About Baby Food - do you know what your little one is really eating?

I recently wrote a story for the Atlanta Journal Constitution about baby food. When I started the story, I was going to write about how the Happy Family company recently became the first company to sell baby food in clear pouches so that you can see what you're buying. After doing some research, my story changed. Baby food: Is what you see really what you get?

I was shocked to learn that companies like Plum Organics and Gerber use fillers like apple puree and apple sauce in their food. For example, the first ingredient in the Plum Organics Raspberry Spinach and Greek Yogurt pouch is apple puree! I (naively!) assumed that since it was Raspberry Spinach and Greek Yogurt that those were the ingredients.

I usually make Jacob's baby food, but sometimes I switch to store-bought pouches, either to give him new flavors and spices that I don't know how to mess with, or to give him purees that have a better, smoother texture than what I can make at home. (I worried about stuff like small seeds in fruits and husks on corn.) But the thing is, if I make his food, I'll write on the container "squash, peas, and carrots" because that's what I put in there.  If I buy squash, peas, and carrots from a baby food company at the store, I expect it to just be squash, peas, and carrots.

That's not the case with some companies. Now, I know if I had just taken a second to flip the pouch over and read the ingredients, I would know that. And trust me, I'll be doing that any time I buy baby food pouches in the future.

What really stinks about this is that, since starting solid foods, Jacob's had a couple bouts of constipation. After doing some reading online, I learned that the biggest culprits for baby constipation are the ABCs - apples, bananas, and cereal (or carrots) so I decided to try avoiding those, or at least limiting them, and offering Jacob new stuff.

The problem is, most of the new stuff that I gave him from a pouch contained apples anyway, even though it wasn't the name of the food on the pouch. (Like the Raspberry Spinach and Greek Yogurt.) So I was trying to avoid giving him apples, by giving him new flavors in store-bought pouches, and because I didn't read the labels, gave him apples anyway.

I will definitely be more careful about what I buy in the future. And I'm definitely going to keep making my own baby food!

About Being Fearless

Fearless.

That's #BabyGoodwin in a nutshell.

Fearless, or maybe crazy.

He's been crawling since before Christmas, and now he's everywhere. Up the stairs. Cruising from the couch to the coffee table to the end table. Lunging from one table to the next.

We got him a walker. The first few days he wasn't a big fan. He would roll himself backwards, which freaked him out. And then, like everything else, once he got going - he's been moving. It's crazy. I think the walker has inspired him to be even more adventurous than he already was.

He crawled from my husband's lap onto the coffee table. He grabbed the top drawer handle in the kitchen and planted his foot on the bottom drawer handle to start climbing. Crazy kid.

We've baby proofed as much as we can. Our baby gates just arrived from Amazon so we can put them at the top and bottom of the stairs.

I have a feeling he'll be walking pretty soon...

and I'M FREAKING OUT.

Shop Shout-Outs

I wanted to take a minute and spread the word on some of the mama artists, entrepreneurs, and business ladies that I've been lucky enough to become acquainted with!

A friend of ours does personalization and embroidery. She's made a onesie, bib, stroller blanket, and Easter basket for Jacob. Check out Babbalucci!

I purchased a teething necklace from Little Teether and Jacob loves it. They are now selling their products on Amazon! (But if you order from the Etsy shop, the packaging is so cute and thoughtful!)

I also got Jacob a "Lenny" doll from Jessica Dolls. They are so freaking cute!

I recently won two giveaways on Instagram and received a bunch of cool stuff from the following shops:

Stellamamma (teething necklace)

 

Dream Owl Druzy (earrings)

Heather's Homemade Essentials (teething and calm baby oils)

Parker & Co. Baby  (Puff Addict t-shirt)

My Little Earthlings (body butter)

Earth Meets Water (soy candle)

Owl You Need is Scrub (body scrub, body butter, bath salts)

Iris Rose & Co (bib and paci clip)

About Baby's First Cold

The other night, as we were getting ready for bed, I asked my husband if he thought Jacob looked all right. Something in his eyes didn't seem right, like he was extra tired or something.

That night, Jacob tossed and turned in his sleep and cried out a few times. Upon going to check on him, I heard that his breathing was noisy like his nose was stuffed up.

The following morning confirmed it - he was sick. The good news? We made it almost 9 months before his first cold! The bad news? My husband and I woke up with the same symptoms! Stuffy/runny nose, scratchy throat, no fever.

It's so sad listening to him trying to drink his bottle with a stuffy nose. We've tried saline mist and the bulb, cranked his humidifier up as high as it will go, lowered the heat in his room, and have steamed u the bathroom so we could play in "the sauna." 

It's been a few days and he seems to be doing better. I'm just wondering what other tried and true methods you mamas use for when your babies are sick. Any suggestions? 

About a Boy and His Dog

Yodi came into my life in 2002. He was the pick of the litter, and I pretty much picked him out when he was 2 weeks old. His owner brought out the puppies in his litter for us to meet one at a time, in the order that they were born. Since he had been the first in the litter, he was the first puppy that I met. He sat happily on my chest while I met, pet, and handled all of his brothers and sisters.

When Yodi was 9 months old, he was attacked by my parents' neighbor's pit bull. What we went through was devastating, but after having blood transfusions, skin grafts, and an amputation - he bounced back as good as new. Yodi was a "tripawd" for pretty much his whole life.

