Hooter Hider

Another mom introduced me to the Hooter Hider, more formally known as Bebe au Lait. This is a nursing cover with some unique features - my favorite being a hard arch in the top which allows you to see the little one while they are feeding. It comes in lots of cool fabrics, but beware that anything super bright and flashy may draws more attention during a time you might not necessarily want it :).

http://www.bebeaulait.com/

Lily Padz

A friend introduced me to these FABULOUS breast pads called Lily Padz. They are reusable (lasting about a month) and despite claims by other breast pads of being thin, these are the only ones that don't show through my clothes. They are much more effective after the first month of breastfeeding since the milk supply has regulated and there's less leakage, oh joy!

Lily Padz can be found online at Lilypadz.com or locally at Rex Hospital.

Flu Season

For the first time in my life I am very aware of people who are sick and unfortunately the weather this year seems to be keeping a lot of people that way. Whenever I see someone who is sick I make a mental note to cover myself with Purell and I've been too scared to put Anna in the church nursery. Am I overreacting? One person I met said yes, that if I keep Anna away from these germs, her immune system will not build up and she is only going to get sicker later on. I tossed this around in my head for a few days and decided to ask Jo (the wonderful lady at Rex hospital) who gave me advice that I'm sticking to. She said that this flu season has been especially rough and that it is a good idea to wait until Anna is 6 months (and the flu season is over) before introducing her to the church nursery. It is true that Anna will probably get sick when she is first introduced to the environment since her immune system hasn't built up, but that at 6 months she will be better able to handle it. Until then, we are going to keep our Purell out at all times and pray that Anna stays well :).

Bath Time

When we first brought Anna home from the hospital I remember being scared to give Anna a bath. She seemed so tiny and fragile. We made it through the first bath with the help of my mom by quickly dousing Anna with water and a little soap. Bath time is now a fun time in the house and we have gotten the hang of it.

Fisher Price Aquarium Tub: we love this tub! When Anna was really little and still had her cord, she laid in a hammock above the tub so that she was not submerged in the water. Now that she is bigger, the hammock has been lowered and she can sit in the water and has a comfy pillow. This tub will transition one more time when she gets a little bigger. I recommend it.

Huggies disposable wash cloths: To me, the disposable wash cloths made bath time so much easier. I'm sure I could have almost as easily put some soap on a wash cloth, but to me they made a difference :)

Happy 4 Months, Anna!

Anna is now four months and has hit many of the common milestones:

• holding her head up
• rolling over occasionally
  
• tracks objects from side to side
  
• watches people and things
  

In March Anna will have her four month appointment at the pediatrician and we will see if she is ready for solid foods.

Diapers

I just found a not-so-good feature of the exersaucer - it could lead to poopies that go up the back of the diaper and ALL OVER the place. Now that Anna has been bathed and the clothes are in the washing machine covered in stain remover, I'm asking myself did I not put it on well enough or was it the diaper itself?
Before Anna was born, Erik and I wondered why people spent so much money on diapers when they could easily just get the Target brand. Well.... as soon as Anna was born we found out why - there really are varying degrees of quality in a diaper. We were fortunate to get so many diapers for baby shower gifts and were able to try all kinds and found by far the Pampers Swaddlers were our favorite. These, of course, seem to be the most expensive as well. Our distant second favorite is the Pampers Baby-Dri.
When it comes to buying diapers, bigger packages aren't always a better price per diaper. We got a BJ's membership for the main purpose of buying diapers but as of yet haven't bought any there. The best deal around that I have found are the mega packs (70-80) that occasionally go on sale at Harris Teeter for $9.99. That's when I stock up.

Exersaucer

Anna loves this hand-me-down. It is the Graco Baby Einstein Discover and Play Entertainer. In it, she sits surrounded by all kinds of toys. She started using this toy around 3 1/2 months since she needed good head control to keep herself standing tall.

