Fun with friends

Jamie and his friends.

New Jersey

Pictures from my dad's party and the weekend in general.

He's learning so much!

Scott and I just got back from a cruise, but more on that later. I can't get over how smart Jamie is! Our kid is a GENIUS, I tell you.

We've been working on animal sounds and body parts lately, and I'm just amazed at how much he knows. His favorite animal sounds are the elephant and the lion, which he repeats often during the day. You never know when an elephant sound is coming! He also likes to do the monkey, pig and cow, from time to time. The elephant is my favorite, because he blows raspberries and puts his hand on top of his head -- very cute.

Last night, we were working on body parts. He knows his ears, mouth, nose, hands, and feet. I found a few Fisher Price apps on my phone, which are great for him. He loves the music and gets really interested. I also found toddler flash cards (either playskool or fisher price) at the dollar store, which he enjoys.

Jamie loves my new iphone just as much (or maybe more!) than I do. I really like the fact that I can download [free] apps just for him. The xylophone app is pretty cute and he knows exactly what to do -- it's essentially a classic toy xylophone that plays whenever little fingers touch it. As soon as I see him making his way over, I close out of my email or facebook, and immediately head over to the kid apps.

We discovered yesterday that Jamie can eat apple slices. He's an apple slice fanatic now.

Okay, and here's the last update -- we have a SLIDER! Jamie used to be afraid of slides at the park. He'd climb up the jungle gym, run around, and then once he saw the slide, he'd look for me and hold up his arms, wanting to be removed immediately. Well. Monday afternoon, we went to the park...and what do you know? That kid just went up there and slid down the slide, like he had been doing it for years. He follows the big kids around, trying to break into their games. Poor kid. He kept following the 6/7 year olds, who were acting like the jungle gym was a castle (I think) and when they saw Jamie, they'd all say "Oh, guys, let the baby go through, don't throw leaves on him!" Or maybe Jamie thought they were talking about some other kid. Either way, he makes the effort and usually tries to join in the conversation, using his excited babble language.

Last thing. We're going through a dress up stage right now. He has several little hats (police helmet, a few fireman hats) and a fireman's jacket that he enjoys putting on. I added an old button up shirt that Scott discarded, but he hasn't touched it -- in fact, last night, he put on his fireman's jacket and made Scott wear the old shirt and they ran around the living room together. We've gone through a few fireman hats, and I definitely don't recommend the flimsy hats that you get at events -- the dollar store ones are best. They're a hard plastic that will last several months, at least.

Well, that's it for now!

Happy Halloween!

Jamie tried trick or treating for the first time. It went fine, until it started raining, at which point we quit for the night and hung out with friends instead. Still a fun time!

He loved holding his pumpking bucket (threw a fit when I tried to hold it), loved getting treats, and happily growled as a lion.

We're currently working on animal sounds: he knows lion, elephant and dog. Apparently, ducks say "yeah" but I suppose that sounds about right.

Touch a Truck!

Jamie had a blast. So did we.

His favorite.

Driving the big rig. Actually, I think this was the recycling truck.

Inside the Army helicopter.

We're on a helicopter!

The Army guys were really nice -- great with the kids.

Wandering around.

Ben and Jamie, little enough to fit inside.

Car transporter! We recognized this from Jamie's truck book.

The friendly firefighter telling Jamie about his firetruck. Jamie insisted on wearing his construction hat.

"Lines are the worst, Ma."

It was impossible to see all of the trucks, unfortunately. There was just SO MUCH to see. The line to see the Army helicopter was pretty long. Jamie really liked the police car. He threw a fit when we had to let the other kids take a turn.

Needless to say, his monkey backpack "leash" really came in handy. We didn't lose him!

It was a really fun day. Can't wait 'til next year.

DIY

We're no strangers to saving money, but sometimes it can be challenging. Life is expensive! We've done pretty well with budgeting so far, especially on one income.

We coupon like crazy and I buy a lot of our things secondhand or on sale. We try to save restaurants when it's a special occasion and we have coupons. Really, we just do what we can to make a difference. I even started dyeing my hair at home. Most women won't admit to that, but I don't care -- it's easy to do it yourself, and the color is so rich and beautiful. Why not? Besides, my hair is starting to turn slightly gray.

Anyway.

