ace bandages and work great!
- 2 Kissaluvs antibacterial pail liners
No complaints here! These go in the metal trash can I use as a diaper pail (more on that in part III). I wash them every other day with the diapers, so I have an extra one to put diapers in while the laundry is being done. They do their job and keep the smell contained.
- Set of 3 wet bags
You can purchase expensive cloth diaper wet bags for on-the-go diapering, but I picked up this three pack at Dick's Sporting Goods for $15. I keep the small one in the diaper bag at all times and have the other two for longer outings or wet clothes. They work just as well as the expensive ones, in my opinion!
- Bummis flushable liners
These are great for the in-between poop stage, after starting solids but before poop is ploppable. They also protect diapers from diaper rash cream if you don't use a cloth-diaper-safe brand.
- Grandma El's Diaper Rash Cream
Speaking of which, this is our diaper cream, though we have yet to use it on an actual rash. However, if he's at all irritated, one smear does the job! Since we don't need it very often, a small tube lasts a long time, which is nice.
- Planet 2x Ultra Laundry Detergent
After researching the different cloth-safe laundry detergent, I decided on Planet since it's not as expensive as some of the other brands and is available at a local grocery store. It does the job! In fact, I tried out Rockin' Green, the acclaimed cloth-diaper detergent, and that's the only time I had issues with repelling (yes, I'm positive it was the RnG because I stripped the diapers multiple times and every time I used RnG, the repelling returned; I went back to Planet and no more repelling!). As I mentioned before, our initial bottle of Planet lasted 9 months, so it's not that huge of an investment.
Stay tuned for Part III!
What: OK, so what's in my stash? I have two: newborn and OS (one-size). This is where hindsight comes in because if I could do it all over again, I would change my newborn stash. But here's my current stash:
Newborn -
- 10 Diaper Rite newborn prefolds
I absolutely love prefolds! I didn't think I would initially, but if I could do it all over again, I would have just gotten 30-36 prefolds. We used the angel wing fold, and it is amazing at EBF newborn poop containment! Plus, with the invention of Snappis, there's no need for pins! For the newborn stage, you cannot go wrong with prefolds.
- 2 Bummis XS Super Whisper Wrap covers
These were basic, cheap covers. Nothing fantastic about them, but they did the job. If I exclusively used prefolds, I would need 4-6 covers, but for the amount I had, 2 was fine.
- 8 Thirsties XS AIO (all-in-one) pocket diapers (no longer available)
These discontinued diapers were purchased off a deal-a-day site. They were a bit big in the beginning but worked great for several weeks before they began leaking a bit. We often used them at night when he wouldn't be changed as often since the synthetic material would keep him feeling dryer than a prefold. The aplix was pretty poor and came apart on several of them. Not the biggest disappointment, but not as good as prefolds.
- 12 Rump-a-rooz Lil Joey AIO diapers
These seemed like they would be perfect, and they were decent for the first week or so before they began leaking. They are TINY, so they would have gotten more use if he was a smaller baby. They are also completely AIO, so they took longer to dry than the other diapers. However, they are absolutely adorable! My biggest complaint with these was the cost, and I definitely wish I hadn't even bothered with these, despite the cuteness factor.
OS -
- 22 BumGenius 4.0 OS pocket diapers with snaps
We have 20 BGs in regular rotation and two that live in the diaper bag. These began fitting Ethan around 2 months and should fit him up until potty training. Since they have snaps, they will hold up longer than the aplix variety. We've had some issues with repelling (see below), which is common with synthetic pocket diapers, and occasionally we have issues with leaks due to fit, but overall, these are great diapers.
- 2 BabyKicks Bumboo OS pocket diapers
I purchased these on a deal-a-day site, and, in hindsight, I wish I hadn't bothered since I haven't actually even tried them out yet. I FINALLY got around to prepping the hemp inserts this week, but I'm actually using them as overnight doublers for my BGs since hemp is so much more absorbent than the synthetic inserts in the BGs.
Accessories -
- 3 Snappis
These are basically necessities for prefolds, replacing those huge diaper pins of yore. They are similar to the closures for ace bandages and work great!
- 2 Kissaluvs antibacterial pail liners
No complaints here! These go in the metal trash can I use as a diaper pail (more on that in part III). I wash them every other day with the diapers, so I have an extra one to put diapers in while the laundry is being done. They do their job and keep the smell contained.
- Set of 3 wet bags
You can purchase expensive cloth diaper wet bags for on-the-go diapering, but I picked up this three pack at Dick's Sporting Goods for $15. I keep the small one in the diaper bag at all times and have the other two for longer outings or wet clothes. They work just as well as the expensive ones, in my opinion!
- Bummis flushable liners
These are great for the in-between poop stage, after starting solids but before poop is ploppable. They also protect diapers from diaper rash cream if you don't use a cloth-diaper-safe brand.
