Happy 1 Month Annie!

You are such a sweet baby girl! In some ways it doesn't seem like you could already be a month old, but in some ways you seem much older than one month. You really have been an easy baby, and remind me of Ella as a baby in that way.

 

For instance, you sleep really well most nights considering you are only a month old. You got off to a rocky start in the hospital (barely sleeping at all the two nights we were there), and I was preparing myself for some really long nights ahead. But you have proven me wrong! Most nights you sleep at least a 4-5 hour stretch, and one night you even slept for a 7 hour stretch. You are spoiling me! We've had a few nights here and there where you've kept me up, but overall you are a really good sleeper.

You are also bigger than your siblings were at this age. I don't know how much you weigh, but you have definitely been growing! Your clothes are getting snugger (in fact, you've outgrown a couple of things already!), and I can tell you've grown when I put you in your bed, your carseat, or your swing.

You enjoyed your first Christmas this month as well . . . or should I say, you slept through your first Christmas. I think you slept through every Christmas celebration we had during the holidays!

You smile sweetly at times in your sleep, and it melts my heart. You also started making some sweet talking/cooing noises when I talk to you. You love white noise and being swaddled. You also like to be carried in my sling. You do not like pacifiers no matter how hard I try to get you to like them. You do like to suck on our fingers, and you've sucked on your hands a few times. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up being a thumb sucker, but you haven't quite figured that out yet.

Your siblings absolutely love you already (although Luke was really unsure in the hospital!), and have been quite patient with you. They all love to help out by getting diapers or my diaper bag for me. They also all love to sing to you when you are crying. There are times we've asked them to sing when you've been sad, but they've also started singing to you when you are sad without us asking them. They love to give you hugs and kisses throughout the day, and always insist on a goodnight hug. Luke loves to tell us "Annieee cwying" when you are crying. Luke also likes to direct us to put you down in your bed or swing, and looks around for you if you aren't where he thinks you should be.

Your siblings holding you for the first time: 

Luke @ 1 Month
Troy @ 1 Month
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old  

Baby Gear I’m Loving Lately

I’ve written a couple posts in the past about my favorite baby gear, but since I’ve had Luke, I’ve gotten to try a few new items out.

1. Rock n’ Play Sleeper. I love this thing! It is easy to move around the house and it is also easy to use while traveling (and takes up less packing room than a pack and play!). I also like the relined position, particularly since Luke has reflux. I like how easy it is to grab him out of this for the middle of the night feedings as well (I don’t have to get out of bed). I also liked that I could sleep/lay in bed and rock him back to sleep when he was smaller (now that he is bigger the rocking isn’t as effective).
2. Boon Grass Drying Rack. This thing may look crazy, but it is great! Many different baby items from medicine droppers, pump parts, bottle parts, and pacifiers stick on this drying rack without being easily knocked over.
3. My Baby Sound Spa On The Go. Luke loves white noise, and this conveniently hangs from his car seat. The only downside is that I didn’t get this until AFTER he was already used to the white noise on my phone which I can turn up louder than this. It also plays music and other sounds.
4. Vera Bradley Diaper Bag. I’ve gone through a few different diaper bags, and this one has been my favorite so far. It is a good size (not too big, not too small). I actually found the pockets (particularly on the outside) to be functional for my use. Bonus: I got a great deal on it at a Vera Bradley outlet!

Baby Luke is here!

It is hard to believe that we are officially a family of five now. I’m not sure why (maybe because I didn’t grow up with any brothers?), but it is also hard for me to believe that I have two boys! Ella and Troy have been great with Luke. Luke doesn't know what he is in for yet with those two! :)

My Favorite Baby Gear

As I’m trying to finish up the final preparations for the arrival of my baby boy, I thought I’d post a list of my favorite baby items. This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you need for a baby (in fact, there are things on here you don’t “need”), but rather some of my favorite things. Here’s my list from after Ella was born.

