Beautiful Baby Search

The Live with Regis and Kelly Beautiful Baby Search deadline is TODAY! I had to wait until C was 6 months old before I could submit my favorite photo of her (that is, fave photo of her from February 8th until today). Since that was only 5 days ago, I don't have too many. Here were the finalists:

Can you guess which one I chose? it was so hard!

Review: Gerber Clothing

My first experience with Gerber clothing came in the form of adorably cute customized onesies made by "The Newly Mrs. Morgan". Mrs. Morgan is one of my very oldest childhood friends. She was always incredibly creative and she and my twin helped me eke out whatever creative juice I had in me so that I could play with them.

Fast forward 15 years and she is still cranking out creative gifts and ideas. One of these gifts was waiting for us when we arrived home from the hospital with Baby C. Please check out her post here.

We were so thrilled to receive her priceless gift. Not only were these onesies adorable but they were some of the only clothing that fit little newborn C perfectly. I loved the way that they fit and the fact that they were organic, too! Who can beat that? Here is little C modeling her gifts:

I didn't use Gerber onesies much after she grew out of them until I decided to try my hand at being creative. I bought some Gerber onesies and found, again, that their quality was superior to other brands like OldN@vy and T@rget. I was impressed that simple onesies could impress me :)

The most recent encounter I've had with them confirms my love for Gerber clothing. I bought a couple of longsleeve Gerber PJs for C at the consignment sale. She has outgrown all her old standbys but can't quite fit into her new 6-12 month PJs.

Even though these were used, they were not at all worn-looking nor have they faded in the many washes I've put them through. Though they are not organic, they are still great and C looks so cute in them that i often don't change her into a real outfit until late in the day!

If you'd like to purchase some of these clothes, why not use a coupon? Follow this link to the Gerber website where they invite you to print some pretty good coupons for their clothing--you'll just need to register for a new account and you'll be off and saving!

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. I seriously love Gerber clothing so much that i just wanted to share!

Memory Verse of the Week

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to memorize a Bible verse every week.

Here is this week's verse:

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Here is the context/passage it comes from:

1 Thessalonians 5:15-22:

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

Baby loves

C loves her stuffed animals. She pulls them to her before she goes to sleep and hugs on them during her nap. Then, when she wakes up in the morning, she'll talk to them for half an hour which buys me time to get the coffee going! I'm thrilled she is a stuffed-animals kind of gal.


According to the APA, there are many things wrong with this picture. Here are 5 right off the bat:

1. Sleeping on stomach
2. Sleeping with blankets
3. Sleeping with toys
4. Sleeping with a mobile past 5 months old
5. Sleeping with a bumper

Sorry, baby C! Please note, all you parents out there--only use these items at your discretion. They are not advised to be in your child's crib. As her parent, I know C's abilities and knows that she can move at ease and handle the elements listed above.

And, I just have to post this picture from today--she looks so old!
PS Can you tell that J studied to be a lawyer? Gotta love all the anti-lawsuit warnings!

Ahh, Rooibos, how I love you

Sit back and grab a cup of tea, this might be a long post.

A long long time ago, I was incredibly anemic. Like more anemic than any doctor I had had ever seen. Really bad. To make a long story short, my genius of a doctor, Dr. David Hirsh, figured out that the 2 litres (i used to live in the UK. Pardon my spelling) of green tea I was drinking was blocking all of my iron absorption. Whoops. I thought I was doing something beneficial for my health! yeah....

I was drinking cups full of green tea for its antioxidant properties. Come to find out, when J and I went on our 2nd year anniversary trip, we discovered an awesome tea store called Vermont Liberty Tea Company. The owner informed me that Rooibos tea, especially Green Rooibos Tea is an all-natural herbal tea that contians MORE antioxidants than green tea! Who knew? I was intrigued so we bought some loose leaf tea and off we went. When I got back home, I tried the Fruit and Lavender Rooibos (contianing Rooibos, rosehips shells, lavender, dried raisins, blueberries and currants with natural flavors). I was in heaven. It was so marvelous, I never missed my green tea. And, my iron count went back up to normal levels! Coincidence? I think not.