In 2012, when I moved from Florida to Virginia, Yodi stayed behind with my parents. I wasn't sure that he would do well in the cold up north, plus my husband's townhouse had open stairs and two cats. I wasn't sure how a three-legged dog would handle any of that. As much as I hated to be without Yodi, I figured it was for the best, and I hoped that he would enjoy spending his "retirement years" with my parents in their big house and big backyard.

Just recently, my parents decided to move back to Pennsylvania where we're all from. Since they were moving north again anyway, we decided it was time for Yodi to come and live with me. I wasn't sure how it would work with two cats and a baby, but we have a bigger split-level house with entry to the outside downstairs, so I figured Yodi could just be a downstairs dog. He and the cats didn't really get along - any time a cat saw or heard Yodi, they'd bolt. But thankfully, we never had any problems.

I was just glad to have my dog with me again.

And in the short time that they had together, Yodi and Jacob seemed to love each other.

Yodi was always by Jacob's side. He was curious about diaper changes, food time in the high chair, and naptime in the pack 'n play. He liked to give Jacob kisses and didn't seem to mind when Jacob would pet him or grab an ear or a handful of fur.

But Yodi wasn't doing well. At over thirteen years old, it was painfully obvious to me that he had slowed down a lot. After a few trips to the vet it was determined that Yodi would need most of his teeth removed, but the vet heard a heart murmur so a trip to the cardiologist was in order. The cardiologist said he should be fine with the dental surgery, but of course, there are still risks involved with any surgery, especially with a senior dog. I wasn't sure that I wanted to put Yodi through all that. In addition to those issues, Yodi also seemed to be suffering from what the vet described as canine cognitive dysfunction - basically, the doggie version of Alzheimer's. He would sleep all day, was shaky and tired, didn't like to be left alone, and would sometimes throw up or have accidents in the house. Sometimes he'd have difficulty trying to get to his feet, like his back legs weren't working properly. I watched him wobble, stumble, and fall numerous times.

Because he didn't like to be left alone, I ended up spending a few weeks sleeping on a mattress downstairs with him. Just like old times, we'd cuddle under the covers. It had been years since I'd been able to cuddle with Yodi in bed because he'd no longer been able to jump on and off the bed.

But I was afraid. I hated seeing him so worn down, and possibly in pain. I talked with the vet, my husband, and several close friends and family members. I worried and cried about it over and over again until I finally decided that it was time to put him to rest. I knew that saying goodbye would be hard, but it was also so hard to watch him struggle every day.

The vet reassured me that saying goodbye was the most selfless act of love that I could do for Yodi. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I know that it was the right thing. I held Yodi in my arms the whole time and thanked him for being such a good dog.

I'm just so happy that my baby got to meet my fur baby, even if it was only for a little while.

About Sleep Regression/Teething/Tummy Trouble

We were super lucky that #BabyGoodwin was one of those kids who kind of figured out sleeping through the night all on his own. I'd read blog posts and books about night training, several people suggested BabyWise, and I figured at some point, we were going to have to get strict about our nighttime schedule... And then Jacob started sleeping through the night all by himself without any of that. (I'll never forget the first morning that he slept all the way until 6 o'clock - I barely slept at all that night!)

 Recently, however, he's had some issues with making a lot of noise and sometimes even waking up and crying at night. Sometimes multiple times. He's had tummy issues in the past - the kid hardly ever burped. I think now that he's moving around and so active, it's better. (And he burps much more easily!) The ped suggested putting Colief drops in his bottles, and that definitely seemed to stop any daytime issues. For awhile, we didn't have any nighttime issues, either.

 And he's definitely teething, so of course that can cause problems at night.

 And this all began around 7 months, which can kind of be sleep regression territory. We totally missed the 4-month sleep regression. Never noticed much of a difference in his sleep at that point. But this... WOOOOOOOOO.

 For awhile, he was just kind of a noisy sleeper. We'd hear him toss and turn and occasionally whack the side of the crib. (Not on the monitor or anything - his room is just right across the hall.) He woke us up, but didn't seem like he woke himself up.

Then for awhile he started waking up at 1 a.m. almost on the dot, several nights in a row. And not just, like, "Hey, I'm awake, come pat my butt so I can go back to sleep" waking up. Like full on, suddenly screaming and crying and waking up. We tried giving him Tylenol and/or teething tablets. My husband would mostly just sit up with him and rock him until he finally went back to sleep.

This sucks for two reasons. 1 - our kiddo who was previously sleeping through the night has all of a sudden started waking up and 2 - we have no idea how to figure out the cause.

I read somewhere that overfeeding could be a common cause for tummy trouble at night so we gradually did away with his before bed bottle. He used to get 4 oz, and then we whittled that down to 2, and then one night, he didn't get one. Slept just fine. We also adjusted his solid food schedule to make sure his evening meal came a little later to keep his belly full. Maybe it helped? He didn't seem to have any problem doing away with his before-bed bottle. He falls asleep just fine without it. It's the staying asleep that's the issue.

 If he's teething, there's not really much we can do except continue to give meds at night if he seems to need them. 

I don't think he's hungry - he's been getting plenty of formula and 3 solid meals a day. But it's still happening. He's still waking up. Not necessarily always screaming and crying. Some nights are way better than others. I just wish we knew what caused it so we could help our little guy out. Have you ever had to deal with a sleep regression or any other problems that have caused changes in the way your baby sleeps? What did you do about it? I'd love suggestions!!!