- Grandma El's Diaper Rash Cream
Speaking of which, this is our diaper cream, though we have yet to use it on an actual rash. However, if he's at all irritated, one smear does the job! Since we don't need it very often, a small tube lasts a long time, which is nice.
- Planet 2x Ultra Laundry Detergent
After researching the different cloth-safe laundry detergent, I decided on Planet since it's not as expensive as some of the other brands and is available at a local grocery store. It does the job! In fact, I tried out Rockin' Green, the acclaimed cloth-diaper detergent, and that's the only time I had issues with repelling (yes, I'm positive it was the RnG because I stripped the diapers multiple times and every time I used RnG, the repelling returned; I went back to Planet and no more repelling!). As I mentioned before, our initial bottle of Planet lasted 9 months, so it's not that huge of an investment.
Stay tuned for Part III!
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Five Ws of Cloth Diapering: Part I
I've been asked about cloth diapering a lot, so I decided to just do a blog series so that I can point people to this instead of typing out the same response over and over again. Hopefully this will answer any questions you have and demonstrate why we feel cloth is best!
Who and When: Ethan has been cloth diapered since he was one day old, as soon as we got him home from the hospital. For #2, I think we'll just bring cloth to the hospital so that s/he won't ever have to be in a disposable.
Why: I cannot pinpoint the time when I decided to cloth diaper. As long as I've seriously thought about having babies, it's just always been something I wanted to do. Thankfully, I was met with no initial resistance since my in-laws cloth diapered all of their kids. However, my own family wasn't too sure about it. In fact, several of my family members just shook their heads when I mentioned it and said I would give it up within two weeks. Yeah, not so much. My parents still push disposables sometimes, especially whenever they might be changing diapers, but if I have anything to say about it (which I do), Ethan will never again feel a disposable on his butt! Sorry for that tangent, but all that's to say it's something very important to me, and something I did even though I didn't have 100% support.
First of all, it just makes sense for the comfort of the baby. Instead of having chemical-soaked paper and plastic on your sensitive areas, you have cloth. Cloth diapered babies almost never get diaper rash. Ethan has yet to get diaper rash and only gets irritated if he takes a surreptitious poop and sits in it.
Secondly, it's quite a money saver! Since our diapers are one-size, I will most likely never have to buy another diaper, even for future kids! My entire investment (including accessories, pail, and the laundry detergent that lasted the first 9 months) was $719.07. I definitely could have done it cheaper, and if I'd done originally what I now wish I'd done (more on this later), I would have only spent $519.07. Either way, since the average family pays roughly $1000/year just for disposable diapers (not counting diaper genie, wipes, etc.), that's a huge savings! Even if I added up whatever extra I might be paying in utility bills, I doubt it could match the $4000 it would cost to diaper just two kids for two years.
Finally, there's the environmental aspect. Disposable diapers take up a great deal of landfill space, not to mention the introduction of toxic solid waste. All diaper users are legally supposed to flush solid waste down the toilet, but when you're already throwing out the diaper, "What's the point?" Cloth diapers keep that waste out of the trash. Opponents often argue that cloth diapers waste water, but, in reality, the manufacture and use of disposable diapers wastes 2.3 times more water than cloth! So for Ethan's future, both health-wise, economic, and environmental, cloth diapers are the way to go!
Stay tuned for parts II and III!
Who and When: Ethan has been cloth diapered since he was one day old, as soon as we got him home from the hospital. For #2, I think we'll just bring cloth to the hospital so that s/he won't ever have to be in a disposable.
Why: I cannot pinpoint the time when I decided to cloth diaper. As long as I've seriously thought about having babies, it's just always been something I wanted to do. Thankfully, I was met with no initial resistance since my in-laws cloth diapered all of their kids. However, my own family wasn't too sure about it. In fact, several of my family members just shook their heads when I mentioned it and said I would give it up within two weeks. Yeah, not so much. My parents still push disposables sometimes, especially whenever they might be changing diapers, but if I have anything to say about it (which I do), Ethan will never again feel a disposable on his butt! Sorry for that tangent, but all that's to say it's something very important to me, and something I did even though I didn't have 100% support.
First of all, it just makes sense for the comfort of the baby. Instead of having chemical-soaked paper and plastic on your sensitive areas, you have cloth. Cloth diapered babies almost never get diaper rash. Ethan has yet to get diaper rash and only gets irritated if he takes a surreptitious poop and sits in it.
Secondly, it's quite a money saver! Since our diapers are one-size, I will most likely never have to buy another diaper, even for future kids! My entire investment (including accessories, pail, and the laundry detergent that lasted the first 9 months) was $719.07. I definitely could have done it cheaper, and if I'd done originally what I now wish I'd done (more on this later), I would have only spent $519.07. Either way, since the average family pays roughly $1000/year just for disposable diapers (not counting diaper genie, wipes, etc.), that's a huge savings! Even if I added up whatever extra I might be paying in utility bills, I doubt it could match the $4000 it would cost to diaper just two kids for two years.
