In the last post, I mentioned weight being an issue for me. I don't know that I'm losing pounds, but I've been hearing a lot of compliments about how much smaller I look lately. We stopped eating premade frozen dinners, except for the occasional pizza, I've tried walking more (mostly at work), and I do 25 crunches once a week. It's nice to fit into some of my old favorite clothes again, but I've also been seriously cleaning out my closet, which is mentally freeing.
Also, one of the families I commented about in a previous post, has seemed to clean their act up a bit. There are now two children, and the father seems much calmer with them both - even sweetly affectionate to the newborn baby. The mom seems more attentive, and the older child seems better behaved. Maybe the pregnancy was just that stressful on them before. Either way, I'm glad they seem so much happier and loving toward each other.
Our sweet bugaboo is already 8 months old! A friend commented the other day that her time in my belly didn't seem to go as quickly as her growing up now. It's true! Watching our sweet bebe learn and understand things is amazing and awesome! This morning, she put her hand up to her mouth to blow me a kiss! As she grows, I think learning about her family is very important. I don't have living grandparents, and all of my great aunts are gone, too; that's why her middle name is my maternal grandmother's first name. I wish I'd have known her better. Her first name is my mom's middle name, and unbeknownst to me during the baby naming process, was also my dad's mother's name; however, she's mostly named after St. Ann, but with an 'e'. AMB finally met some cousins on my side of the family a couple of weeks ago, including a second visit with one of my uncles and his wife. My sister-in-law and I feel that our girls need to know where they come from and develop a good support system. Extended family is really important to both of us.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
August
Where'd it go? I can't believe we'll be in September on Monday! Our sweet girl is already 7 months old and trying to crawl and sit up all by herself!
When working on my budget sheet for August, I realized that I hadn't been to yoga at all this month! I also found out, after a wellness visit to my GP that my LDL is high. For the next six months, I need to be on a low-fat diet and then I'll get to fast again for another blood test. Oh, joy.
Over the course of the last two weeks, three different people asked me if I was pregnant again or when I was due. The first time I was just shocked, although, I knew I wasn't getting any thinner. The second time I was really upset, and the third time I used it as a motivator to start walking in the evenings. Well, that happened twice, but then it was getting dark too early by the time we could get out of the house, and now my allergies are severely cramping my style.
I weighed myself a few days ago and discovered that I have gained 4.5 lbs.. That plus the 20 lbs. I'm still carrying around post pregnancy has had me reading about gastrointestinal issues and healthy eating without dieting - basically trying to figure out not only why I'm not losing weight, but gaining. Is it simply because I have a desk job? The book that I've really gotten into to help is called Joyous Health. At first, I thought it was a bunch of hippy dippy fluff, but turns out it is really cool to know how different foods affect your body.
I have not yet taken the blood test for celiac disease, but according to everything I've read online and in books - even down to bowel movements - it sure sounds like that's what I have. That would explain the weight gain and tummy issues I've been experiencing for a while, but not the LDL. And no, I'm not one of those jump on the bandwagon types with the gluten-free fad and I've never dieted before. I've known a girl with a gluten sensitivity and tried some of her food; it's not a diet I'm looking forward to switching to if that does turn out to be what I have. Plus, husband's a beer brewer, so how ironic would that be?
We also need to figure out if there's a connection between baby girl's eczema and her food. The last time she was getting a check up, it was suggested that we get a blood test done to see if she's allergic to anything in her formula since she keeps getting eczema flare ups. She's a happy little sprite, though, so at least she's not really suffering. Of course, I just found this, which says there's no connection to food. Life, the never ending learning experience!
That's what we've been up to lately. A few friends have deemed it "survival mode" (there are books on it, though!). Hopefully, September will include more exercise, free time, and a healthier diet for a happier momma. However, I am very thankful for our girl's and my husband's good health!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Baby's First Christmas
What do you give your own kid for their first Christmas outside the womb??? Grandparents and extended family will spoil her, no doubt, and our home is already bursting at the seams! Plus, her birthday is in January!