And then there's life. We've had so many repairs come up lately. Every month, we were having to get the Buick fixed. New tires, window regulators went out, etc. It had to be done, but I wished we wouldn't have car issues for at least a month. And I got my wish. Instead, our bathtub faucet was leaking. A plumber came out, looked at it, and estimated an expensive fix. Scott and I couldn't believe it. When we were going to get a break? Scott did some research and found out that he could fix it himself for cheap. And he did. Thanks to the friendly folks at Moen and youtube videos. Bubba the plumber won't be coming back. Actually, his real name is James. Whyyyy does someone choose to go by Bubba instead of James? James is a great name!

Now we just need to find more diaper coupons and life will be golden.

A love for reading.

I love that Jamie loves his books. He's perfectly happy to sit and flip through a book. Upside down, rightside up, any old way will do. Oh sure, he runs around non stop during the day and needs to be a busy bee, but when he gets a book, he will sit quietly and "read" it. Last night, I picked 2 board books to read and we ended up sharing them. Jamie would flip through "Goodnight Moon" and then take my copy of "Barnyard Dance," handing me "Goodnight Moon". We'd switch every 2 minutes. Sometimes he'll let me read to him, but more often than not, it has to be at his pace, and he wants to take his time, studying the pages before flipping to the next one. I think he really likes "Goodnight Moon" because there's so much to look at. It's a really cute book.

I've been wanting to find "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" for awhile now, but I couldn't bring myself to pay full retail price on Amazon. At least, not until closer to Christmas. Could you imagine my surprise this morning, when I found a hardcover copy at a thrift store? I was ecstatic. Only 50 cents for a classic book!

There are still some others I need to find, but I'm pretty happy for now.

About last night.

After Jamie finished his dinner last night (a cereal bowl of pot roast!), I gave him a handful of animal crackers for dessert. Once he ate those, he pointed to the open bag and said "cracker!" I couldn't believe it. So, naturally, I gave him a few more crackers. Wow. It's amazing what words he'll choose.

Just for fun, I put Jamie on his potty seat last night. We have this Thomas the Train potty seat cover that goes right on the toilet. He's been excited to play with the seat, so I thought we could try it out. Oh, he had a grand time. He sat on the seat, swinging his legs, smiling and laughing in the mirror, playing with the toilet paper roll...not actually peeing, of course. I think he just thinks it's a seat. Nothing more, nothing less.

In a few hours, we'll be meeting up with mom so that my parents can have Jamie for the weekend. I think he'll have a lot of fun. Scott and I are just planning to hang out at home and relax. It'll be our first break in nearly 18 months!

Ahoy, Matey!

Here's Jamie at the Children's Museum, ready to sail the high seas.

Time out is hard.

No really, it is. It isn't just time out for Jamie, it's time out for me, too. Ugh, it's hard to listen to him cry. He's at the age where he has to learn that certain kinds of behavior aren't acceptable. He's starting to climb on everything, including the coffee table and the little square tables in front of the living room windows. It's scary! Before I know what he's doing, I look up and he's standing on a table! Or he's standing on the couch. Banging the floor lamp against the wall. Or jamming his fingers in the cd player. Sometimes he'll stop when he sees me rushing over, but other times he'll laugh and keep on doing what he's doing. I'm trying a few different versions of time out. Sometimes he has to sit on the floor, and the tv goes off, or if he's really not listening, he goes into the pack n play. If all else fails, he goes into his crib for a few minutes. I really don't know what other people do, but so far, this is working for us. I know he'll act up, and not listen to me, but it's still hard to listen to him cry when he realizes he's being punished. Oh, boy. Those are the only things he really gets in trouble for. Oh, and pushing. Sometimes he does great and doesn't push his friends. Other times...especially if he's around a lot of kids and gets overwhelmed, he starts pushing. That's tough, too.

Let's see, what else....

Jamie said "apple" the other night. He was referring to a plastic tomato, but it's close enough. We went to the children's museum this morning and he had a lot of fun. This time, he pretty much led the way and I followed him around. He really knew what he was doing! He'd check one area out, like apple picking, and then hurry over to the pirate ship, and then started exploring the vegetable patch. It was pretty cute. He's SO FAST, too. Sometimes I have to jog after him. He got a sticker during storytime and at home, I gave the sticker to Scott. Jamie reached over and grabbed it off Scott's shirt and promptly stuck it back on his shirt. We couldn't stop laughing. What a kid!

