So Big

Babies grow quickly.  If you have one, you already know this, if you don't have one yet, you will find this out soon.  As parents, we don't always notice the small changes that happen or realize just how big they really are getting.  We rely on others that don't see the baby as often to remind us of this with comments like "wow, she is getting so big" or "I can't believe how much she has grown in just a week."  We simply don't "see" it because we are with them every day.  So my pointer of the day is to...

take monthly pictures!

My cousin started this tradition with her little boy.  Each month she would put a poster with the phrase "I'm _____ month's old today!" printed on it.  I just HAD to borrow her idea.  So each month on the date my baby girl was born I prop her up next to the poster and take a picture. 

You can make the poster as big or as small as you like but I suggest using the same size poster every month.  I bought sticky note letters so that I could easily change out the month words and I have it on a thick poster board that stands easily when leaning up against something.  It's such a wonderful keepsake and marks each month with a wonderful memory that show just how big she is getting.

Happy photographing :)

Let it Be

When your baby is crying and you know she isn't hungry or wet or tired all you want to do is hold her and rock her and soothe her.  But you know when sometimes you just want to be left alone, babies get like that too.  I discovered not too long into our weeks at home, that sometimes she just wanted to be...

left alone.

It sounds crazy, I know.  I thought so to.  But moments after putting her down next to me, she kicked her legs, found the fan and completely relaxed.  Babies can get over stimulated and just like grown ups, they sometimes just need some quiet alone time.  So don't be afraid to just put them down and certainly don't feel guilty about not being able to soothe your baby, because in actuality, you are soothing them!

Here is to a relaxing evening...

Heat it Up

Nothing as sad as a hungry baby and a cold bottle when you are out.  It's happened to me way too many times.  I feed the baby a warm bottle before we leave, take out a bottle from the refrigerator when we leave the house and put it in the diaper bag for the day out.  Inevitably, she is hungry again 20 minutes into the trip, and the bottle is still ice cold!  Running it under hot water in the bathroom, hold it between my hands, even blast the heat in the car and hold it in front of the vent...I've done it all and the poor baby still had to drink a cold bottle :( So I was so happy when I found...

a portable Bottle Warmer!

Jackpot!!!  It's super easy to use and it warms up the bottle in minutes.  When you get home simply boil the warmer and it is ready to use the next time.  There were a few different options in Buy Buy Baby, including one that you can plug into your car.  I however chose one that doesn't need to be plugged in, because I'm not always in or near the car when she is hungry. Below is a link to Buy Buy Baby and their bottle warmer options.  The portable ones are the last four that they show.

Happy bottle warming...

http://www.buybuybaby.com/searchSKU.asp?SSTR=bottle+warmer&go=1&