Here are some suggestions we've gotten from friends, which we're taking into consideration:
Savings bonds. We've also read into 529 plans. College, even at a public one, is going to be expensive and as the saying goes, "it's never too early to start saving".
The rule of 4. Give something she needs, wants, reads, and something to wear. I've made her a list of books on Amazon (with some other things), she needs diapers, containers to put food in once she gets more into solids (which we assume she will be by Christmas), and ummm, I can't think of anything else at the moment. By the time Christmas and her birthday get here, she'll need more clothes, but right now she's got tons and it's a point of contention between her dad and I (storing them, that is). As for something she wants, well, she doesn't say actual words yet, so maybe closer to Christmas we'll have a clue. She's already got a decent collection of stuffed animals and probably a blanket for each one of them.
Somehow, when I was celebrating my first Christmas, I had lots and lots of huge boxes to unwrap (as I've seen in photos), so what in the world was I getting? Sister-in-law and I hit up Home Goods the other day and got things started with gifts for the girls (my niece will be celebrating her first Christmas out of the womb, too!) - a musical toy, two board books, and a bath toy set for my girl - and I'm not telling what I got for my niece because I want it to be a surprise for her parents, too!
What did you get your kid(s) for their first Christmas?
Sunday, July 20, 2014
When Will I Get My Me Time?
Before I begin to vent, let me say that I love being a mother to this girl and a wife to this man. And now, I commence.
I know all of this is normal for being a parent, first time or not, and it's a shame that it has to be this uphill battle for so long since having a family is such a blessing. How is it that I (and I think many mothers) barely get any time to myself? My husband still gets a decent amount, and he's not a lazy or uninvolved dad. In fact, he's one of the most involved dad's I know by a long shot! It's just the way things fall with our schedules.
He's often off during the week, so I'm at work and our daughter is at daycare; therefore, he gets entire days to himself. He's not necessarily playing video games or wasting time; most of the time he's taking care of chores or running errands, but it is easier to do any of those things when you're on your own. I'm off every other Friday/Saturday and every Sunday. When I'm off, our daughter is also home so whether it's doing chores, paying bills, or running errands, everything is more complicated because of diaper changes and feeding and needing attention.
An example is today. Husband went to work early to help out with a project, so from about 7 AM till about 9 PM, I have taken a 30 minute nap with our daughter; done two loads of laundry; baked lasagna not from a box; gone to the grocery; gone to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get some things off our registry; laid out driftwood and cap and can pieces for sculptures that need to be made by August 1; put away most of our daughter's laundry; bathed our daughter; picked up a folding table from a friend for the market August 1; fed our daughter multiple times - feeding her a bottle with one hand right now and just fed her oatmeal a few minutes before (she holds her bottle sometimes, but not always); changed her diaper several times, two of which were poops; put a bag of baby items together to bring to a consignment shop sometime this week; cleaned up oatmeal from the dining area since our baby thinks it's fun to wear her food and also believes that everyone and everything else should, too. I also washed dishes, nearly filled the dishwasher, and cleared some counter space off in the kitchen. I still need to bathe myself, get my lunch ready for work tomorrow, and put some of my laundry away so I can actually sleep in our bed.
The upside to all this insanity is that I get to spend time with our baby girl - see and hear and make her laugh, watch her achieve her milestones, like holding her bottle, trying to sit up on her own, and waiving; hear all her shrills and shrieks and other sounds she likes to make; watch her interact with her toys; show her off when we run errands; tell her how much I love her; and kiss her and put her to bed every night. Her daddy doesn't get to do all that nearly as often, especially putting her to bed at night.
This isn't newborn hard - nothing is as tough as that was! - but this isn't easy. I've even toyed with the idea of working part time just so we could eat dinner at a semi-normal time instead of 9 PM or later many nights, and to have more time to work with our daughter's physical achievements like tummy time, working toward crawling, and introducing more solid foods. When she's at daycare, I could run errands, finish the several art projects I have laying around, actually finish reading a book, make phone calls that I usually have to make on my lunch breaks.