Finally, there's the environmental aspect. Disposable diapers take up a great deal of landfill space, not to mention the introduction of toxic solid waste. All diaper users are legally supposed to flush solid waste down the toilet, but when you're already throwing out the diaper, "What's the point?" Cloth diapers keep that waste out of the trash. Opponents often argue that cloth diapers waste water, but, in reality, the manufacture and use of disposable diapers wastes 2.3 times more water than cloth! So for Ethan's future, both health-wise, economic, and environmental, cloth diapers are the way to go!
Stay tuned for parts II and III!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
"Walking"
I finally put together another walker-like toy for Ethan that his Grandmama and Grandpapa got for him, and he loves it! He's not so sure about riding on the train, but when he gets behind it to push, he thinks that's just awesome. I was only able to get a short clip of him because I'd filled up the video camera again (oops), but hopefully this will tide y'all over for now. Once he gets that standing-independently thing down for more than a few seconds, I don't think it'll be long before he's taking off!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Cruising around the table
Ethan has been cruising for a month or two now, and he's gotten quite good. When we got back from the pediatrician yesterday, I sat him down in the front room, and he began cruising around the coffee table. Since he was still going after about five rotations, I decided to go grab the camera:
Monday, June 13, 2011
Nine month appointment
Ethan's still doing great! Unfortunately, we had a surly nurse who I know got at least the weight wrong, so I'm not sure how much to trust the rest of her measurements. Yes, Ethan was wiggly, but he's 9 months old, so don't just say "Good enough." and be done with it. Plus, she actually scoffed when I said I still nurse him five times a day. As a result, I'm going to use the weight from last night since I believe it's more accurate, and just don't put too much stock in the other measurements, either =)
Length - 29.25" (82nd percentile)
Weight - 18 lbs. 15 oz. (25th percentile)
Head Circumference - 45.5 cm. (57th percentile)
You can see why I might think his length measurement was off, too. Ethan has been at the 25th percentile for length since birth, so I don't know why he'd all of a sudden skyrocket up to the 80th. He's definitely grown a lot, but has he really grown that much? I guess we'll see what happens at his 12 month appointment. The other two measurements show a slight decrease in percentile from his 6-month appointment, which I sort of expected. I knew his weight might decrease a bit since he's so mobile (and it had really surged prior to his last appointment, anyway), and now his head circumference is back to being more average. Regardless of all the numbers, he looks completely proportionate, so I think that says enough!
No shots this time, but the doctor reminded us that his next appointment will be the beginning of the finger pricks. Ouch!
Length - 29.25" (82nd percentile)
Weight - 18 lbs. 15 oz. (25th percentile)
Head Circumference - 45.5 cm. (57th percentile)
You can see why I might think his length measurement was off, too. Ethan has been at the 25th percentile for length since birth, so I don't know why he'd all of a sudden skyrocket up to the 80th. He's definitely grown a lot, but has he really grown that much? I guess we'll see what happens at his 12 month appointment. The other two measurements show a slight decrease in percentile from his 6-month appointment, which I sort of expected. I knew his weight might decrease a bit since he's so mobile (and it had really surged prior to his last appointment, anyway), and now his head circumference is back to being more average. Regardless of all the numbers, he looks completely proportionate, so I think that says enough!
No shots this time, but the doctor reminded us that his next appointment will be the beginning of the finger pricks. Ouch!
Nine Months
Dear Ethan,
You have now been an outside baby for longer than you were an inside baby. As you inch nearer to your first birthday, I want to cuddle you up and keep you little forever, but I know you'd just grin at me and wiggle away. You certainly have your own personality, and, even though you aren't speaking clearly yet, you let us know exactly what you want and don't want. If we dare to take away a toy you're playing with, you shriek and grab after us. And if we're taking too long to pick you up, you make sure we come running. But you also let us know when you're happy with peals of laughter and a huge smile that shows off your increasing number of teeth. You're also growing more and more independent, playing by yourself while I clean, cook, and, yes, even blog. Just a few months ago, I couldn't have written an entry like this unless you were asleep on my chest! And now you're crawling around on the floor beneath me, standing up underneath the desk and exploring your world.
You can get just about anywhere you desire now. From climbing stairs to standing up on your tip-toes, it's more and more difficult to keep things out of your reach. You open drawers and cabinets with ease, making me realize we may need to baby-proof more things than I ever imagined! You love to play with your toys, especially trucks, books, and balls. You crawl around with a ball in your mouth, as if you were a dog, stopping periodically to replace it when it falls out. In short, you're too adorable for words!