About the Pack 'n Play: NOW I GET IT

Awhile back, I wrote a post on the pack 'n play because I wasn't exactly sure what to use it for.

We'd initially used it as our downstairs changing area and it was our place to stash all of our diapers, wipes, lotions, etc. But as #BabyGoodwin got too big for the changing pad and started rolling over, I wasn't sure what else to use the pack 'n play for.

I know some people say they put their kids in there for naps, but it doesn't exactly seem like the cushiest, most comfortable place to sleep. And why would I stick #BabyGoodwin in there to play when he's got all kinds of room on the floor?

And then he started crawling.
And going from his belly to sitting.
And pulling himself up onto his feet.

So, yeah. I get it. Now I know what the heck to do with it.

I can't take my eyes off of him for a second these days, so he goes in there for a little bit so I can get things done (pee, fold laundry) without having to worry about him bumping his head as he crawls through the coffee table.

And naps? He has this baby-to-toddler rocking chair that he used to do almost all of his naps in. Until he got mobile! Then all of a sudden, he started trying to roll over in his chair - and nearly managed to do it a few times, despite being properly strapped in!

So I've tried his naps in the pack 'n play, too - and he doesn't mind like I thought he would.

The pack 'n play has become a lifesaver.

What lifesaver baby products do you love?

A photo posted by Jessica (@goodwinjess) on Jan 17, 2016 at 9:51am PST

Review: Badger Balm Night Night Balm

We don't know if it's the teething or if it's a sleep regression or him learning to crawl or just a phase or what, but lately Jacob has been a really restless sleeper. He doesn't really have a problem going to bed, and it's not often that he wakes up at night, but he moves around and makes SO MUCH NOISE in his sleep.

I know a lot of people suggest including baby massage as part of your bedtime routine. I decided to give it a try, and as usual, turned to Amazon to look for a product that might be able to help us out.

I came across Badger Night Night Balm and decided to order it. 

It comes in a tin as pictured and is a sort of waxy paste - not too oily, not thick either. You rub your fingers around to soften it up. I do that a few times and rub it on Jacob's chest before bed.

It smells really good - lemon balm and chamomile to help with anxiety and stress. I love the smell. Ingredients are all organic.

Product description from Amazon:
Night-Night Balm is a natural Sleep Balm specifically designed with children in mind, to help ease younger minds into the magical realm of the sleep world. For this special kid-friendly formula, we chose essential oils that are known to be especially beneficial for children, helping them unwind naturally after a busy day of learning and growing. Chamomile helps children to be calm and unwind from nighttime activities. Lavender helps children to relax and feel soothed, while Sandalwood instills a feeling of reverence. A safe and natural sleep aid for children (and it works for moms and dads, too)! The perfect addition to any bedtime ritual.

Jacob seems to like it. When I lift up his shirt and start rubbing his fingers in the tin, he's all smiles!

Jacob has been sleeping a little better these days, too! Now if only these teeth would just come in!

About: Jacob's 6-month check-up

Much to our surprise, at his 6 month check-up, Jacob (only!) weighed in at 19 lbs 6 oz. I ought for sure he'd be 22! He is also 28.5 inches long - which means when he grows another three inches, he'll be exactly half as tall as I am!

The doctor gave us the go-ahead for him to eat EVERYTHING, adding some yogurt in at 8 months, (just a few weeks away!) and moving to 3 solid meals a day plus 24 ounces of formula. I'm still making all of his food, but there are some fruits and veggies that I'd rather buy pre-packaged to make sure they get to the right consistency (corn, raspberries and strawberries - anything I might not be able to purée well with my food processor). That's okay, though - he's still getting a lot of fresh, homemade food.

Here's what he's been eating:

Cereal - rice, oatmeal, wheat

Avocados, butternut squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, spinach, apples, pears, blueberries, peaches, apricots, prunes, bananas, watermelon, chicken, turkey, cinnamon (on fruits) and cumin (on avocado).

I've also started doing a lot of flavor combos - peas and carrots, spinach and banana, pear and zucchini, sweet potato and chicken - he eats it all!

Some of the store-bought foods that I've gotten include flavors like: corn, kiwi, raspberry, cranberry, mango, chick pea, and beans.

He's getting way better at crawling, so baby-proofing has begun! Thank goodness for Roving Cove stick-on foam edges. He loves crawling into, under, and through the coffee and end tables and I've seen him bump his head and nose on the foam edges without hardly noticing! We put together his walker today. Right now, he can push up onto his feet, and will definitely put one foot in front of the other, but he's still wobbly and unsteady. The doctor told us that he'll probably be an early walker because of his good gross motor skills. Yayyy!!!! (I think.)

Questions for you:
What foods does your baby love? And hate?
How old was your baby when he/she started walking?

MOMent: Happy New Year!

I'm not big on New Year's Reolutions but this year, I have a few goals and things I want to work on... Drinking more water, eating better, managing my time more wisely, and hopefully, finishing my next writing project over the winter! I don't feel like my resolutions are any different than goals I set for myself throughout the year, but hopefully 2016 is the year I do a better job of sticking with them.

Some other things I'd like to work on:

- making sure I get out more

- making sure I put the damn phone down!

- remembering this:

I found this great graphic that gives you ideas for how to work on yourself every month. It starts with drinking more water, and since that was already one of my goals anyway, I'm going to give this a try and do something little each month!