Turns out that not only does it not block iron absorption--no, Rooibos increases iron absorption. Bonus! Needless to say, I've been drinking that flavor and many others ever since. I just love it. Delish.

When I was pregnant with C, sometimes I would go to Teavana in the mall and get a made-to-order tea concoction. One day, my tea maker (is there a fancy word for that? I'm sure there is in China...) asked me if I was drinking it for the health of my baby..."no," i said, "I just like it." Come to find out yet another benefit of Rooibos--it helps you when you are pregnant and even your baby can consume it! Bonus!

When it came time to introduce solids to C (more on that soon), I was told that she needed to start drinking water, too. She hates it. Water, that is. Won't drink it. So, why not try Rooibos tea? Guess what? She l-o-v-e-s it and gulps it down as soon as she tastes it on her tongue she wants more. Bonus, yet again. Is there anything Rooibos cannot do? (well, yes, it can't do everything but, hey, it still does a lot, too!)

After giving her Rooibos for several days I thought, "hmmm. I'm giving her rooibos based on a tea seller's advice--and not a pediatrician's. Guess I should google it."

Here is what I've found so far:

• Rooibos tea can soothe baby's discomfort naturally and can be applied topically to help relieve 'cradle cap' and even nappy rash.
• Let Rooibos tea become your trusted friend. Precious relief can now be found not only in pacifying babies, but in the relaxation of adults too.
  
• A truly holistic wonder, the benefits of Rooibos can assist your baby throughout his or her entire life, and aid you in yours.
  
• Suitable for the entire family, Rooibos tea's herbal goodness is awaiting your discovery - treat the ones you love to nature's secret medial wonder.
• According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan Rooibos has been shown to aid in health problems such as insomnia (*very helpful in infants!), irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension.
• Studies also show that this tea contains anti-spasmodic agents, which can relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants.

Interesting stuff, huh? After you clear it with your pediatrician, you should definitely try it for your baby!

Review: Johnny Jump Ups and Walkers

Do these items look like weapons to you? According to most pediatricians they can damage your child! In our tiny household, it appears we laugh in the face of those warnings.

And literally, we laugh. C LOVES to play in both of these apparatuses, both of which can be found at her Mimi's house. I think she gets excited when we pull in the driveway because she knows these toys will be waiting for her to play in! Not that she really knows when we pull in the driveway since she is in a REAR FACING (very important!) car seat...but still.

Whenever she gets in the Johnny jump-up, she goes crazy ga ga for it. Yes, it has the potential to damage your child's hips but that is continued use for long periods of time. I only let C get in it for AT MOST 15 minutes so I think she is fine. And the pure joy that it evokes in her is so hard to pass up--it makes all who witness it laugh out loud. I'm willing to gamble that she won't have bad hips just so she can jump for joy (again, literally). *Also, please note that they warn it could fall of the door frame molding. Make sure, if you purchase this toy, that the door you afix it over has very sturdy ledges. If not, your baby could fall and hurt herself.*

The other toy she loves to play in is the Walker. Also NOT recommended by your local pediatrician because it could put early strain on your child's joints and delay walking. OR your child could fall down the stairs while walking by them (note: close the door to your stairs or install a baby gate!)

As my mother said, I was put in those walkers early on for quite longer periods of time than recommended and i still learned to walk when I was 8 months old! Developmental delay? not so much.

The great thing about this walker is that you can adjust its height as baby grows and it has interesting toys for them to reach for and play with. C is continually amazed at the bears. The tray is a nice feature, too, because you can place other toys (we aren't quite at the finger food stage yet but I suppose you could leave finger food on the tray as well--just make sure you clean it properly first!) C doesn't know how to put one leg in front of the other yet but I personally feel like this walker is good practice for her!

If we ever bought a larger house, I'd definitely invest in these two items. As it is right now, once or twice a week in them is very exciting and all she needs. You can find a lot of these used (make sure you check the fabric for any fraying, etc. Don't want that baby to fall out!) on Amazon or Craigslist or at Congsignment Sales/Stores.

Here is C before we went back home. She was fighting sleep today and didn't want to tack a nap so we distracted her:

In the interest of full disclosure and so i cannot get sued, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. We cannot be held responsible for your child or any injury he/she should sustain while using one or both of these toys.