And after a brief Ferber refresher a couple of weeks ago, you're still sleeping wonderfully! You go down around 8 PM and don't wake up until 6:30-7 AM, meaning your mommy is finally getting the sleep she (day)dreamed of, too. You haven't decided how many naps you want to take just yet, usually still preferring three instead of two. And to think, your mommy had stopped napping entirely when she was four months younger than you!
Every day, I fall more and more in love with you. I kiss your cheeks and forehead, remembering how tiny they used to be. I hold your wiggling body in my arms and remember when you could barely hold your head up. I stare at your toothy grin and remember those first glimpses of a smile. As much as I wish you would always remain my little baby, I cannot wait to see what comes next!
Love,
Mommy
You have now been an outside baby for longer than you were an inside baby. As you inch nearer to your first birthday, I want to cuddle you up and keep you little forever, but I know you'd just grin at me and wiggle away. You certainly have your own personality, and, even though you aren't speaking clearly yet, you let us know exactly what you want and don't want. If we dare to take away a toy you're playing with, you shriek and grab after us. And if we're taking too long to pick you up, you make sure we come running. But you also let us know when you're happy with peals of laughter and a huge smile that shows off your increasing number of teeth. You're also growing more and more independent, playing by yourself while I clean, cook, and, yes, even blog. Just a few months ago, I couldn't have written an entry like this unless you were asleep on my chest! And now you're crawling around on the floor beneath me, standing up underneath the desk and exploring your world.
You can get just about anywhere you desire now. From climbing stairs to standing up on your tip-toes, it's more and more difficult to keep things out of your reach. You open drawers and cabinets with ease, making me realize we may need to baby-proof more things than I ever imagined! You love to play with your toys, especially trucks, books, and balls. You crawl around with a ball in your mouth, as if you were a dog, stopping periodically to replace it when it falls out. In short, you're too adorable for words!
And after a brief Ferber refresher a couple of weeks ago, you're still sleeping wonderfully! You go down around 8 PM and don't wake up until 6:30-7 AM, meaning your mommy is finally getting the sleep she (day)dreamed of, too. You haven't decided how many naps you want to take just yet, usually still preferring three instead of two. And to think, your mommy had stopped napping entirely when she was four months younger than you!
Every day, I fall more and more in love with you. I kiss your cheeks and forehead, remembering how tiny they used to be. I hold your wiggling body in my arms and remember when you could barely hold your head up. I stare at your toothy grin and remember those first glimpses of a smile. As much as I wish you would always remain my little baby, I cannot wait to see what comes next!
Love,
Mommy
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Coming Out of the Coupon Closet
I've always liked coupons. I remember helping my mom clip them when I was little so she could put them into the blue velcro wallet set aside for that purpose. I remember her bringing that wallet out at checkout and being fascinated that those little slips of paper counted just the same as money! Once I became responsible for making purchases, I clipped coupons on occasion, even though my mom had gotten out of the habit, but I only clipped products I knew I wanted to use and I never went to any trouble matching up deals, etc. This continued for years, and it wasn't until Ethan was born that I became more deal-savvy.
By the time Ethan's first Christmas rolled around, I had yet to really get into couponing, but I was always looking out for deals. I was proud to boast that I bought Ethan over $100 of toys and gifts for Christmas for less than $10 out of pocket. Since I was doing so well saving money on irregular purchases, what in the world was stopping me from saving money on our day-to-day needs? And thus the coupon obsession began in earnest.
Now, I'm not quite like those people you may have seen on TV. I'm not generally going to buy things just because they are a good deal if I'm not actually going to use them (unless I'm going to make money on the transaction). I don't have a room full of toilet paper, and I have yet to purchase an extra freezer. But I do have a binder full of almost every coupon that's come in the paper, carefully clipped and sorted according to type (The only ones I don't clip are for dog food, hair coloring, weird supplements, and diapers since I will never use any of those). And I do spend time matching up coupons with in-store deals in order to make the most of my stash. I've even gone to more than one store location when the first one was sold out of a certain desired item. But it is definitely worth it! Just today, I was paid $2.51 for taking a bottle of pain reliever and two large tubes of toothpaste out of the store.
In just the past month, I have gotten the following absolutely free (or made money on it!):
- 2 packs of 500 sheets of copy paper
- 1 roll painter's tape
- 3 bottles hand soap
- 4 tubes toothpaste
- 1 12-pack of pens
- 1 6-pack of mini-legal pads
- 4 granola bars
- 5 packages of feminine products
- 1 bottle of pain reliever
And here are some of my favorite non-free deals from just the past week:
- Wisk detergent - Retail: $11.59; Paid: $0.99
- 2 bottles of John Frieda shampoo - Retail: $6.49 each; Paid: $0.49 each
- 2 Degree deodorants - Retail: $4.79 each; Paid: $0.44 each
- Nexcare Bandages - Retail: $1.87; Paid: $0.32
- Sally Hansen nail polish - Retail: $2.54; Paid: $0.58
As you can see, it doesn't take long for the savings to add up! And those are just the ones I remembered off the top of my head, so I'm sure I've gotten more for free in the past month. For a growing family, it just makes sense to save wherever possible, especially when one person is staying at home. It requires you to relinquish some level of brand-loyalty to take advantage of the best deals, but already, I probably won't have to buy myself shampoo, toothpaste, or deodorant for at least a year. Who knows how much I'll end up saving in just the first year of Ethan's life?!?