Some fellow awesome blogger friends are also interested in setting goals and working to improve  themselves in the new year! New Year, New Momma is about achieving your goals and becoming a better you. It’s creating a community of support for those that want to start the new year on the right foot. Visit Momma Wants Java for details on a fun Instagram challenge and use #newyearnewmomma to connect with others on their own journey. Follow me on Instagram!

Merry Christmas!

We had such a great Christmas. It was Jacob's first Christmas, so both sets of grandparents were here. We went to Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight at the National Cathedral and Jacob was an angel. Slept the whole time! (We drove through the Bull Run Festival of Lights and he slept through that too.) He had a great time tearing open presents (eating the paper!) and we had a lot of fun.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

About Jacob's Busy Weekend

On Saturday, we had a holiday party at our house. I ran out to the store to buy a few things and when I got home, Jacob was crying. Tears running down his face and everything. My husband said he cried the whole time I was gone. But did he miss me? Nope.

I took him upstairs to his room to put him down for a nap, and that's when I saw it. HIS FIRST TOOTH! FINALLY! The poor kid has been teething forever. Top left.

I was worried that he'd be a mess with 40 people about to show up for the party, but he was a total trooper. 

Then, on Sunday, I was wrapping some Christmas presents and had Jacob on the floor with me. He got on his knees and raised his butt in the air, which he's done before. This time, he actually pushed up so that his arms were straight, too. That was a first. He rocked forward and back a few times, and then he was off! He started crawling, just like that!

So... First tooth and crawling! Two milestones in one weekend!

About Black Friday

I wrote a post for Mommy Effect about our Black Friday tradition. (Check it out!)

My husband and I returned to Snickers Gap tree farm for the fourth year in a row, this time with Jacob in his stroller! This year we cut down two Christmas trees, one for upstairs and one for downstairs.

About Thanksgiving

Jacob turned 6 months old on Thanksgiving!

About Rolling Over

Jacob has now pretty much mastered the art of rolling over. He started rolling at 3 months, but it seemed like for awhile he forgot how to roll from his stomach to his back. Not a big deal, because he's learned to love spending time on his belly and even sleeps like that a lot. He's finally gotten the hang of rolling from back to stomach. And then stomach to back. And then back to stomach. If we put him on the floor, he will roll until he runs out of room. He hasn't figured out how to crawl yet (he does this weird scoot where he will scrunch his butt up in the air, throw his weight sideways, and then pull himself forward a little) but I think he would roll all over the house if we'd let hm.

The only problem is - he's so obsessed with rolling that he does it all the time. And he's doing it in his crib. It used to be that I worried about him turning himself in circles. Then I worried about him ending up on his stomach and getting stuck. Now he tosses and turns so much that he ends up all over the crib! I can hear him rolling around across the hall. Even though we have (breathable mesh) bumpers up on the crib, he's still gotten his hands and feet out of the crib slaysppts - above the bumpers. And the don't really do much to cushion the blow if he rolls over and smacks his arm, or worse, his head, off of the side of the crib.

Is this just a phase? He figured out a new thing so he wants to do it all the time? Any tips or suggestions on how to deal with it?

About Homemade Baby Food

Awhile back, a friend told me she was making all of her baby's food from scratch. Sounded like a whole lot of work to me. I figured that I was fed whatever came out of a jar, and I turned out okay, so Jacob would be too.

But since I decided to stay home with him, I started thinking that maybe making his baby food could be my little side project. I love cooking, and I thought this could be fun! I turned to Pinterest for some ideas.

Making sweet potato puree: 1. Steam sweet potato chunks (I used frozen!) 2. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and drain well. 3. Puree in food processor. 4. Store in freezer safe containers. Love these ones by OXO!

Turns out, making baby food isn't so hard! If you have a food processor, you're pretty much good to go! You can use fresh or frozen veggies. Cook the veggies, puree them up, store them in freezer safe containers, and you're done! Some people like to portion off baby food in ice cube trays or baby food/breastmilk storage trays that look like ice cube trays. Then you can just pop out a cube of food when it's time for baby to eat! They also make all kinds of different storage containers!

Over a couple days, I made 30 oz. of baby food! Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, applesauce, green beans, and bananas! 

Although I started him on rice cereal and oatmeal a few weeks before his appointment, we waited for Jacob's 4 month check-up on October 30th (he's actually now 5 months!) to talk with the doctor about starting solids and make sure she approved.

However... I noticed that when we would eat in front of Jacob, he would watch the spoon or fork go down into the food and then up to our mouths. Once, when I was eating my yogurt and granola in front of him, he sat there watching me and opening and closing his mouth! I decided to see what happened if I offered him an empty baby spoon - he opened his mouth right up and closed it around the spoon like he was eating invisible food! I even put a little bit of formula on the spoon and he slurped it right off!

I read somewhere that if a baby is 13 pounds or more, can sit and hold their head up, and will accept a spoon, that they may be ready for cereal. So I decided to give it a try. I fed Jacob rice cereal mixed with formula (from a bowl, not in his bottle) in the morning after his first bottle for a few weeks before I switched to oatmeal. (Same thing, in a bowl, after his first bottle.) He did great with both cereals. I started with half a tablespoon of each and gradually worked up to giving him a whole tablespoon.

