Miss A’s Summer Fun!

I (heart) Twin Oaks Day Camp.  They are making Miss A’s summer her best one yet!  She leaves everyday excited & comes home everyday with a huge smile and lots of fun stories to tell!

Today we had visiting day at camp….Part I.  When I went to sign in, the director’s exact words were….”Ohhhh Miss A….With the MOUTH!”  Her head counselor said she’s the mayor of camp, and when someone won’t say hi to her, she says “It’s OK….they must be shy!”  Every mom there said they’re child comes home everyday talking about Miss A!  (And in a good and happy way!!!!)  What a difference a year makes!

Here are some shots from our day at camp!

First we started and Fun & Games:

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Randy Candy 1

Randy Candy 2

Randy Candy 9Then we followed them to the field!

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The last activity was swim…which happens to be Miss A’s favorite activity!

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Swim 9

Swim 5

Swim 8

Swim 7

Swim 4Before we headed home…we had snack!  Miss A was really excited to have her Grandma, Auntie S & Cousin H with her.  Cousin H wasn’t being so cooperative for a group photo…but we did get one with Grandma!

Snack with Grandma

 

 

 

54789340854678678567 Baby Products….Our 11 Favorites!

There are a lot of baby products out there….and lots of them are a waste of time and money.  It can be really hard to navigate which ones are worth it!  (yes….everyone’s “worth it” is different!)  We didn’t have anyone to tell us what was a good buy and a pointless buy the 1st time around.  This time…I’m keeping track for our future and for any friends, family or strangers who stumble onto our blog! These are the items we love for infants age 0-3 months… ** I was not paid or incentivized to give any of these opinions….these are just things I like 🙂 . 0-3 favs Feeding:

1.  Bottle feeding is our choice.  I know there are many people who judge me, but that is ok…this is our choice for our family and it works for us.  With Miss A we tried just about every bottle on the market.  We preferred Born Free.  Incredibly, our bottles (and some other infant things) were something that survived the flood (thanks attic!), so we didn’t even have to replace them!  We did replace the nipples!  We used the small 5oz size first…now we use the larger ones.  There is a glass option if you feel that is for you.  We thought about it but the cons outweighed the pros. bottle 2.  We got the Avent sterilizer when Miss A was born & it has served Miss A, our cousin CJ, and now Baby D.  I know I could boil the bottles and pieces too, but this is super quick (about 5 minutes) and all of the pieces for 6 bottles fit nicely inside…and then they come out sterilized!  I’m all for things that save me time!  They don’t make this model anymore, so the link is to the newer version

3.  Bibs.  Miss A was a spit up girl.  Thankfully, so far, Baby D only spits up on occasion….HOWEVER….he can rival a St. Bernard in the drool department!  We love the Silly Billyz bibs.  The front gets wet, and the back stays dry.  We used Mum2mum with Miss A but I like the Silly Billyz a little better since they have a tighter seal at the neck! BibPlay:

4.  Baby D spends a lot of time traveling around, as most 2nd children do!  When he gets into the carseat, he isn’t too thrilled!  This small Tiny Love travel mobile has a detachable arm that allows you to use it on a crib (like a pack and play or travel crib or bassinet of the stroller etc) or velcro to attach it to the car seat so it can entertain him while we drive.  Both of my kids loved this mobile! travel mobile 5.  Another thing that Baby D has to deal with is being put down in his crib for periods of time while I attend to his big sis’.  We like this bigger Tiny Love mobile to keep his attention off the fact that we left him in there!  Its colorful and the music is soothing, and when he starts to stand and pull on the top, we’ll probably keep the music box attached like we did with Miss A!

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6.  Our original playmat didn’t make it through Sandy.  Our friend AG gave us her son’s playmat when they came up to visit, and we also got this Fischer Price Piano playmat that we saw our cousin J play with, as a gift from our friends.  This has been amazing for us.  I have put him down on this mat and he’s played independently for over an hour.  He’s been doing tummy time and playtime on this mat since basically he came home from the hospital!  The only thing this is missing is a gate surrounding it to keep T from making out with Baby D!

playmat

Diapers, etc:

7.  Honest Diapers.  I love them.  They are about the same, if not a little cheaper than if I were buying Pampers diapers and Huggies wipes (which is my chosen combo when not ordering from honest.com).  The best benefit I’ve seen is that we’ve had basically NO diaper rash since we stopped using the Pampers/Huggies.  I will say that I prefer the Huggies wipes for my wipe warmer, because the Honest wipes can’t be used with our warmer…it’s the way they’re folded in the package that doesn’t work…oh well!  Bonus…they are fun looking!  Seriously….check out the patterns!  I also have bought their shampoo/body wash, conditioner, lotion, lip balm, and a bunch of other products from them for Miss A and our house.  I’ve enjoyed them all.