By the time Ethan's first Christmas rolled around, I had yet to really get into couponing, but I was always looking out for deals. I was proud to boast that I bought Ethan over $100 of toys and gifts for Christmas for less than $10 out of pocket. Since I was doing so well saving money on irregular purchases, what in the world was stopping me from saving money on our day-to-day needs? And thus the coupon obsession began in earnest.
Now, I'm not quite like those people you may have seen on TV. I'm not generally going to buy things just because they are a good deal if I'm not actually going to use them (unless I'm going to make money on the transaction). I don't have a room full of toilet paper, and I have yet to purchase an extra freezer. But I do have a binder full of almost every coupon that's come in the paper, carefully clipped and sorted according to type (The only ones I don't clip are for dog food, hair coloring, weird supplements, and diapers since I will never use any of those). And I do spend time matching up coupons with in-store deals in order to make the most of my stash. I've even gone to more than one store location when the first one was sold out of a certain desired item. But it is definitely worth it! Just today, I was paid $2.51 for taking a bottle of pain reliever and two large tubes of toothpaste out of the store.
In just the past month, I have gotten the following absolutely free (or made money on it!):
- 2 packs of 500 sheets of copy paper
- 1 roll painter's tape
- 3 bottles hand soap
- 4 tubes toothpaste
- 1 12-pack of pens
- 1 6-pack of mini-legal pads
- 4 granola bars
- 5 packages of feminine products
- 1 bottle of pain reliever
And here are some of my favorite non-free deals from just the past week:
- Wisk detergent - Retail: $11.59; Paid: $0.99
- 2 bottles of John Frieda shampoo - Retail: $6.49 each; Paid: $0.49 each
- 2 Degree deodorants - Retail: $4.79 each; Paid: $0.44 each
- Nexcare Bandages - Retail: $1.87; Paid: $0.32
- Sally Hansen nail polish - Retail: $2.54; Paid: $0.58
As you can see, it doesn't take long for the savings to add up! And those are just the ones I remembered off the top of my head, so I'm sure I've gotten more for free in the past month. For a growing family, it just makes sense to save wherever possible, especially when one person is staying at home. It requires you to relinquish some level of brand-loyalty to take advantage of the best deals, but already, I probably won't have to buy myself shampoo, toothpaste, or deodorant for at least a year. Who knows how much I'll end up saving in just the first year of Ethan's life?!?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A boy and his trucks
I definitely had one of those moments (OK, hours) today where I wondered who took my baby and replaced him with this fussing machine. As if two days in a row of play dates weren't enough, Ethan and I headed out this morning for the local babywearing group monthly meeting. We hadn't been since March since it meets 45 minutes away, and Ethan is not too keen on long trips in the car. However, I was trying to decide what length I'll need for the shorter wrap I want to get, and the only way to know would be to wrap with both sizes, and since I don't know anyone around here that wraps, off we went.
We left right after his first nap, planning on nursing as soon as we got there. He's gone 45 minutes after waking before when we're going to LLL or class, and he usually does just fine, but this time it pissed him off. So he whined off and on the entire way there, but after happily nursing, he was ready to play. He crawled around, looking at the other babies and playing with the toys. He seems to be especially drawn to construction vehicles, and the church nursery where they meet had a lot of them. He was having so much fun, in fact, that the last thing he wanted to do was be picked up by his mommy. As a result, when I picked him up to wrap him on my back (the entire reason we came), he SCREAMED in my ear. He wiggled and wouldn't cooperate and kept shrieking the entire time I was wrapping, which resulted in my inability to get a good carry. However, as soon as I put him back down, he happily went back to playing, without a care in the world! I let him play while I fetched the other size from the mom who brought them for me, and as soon as I picked Ethan up, the screaming began again. This time, he wiggled so much that he almost wiggled out of the wrap before I could secure it! Finally, I gave up and just let him play. I had also wanted to try out some ring slings, but I didn't dare disrupt his play time again, so that will have to wait for another time. ::sigh::
On the bright side, though, I was really worried about him screaming the entire ride home, but as long as I kept him supplied with toys, he happily chewed and babbled the whole way back. After a much needed nap, we headed back out to run some errands, and Ethan was back to his usual happy self.