Whew!

We're on the home stretch and the weekend is clearly in sight. Jamie's finally down for a nap (took a few tries!), only 3 hours later than the first time I put him down.

I'm officially done with housework for the week (well, a few loads of laundry left to fold) and that feels good. We're going "camping" tomorrow at a friend's house. I say "camping" because we'll be doing outdoorsy things and grilling food, but I will be sleeping indoors (with Jamie). Sleeping bags in tents are for the birds.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

5 days into the new cleaning schedule.

I'm already over it. Well, I guess I should keep up with the cleaning -- the mess is here, I'm here, I might as well take care of it, but it's just a lot of hard work.

Monday was the living room, Tuesday - dining room, Wednesday - kitchen, Thursday - master bedroom, and today, Friday - all 3 bathrooms. I figured that the nursery and guest room would get cleaned in my spare time. Here's the hard part. There are days when Jamie doesn't nap so well. Yesterday was interesting because he was up until 3:30. I didn't get as much done. Today, I put him down at 11:30, since he was so crabby, and I'm trying to catch up on chores that I didn't get to earlier in the week. It's noon and I can hear him talking upstairs. I think he's trying to make owl sounds. It's actually pretty cute.

Of course, my house has never been entirely clean at the same time, so it's not like my old [or lack of] schedule was working. I just waited until it was obvious that something needed to be cleaned.

I think what I really need is a vacation. It's been over 2 year since we've had any kind of real break. Ahhh. Did I mention that I'm also pretty tired?

No! Don't do that!

I spend so much time keeping an eye on Jamie and telling him to take something out of his mouth, or not to touch the tv (he can lean over the superyard), etc. The other day, I was coming out of the kitchen and saw him next to the dvd cabinet, with several dvds on the floor. He knows that's a big no-no. As soon as he saw me, he smiled and quickly put the dvds back and shut the cabinet. Then he ran to a toy, as if that's what he'd been doing all along.

I didn't know whether to be very proud of my good decision maker, or to burst out laughing. Really, he's this smart already?

Getting organized.

I've always been the kind of girl who likes to "wing it". I've heard of other housewives/homemakers/moms/domestic engineers having "schedules" to keep everything at bay. That seemed so silly to me. Just do everything when it needs to get done! Right?

Actually, the idea of making a schedule is growing on me. I guess I already do a bit of scheduling, since we meal plan in advance. I also plan for the Richmond Mommies playdates. In addition to all of this, I have come to realize that I need a housekeeping schedule. No more running around, trying to clean all the things.

My obsession with "CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!" comes from this hilarious blog post: This is why I'll never be an adult. Go ahead and read this blog. I swear, you won't get anything done for about 2 hours.

Anyway. Back to the schedule. It's really tough to get much cleaning done when Jamie's awake. Unless I'm in the kitchen (where I can see him and more importantly, he can see me), and even then, it's a losing battle. He shrieks, he's into something, he's thirsty, he has a dirty diaper, etc. Also, I've decided that most mornings will be set aside for errands or playdates.

Lately, he's been napping for a few hours each afternoon, and here's what I've decided: each day, I will focus on 1 room. And 1 room only. Unless it's the bathroom, in which case I will clean all 3, because I'll have the supplies out anyway. I will clean as thoroughly as I can and then I take a break until Jamie wakes up. No more feeling like I have to get the entire house spotless in 1 day! I'm on day 3 of this brilliant plan, and so far, so good. I feel great because at least 1 room is sparkling and then I get to sit down with a glass of iced tea and something good to watch on Tivo. Then Jamie wakes up, we play, or go do something, and then it's 5pm and time to start dinner.

I also decided that I should do at least 1 load of laundry a day. I usually put it off and end up with 5 loads on Friday. It's a little crazy. The kitchen is littered with piles of dirty clothes. With 3 people in a house, 1 load a day might seem excessive (it did to me, originally), but there's always something dirty -- towels, sheets, Jamie's little stained clothes, bibs and dish towels, etc.