diapers

Sleep:

8.  I started my love affair with Aden & Anais when Miss A came into our lives.  It was ridiculously hot that spring and we were living in a house with window A/C’s.  I used their swaddling blankets with her until she fit into the Miracle Blanket.  Baby D will never get to wear the miracle blanket, because you can’t swaddle a thumb sucker!  You also don’t have to go into their room 50 times a night to put their bobo’s back in when they spit them out!  This go-round, our friends bought us a package of Bamboo swaddling blankets.  Unreal.  The softest, lightest, but still warm, great for swaddling (with his arms out), perfect for covering the carseat or stroller to protect him from the sun while still letting him breathe!

swaddle

9.  We are sound machine lovers in this house.  I refuse to tell Miss A to “SHHHHH” a zillion times a day, nor will I tell our dog not to bark while the baby is sleeping!  We used the sleep sheep for Miss A, and that worked great, but now that there’s an older sister running around, sometimes the 45 minutes of ocean sounds aren’t quite enough!  My Aunt R gave the Sound Machine Projector to us as a gift for Baby D and we have loved it.  You can set it to a timer, or leave it on all night.  I can’t speak much to the projector side, although I think it is a cool feature, since this baby is a belly sleeper, he doesn’t see much of those lights!

sound machine

10.  The next one is something that helps Mister LK and I sleep soundly.  Our Summer Baby Monitor.  We had an older model before the storm, but we needed a new one..since…well…it is NOT waterproof!  It is a really nice thing to be able to put the baby to bed and check on him without getting up in the middle of the night to go into his room!  We are blessed with a sleepyhead and when I take Miss A to wait for the bus, it is nice to be able to keep an eye on the baby and make sure he’s not screaming!  This new version makes adjustments easier!  The camera can be moved on the touchscreen.  That should be helpful once he moves around the crib more!

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Other:

11.  Finally…the item that 2nd time parents often find “so-so” useful the 1st time around and “SO….SOOOOOOO” useful the 2nd time around!  Our baby carrier!  With Miss A I had the Baby Bjorn.  I put her in it once and she came out with her whole leg red and bruised after 10 minutes from broken capillaries, a result of the carrier and her thighs not really working together!  At that point I was too nervous to use another one…so it wasn’t until she was about 8-9 months old that I got the Moby Wrap.  I loved it, and still do, but it’s pretty heavy fabric and since it is being lent to our friend right now to wrangle her 1 year old, I got myself a Solly Baby Wrap.  It is so lightweight, perfect for the summer, so soft and keeps Baby D close to me, upright and my hands are free to do everything I need to do!

So those are my favorites so far!  We’ll be spending the next 3months figuring out what things we need to add & the stuff we can pack up!

Baby D….In Month 3!

My baby boy is 3 months old.  Time is flying.  I’m trying so hard to enjoy every moment of my favorite baby bliss.

Baby boy you are so big.  You are 25″ tall (90th %) and 13.11lbs (75th%).  You look so big to me, but you’re still in your 0-3 month clothes.  Although you have some 3-6 month stuff that you wear!

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You are still sleeping 12-13 hours a night.  Your napping isn’t on a very tight schedule just yet…we are still figuring out the best set nap times but you’re almost there and you take 2-3 crib naps a day, not including cat naps in your swing or in my arms!

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You are clearly still sucking your thumb and you haven’t totally found it while on your back.  You seem to find it right away when you’re on your belly.

D grey eyes 2A new things you’re doing are your little sucky fishy face.  It is really cute, and one of these days I’m going to catch it on camera!

D grey eyes 3We just up’d your bottle to 7oz, every 4 hours.  Today was the first day of that, and you’re doing really well with it, so I guess tonight we’ll see how you do with 28oz of formula daily.

D grey eyes 1You are just the sweetest little boy.  You still love bath-time and your big sister!  You are playing for long stretches on your playmat and we’ll be introducing you to the bumbo seat any day now!

We had your 3 month check up on Monday…and the Doctor told me…”he’s very very verbal”…yea…you read that right.  VERBAL!  No kidding Doc.  This is my lot in life…to have kids that never stop talking!  Your big sis is the leader in that group!  I’m sure she’ll have a lot to teach you…and apparently you are already a quick learner!

D4I can’t believe my baby is 3 months old.  We love you very much little boy.  You make all of our days brighter with your infectious smile and little giggles!  Thank you for being you and making me a very happy Mommy!

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Cousin H turns 1!

Wishing our nephew and cousin H the very happiest 1st birthday.  It is amazing how fast this year flew by.  You are a sweet, sweet boy and my absolute proof that sweet can come from sour…that there’s a little bit of good in each and every one of us, and most of all, that it is so nice to be the parent of a kid like me!  (and you)!