See, my lunch break isn't mine either. At the beginning, I'd go visit her at daycare because I missed her. I still miss her, but she's getting to the point that she knows if I'm not there. Then I had to go to give her her inhaler for a couple of weeks. Now I have to get gas, call doctors and or insurance companies or make other business hour phone calls that I can't make when I get off work because everything of that nature closes at 4:30 or 5.
I've just put her to bed, which she and I are both very happy about, but my husband just walked in the door and again, any chance of "me time" is squashed. Thankfully, he needed a shower so I can at least finish this post before starting to do things once again - serve dinner, talk about our day, be affectionate, and superficially ignore the fact that our love life isn't wonderful because we are tired or stressed. It's no wonder I can't lose these last twenty pounds, am fighting a sinus infection, and feel just as unrested as any other day after a weekend. By the way, we can't afford me to work part time so full time it is. Ah, the life of a parent. Yet, I still can't close the door on the idea of possibly having another child one day. We'll see, though....right now, we're definitely good with just one!
I know all of this is normal for being a parent, first time or not, and it's a shame that it has to be this uphill battle for so long since having a family is such a blessing. How is it that I (and I think many mothers) barely get any time to myself? My husband still gets a decent amount, and he's not a lazy or uninvolved dad. In fact, he's one of the most involved dad's I know by a long shot! It's just the way things fall with our schedules.
He's often off during the week, so I'm at work and our daughter is at daycare; therefore, he gets entire days to himself. He's not necessarily playing video games or wasting time; most of the time he's taking care of chores or running errands, but it is easier to do any of those things when you're on your own. I'm off every other Friday/Saturday and every Sunday. When I'm off, our daughter is also home so whether it's doing chores, paying bills, or running errands, everything is more complicated because of diaper changes and feeding and needing attention.
An example is today. Husband went to work early to help out with a project, so from about 7 AM till about 9 PM, I have taken a 30 minute nap with our daughter; done two loads of laundry; baked lasagna not from a box; gone to the grocery; gone to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get some things off our registry; laid out driftwood and cap and can pieces for sculptures that need to be made by August 1; put away most of our daughter's laundry; bathed our daughter; picked up a folding table from a friend for the market August 1; fed our daughter multiple times - feeding her a bottle with one hand right now and just fed her oatmeal a few minutes before (she holds her bottle sometimes, but not always); changed her diaper several times, two of which were poops; put a bag of baby items together to bring to a consignment shop sometime this week; cleaned up oatmeal from the dining area since our baby thinks it's fun to wear her food and also believes that everyone and everything else should, too. I also washed dishes, nearly filled the dishwasher, and cleared some counter space off in the kitchen. I still need to bathe myself, get my lunch ready for work tomorrow, and put some of my laundry away so I can actually sleep in our bed.
The upside to all this insanity is that I get to spend time with our baby girl - see and hear and make her laugh, watch her achieve her milestones, like holding her bottle, trying to sit up on her own, and waiving; hear all her shrills and shrieks and other sounds she likes to make; watch her interact with her toys; show her off when we run errands; tell her how much I love her; and kiss her and put her to bed every night. Her daddy doesn't get to do all that nearly as often, especially putting her to bed at night.
This isn't newborn hard - nothing is as tough as that was! - but this isn't easy. I've even toyed with the idea of working part time just so we could eat dinner at a semi-normal time instead of 9 PM or later many nights, and to have more time to work with our daughter's physical achievements like tummy time, working toward crawling, and introducing more solid foods. When she's at daycare, I could run errands, finish the several art projects I have laying around, actually finish reading a book, make phone calls that I usually have to make on my lunch breaks.
See, my lunch break isn't mine either. At the beginning, I'd go visit her at daycare because I missed her. I still miss her, but she's getting to the point that she knows if I'm not there. Then I had to go to give her her inhaler for a couple of weeks. Now I have to get gas, call doctors and or insurance companies or make other business hour phone calls that I can't make when I get off work because everything of that nature closes at 4:30 or 5.