I really do love taking care of the household. We're usually busy on the weekends, or we like to spend time together as a family, so there isn't time to clean and run errands then. I also don't want to put everything off until Scott gets home. So basically, it's important to me to do the best job I can at home. I'm always curious as to how other moms manage their homes, so if anyone has ever been curious about us, well, here it is.

I finally finished a gallon of ice cream. Guess who got a toy?

We call it "chicken mish-mash"

I accidentally created a delicious dinner last night. And I don't want to forget how to make it, so I'm sharing it on the blog.

It all started when I took out the crockpot and added 2 lbs of chicken (the skinless boneless variety) with a can of cream of asparagus soup. I figured we would just add a side and a vegetable and call it good. Then, I realized that we had some potatoes to use up, so I sliced 4 potatoes and added those. I found a can of french green beans in the pantry, and added that, along with a can of cream of chicken soup, to make up for the extra ingredients. For good measure, I decided to throw in half a stick of margarine. Along with a dash of salt and pepper, of course. Looking back, sliced carrots might have been a good idea. Oh, well. I started the crockpot around 9am and set it to low. (Never, ever set your crockpot to high. This is always a bad idea.)

Around 3pm, I stirred my concoction and thought that it looked a little too soupy. Maybe I shouldn't have added the second can of soup! Then it came to me. Canned biscuits! Of course! The perfect ending to this meal! Jamie and I were on our way out to meet a friend at Hobby Lobby (very cool store, but that's a story for another time), and before we came home, we made sure to pick up some canned biscuits -- in this case, Pillsbury Grand's. It was pretty easy. I just popped the can open (I made sure to get this done before Scott came home, because he *hates* that sound) and made a biscuit layer on top. 30 minutes layer, we were ready to eat, and it was perfect. Not too soupy, not too dry -- just right. I think cheese would also work well in this dish. I'll have to try that next time.

This is how good the dinner was: Jamie ate it! He even tried using his toddler fork, but then he realized that his fingers were more efficient.

A quilt for Jamie.

I finally finished Jamie's quilt! I'm pretty happy with it, considering I didn't follow too many directions, aside from simple tips on how to piece the fabric together and how to bind a quilt. I also read a lot of sewing blogs to get ideas on techniques and to see pictures.

I wanted my first quilt to be pretty basic. I just got my sewing machine at Christmas! I went to Joann's and picked out 3 coordinating fabrics. Truth be told, I fell in love with a fun dinosaur print, but sadly, couldn't find anything to match it with. Instead of blocks, I went with a stripe pattern. I also didn't want to do a twin quilt (yet), so I went with a smaller scale. The ABC fabric is the main part of the quilt, so that's what I chose to use for the backing. The stripes are really fun, and they "pop", so that's what I chose for the binding. Instead of batting, I went with a plain piece of fleece. Again, nothing too crazy going on here.

All in all, it wasn't too bad. The hardest part was coming up with the measurements. I'll admit, I sat at the table for about an hour and almost decided that I wouldn't do it at all. My math brain just wouldn't cooperate. I took a lot of breaks and then had my "a-ha!" moment. Once the fabric was washed and ironed, the strips were measured and cut (and then I ironed again!), it was FINALLY time to sew. After each successful seam, I had to iron, so I had quite the workstation set up in the dining room. Once the quilt top was finished, I cut my fleece and backing (after washing and ironing, of course). The hardest part here was smoothing the fabric out as best as I could, and carefully pinning the 3 layers together. Then, I had to sew it all together!

There are some really fancy machines out there that can quilt some really beautiful patterns, but I don't have any kind of access to that. Also, quilt shops charge quite a bit to professionally finish a quilt. No, I wanted to do it myself. Instead of a swirly quilt pattern (which my machine could probably do), I decided to "stitch in the ditch". It's exactly what it sounds like. I just made my seams where there was already a seam from piecing together the quilt top. I just had to take my time and it only took a day to get this done. Once that was finished, I admired the quilt, proudly showed it to Scott, and then folded it up and set it aside.

And I procrastinated. I started (and finished) other projects. Friends were having babies and those babies needed taggie blankets! I read up on how to bind a quilt. I was intimidated, so I kept putting it off. I didn't want to destroy Jamie's quilt.