Some peds, like ours, say a baby can start food at 4 months. Others (like my friend's ped) suggest you wait until 6 months. Definitely check with your doctor first! Our ped gave us the go-ahead: Jacob is 18 pounds, sits up great in his high chair, and takes a spoon in his mouth with no problem - sometimes he even grabs the spoon and tries to move it to his mouth. (I guess I don't feed him fast enough?!) And because we'd already had such great success with the cereal, she didn't think there would be an issue.

After he finishes his food, I always give Jacob the spoon to play with. It gives him something to mess around with while I clean up the dishes wipe down his tray!

There's some debate about giving baby super sweet, fruity foods first. Some people think that if you do that, they'll develop a sweet tooth and prefer fruits to vegetables. Makes sense to me. So I started with butternut squash, and Jacob loved it! I gave him a little bit of oatmeal and a little bit of squash. Sometimes I gave him a spoonful of each, sometimes I mixed it together. After three days, I gave him some avocado with his oatmeal, and again, he scarfed it down! I'm pretty sure this kid is going to eat everything! When we finish up the avocado, I'll give him some bananas, and then maybe I'll switch to green beans. I know eventually we'll find something that he doesn't like, but so far, he's gobbled up everything.

It's important to me that Jacob tries a lot of different foods. I was a super picky eater as a kid, but I love food now, so I hope that he grows up willing to try all different kinds of fruits and veggies!

Check out my Baby Food Recipe board on Pinterest! Baby food is SUPER EASY to make! Try it and let me know how it goes!

I bought a bag of frozen sweet potatoes for $1.99 and got more than 12 oz. of baby food!
So I saved a little money, anyway!

About Our Big Baby!

Jacob had his 4 month check-up today. (Even though he's technically 5 months.)

He weighed 18 pounds and was about 27 inches long!

No wonder we had a problem with footie PJs. He's in 9 or 12 month clothes now!

About The 2015 Gerber Baby Photo Search

You can vote for this guy in the 2015 Gerber Baby Photo Search!

He's entry #88682!

Voting begins on 10/28 and goes until 11/24!

About Halloween

Jacob was a little monkey for his first Halloween!

We went to Boo at the Zoo at the National Zoo. I wrote a post about it for Mommy Effect. http://mommyeffect.com/halloween-fun-boo-at-the-zoo/

For Halloween night, we sat in the driveway with our monkey and passed out candy. No trick or treating this year!  

About Sleeping Positions

Ever since Jacob learned how to roll over, he's been spending a lot of time on his tummy. The only problem is, it's like all of a sudden, he forgot how to roll from his tummy to his back. Not really a big deal - I'm sure he'll get it eventually, except that he keeps rolling over on his tummy in his crib at night.

Sometimes he wakes up all pissed off because he can't get back over and we have to go in and flip him over, only to get back in bed and look at him on the monitor and see that he's back on his belly again.

Other times, he seems perfectly content to sleep on his stomach, but when we look at him, his face is smooshed into the mattress or his arm is flung over his face, covering his nose and his mouth.

We were going into his room and flipping him onto his back, but since he just keeps rolling onto his tummy anyway, we started trying to turn his head or move his arms so that we know he can breathe. It's just the weirdest thing.

Last night he slept great - slept on his stomach most of the night and never made a sound or woke up once. But Tommy and I both got up like three times each to make sure his face wasn't covered and that he was still breathing.

Hello, baby... I can't believe you don't know this, but breathing is kind of important!!!

I know you're supposed to put babies down on their back to sleep, and we still do, but what are we supposed to do until he can roll over both ways? Any suggestions?

About Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently announced that they are considering changes to their screen time guidelines. Previously, the AAP was against all screen time for children under two years of age. The AAP says that “In a world where ‘screen time’ is becoming simply ‘time,’ our policies must evolve or become obsolete." Their new guidelines won't be released until sometime in 2016, but people have already been talking about them, saying that the AAP has finally gotten with the program. Others (myself included at first!) feel like it almost sounds like the AAP is just copping out, as if to say, people are doing it anyway, so what difference does it make what we say?

The AAP says that their new guidelines will stress quality over quantity; also, they continue to suggest supervising your children and technology, staying involved, and integrating tech-free activities in your child's daily playtime. Here's what the AAP's website currently says about media and children. Sounds like common sense to me.

My husband and I already came to an agreement shortly after Jacob was born, and long before the news of the AAP's revision of their screen time guidelines. We're keeping technology out of his hands for as long as possible! We've seen how the flickering light from the television will catch his attention. If I go to take a picture of him, he will reach out and grab for my iPhone. (And usually just try to put it in his mouth.) But it's scary to see that technology already has that kind of effect on a kid so little!

I know that there are lots of great techie toys and educational apps out there that will greatly benefit Jacob someday. I know kids can learn a lot if given the right tools and the time to explore. So Jacob will use them... someday. But I also want our son to be a kid and use his imagination. To read and draw and play with Legos. To color the driveway with chalk and to blow bubbles. To play catch in the backyard. To stand in the kitchen and learn how to bake with his dad. To go to one of the many parks in our neighborhood and swing on the swings. To cover the dining room table with sheets and blankets to make it into a cave or a fort. 

You know... like we did when we were kids.

What do you think? Comment below!

MOMent: It's official! I'm a SAHM!

It's official. I'll be taking time off from work to be a SAHM.

I'm so excited that we are able to do this. I am so glad to be able to spend so much time with Jacob. He's grown and changed so much over the past few months, that I hate to think about what I might be missing!