I've just put her to bed, which she and I are both very happy about, but my husband just walked in the door and again, any chance of "me time" is squashed. Thankfully, he needed a shower so I can at least finish this post before starting to do things once again - serve dinner, talk about our day, be affectionate, and superficially ignore the fact that our love life isn't wonderful because we are tired or stressed. It's no wonder I can't lose these last twenty pounds, am fighting a sinus infection, and feel just as unrested as any other day after a weekend. By the way, we can't afford me to work part time so full time it is. Ah, the life of a parent. Yet, I still can't close the door on the idea of possibly having another child one day. We'll see, though....right now, we're definitely good with just one!
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Surrounded by Idiots: Raising a Child in Modern Society
Did you ever sit in a bar or coffee shop and get into passionate discussions with friends about politics or the state of the economy? While I try to avoid confrontational conversations like that with people these days, I at least sat in on several of those types of discussions into my late twenties. Especially as I got into my thirties, I began to think - mostly quietly, but along with everyone else - that raising a child in today's society was a scary idea. So scary, in fact, that I was hesitant to have my own children because trying to protect them from so many things seemed impossible.
Well, now I have a daughter. Her dad and I have a great relationship and we think she'll grow up to be a good citizen. We recycle, we love animals, we're health conscious....heck, we're conscious! Which, unfortunately, I can't say is true for a lot of people. The following examples are things that I have dealt with first hand. While it would be annoying to my pre-pregnant/parent self, it's maddening to me as a parent.
When I was nine months pregnant I went to Barnes and Noble one evening. There were some teens hanging out in front, and as I was walking to the doors, two of them walked in in front of me. The first one held the door for his friend, but the second one (his friend) did not hold the door when I was right behind him. There are two sets of doors, so the first time I blew it off and thought the guy didn't see me. The second set of doors, however, the teen actually turned to me, took his hand off the door and said, "oh sorry....I wish", and looked back at me. Had I not been nine months pregnant, I imagined that I would have grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him back before yelling at him about what a crappy kid he was, what would his parents think, etc. In real non-pregnant/hormonal life, I'd have said something clever and snarky with the same sentiments as my pregnant/emotion/hormone filled self was thinking.
Another time when I was driving home from work and on my way to pick up our daughter, a car full of twenty somethings stopped in my lane until I got really close with my car, only to then floor it into a parking lot. They all looked at me and laughed, as though causing an accident or even getting killed was hilarious. Again, where did things go so wrong in their lives that they have no respect for themselves, their parents, each other, life? How is a situation like that humorous?
It's been a while since I've seen this family, but every time the scenario is the same. There was a cute little boy in library with his parents. He was having a good time playing with the activity center in the children's section, his mother was using a computer, and his father was in and out of the library to get things out of the car, or to smoke. The entire time the mother is on the computer, the child keeps asking his dad to play with him, while the dad looks at his son with disdain and either tells his son to stay put or makes him come outside while he smokes. At one point, the little boy comes running out of the children's section, cigarette lighter in hand and he trips, the lighter sliding across the floor (how I noticed what it actually was). This poor child is being treated like he's not important or a burden. His mother seemed to semi-humor him once she got off the computer, but she was still preoccupied with her thoughts. My take is trashy parents raise trashy kids. This little boy would likely grow up to be a good kid if his parents gave him attention, and presented themselves better. Instead, he's playing with cigarette lighters, begging for attention, and will likely grow up to do something crazy for attention and possibly end up in jail or worse.
Am I being judgy? You bet! Am I making assumptions? Yes. But I don't think they're too far off. I'm betting the Barnes and Noble teens are from a well-off family and they feel entitled; the awful driving twenty-somethings could be from anywhere, and it's obvious that the library family is not well off. Point being, money has nothing to do with it. Raising a child is one of the most, if not the most important thing you will do in your life (only second to like, finding a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's). Have fun with it, but take it seriously. It's kind of a big deal. Setting good examples and breaking bad habits is hard, and we are far from perfect or experts. It's just common sense and being aware. And really the whole point of this post is not to tell anyone what to do or how to be, but that I don't want our daughter growing up in this nation of idiots that we seem to live in. I want her to be in a society that is aware, conscious, and tries to do their best, even if it's tough. And no, we're not hipsters, or hippies - just two educated, conscious, working parents who try to do our best no matter how tired or broke we might be.