Running Errands

As I pulled up to the grocery store today, I must admit there was some nervousness on my
part. Those silly little thoughts - will she fit in the grocery cart, do I take her stroller, what if she has a meltdown in the store... Errands that were once simple - pop in, pop out - now take a little more planning. In the beginning I heeded the baby carrier warning of not putting the baby carrier in the front of a shopping cart, but it has turned out to be the most convenient. I circle the parking lot looking for a grocery cart to park near (strange - what I once thought of a nuisance in a parking lot, I now find helpful). I take the carrier out of the car, put it on the front of the cart and wait to see if it fits. Harris Teeter and Target work; BJ's and Lowe's Foods do not. I then spend the rest of the trip through the store holding onto her carrier and trying to peer above her car seat so that I don't run into anyone. LOL! There has to be a better way. On small shopping trips I take her carrier in the stroller and then see how much I can cram into one of those shopping baskets - undoubtedly I have buy milk during that trip which makes it very heavy :). The carriers already attached to the shopping cart don't work for us since that means I have to take Anna out of her car seat and then try to strap her back down into something else as she screams and arches her back. The Baby Bjorn is a nice alternative when Anna is awake.
Returning movies and quick fixes at non drive thru Starbucks is a thing of the past. Who would have thought? I love motherhood!

Baby Lapsit at the Library

Every other month the North Regional library has a program called Baby Lapsit that invites infants to pre-walkers to come and listen to stories and songs. At 17 weeks, Anna was a little young - most kids were at least crawling - so I think she will enjoy it more in two month. We did about 10 little rhymes that were filled with interaction and tickling and then listened to a story. In the end toys were put in the middle of the room and the "big" kids played. Best of all.... it's free.

Here's the link.

My Favorite Time of Day

Now that Anna has become a great sleeper and for the most part sleeps through the night, I have come to love the morning time. My "mommy ears" wake to the first sounds of her stirring and I start preparing myself for the day ahead. The stirring turns to cute little noises and that is my cue. I sneak into her room and peer over the edge of her crib to see her beautiful blue eyes staring back at me and a big smile as if to say GOOD MORNING MOMMY! It's my favorite time of the day.

Rolly Polly

She did it! Anna is now rolling over from her belly to her back. 17 weeks.

Bumbo Seat

As Anna has gotten older she prefers to be up and looking around instead of laying flat on her back. Therefore, we bought a Bumbo seat (www.bumboseat.com). Its a lightweight portable seat that holds her in the sitting position. The age range on the product says 8 weeks to 12 months, but I'm not sure it will hold her that long. She has already started to try to lean forward and get out of it. If nothing else, it makes for great pictures.

Moms in Motion

For the past month Anna and I have spent many Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Rex Hospital with a wonderful lady named Jo in the Moms in Motion class. Moms in Motion is a postnatal low impact aerobics class to help new moms get moving again after childbirth - but more than that, it is a place to meet and talk with new moms.

Anna enjoys the class as well. A mat is placed in the center of the room and all the babies lay there and kick and smile (and sometimes scream). It is amazing how much more joyful a workout can be when it is done watching 5-7 little ones wiggles around. Anna especially likes to squeal and "talk" to her new friends.

Here's a link to the class: http://www.rexhealth.com/classes/birthclasses.htm

Walking the Mall

Who would have thought, I'm now one of those mall walkers. Every week I meet some friends at the local mall to do a few laps (occasionally stopping for an Auntie Anne's pretzel). It's a great way to get out of the house and get some exercise during the colder months. Last week I noticed a sign that Triangle Town Center has a power stroller class in the morning before the stores open. I'm sure it's great for those wanting to add a little more to their workout, but I prefer to take the free route :)

Baby Bjorn

This afternoon we headed to Home Depot and the Baby Bjorn went with us. (The Baby Bjorn is a front carrier for the baby. Many friends I know have had them since their baby was born and loved being able to "wear" their little ones during the day to get housework done. We started out with a hand-me-down carrier made by LL Bean and there's a big difference - the Baby Bjorn is much more comfortable.) Now that Anna has control over her head, she is able to face outward in the Bjorn and LOVES to look around. The Bjorn is great for walks, malls, grocery stores, cleaning around the house and anywhere else I need my hands free.

I did learn the hard way though to look around at Anna every once in awhile. When she is in the Bjorn people tend to smile and comment, but they don't tell you when your child has LOTS of spit up running off of her face!