Until last week. One day, after lunch, when Jamie went down for his nap, I got serious. I brought up the webpage that explains binding, and I took out my sewing machine and turned on the iron. I measured out the fabric to go around the quilt, cut, ironed, pinned, and was constantly pricking myself, but I was determined to get it done! I only took breaks to drink water and change episodes of Friends that I keep on Tivo.

I will say that I'm disappointed with how the corners turned out during the binding process (only because they don't look like the quilts you see at the store), but I'm very happy with how it turned out as a whole. It's cute, it's functional and will be great for Jamie to nap with once the weather turns cold. It was also a great quilt to start with and to learn what I was doing. I could have taken a quilting class, but it was expensive (in my opinion) and I didn't have 4 weekends in a row to devote to it.

I am seriously in love with my sewing machine. On to my next project!

Cesarean Brave

http://avital.blogspot.com/2011/01/cesarean-courage.html#axzz1QDlFxh2W

I came across this link today. Too often, I think, moms who have had c-sections are made to feel bad or like they didn't *really* give birth. There's no right or wrong way to have a baby, and sometimes surgery is necessary. Or, in my case, I was 3 days overdue with a large baby and still hadn't gone into labor. I spent most of my pregnancy thinking of how I was going to have Jamie, imagining the labor, waking up in the middle of the night with contractions, just like in the movies. And on my due date, going to the hospital and having 2 ultrasounds with a specialist trying to figure out how they missed Jamie getting so big before delivery. My OB was concerned, didn't want to induce me, and strongly recommended scheduling a c-section, after telling me that she's usually advocating *against* c-sections, but really believed that it was the best way to deliver my baby. Honestly, I was heartbroken and surprised, thinking that my perfect delivery would never happen. But you know what? It was perfect. Scott was with me, the nurses and doctors were very nice, and I still got to see Jamie right after he was born. He was healthy, didn't break anything on the way out (which would have been a huge risk), and all in all, things went great. I had a longer hospital stay, but there was a blizzard going on anyway, so it's just as well. And I'd do it again. There should be none of this negative talk around c-sections. Jamie and I are proof that good things can come from them. I was a c-section baby, too!

Happy Father's Day!

Funny stuff.

Jamie loves to play with shoes. Actually, I did too when I was little. He is my son, after all. This happened on Thursday, it was nice and it allowed me to prep dinner.

And this was in the dressing room at Old Navy. I couldn't resist a photo op. I ended up getting that skirt hanging from the back of the stroller along with a coral tank top. I gave maxi dresses another try and I just can't make it work. My legs are too short and it looks like I'm wearing a potato sack. Skirts, on the other hand, will always work. As long as they aren't too long. And then it looks like I'm wearing a potato sack! Anyway. Jamie loved the mirror.

Yesterday, the cutest thing happened. I brought a clean diaper into the living room, and as soon as Jamie saw it, he immediately stopped what he was doing and laid down. I couldn't get over it. It always surprises me when I realize just how much he's aware of what's going on. Once the diaper (just pee) was changed, he leaned over to grab it (to help? throw it away?), but I don't know that I'm ready for him to do that just yet. But I'll gladly take him making the diaper changes easier. Some of his friends are starting to potty train, but I don't know that we're there yet, either. 16 months seems so young, doesn't it? I thought the standard age was 2. Oh, well.

Better late than never.

I can't believe that I haven't updated since February! Life with Jamie is busy, so busy in fact, that it's hard to find time to sit down and come up with a blog post.

As I'm typing this, Jamie is in the [gated] living room, happily patting the glass on the fireplace and babbling to himself. He's been walking since March, and every week, becomes more steady on his feet. Of course, he's an explorer and hates to stay still in one spot. When we go to playdates, he's the kid who makes a run for it and wants to get into everything imaginable. I bought one of those monkey backpack leashes, but I keep forgetting to use it. I'm also half scared that other moms will judge me (I know I shouldn't care), but I have a kid who runs -- so, I think the toddler leash is genius.

I'm not kidding when I say that we've been BUSY. In April, I decided to start volunteering and became an area group moderator for RichmondMommies.com. Basically, another mommy and I plan weekly playdates for our area of Richmond. It's fun, and it gets us out the house, but keeps us on the go. For most of April and May, I took on a part time job at a local gym in the childcare room -- in the end, it didn't work out because Jamie was sick all the time. I realized that I was already working hard taking of Jamie, and for now, will continue to work inside the home. Besides, RichmondMommies is plenty of side work.