I love you so much little man.

A kissing HA

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h 1

 

Reunited…

She’s BAAACCKKKKKKKK!

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She’s been home for about 10 hours and my house is already turned upside down, we went out to lunch, shopping at the container store, she’s been in 4 outfits, we’ve tie dyed her camp shirts, she’s had 3 meltdowns, a bath, 2 stories and is now in bed.  Whew!  We got through her first day back!

1 more to day to go and then she’s off to camp!

Her little brother was really really happy to see her.  Every time she speaks, he smiles.  Every time he speaks…she does this…

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Oh, my Miss A.  My challenge.  My heart & my life.  I love you and am so happy that you’re home!

Baby D, Daddy & I missed you so so so much.

Father of The Year…

Before the day ends…I’d like to wish my amazing husband and father of my kids, Mister LK, the happiest of father’s days.  If anyone deserves a day to celebrate you for all that you do as Daddy around here…you are the man.

On another note…don’t all father’s who have wives have father’s day, every day?

I do a lot around here….BUT….Mister LK does more for this family than I ever imagined a person could do.  I truly don’t know how he does it.  (Don’t let this go to your head honey – we didn’t make 42″ wide doors!!!)

This family is so lucky to have him.  We try to tell him as much as possible, but we’re usually so caught up in the day to day that we certainly don’t say it enough.  We love you Daddy and thank you for everything that you do to make sure this family stays happy, healthy, sane, and silly!

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E454A883-47B2-4C29-A676-4146202512B9

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C5068151-F87E-4848-9F72-5B321DAC78A4There is nothing that you wouldn’t do for us and we know it.  I feel so lucky that my daughter gets to grow up with a Daddy like you, and I’m certain that my son is going to turn out perfect, just like his Daddy.  We love you more than any holiday could express.  We hope we make you as happy as you make us.

Now…Can you walk the dog, feed the cat, and take out the trash 😉  jk…you already took out the trash!

xoxo

 

 

Oh This Tushie…

Thank you Grandma for clearing up a question I have had for a while now.  Why people always tell you that “you’ll miss this”, when you are 100% certain that you will NOT.  This 3 year old business is no BS.  According to Grandma…the teenage years are worse.  I’m not exactly sure, but I’d imagine it has to do with their hormones and the time it takes for them to acclimate to their mood swings…horray.  can’t wait.  might go insane when that time comes.  thanks a lot.

A dancing

This kid can go from laughing and smiling, to hands on hips screaming “I AM ANGRY” faster than this guy…

Bugatti-Veyron_Super_Sport_Profile-480They say this Bugatti goes 0-60 in 2.4 seconds.  She’s got him beat by about 1.8 seconds.  I’ve really never seen anything like it.  It can make your head spin.

A looking sweet

It can also eliminate your patience quite quickly too.  That unfortunately can make you feel like a terrible Mom.  I am pretty sure I won the award for bad parent of the year yesterday, but truth be told, losing my sh*t seems to be the only thing that gets her attention these days.

Things I have tried:

Ignoring the tantrum:  I like to think of myself as a logical person.  Especially when I’m not PMSing.  I always believed that if you just ignore the behavior, they’d have no reason to keep doing it & they’d stop…eventually…right?  Nope.  Not here. Not this kid.  I think my ignoring her actually gives her a superpower to keep going and going and going without passing out.  Oh right, and when she does pass out….she just wakes up screaming some more.  Gives her a little energy boost.  For anyone who thinks that I’m exaggerating, please feel free to come on over and check it out for yourself.  The longest we’ve gone here screaming is 4 hours.  Can you imagine screaming about something for 4 hours????  Now try to imagine listening to someone scream for 4 hours!!!!  I’m guessing we can rule out ADD since she clearly has the attention to stay on one topic for extended periods of time!

Talking Calmly:  Makes her scream louder.  Like…”MOMMY….I SAID I WANT “X”, DID YOU NOT F*&KEN HEAR ME?????”  ok, she doesn’t curse.  But it feels like she is at the volume she’s using.

Consequences:  We just moved in.  We had so many toys that we told people please do not bring more toys into our house.  She now has 3 toys left in her closet.  When I tell her she’ll lose her: toys: “that’s a good idea Mommy…give them to strangers!”; Ipad use: “OK…I don’t want it”; TV/Movies “Yea…shut it off, I don’t want to watch”; even losing her skirts/dresses which was recently effective “Oh Mommy…these pants make such a cute outfit”; HER LIFE “I don’t care!” This is probably the most infuriating.