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion.C loves both of these "toys" so much that i just wanted to share!

28 big ones

We celebrated in style today by doing nothing at all. I don't put too much stock in birthdays (I've been known to claim that i like the 4th of July better!) but I do enjoy being around family and just chilling and relaxing. As a true homebody, i love to stay home and hate the fuss of going out and getting fancy. Baby C met with Cousin R and wore coordinating outfits.
C is so intrigued by R who is 5 months older than her. She is slowly catching up to her in size, too! At her 6 month appointment, she weighed 17 lbs, 2 oz and was 26.9 inches tall! Only a few more pounds and inches and they'll almost look like fraternal twins...C doesn't seem too sure about that, though:

6 months old!

Guess

Who is
half a year?!

Baby C is 6 months old! At half a year, she is a delight. We cannot imagine what life was like without her. She keeps surprising us and we are so thankful that she is developing into a joyful, giggling, little girl. Gone are the days of endless fusses!

To celebrate her half year, she wore a dress that Great Grandma ViVi picked out for her. She also wore it to encourage ViVi who is in the hospital. Get well soon, Vivi!

Review: Fisher Price Rainforest Booster

We live in a small apartment. Maybe not small if we lived in NYC but small when you have a child who is about to crawl and have toys and misc. baby paraphernalia that somehow ends up strewn about in every room. Hence, we do not own a high chair but, rather a booster seat.

The Fisher Price Rainforest Booster Seat, to be exact. Not only does it fit better in our apt. but it is more practical since you can take it with you wherever you go...and it comes with an "entertainment center" of sorts. Sure you can buy one without the toy tray but splurge an extra $5 and get this one--it entertains baby while you are warming up her food or can be a literal "babysitter", allowing the baby to sit and play while you clean up the house, make dinner, or, like what I'm doing right now, post on your blog! (Small safety disclaimer--Just make sure you are always within reach of your child while she is sitting, strapped into the chair and the chair strapped into a real chair!)

I highly recommend either registering for this seat or buying it. We love it and wouldn't ever think of converting to a real highchair should we move into a larger space!

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. I love this booster chair so much that i just wanted to share!

Reviews

I've greatly benefited from reading other mom's blogs, especially when they post reviews on kid items they find essential or wonderful or both! As I use a lot of kid products daily, I have a lot of time to think about how I'd be lost without them or sometimes think of how they could improve.

So, why not post reviews, good and bad and in between about everything? I'll review things as I'm using them and it occurs to me that someone might like to know what a real mom thinks about it.

Hopefully it can help someone. If not, at least I'll remember my opinion when it comes time to raise the next child!


ETA (nearly 4 months later!): Please note: I am not compensated for these reviews. All reviews are based on my own opinion. I love certain Baby Items so much that i just wanted to share so other new moms could get honest feedback!

My little French girl

Rummage Sales and Running

Today started bright and early at 5 AM with baby C crying in her crib. Turns out she had a huge movement in her diaper and wasn't too keen on going back to sleep with it all hanging out. Yum. So, our day started a little early but I fed her and put her back down and she slept until...8:45! Usually she is my alarm clock so I don't have to worry about putting my alarm on to wake up in time for anything...

Since she woke up so late, it threw us all off schedule--I had places to be--namely the Rummage Sale that I'd frequented the past two days. Today they were pricing everything left at 1/2 off! Can't beat that and i knew that no one else could either and that the line to buy designer kid duds at 90% off regular retail price would be out the door at 9 AM (it was). I'd had my eye on these FuzziBunz cloth diapersand wanted to get them before anyone else did!

They are usually quite a bit of money, even used...and these, at 1/2 off were only $1.50 each! Amazing! Can't wait to try them out! While I was there, I just had to get the most adorable Janie and Jack and Ralph Lauren outfits, too--who can beat $4? Not me! Maybe I'll take a page from Caroline and re-sell them on eBay :)

I am a part of the competitive women's track club in my city. Sadly, I joined right before C was born and haven't really taken advantage of it yet. I am determined to get a Baby Jogger, though so that I can run with her on a more frequent basis. With J traveling all the time, this little number might be the key to my sanity. Now I just have to get my foot healed!