Well, now I have a daughter. Her dad and I have a great relationship and we think she'll grow up to be a good citizen. We recycle, we love animals, we're health conscious....heck, we're conscious! Which, unfortunately, I can't say is true for a lot of people. The following examples are things that I have dealt with first hand. While it would be annoying to my pre-pregnant/parent self, it's maddening to me as a parent.
When I was nine months pregnant I went to Barnes and Noble one evening. There were some teens hanging out in front, and as I was walking to the doors, two of them walked in in front of me. The first one held the door for his friend, but the second one (his friend) did not hold the door when I was right behind him. There are two sets of doors, so the first time I blew it off and thought the guy didn't see me. The second set of doors, however, the teen actually turned to me, took his hand off the door and said, "oh sorry....I wish", and looked back at me. Had I not been nine months pregnant, I imagined that I would have grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him back before yelling at him about what a crappy kid he was, what would his parents think, etc. In real non-pregnant/hormonal life, I'd have said something clever and snarky with the same sentiments as my pregnant/emotion/hormone filled self was thinking.
Another time when I was driving home from work and on my way to pick up our daughter, a car full of twenty somethings stopped in my lane until I got really close with my car, only to then floor it into a parking lot. They all looked at me and laughed, as though causing an accident or even getting killed was hilarious. Again, where did things go so wrong in their lives that they have no respect for themselves, their parents, each other, life? How is a situation like that humorous?
It's been a while since I've seen this family, but every time the scenario is the same. There was a cute little boy in library with his parents. He was having a good time playing with the activity center in the children's section, his mother was using a computer, and his father was in and out of the library to get things out of the car, or to smoke. The entire time the mother is on the computer, the child keeps asking his dad to play with him, while the dad looks at his son with disdain and either tells his son to stay put or makes him come outside while he smokes. At one point, the little boy comes running out of the children's section, cigarette lighter in hand and he trips, the lighter sliding across the floor (how I noticed what it actually was). This poor child is being treated like he's not important or a burden. His mother seemed to semi-humor him once she got off the computer, but she was still preoccupied with her thoughts. My take is trashy parents raise trashy kids. This little boy would likely grow up to be a good kid if his parents gave him attention, and presented themselves better. Instead, he's playing with cigarette lighters, begging for attention, and will likely grow up to do something crazy for attention and possibly end up in jail or worse.
Am I being judgy? You bet! Am I making assumptions? Yes. But I don't think they're too far off. I'm betting the Barnes and Noble teens are from a well-off family and they feel entitled; the awful driving twenty-somethings could be from anywhere, and it's obvious that the library family is not well off. Point being, money has nothing to do with it. Raising a child is one of the most, if not the most important thing you will do in your life (only second to like, finding a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's). Have fun with it, but take it seriously. It's kind of a big deal. Setting good examples and breaking bad habits is hard, and we are far from perfect or experts. It's just common sense and being aware. And really the whole point of this post is not to tell anyone what to do or how to be, but that I don't want our daughter growing up in this nation of idiots that we seem to live in. I want her to be in a society that is aware, conscious, and tries to do their best, even if it's tough. And no, we're not hipsters, or hippies - just two educated, conscious, working parents who try to do our best no matter how tired or broke we might be.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Body Image
Oh you last 15-20 pounds...if you didn't make me look like I ate too many donuts or drank too much beer, I might not care as much. Or if I didn't have a closet and a half worth of size 4 clothes that don't fit because I'm now a size 12, and I don't want to buy too many size 12 clothes in case I actually lose some more weight by the end of the year. That's my goal. What I've been told by other mothers and friends is that it took "9 months to put the weight on, it'll take at least 9 months to get it off".