In the end, I think I got the information I needed. It's hard to tell since I was never able to tighten enough. I guess the worst case scenario will be that I end up buying two wraps if the first size ends up too big. What a travesty! =) Lesson learned, I guess: Don't get between a boy and his trucks.
We left right after his first nap, planning on nursing as soon as we got there. He's gone 45 minutes after waking before when we're going to LLL or class, and he usually does just fine, but this time it pissed him off. So he whined off and on the entire way there, but after happily nursing, he was ready to play. He crawled around, looking at the other babies and playing with the toys. He seems to be especially drawn to construction vehicles, and the church nursery where they meet had a lot of them. He was having so much fun, in fact, that the last thing he wanted to do was be picked up by his mommy. As a result, when I picked him up to wrap him on my back (the entire reason we came), he SCREAMED in my ear. He wiggled and wouldn't cooperate and kept shrieking the entire time I was wrapping, which resulted in my inability to get a good carry. However, as soon as I put him back down, he happily went back to playing, without a care in the world! I let him play while I fetched the other size from the mom who brought them for me, and as soon as I picked Ethan up, the screaming began again. This time, he wiggled so much that he almost wiggled out of the wrap before I could secure it! Finally, I gave up and just let him play. I had also wanted to try out some ring slings, but I didn't dare disrupt his play time again, so that will have to wait for another time. ::sigh::
On the bright side, though, I was really worried about him screaming the entire ride home, but as long as I kept him supplied with toys, he happily chewed and babbled the whole way back. After a much needed nap, we headed back out to run some errands, and Ethan was back to his usual happy self.
In the end, I think I got the information I needed. It's hard to tell since I was never able to tighten enough. I guess the worst case scenario will be that I end up buying two wraps if the first size ends up too big. What a travesty! =) Lesson learned, I guess: Don't get between a boy and his trucks.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Play Dates
After our first successful play date a couple of weeks ago, we've mostly been hermits, with the exception of church and running errands. However, we've had very fun play dates yesterday and today! A couple of weeks ago, I joined Meet-Up in an effort to meet some other moms and babies in the area. Unfortunately, many of the meet-ups are planned during one of Ethan's many nap times, so we had yet to go to any. Luckily, two cropped up nearby during Ethan's usual awake times.
Yesterday afternoon, we headed a few minutes away to an outdoor play date, complete with a kiddie pool! By the way, smearing sunscreen on a wiggling infant is one of the hardest things I've had to do yet as a mom! Ethan loves his bath, but he wasn't quite sure what to think of the pool, especially since the water was a bit on the chilly side. Regardless, he looked adorable in his new swim trunks!
After a few minutes of tentative splashing, he seemed to be enjoying himself, so I began recording this video:
Yeah, not so much with the kiddie pool! He was happy again once I handed him a rubber ducky, but we didn't last much longer in the pool before returning to the safety of a quilt in the grass with plenty of toys to explore:
(The play date wasn't really populated by zombie moms and babies, but I didn't get their permission to share this photo so I wanted to obscure their faces). After just over an hour of playing, it was time to head home for another nap.
This morning, we headed off for another meet-up, this time right next door! Shortly after I joined this specific group, my neighbor sent me a message through it since she had joined several months earlier. And so the coincidences continue! She was hosting a meet-up for older kids so I hadn't planned on going, but she sent me an email inviting us to come anyway. Ethan had a grand time crawling around beneath the big kids and attempting to put little cars in his mouth, and I enjoyed having more adult conversations. I didn't get any pictures since I was so busy trying to keep him from choking hazards.
I'm very glad I joined this meetup group! It's just so nice to get out of the house and be around other adults, and since LLL is only twice a month, I don't have that many other opportunities. Next week, we're having the neighbor over, and sometime in the next couple of months, we'll be hosting some Meet the Goats! meet-ups. Ethan's going to need his own social calendar before we know it!
Yesterday afternoon, we headed a few minutes away to an outdoor play date, complete with a kiddie pool! By the way, smearing sunscreen on a wiggling infant is one of the hardest things I've had to do yet as a mom! Ethan loves his bath, but he wasn't quite sure what to think of the pool, especially since the water was a bit on the chilly side. Regardless, he looked adorable in his new swim trunks!
After a few minutes of tentative splashing, he seemed to be enjoying himself, so I began recording this video:
Yeah, not so much with the kiddie pool! He was happy again once I handed him a rubber ducky, but we didn't last much longer in the pool before returning to the safety of a quilt in the grass with plenty of toys to explore:
(The play date wasn't really populated by zombie moms and babies, but I didn't get their permission to share this photo so I wanted to obscure their faces). After just over an hour of playing, it was time to head home for another nap.This morning, we headed off for another meet-up, this time right next door! Shortly after I joined this specific group, my neighbor sent me a message through it since she had joined several months earlier. And so the coincidences continue! She was hosting a meet-up for older kids so I hadn't planned on going, but she sent me an email inviting us to come anyway. Ethan had a grand time crawling around beneath the big kids and attempting to put little cars in his mouth, and I enjoyed having more adult conversations. I didn't get any pictures since I was so busy trying to keep him from choking hazards.