What else, what else...

Jamie is a fun kid. I'm not joking. He really is fun. His personality has really been shining through lately. He's sweet, and wants everyone to have a good time. He likes to start clapping and cheering wherever we are. Seriously. Wherever we are. Even if I'm in a bathroom stall and he's in his stroller. He will start clapping and encourage me to "go". At the grocery store, he'll wave to the cashier and clap for them. It's his thing. He has started a pushing/shoving phase, as I'm told that most boys do. The thing is, he's never violent about it (and I always remind him that he needs to play nice), and usually ends up giving his friends a hug or offers them one of his toys. He loves the park, and has managed to climb up on the jungle gym (and then looks at me, confused as to what to do next), loves the baby swings, loves digging through mulch and this is what cracks me up -- when a pack of big kids run by, he stops what he's doing and stares at them (usually moving his feet), wishing he could keep up with them. Sometimes I think he thinks he's bigger and older than he is. He wants to do so much, but he's stuck in a toddler body.

He's sooo independent. Or he likes to think he is. He loves playing outside, has already successfully opened the gate to get out of the yard (oops) and waved bye-bye to me on his way out. He doesn't like to have his hand held when he's walking (wants to do it himself). Hates getting cleaned up after a meal. He's okay with getting spoon-fed. No problem there. Isn't a fan of ice cream, though. I can't figure that one out.

Absolutely loves the pool. Last year, he wasn't a fan, but this year...he enjoys getting the water, splashing, playing...it's really cute. I've also figured out his favorite show. Curious George. Oh, he'll get into pretty much any PBS show -- Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, but Curious George is his favorite. I'm thinking that I'll have to start looking for CG stuff for his big boy room. The plan now is to get him into a real bed by Christmas. We'll see how it goes!

And now, a few recent pictures. Enjoy!

Jamie performs after dinner.

Jamie and his busy life as a 1 year old

Jamie is so busy! He's not quite walking yet, but he likes to cruise along furniture and is still champion crawler of the house.

He has a few baby friends that he sees regularly in playgroup and random playdates. He LOVES to be social. He'll go up to another baby and pat them, offer them toys, or take their toys, talk up a storm, share his food, etc. If we see another baby while out we're out, he'll turn around in his stroller or shopping cart to get a good look.

He loves buttons. And tv cords. And messing with the knobs on the stereo. Food that isn't his. Elmo and most of the muppets on Sesame Street. Anything with a reflection so that he can check himself out. His fruity flavored toddler toothpaste. He insists on brushing his own teeth. Hates milk. Absolutely hates it. Prefers apple juice and water. Loves cuddles. Hates being ignored. MUST be included in everything. Loves stroller walks and taking everything in. Enjoys riding in the car. Loves standing at the window -- any window. He wants to check out who's walking by and will call out to them. "Oh, hello! Have a productive day! Enjoy it!" Loves the swings at the park. Swinging makes him laugh like nothing else. Does not enjoy wearing shoes. Will pull at the velcro and kick them off if he's able. Enjoys pulling magnets off the fridge. Also sits in the kitchen and pulls boxes off of the shelf -- cereal, pasta, that kind of thing. Still loves bananas. Absolute favorite food. Also eats nutrigrain bars, muffins, chicken nuggets (sometimes), french fries, yogurt, baby oatmeal, applesauce, cheese, bread, peanut butter, goldfish crackers, cheerios, saltines, and actually, still goes for a jar of pureed food on a regular basis. This boy can put away some food. He also enjoys birthday cupcakes and will polish them off in no time. Still enjoys chewing on things. And grinding his teeth. We can't seem to get him to stop. Likes books and will pat the pages if he's into the story. Claps his hands with great enthusiasm and does "so big" with a smile. Doesn't prefer to have his nose wiped. Poor thing. He's such a boy about it. "Ma! Don't wipe my nose! People might see!" Very preppy. As if he had a choice! Will wear sweater vests and a tie (the clip on variety) for important occasions. If he's visiting friends, a fun tshirt and a collared shirt will do. Likes polo shirts, cargo pants, anything with a dinosaur on the front. His pjs are too cute. My favorite are the snug fitting 2 piece sets. Anything that shows off his cute feet.