I'm not joining a gym or changing my diet or anything else. I'm just doing my regular thing and if I lose weight, awesome! Maybe I should put some more effort into it. I don't know. I keep saying I'll try sit-ups or that I should ride my bike more, but it's hard to do things by yourself when you have a 5-month old and a husband who works 12-hour shifts. That's right - we got married a week ago! Woohoo!
Anyway, we all vent about our weight or being out of shape at some point. Just as I did not like to hear comments about being so thin before (people assumed I was vegetarian or watched what I ate all the time; it's called genetics and a high metabolism), I don't want to hear comments saying that I "have no room to talk" because I've never weighed over 200 pounds or that I've never been a size 22. I'm sorry you've always been the "fat kid" and that you got made fun of (their words, not mine). I'm proud of you for trying to change your life so you can lose some weight. My reality is different from yours. I used to weight 123 pounds and now I weigh 143 pounds. The vast majority of my clothes no longer fit and stare at me from my closet. I'm talking shoes, undergarments, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts....most of my clothes.
Am I excited about revamping my closet/style/wardrobe one day? You bet! But it's expensive and can't all be done at once. I got some great pieces at the Gulfport Outlets during our honeymoon to wear to work. I also keep reminding myself that most of my coworkers wear the same outfits over and over again every week so I don't need as much variety as I think I do in my closet. So far, it's working.
I'm not joining a gym or changing my diet or anything else. I'm just doing my regular thing and if I lose weight, awesome! Maybe I should put some more effort into it. I don't know. I keep saying I'll try sit-ups or that I should ride my bike more, but it's hard to do things by yourself when you have a 5-month old and a husband who works 12-hour shifts. That's right - we got married a week ago! Woohoo!
Anyway, we all vent about our weight or being out of shape at some point. Just as I did not like to hear comments about being so thin before (people assumed I was vegetarian or watched what I ate all the time; it's called genetics and a high metabolism), I don't want to hear comments saying that I "have no room to talk" because I've never weighed over 200 pounds or that I've never been a size 22. I'm sorry you've always been the "fat kid" and that you got made fun of (their words, not mine). I'm proud of you for trying to change your life so you can lose some weight. My reality is different from yours. I used to weight 123 pounds and now I weigh 143 pounds. The vast majority of my clothes no longer fit and stare at me from my closet. I'm talking shoes, undergarments, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts....most of my clothes.
Am I excited about revamping my closet/style/wardrobe one day? You bet! But it's expensive and can't all be done at once. I got some great pieces at the Gulfport Outlets during our honeymoon to wear to work. I also keep reminding myself that most of my coworkers wear the same outfits over and over again every week so I don't need as much variety as I think I do in my closet. So far, it's working.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Green Parenting
Green as in new, and as in respecting the planet.
Probably about two years ago, maybe longer, I was made aware of parabens and phthalates in make-up and lotions. I checked out an audio book from the library by Dr. Daniel Amen who talked at length about hormones, things we put into and onto our bodies, like parabens and phthalates. Both are known to cause cancer. I read the ingredients of all of my lotions and was bummed to find out all contained at least one of the chemicals. Parabens are preservatives and phthalates are commonly used in products with scents. My initial thought was to throw all the lotions away, but then I thought how wasteful that would be since I have so many. I'm slowly using them all up, and will start fresh with naturally made lotions from places like Green Oaks Apothecary, Mum Mum's or Lush. There are some things made at places like these for babies, too, but I'm not 100% comfortable using them without asking her pediatrician. Aveeno, Yes to...(carrots, blueberries, grapefruit, tomato), and Burt's Bees are great natural products, too, that can be found almost anywhere. This may be backwards, but I am comfortable using these commercially made products on baby because they meet certain guidelines.