I'm very glad I joined this meetup group! It's just so nice to get out of the house and be around other adults, and since LLL is only twice a month, I don't have that many other opportunities. Next week, we're having the neighbor over, and sometime in the next couple of months, we'll be hosting some Meet the Goats! meet-ups. Ethan's going to need his own social calendar before we know it!
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Amber Teething Necklace
As you've probably noticed by now after watching some of the latest videos, Ethan has started wearing a necklace. This has elicited several comments. "Is he wearing a necklace?" "Why would you put jewelry on a little boy?" His daddy refers to them as his Kabbalah beads and usually quotes Ocean's Twelve's "It's almost like this Kabbalah crap doesn't even work!" whenever the necklace is mentioned. So what is it?
Well, it's an amber teething necklace. You see, amber contains succinic acid, which is known for it's analgesic properties. You are supposed to wear amber near whatever ails you. Get migraines? Wear a necklace. Have carpel tunnel? Wear a bracelet. Have shards of calcium breaking through your flesh? The amber teething necklace is your answer! The warmth from your skin heats up the stones, thus releasing the succinic acid. The lighter the color, the greater the concentration of succinic acid. We ended up with a rainbow composition since they were sold out of the solid light ones.
Ethan has been wearing his amber teething necklace for about two weeks, and I think it has made a difference. The weekend before I first put it on him, he got his third tooth and was not happy about it so I decided to give the necklace a try. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but he hasn't been fussy, he hasn't seemed to have any issues with his teeth (during the day, at least), and at the very least, the necklace certainly doesn't bother him.
But is it safe? Obviously, he only wears it while supervised. Since he still naps in the wrap, I usually keep it on him for naps, but at night and for baths, we take it off. It's made specifically for babies, and it's designed to break apart if too much force is applied to it, so there's not a strangulation risk. You have to choose a length that allows enough space to keep from being tight but isn't long enough for him to get in his mouth since the beads are fragile and could break. We ended up with a 12-13" one (honestly just because that's the smallest size that wasn't sold out). It is long enough that it will still work as he grows, but he has to really strain to try to get it in his mouth (enter the point of parental supervision).
Yes, it's definitely up there with the rest of my crunchy parenting affects, but if it really does work, it's well worth answering the questions! I have several friends who swear by them, so it's definitely becoming more popular. Granted, those friends are from LLL and our CSA, and thus are more inclined towards granola remedies, but still!
And as an added bonus, I think it's absolutely adorable!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Moving on from the Army Crawl
After his initial foray into crawling on his hands and knees at the LLL gathering, he mostly stuck to his usual army crawl. However, yesterday when we had some family over to meet Ethan for the first time, he got back up on his knees, and he's been doing it ever since! Here's a video of him moving around the front room:
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Mommy Must Haves: The Early Months
This post has been months in the making. Back when Ethan was a newborn, I'd planned a post about what baby gear was invaluable, what stuff we used occasionally, and what we could have done without, not including obvious necessities like a car seat, crib, diapers, clothes, etc. Yeah, it never got written, except for in my head. So instead, I'm going to do a 3-part series to see how my Mommy Must Haves changed over the course of Ethan's first year. The Early Months will cover the newborn stage to 4 months. The Middle Months will cover 4-8 months. The Later Months will cover 8-12 months. And perhaps there will be a final installment entitled Toddler Edition. So here goes!
Must Haves:
1) Moby Wrap
Hands down the best baby gift ever! I've already detailed my love of the Moby in previous posts, but not only did it save my sanity on many occasion, it also served as my introduction to the world of babywearing. Further exclamations of adoration will be saved for another babywearing post, though, so suffice it to say it's my #1 newborn must have.
2) Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Swing
This was also essential to our sanity because Ethan slept exclusively in his swing at night for the first 3 months. He also sporadically slept in it for naps, which was the only time we actually turned the swing on. It allowed us to cosleep safely (until he began rolling back-to-front at least), and its rocking enabled him to put himself to sleep on several occasions. However, it did become a bit of a crutch, so I'm not sure what our plan will be for future kids. At the very least, I may want to try out the bassinet of the Pack-n-Play with #2 and attempt a crib transition a bit earlier.
3) aden + anais SwaddlePlus Wraps
Talk about a baby-multitasker! These light-weight muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling, of course, and Ethan was swaddled in them every night for the first 3 months. They were also great blankets for the car seat and out and about. When rolled up, they made a great head-support for the car seat. They doubled as nursing covers for times I felt modest about nursing in public. They served as burp cloths when a cloth diaper wasn't at hand. They kept baby warm during sponge baths. We have 8 of them, and honestly, we needed that many, especially in the beginning. I cannot say enough about how much I love them!