Rewards:  We have a pompom jar.  She loves it.  She loves getting the pompoms, putting them into the jar, getting the reward at the end.  Except when she doesn’t give a damn.  “I’ll get one later”.  Oh no you won’t…..

Losing it:  This is the only thing that gets her attention.  Makes me feel like a crappy Mommy, but sometimes you do what you have to.  I’m sure she’ll become immune to this soon as well…so I’m reserving this behavior for only the most seriously out of hand days.  My hope is that these last 3 weeks of us being home (stuck inside because of weather, workmen, or eventually punishment) are just too much for both of us to handle, and that her vacation (that starts MONDAY!) and camp (when she gets back from vacay) will alleviate much of our stress around here.  We need some separation!

Bright side….look at this tushie…..how cute is it without that stupid pull-up?

A's tushie

Even if she pees in those panties twice a day just to be able to tell me “Don’t get upset…it was just an accident!”

Good luck Grandma.

Note for the future:  Miss A…you will read this when you’re old enough & think I am an unreasonable Mom.  You’ll re-read this again when you are even older and have a toddler and you will laugh.  Hysterically.  Hopefully while on the phone with me, like I did with my mom.  I love you.  More than my own life.  Nothing will ever change that.  Go hug your kid.  Although s/he’s probably screaming right this second.

2 Months…2 Kids…No Time…

I’m back.  I know I know…I’ve slacked.  Completely.  For a month.  Can a girl get a break around here?!?!  Baby D is 2 months old now…well…truth he’s been 2 months for almost a week, but that’s how it is 2nd child!  I don’t love you less, I just have less time to write about it!

We had his 2 month check up and he’s a BIG boy!  Weighing in at 12.5lbs, measuring 24″ we’re at the 75th% for weight and 90th% for height!  Look at him….because he’ll melt your heart!

D2

 

He’s got that shocked look on his face because it has been quite some time since he’s seen the good camera come out!  I capture everything on my iphone these days.  I simply don’t have free hands to carry the big one around!

So…about my 2 month old.

You know those kids who are really really good sleepers?  Yea…we have one of those!  He sleeps 12+ hours a night.  (knock on wood)  I wish I could enjoy his sleeping in till 10am.  Miss A makes sure that doesn’t happen!  At least I’m able to get up and get things done before he’s up….yay bright side.

But.

You know those kids who love the car, and when they are fussy you can drive them around and they sleep peacefully which the engine is running?  We do NOT have one of those!  He thinks that car seat is the perfect place to dirty his diaper…and since he absolutely HATES a dirty diaper, he’ll then scream.  Bloody murder.  Until you pull over and change him in the trunk.

Oh well….you can’t have it all!

He’s eating 5oz every 3 hours, but I think that will change to 6oz within the next week.  He is strong and has no trouble lifting his head when he’s on his belly.  He is otherwise enjoying his life while swinging in his lamb swing, watching Miss A dance and sing & Mommy unpack & clean.  Ahh the life of a 2 month old!

The LK house is adjusting well to this boy & we can’t imagine life without him!

Baby D…we love you!!!!

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We Survived 1 Month!

Our baby boy is 1 month old today.

He is still eating 4oz every 3 hours…except at night when he is getting his long stretch from about 9pm until 2am, and 2:30am to 6am.  Other than that, he’s an angel.  He whimpers when he’s hungry, and if you take too long he’ll work out his lungs and really let you know…but other than that and a little whimpering when he’s got a dirty diaper…he’s pretty quiet.  His favorite time of day is bath time.  He’s getting bigger and bigger every day.  He was 10lbs 4oz at his last Dr visit at 3 weeks old, and I’d be pretty surprised if he isn’t at least 1lb more now!

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We are all shocked at how quickly this month flew by….even Baby D!

Surprised at 1 Month

 

Wishing time would slow down a little….We love you little man.

 

What I Had Been Missing…

Saturday I turned 33.  I always love my birthday, but its so much better to turn a year older when you have a newborn.  It’s even better than that to turn a year older when you have a newborn with a nurse at home watching that newborn & a Mom who is watching your toddler so that you can go out to dinner with your Mister!  Thanks Nurse C & Grandma!!!!

Mister LK took me out to a fancy dinner at Park Avenue Spring.  It was very delish.  I am NEVER the one to take pictures of my food, however, when you have been pregnant for 10 months, get to go out to dinner and order everything you haven’t been able to eat in the appetizer course…that is something to be remembered!

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Check it…Raw tuna, raw honey, blue cheese & the real deal caesar salad!

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This pic was meant to be of Mister LK licking the plate (halibut with truffles & a brioche encrusted egg)….but my iphone was too slow 😉

This birthday was great…spent with people I love…followed by a baking party the next day for the little girl who makes life worth living…

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33 is going to be a great year…I just know it!!!