Probably about two years ago, maybe longer, I was made aware of parabens and phthalates in make-up and lotions. I checked out an audio book from the library by Dr. Daniel Amen who talked at length about hormones, things we put into and onto our bodies, like parabens and phthalates. Both are known to cause cancer. I read the ingredients of all of my lotions and was bummed to find out all contained at least one of the chemicals. Parabens are preservatives and phthalates are commonly used in products with scents. My initial thought was to throw all the lotions away, but then I thought how wasteful that would be since I have so many. I'm slowly using them all up, and will start fresh with naturally made lotions from places like Green Oaks Apothecary, Mum Mum's or Lush. There are some things made at places like these for babies, too, but I'm not 100% comfortable using them without asking her pediatrician. Aveeno, Yes to...(carrots, blueberries, grapefruit, tomato), and Burt's Bees are great natural products, too, that can be found almost anywhere. This may be backwards, but I am comfortable using these commercially made products on baby because they meet certain guidelines.
Organic food is something that's interested me for a while, too. Unfortunately, claiming something is orgnaic is no guarantee it really is certified (from a grocery store standpoint) so buying from farmer's markets is the next best thing at this time. Fiance' and I are both interested in learning more about growing our own veggies and having somewhat of a mini-farm with chickens, etc. (one day) but without feeling exhausted from keeping up with that, and our regular jobs that pay the bills. Organic clothing, like Burt's Baby Bee, interests me, as well, but I haven't really had any experience with any of it. I'm assuming natural dyes are used and hope it's not all made in China or in a sweatshop. Anyone know if it's really worth it?
Biodegradable diapers seem like a good idea, but I've read that sometimes just because something's labeled as biodegradable, it isn't always true. There is an easy and organic way to make your own baby wipes that are not only good for baby's skin, but are so simple, they don't cause any environmental harm - thanks sis-in-law for the idea! I was considering trying cloth diapers, but fiance' said, 'no way'. Some friends said they'd find other ways to be green.
I'm still researching toys for baby. I'm not a fan of things that are cheap plastic, noisy contraptions that are made in China (yes, that's a big general swath); but I am a big promoter of 'imagination time'. Toys that are simple, that inspire her, don't overwhelm/overstimulate her, like some of the ones I've seen available through Little Pnuts or Citrus Lane. Toy cell phones make me batty, but I'm not sure why. We grew up with play phones and that didn't make me any more of a phone talker (I'm not a big phone talker). Plus, she sees both of us play on our phones, so it's inevitable she'll want to be like Mommy and Daddy and have her own.
When she's a little older and can stand on her own, I hope to do yoga together. I've done yoga for several years off and on, and I'm making a point to get back into it full-time again (see future post on anxiety). Other activities like bike riding, exploring outside, going to the park ranger talks at nature centers and state parks (I loved the one at Fort Pickens in Florida when I was a kid) will likely foster a respect for nature, which her dad and I both have.
Anyway, just parenting thoughts and ideals for nurturing our sweet bebe' who already seems to really like spending time on the patio looking at trees and listening to birds - thanks to TAG (my dad) for introducing her to that!
I'm still researching toys for baby. I'm not a fan of things that are cheap plastic, noisy contraptions that are made in China (yes, that's a big general swath); but I am a big promoter of 'imagination time'. Toys that are simple, that inspire her, don't overwhelm/overstimulate her, like some of the ones I've seen available through Little Pnuts or Citrus Lane. Toy cell phones make me batty, but I'm not sure why. We grew up with play phones and that didn't make me any more of a phone talker (I'm not a big phone talker). Plus, she sees both of us play on our phones, so it's inevitable she'll want to be like Mommy and Daddy and have her own.
When she's a little older and can stand on her own, I hope to do yoga together. I've done yoga for several years off and on, and I'm making a point to get back into it full-time again (see future post on anxiety). Other activities like bike riding, exploring outside, going to the park ranger talks at nature centers and state parks (I loved the one at Fort Pickens in Florida when I was a kid) will likely foster a respect for nature, which her dad and I both have.
Anyway, just parenting thoughts and ideals for nurturing our sweet bebe' who already seems to really like spending time on the patio looking at trees and listening to birds - thanks to TAG (my dad) for introducing her to that!
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