I'm trying to keep busy (translation: if I have a spare minute or two) by writing. I'm working on a book, and I've written posts for Mommy Effect and Scary Mommy. Check them out below!

The Secret About Hand Me Downs

No Such Thing as a Fairy-Tale Romance

The Lazy Mama's Guide to a  Laid-Back Fall Happy Hour

Daddy's First Day Back To Work

Making New Mom Friends is Harder Than I Thought

If you're reading this, and you're a SAHM, how do you spend your day? Comment below!

About Starting Cereal

Our pediatrician gives the ok to start food at 4 months so we decided to let Jacob try some single grain rice cereal. I've noticed recently that he'll stare at us when we eat and thought maybe he might like to try something different.

I've messed around and put formula on a spoon a couple times for him to see how he reacted to having the spoon pushed in his mouth - he's been ok with it every time. He also sits up ok in his high chair so I thought it would be ok.

From the first spoonful, it was clear that he loved it, even though he was quiet. He had no problem with the spoon in his mouth and tried to grab for it and stick it in his mouth - I guess we weren't feeding him fast enough!

When we tried again the second day, he did even better. He had a big smile on his face when he saw me coming towards him with the bowl and spoon. He smiled and babbled the whole time he ate... so he got a little messier, but he didn't seem to mind too much!

About Farm Day

We took Jacob to Falls Church Farm Day today. We just wanted to get him outside and walk around and figured it might be a good place to take pictures. We got a bunch! He got to ride a pony and pet a duck, too!

My favorite picture is the black and white one. The farmhouse in the park had a swing hanging from an old farm scale so we stuck Jacob in it. We were trying to get Jacob to smile, but I love the expression on his face in that photo!

I just have to remember to take his bib off when we pose him for pictures next time!

About Refusing the Bottle

Awhile back when Jacob first started teething, he started pushing the bottle away. He'd start eating, then partway through, he'd smack at the bottle, shove it away, and start crying.

It was worrying me because he could easily pack away 30+ ounces of formula a day and all of a sudden, he was only getting 20-something. Some days it was like he was missing a whole bottle!

I called the nurse line at our ped's office and the nurse told me not to worry. She said if he was teething, chances are the bottle was probably hurting his mouth, and that he'd eat when he was hungry. She said if he was making 4-6 wet diapers a day, he was just fine. He makes like 10, so I figured we were good!

Still, it's frustrating to have him go from being a voracious eater to only doing half a bottle, sometimes even less. Our ped eventually told us that his weight gain would start to taper off, which would lead to him eating less, too. She said to aim for between 28-32 ounces a day. 

After awhile, Jacob started to get better. He still has his moments where he might push the bottle away, but he usually gets plenty to eat during the day. Whew.

Any of you have any issues with feeding and teething? 

About Feet

I don't know what the deal is, but Jacob must have some huge feet. Either that or his socks have shrunk like crazy. I swear we just bought 3-12 month socks a few weeks ago but all of his socks have gotten tight - to the point where they leave marks around his ankles! I ended up getting some 12 month socks on Amazon and they fit just fine.

I guess he gets his big feet from me. 😐

About Sitting

The other night, I sat Jacob on the bed facing away from me. He leaned forward away from me, and stuck his hands out in front of him. I let go and moved my hands away from him and he sat there all by himself! I couldn't believe it. He's sat in his bouncer and high chair and we prohim up in the corner of the couch to take pictures but I couldn't believe he was sitting all on his own!

MOMent: I'm a Mommy Effect Website Contributor!

I'm happy to announce that I am going to be a regular contributor on the website MOMMY EFFECT.

I read a couple different big parenting websites but there were a few posts on Mommy Effect that I felt like I could have written myself. It's nice to feel like you have a connection like that with someone, even if you don't know them. I hope that my blog posts on Mommy Effect can do that for other people!

Here's my first post: Daddy's First Day Bsck at Work

About Baby Hands

I love giving Jacob a bottle and seeing his little hands on either side of it, trying to "help" hold it. And I love how he'll squeeze one of my fingers in a death grip while he takes his bottle and stares at me with those giant blue eyes. He makes me laugh when he sticks his hands in MY mouth. (Or tries to stick a finger in my nose.)

But my favorite thing is when Jacob is starting to fall asleep and needs a little extra help to get there. He will take my hand in his two little ones and pull it down close on top of his chest, like he needs to give it a big hug before he can fall asleep. I love feeling those little hands on mine.

MOMent: Post appearing on Scary Mommy!

I wrote a piece for Scary Mommy called "There's No Such Thing As A Fairytale Romance."

Go check it out!

About the Pack 'n Play

Everybody told us that we had to have a Pack 'n Play. I got one for my baby shower. It turned out to be a lifesaver when Jacob was first born because it ended up becoming our downstairs changing area. (It has the reversible napper/changer attachment.) We stash all of our diapers, wipes, lotion, burp cloths, and bibs there so that everything is kind of neatly contained in one area.

But now we kind of have a problem with the Pack 'n Play. Jacob's getting to be too long for the changing pad. I believe the weight limit for the changer and bassinet is 15 pounds - and he's 16!