Usually, when not racing I get pretty envious of the other runners. Somehow, between last March and this year, God has granted me PATIENCE and allowed me to not get antsy or jealous when I cannot run or when I watch other people racing. Huge Praise!

Anyway, since I haven't been running (lack of motivation + injured foot + lack of training = OUT OF SHAPE) I am also not racing. But, like a moth to a light, i'm still drawn to racing events. And, part of my commitment to being a part of the competitive team is to volunteer for 2 events per year. Being the lover-of-free things that I am, I don't mind this commitment as I get free bagels (yum!) and free long-sleeve shirts. I think I'm boring my one non-competitive-runner follower so I'll stop with that but anyway, that was how we started our Saturday.

Background

So, my one follower--you already know all about me. To the rest of you who happen upon this blog...you may want to know who you are reading about. But maybe you don't and you just like blogstalking people like me. Either way, here are a few tidbits about myself that might make my blog make sense:

1) I like lists. This is my second post and I am already 2/2 on lists. Woo hoo.

enough about that.

2) I am a Christian. I was raised in a wonderful Christian family. I've had my share of struggles but God's grace is overwhelming and He always brings me back. He has blessed me beyond measure and am daily thankful for his mercy and grace.

3) I am a "Doer". I, like everyone in the world, am unworthy of God's love and I often try to gain it by "doing" things to earn His favor. No. Can. Do. It is a daily battle for me to just "be", know that I cannot "do" anything to make myself more pleasing in His eyes. This "doer" attitude extends into many many outlets of my life and I'm sure you'll see it manifest itself 1000 times over throughout my blogging career.

4) I love my husband. Let's just call him "J". He is amazing. We met at a small college, he was my first boyfriend (aww) and we got married right after graduation. I'd be lost without him. He makes me laugh and loves me despite my many fumbles as a wife!

5) I am a twin. This is crucial. She is one half of me, pretty much, (but, no, we aren't identical) and I'd really be lost without her. She is my memory keeper. If you don't know her, you can't know me.

6) I have a daughter. And I'm going to call her "C" When I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted her to be a twin. When I found out it was only one, I wanted her to be a boy. Now I'm happier than anything that she is just one and she is a...well...a "she". I can't imagine anything else. Every day with her gets better and better. It is truly amazing to watch her life unfold.

7) I can't wait to give her another sibling. Then another and then another. I'd love to have four and I'd love to adopt twins, too. We'll see about that.

8) I am so blessed to have tons of family members. I have 16 cousins, 3 of my grandparents are still living, and my aunts and uncles are an active part of our life.

9) I love love love to run. It is my one talent. I hope to use it to honor God and give Him the glory in my ability. Motherhood and injuries have put a temporary standstill on it but I'm trusting God to heal and to allow me to return to running in His own time.

10) I am super frugal. I'd like to say that I started Cloth Diapering because its good for the environment or good for C's little bum but, really, it's because it saves us lots of money. And then because of the other two aforementioned reasons. Those are good, too.

11) I wish I had more time during the day. As it is, I stay up until 11 or 12 just dreaming about the crafty things I could make, reading about the people in Blogland that I've never met, and searching the internet for who-knows-what.

12) I hate to miss out on anything. Hence #11.

13) I'm not superstitious which is why I can have a #13. But really, I'm all out of stuff to say (phew!).

A little welcome

A new blog...let me tell you, this is the FOURTH blog I've started. Here's hoping it continues. This blog will be different from my past ones because

1) It is NOT private. In my endless quest to accumulate free stuff through online contests, I've found that private blogs can be a hindrance to winning. And isn't that what life is all about? Right. In all seriousness, that was one reason why I am making this blog public but I also wanted to be like all the cool moms that I blogstalk. Kidding again. Really. I think.

2) It holds no pressure because it holds no purpose. My other ones were purposeful in that I strove to blog about my pastor's sermons and my quiet times or blog about my daughter's growing life. Hopefully, w/o pressure, blogging will be something I enjoy and actually WANT instead of dread to do!

3) I guess that's it! Hopefully it will be more compelling and retain readers, too! So here's to the new blog and to you, my reader (yes, i have one follower before I ever posted--thanks BAVE!)