4) Boppy Pillow
Another versatile item. The Boppy is of course great for supporting a baby during breastfeeding, but it also serves as an infant "chair" before they can roll. If he was content to just sit and smile, we could plop him in the Boppy on the couch and sit with him without needing to hold him. It also kept him stationary when I was getting ready to feed him or when I needed to pump afterwards. Definitely one of those baby items I didn't expect would get as much use as it did. We actually have two (one a shower gift; one a yard sale find) so that we can keep one in the nursery by the glider and the other downstairs.
5) Dutalier Comfort Plus 2 Post Glider
I spent many hours nursing and rocking in this chair. In the beginning, Ethan would often nurse for over an hour, so comfort was important, especially for those night feedings when I really didn't want to get up to begin with. Even now, I often read to Ethan in the glider, I rock Ethan before bedtime, and he has his first nursing of the day in the glider. It's also the stage for his monthly photos. Well worth the investment to have a custom glider!
We also liked:
1) Dr. Brown's Bottles
We hadn't expected to need these very much since I had hoped to exclusively breastfeed. However, my body had other plans, so starting a little after the first month, we began bottle-feeding supplements. We still only have the newborn starter kit, which means I wash bottles on the regular, and all of the parts of these bottles can get a little tedious. Nevertheless, Ethan took them immediately, which makes them winners in my book.
2) Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights and Music Activity Mat
Ethan loved staring up at the dangling toys and eventually batting at them, too. And I loved having a soft place I could put him while I folded laundry. The utility of a quilt with the engagement of a toy. I'm not sure I would have purchased one if we didn't receive it as a gift, but we definitely got a lot of use out of it!
I may add a bit more to second part of this list later, but for now, it's time for bed!
Must Haves:
1) Moby Wrap
Hands down the best baby gift ever! I've already detailed my love of the Moby in previous posts, but not only did it save my sanity on many occasion, it also served as my introduction to the world of babywearing. Further exclamations of adoration will be saved for another babywearing post, though, so suffice it to say it's my #1 newborn must have.
2) Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Swing
This was also essential to our sanity because Ethan slept exclusively in his swing at night for the first 3 months. He also sporadically slept in it for naps, which was the only time we actually turned the swing on. It allowed us to cosleep safely (until he began rolling back-to-front at least), and its rocking enabled him to put himself to sleep on several occasions. However, it did become a bit of a crutch, so I'm not sure what our plan will be for future kids. At the very least, I may want to try out the bassinet of the Pack-n-Play with #2 and attempt a crib transition a bit earlier.
3) aden + anais SwaddlePlus Wraps
Talk about a baby-multitasker! These light-weight muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling, of course, and Ethan was swaddled in them every night for the first 3 months. They were also great blankets for the car seat and out and about. When rolled up, they made a great head-support for the car seat. They doubled as nursing covers for times I felt modest about nursing in public. They served as burp cloths when a cloth diaper wasn't at hand. They kept baby warm during sponge baths. We have 8 of them, and honestly, we needed that many, especially in the beginning. I cannot say enough about how much I love them!
4) Boppy Pillow
Another versatile item. The Boppy is of course great for supporting a baby during breastfeeding, but it also serves as an infant "chair" before they can roll. If he was content to just sit and smile, we could plop him in the Boppy on the couch and sit with him without needing to hold him. It also kept him stationary when I was getting ready to feed him or when I needed to pump afterwards. Definitely one of those baby items I didn't expect would get as much use as it did. We actually have two (one a shower gift; one a yard sale find) so that we can keep one in the nursery by the glider and the other downstairs.
5) Dutalier Comfort Plus 2 Post Glider
I spent many hours nursing and rocking in this chair. In the beginning, Ethan would often nurse for over an hour, so comfort was important, especially for those night feedings when I really didn't want to get up to begin with. Even now, I often read to Ethan in the glider, I rock Ethan before bedtime, and he has his first nursing of the day in the glider. It's also the stage for his monthly photos. Well worth the investment to have a custom glider!
We also liked:
1) Dr. Brown's Bottles
We hadn't expected to need these very much since I had hoped to exclusively breastfeed. However, my body had other plans, so starting a little after the first month, we began bottle-feeding supplements. We still only have the newborn starter kit, which means I wash bottles on the regular, and all of the parts of these bottles can get a little tedious. Nevertheless, Ethan took them immediately, which makes them winners in my book.2) Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights and Music Activity Mat
Ethan loved staring up at the dangling toys and eventually batting at them, too. And I loved having a soft place I could put him while I folded laundry. The utility of a quilt with the engagement of a toy. I'm not sure I would have purchased one if we didn't receive it as a gift, but we definitely got a lot of use out of it!
I may add a bit more to second part of this list later, but for now, it's time for bed!
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