So... if we can no longer use the Pack 'n Play as a changing area, I'm kind of not sure what to do with it for the moment. I mean, I know that he can go in there... but he can't sit up on his own yet. I could put him in there to play, I guess, but I can also just have him roll around on his mat or on the floor. I suppose he could go in there for naps, but I don't know how well he'd sleep because he'd probably roll all over the place. If he ends up on his stomach, he gets mad. (He can roll from back to stomach but not stomach to back yet!) At least in his papasan chair, he's strapped in. And in his crib, we have blankets rolled up under the sheets to keep him from rolling around.

So... when and how often do you use your Pack 'n Play?

About Probiotic Drops

So, I've mentioned that Jacob has the hardest time burping. We try every different position and we're lucky if we maybe get 1 burp a day. Most of the time, we get burps accidentally - like when we change positions or pick him up. Every once in awhile, he'll burp if he's on his belly on his mat. Of course, the one time I tried to burp him on his belly, he burped - and then spit up (for like the first time ever) on the couch. Sometimes the burps come two hours after a bottle.

 We mentioned it to the doctor when we took him the other day. We told her that we've tried different brands of Gripe Water and gas drops and they don't really seem to help. And lately, it seems like the little guy has been really cranky if he can't get a burp (or fart!) out. He's already on Enfamil Gentlease, which she said is a really good formula, so she suggested Colief, a form of probiotic drops that you put right in the bottle.

We started using the Colief in Jacob's formula by itself (no Gripe Water or gas drops) to see if we could notice a difference. The first time we used it, we got a couple burps. Once, I even got 6 or 7 burps after a bottle. I couldn't believe it. We've been using it for a week now, and it seems like it's helping! Jacob still gets some gas stuck from time to time and then we use the Gripe Water to try to ease his discomfort, but he's doing a lot better.

About Amber Teething Necklaces

So, I've seen these on Amazon and I've had a few people suggest them to me. I'll be honest, when I first heard of them, I thought it was for the kid to wear so that he could chew on it, and that didn't seem safe to me. (Duh.)

I guess they work by being worn against the skin. The baby's body temperature helps release an oil into the skin which is supposed to ease inflammation, and therefore, help reduce pain and fussiness in teething babies. A couple friends have sworn by these and even said they helped cut down on the drooling tremendously.

Since our little guy doesn't have any teeth yet (and probably won't for awhile since it's already been a month and this feels like forever!) I decided to give it a try and see if these things worked. I got him a necklace and ankle bracelet set. The necklace is just a little bit too big for this worrywart mama - it could probably get pushed up over his chin and get stuck. So I doubled it and put it around his ankle. Still loose. The ankle bracelet is a little too big, too - if he's not wearing socks or footie PJs,they both just come flying right off.

Within a few hours of wearing them, the drool dried up. It dawned on me while I was playing with Jacob that his chin was completely dry. That's great and all, but the drool was the least of my concerns. He's been wearing the amber now for about two weeks, and I'm not sure if I see any dramatic results. Some days are better than others, but I imagine that's just how it goes.

About Being THOSE Parents

So, we decided to take Jacob to the doctor to see what the deal is with his teething. He's been grabbing at the side of his head a lot the past few days - different from when he plays with his hair or ears when he's tired. We didn't know if that was a sign of an ear infection or what. Plus he's been increasingly cranky! So, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry and made a sick visit appointment. Plus, we had a couple other questions to ask the doctor (like WHY DOESN'T OUR KID BURP?) while we were there.

Of course... We took the kid to the doctor and there's absolutely nothing wrong. Ears look good. Weight looks good. No teeth yet (we were wrong, wrong, wrong!) but he's definitely teething.

The doctor suggested some probiotic drops to help with the gas issues and not burping.

Other than that... Jacob is absolutely fine, which probably made us look like paranoid first-time parents, but OH WELL... and I guess we just have to weather the storm!

About Crib Scooting

Sometime a couple months ago, when we moved Jacob from the bassinet to his crib, we made a weird discovery.

First, Jacob seemed like he was sleeping a whole lot better. I think because he had more room to stretch out, he was probably more comfortable. So, yay for that!

But one morning, when we went in to check on him, congratulating him and cheering because he'd slept through the night, my husband said, "You know we have a problem, right?"

I was like, "What problem could we possibly have?! The kid slept great!"

It turns out that when my husband put Jacob to bed the night before, his head was at the top side of the crib. When we went in to get him the next morning, his head was at the bottom of the crib.

He had somehow managed to rotate 180 degrees on his back!!!!

We never actually saw him do it, but for the next several nights, I would peek at the monitor a couple times a night and would see that he'd rotated 90 degrees... 180 degrees... Some nights even all the way around!

Once he started rolling over in the crib, I put some rolled up blankets under the sheet to stop him. They worked great for awhile, but now it seems like he's scooting again... Not rotating, but scrunching himself down to the bottom of the crib. Don't know how he does it.

Anybody else have a little scooter in the crib?

About Traveling With Baby

After completing a vacation to the Outer Banks with Jacob last week, I decided that road tripping with a baby is easy. It only takes 29 simple steps.

And we're off!

After you've decided on your destination and either made your reservations or coordinated where you're staying with friends or family, it's time to prepare for your first road trip with baby!

1. First, pack baby's clothes, obviously. Think one or two onesies per day, just in case you need to make some changes. You never know when you're going to have a diaper blowout or wardrobe malfunction. Don't forget things like pajamas, socks, and coats or sunglasses and hats, depending on where you're headed.

2. Then pack a whole bunch of extra clothes. Because you just never know. I packed a pair of brand new 6 month footie pajamas for our 3 month old son only to find out on vacation that they were too short. 