1. Swing. Despite Troy not really loving the swing like Ella did, it is still one of my favorite baby gear items. I will say not all swings are created equal, and I definitely prefer one that can swing in both directions.
2. Boppy. Great for nursing, holding the baby, and propping the baby up. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well my boppy has held up over time.
3. Swaddling blankets. Our babies have always loved to be swaddled. I really like the Aiden and Anais brand of swaddling blankets (easy for me to swaddle), but my husband prefers smaller blankets (he is the master swaddler too!).
4. Sleep sacks/swaddle sacks. I like these and these (I find each has its advantages and disadvantages).  This follows in line with swaddling. I particularly like to use the sleep sacks at night because it is easier to wrap a baby back up in them after a feeding when you are totally out of it in the middle of the night.
5. Boppy waterproof changing pads. My mom got these for me (something I would have never thought to buy myself), and I really like them. I like to have one in the room I’m in with baby to use as a changing pad, as well as one in our bedroom (for when the baby still sleeps in our room at night). They are also great for their “intended” use as far as laying on top of a changing pad to be rotated out rather than having to change the changing pad cover.
6. Pack and play. Good for lots of things, from using as a bed in our room when the baby is little, to using as a travel bed. We had a Graco one with Ella, and a Baby Trend brand with Troy. The Baby Trend one has held up a lot better.
7. Moby wrap. I love being able to wear my baby, and this is a great option, particularly for when they are little. It can be a little tricky to get the hang of wrapping it, but once I figured it out, it wasn’t hard. I will say it gets warm, and isn’t something I’d use in the summer in Texas.
8. Ergo baby carrier. I did not have this for Ella, but I did for Troy, and I loved it! I only used it once he was bigger, although you can buy an insert to use with it for when the baby is little. By the way, I’ve seen these fairly often on “deal” websites, so if you are in the market for one, you might keep an eye out on those sites to snag a better price.
9. Sound machine. I did not have a sound machine with Ella, but I did with Troy, and it was great. I particularly like the one I linked (we also had a different one, and it was a piece of junk compared to this one).
10. Bath tub seat/ring. I can't find the one I have (it is older), but I really like have a seat for the baby when they are big enough to be in the big tub, but not super sturdy yet.

Homemade Baby Food: Peaches

(To read my introduction to homemade baby food, click here. To read Wholesome Baby Food’s information on peaches, click here.)

There are many different ways you can go about preparing the peaches. We chose to remove the pit and cut up slices of the peaches (with the skin removed) prior to cooking the peaches. My husband so sweetly volunteered to remove the pits and slice the peaches up for me.

I blanched the peach slices in boiling water for approximately 4 minutes.

After the peaches have been cooking for 4 minutes, remove the peaches and place them in a bowl of cold water.

Place the cooked peaches into a food processor or blender, and blend until you like the consistency (generally thinner for younger babies and thicker for older babies). You can add the cooking water (or breastmilk or formula) to thin out the peaches. You can also add cereal to thicken the peaches. The peaches I cooked were quite liquidy (is that a word?), so I added cereal to thicken up the mixture.

Distribute the peaches into the ice cube trays, cover, and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, remove from the ice cube trays and store them in the freezer.

Homemade Baby Food: Applesauce

(To read my introduction to homemade baby food, click here. To read Wholesome Baby Food’s information on applesauce, click here.)

Start by peeling the apples. I chose to use 5 apples, but you might use more or less depending on the size of the variety of apples and how much applesauce you want to make.

One you have peeled the apples, core them and slice them. I like to use my handy apple corer, but it isn’t necessary. Keep in mind, though, that you want the slices of the apple to be approximately the same size so that they take about the same amount of time to cook.

There are a couple of different recommended ways to cook the apples: baking and boiling/steaming. I chose to steam my apples. Cover the apples with water, and boil them until they are very soft (a fork should easily break them apart when they are soft enough). I add a tiny bit of lemon juice to help prevent the apples from browning too much.

Place the cooked apple slices into a food processor or blender, and blend until you like the consistency (generally thinner for younger babies and thicker for older babies). You can add the cooking water (or breastmilk or formula) to thin out the applesauce. You can also add cereal to thicken the applesauce.

Distribute the applesauce into the ice cube trays, cover, and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, remove from the ice cube trays and store them in the freezer.

By the way, another benefit to making homemade baby food . . . it smells really great! I loved the sweet scent of the apples cooking.

2010 in Pictures

Warning: Picture Overload!!

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

Happy New Year!

Check out our 2009 in pictures.