Yup, Jamie's a busy guy with his own ideas. Watch out!

Favorite baby products.

Isn't it crazy how much "stuff" a baby needs? I thought I'd make a list of stuff that I love, and hopefully pass on some good advice to other moms out there.

1. Carseat & Stroller. The nurses won't let you leave the hospital without one, and believe me, I did a lot of research on this one. I eventually decided to go with a travel system, because I thought I'd like to have a matching stroller. I'm very glad I did this. Even though Jamie is on to his next car seat (the convertible kind), we get A LOT of use out of his stroller. I went with the Graco snugride infant seat, with the "lightrider" stroller. The car seat snaps into place, which is nice. The stroller features 3 cupholders (one on the tray for the baby) and 2 up top, near the handles. There's also a convenient basket underneath, which is helpful on quick trips to the store. Graco has a lot of different patterns in the snugride -- but I chose "pippin". It's basically a green elephant design. I wanted a stroller that didn't take up a lot of trunk space, and this one is very light and easy to maneuver. Absolutely love it.

2. Pack and Play. Mine is a basic Graco one, with a monkey design. I just wanted something for the living room in the beginning, and something that would travel well. It's not an absolute necessity, but it's definitely a nicety.

3. Highchair. I'm very happy with our highchair. Again, it's a Graco. I like that Jamie has his own seat, it adjusts to a few different heights, there's a little storage shelf under the seat, the pattern is cute....I could go on. If you have the space, I recommend getting a highchair.

4. Baby bathtub. In the beginning, we put this plastic whale-shaped bathtub on the changing table. Fisher Price makes it. I couldn't imagine bathing Jamie in the sink, or putting him in the bathtub so soon. The baby tub was just so handy! Later on, we started using it in the bath tub, and within the last few months, he uses the real tub. Again, you don't *have* to have it, but it made our lives easier.

5. Gerber cloth diapers. No, I didn't cloth diaper my baby -- I bought a package of plain cloth diapers to use as burp rags. These ended up being my favorite burp rags. No joke. They're very soft, they can be bleached, they're absorbent...what more could you ask for? LOVE THESE. In fact, I still use them to wipe Jamie's snotty nose.

6. Munchkin dishwasher basket. I didn't use bottles very much at all, but this thing is great for washing baby spoons, little plastic toys, teethers, and now, sippy cup parts.

7. Speaking of spoons, I would recommend getting a decent sized pack of plastic baby spoons. Not the gerber kind with the metal handle. No. Just get the colorful plastic spoons -- I think it comes in a package that says "take and toss". Of course, you'll just throw these in your dishwasher basket and reuse them. They are GREAT. I much prefer them over the metal handled ones. I store them in a plastic cup in the cabinet. Jamie has his own shelf of bowls, spoons, sippy cups, etc.

8. Ikea makes these great little plastic bowls for kids. Because they're small, they're ideal for a baby serving size of yogurt, applesauce -- whatever you're about the feed the baby.

9. Speaking of Ikea, we found our bathtub mat there. It's in the shape of an alligator and suctions to the bottom of the tub. Now the tub is slip-proof.

10. Baby nightgowns. For the first few months, I preferred to put Jamie in cotton nightgowns with elastic at the bottom. They made 2am diaper changes a little easier. In fact, I've never really liked pajamas with snaps. Too much work. Once he was too big for nightgowns, I liked the pajamas with a zipper. Around 9 months, I started putting him in 2 piece pjs, but I still do zipper pajamas, too.

11. Nursery furniture. I can't believe I forgot about furniture. Obviously, babies need a place to sleep -- and a crib is usually the way to go. For the first 2 months, Jamie slept in a cradle in our bedroom. If we hadn't been given a cradle, I would have used the pack n play. For his nursery, he has a crib and changing table (which were generously donated by his aunt, uncle and cousin!). Some people don't like changing tables -- I think they're great. Get a contoured changing pad and a few covers for it. I also like plastic diaper organizers/caddies with a space for the wipes. Again, you'll find things here and there that will make your life easier.

12. Desitin. I prefer this over the other diaper rash ointments.

To be continued...

Birthday Videos!

Happy Birthday, Jamie!

I'm a little late, seeing as his birthday was the 28th, but here's a picture post to enjoy!