3. Diapers. Take however many diapers you think you'll need, and then take extra.

Or you'll end up running out and looking for your brand/size in an unfamiliar store. Don't forget wipes, creams, lotions, etc

4. Same thing with formula. Figure out how much you'll need to last you for the whole trip so you don't have to go looking for it.

5. Don't forget bottles, bottle parts and nipples, a bottle warmer if you use one, bibs and burp cloths, and any gas drops or gripe water you might need. And then stuff to clean those bottles with. Brush? Dishwasher basket? Sterilizer or sterilizing steam bags?

6. You should also probably take baby medicine... Just in case. Tylenol, saline drops, teething tablets. Oh, and then things like those Boogie Wipes that you bought but haven't actually opened yet? Pacifier wipes? You haven't used any of this crap yet, but you're going on a big trip and you want to be prepared, so take it all. 

7. Your kid's gonna need a bath at some point, so don't forget their bath stuff. Soap or shampoo. Tub thermometer. Baby washcloths? Their towels. It sounds crazy but you might want to consider taking baby's bath tub or bath chair, too, in case you end up staying in a place that only has a massive jacuzzi tub for two that is impossible to reach into to bathe baby. If that happens, the easiest way to give baby his bath is by getting in the tub with him, and I don't know about you but I'm not a fan of rapidly cooling 97.3 degree bath water.

8. Depending on where your kid is sleeping, you'll probably need crib sheets and stuff. Maybe even mattress pads. And if your kid is a crazy roller (like mine is) you might want some kind of bumper (we use a rolled up blanket under the sheet to stop him from rolling onto his belly since he's not a fan.) 

9. Or maybe your kid will sleep on their pack and play, which means you have to figure out how to fit the pack and play in the car. You already have a whole lot of baby stuff... Plus the stroller... And now the pack and play.

10. Oh, stuff to play with. You can't forget toys. Pacifiers and teethers and stuff. 

11. Now that you think you have everything, and you see what a massive amount of stuff it all adds up to, PULL IT ALL BACK OUT and try to figure out what you can leave at home...

12. Then add whatever things you forgot.

13. And pack for yourself. But make that bag small because by now, you're running out of room in the car.

14. Consider buying a rooftop car carrier for extra stuff. Amazon can get one to your door in a day or two.

15. Map out your route. Plan in advance for rush hour, holiday traffic, bottle breaks and diaper changes, and fuel and bathroom stops for you.

16. When it's time to leave, don't forget to have diapers and formula ready for the trip. Make sure you have snacks and drinks for yourself!

17. Head out! Hope the baby sleeps part of the way to your destination.

18. High-five your partner. Five minutes on the highway and your baby has fallen asleep.

19. Enjoy a couple hours of satellite radio and adult conversation.

20. Repeatedly crane your neck trying to peer at (still!) sleeping baby in rear-facing car seat.

21. Marvel at what a long nap the baby is taking. Wonder how far you can make it before baby wakes up and needs a bottle and diaper change.

22. Finally give in. You have to stop because you need gas and/or coffee and/or you need to pee. Feel guilty for waking up sleeping baby.

23. Check baby's diaper. Totally dry. Baby falls back to sleep. Sweet! On the road again! 

24. Five minutes later: previously sleeping baby is now suddenly wide awake, hungry, wet, and pissed off. Pull into random, middle of nowhere strip mall to do diaper change and feed baby.

Back seat bottle and burping!

25. You've finally arrived at your destination. You're frazzled, the baby hasn't settled down yet, and you now have a car full of crap to unload. 

26. Unpack and realize that you've inevitably forgotten something. Tear apart the multiple bags of baby stuff looking for whatever it is, cursing yourself for not remembering to pack it.

27. Admit defeat, load baby back into car, and head to the nearest store to begrudgingly pick up whatever item(s) you need, knowing that you already have one (or more) at home, but you really need one for this trip.

28. When your trip is over, you will have to repeat most of these steps to return home. Good luck getting everything to fit back into your bags and suitcases. Oh, and have fun trying to pack the car the way you had it set up when you departed. 

29. Think really, really, really hard about planning your next road trip with baby. Consider inviting family to your house for the holidays so you don't have to do the traveling.

We made it!

About Teething - again!

Still no teeth. Little man's been at it for almost a month now.

We thought we'd actually SEEN something awhile back, but there's nothing in there now! A friend suggested that we might have seen some kind of cyst (inclusion cysts or Epstein's pearls?) and since there's nothing there now, I'm guessing she was right. Somebody else said that they're called "milk teeth" and that, yeah, they're there, they look like teeth, and then they fall out. WHAT THE HECK?!

Jacob's symptoms (still) include:

• drool (so much drool)
• sucking on/eating hands
• putting more stuff in his mouth/trying out more teethers
• pulling on his ear/rubbing side of head (he does that when he's tired, too)
• being inexplicably fussy or cranky, especially right when he wakes up from naps - he's usually so chill when he wakes up
• being fussy at the bottle - sometimes he finishes, sometimes he doesn't

He doesn't have any fever or diarrhea - some people disagree on whether or not those are teething symptoms.

We've been using Hyland's Teething tablets (which seem to help a little) and Tylenol before bed. 

I was hoping that since he started kind of early that he'd get the first couple teeth over with fast...  No such luck, I guess!