I decided to do a scrapbook as my baby book. I'll post some pics when I am done with it. I am a few weeks away from being done with it (at least for the first year).
I found this baby memory book on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41725334
I like the fact that the above seller has pages that list out info you should capture (teeth info, milestones, first words, etc).
Also, if you want to make a photobook, here is some info...
http://mypublisher.com/
I made a photobook for my wedding for my mom, MIL, grandmother and my husband's grandmother. If I remember correctly, I used My Publisher.
Right now, My Publisher has 50% off of $100 or more OR $25 off of $50 or more (with this code - SPRING2550 - expires 3/31/2010).
Walmart has similar sized books for $22 I think and My publisher is $29. Both are for only 20 pages. We may do this in our addition to the scrapbook that I am making. I was given a scrapbook at one of my baby showers. One of my hobbies is scrapbooking, although I am not too great at it.
More info on what I put in my baby book/scrapbook for baby in another post...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Felt Playhouse
I came across this and I think it is so cute. They can do boy or girl themed houses.
http://ticoandlupe.blogspot.com/2010/03/fundraising-fun-felt-playhouses.html
http://ticoandlupe.blogspot.com/2010/03/fundraising-fun-felt-playhouses.html
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Taking professional pictures...
We planned to do 4, 6, 9 and 12m. We missed his 12m pictures.
I wish we had done 3m instead of 4m.
There are many places to go and maybe try a few. We went to Sears due to cost. Even only going this amount gets expensive. Plus, they try to sell you packages and really YOU want pictures, but your family doesn't need a picture of your little one every 2 months. :) I know my father-in-law loved pictures, but really he was overloaded with pictures. (plus he got ones in between for the holidays...)
Sears was ok. The people there are mainly teens, but they are usually good at getting smiles.
My friend was always strong and got the $7.99 package at sears (or 9.99), but she could only pick one pose. I was NEVER that strong. These places are strong in their sales appeal. :) I usually went during the week as Sears has discounts during the week. I usually got a collage each time so I didn't have to stick to one pose. The collages are $29.99 I think and I got buy one get one free (due to the sears club that I joined). I really liked the collages and then stuck to one pose for the other package. This was more than enough pictures.
I haven't tried JcPenney but I know they are similar to Sears. I know my friend goes to Picture People, but they are more pricey than sears since they usually sell you the pics with the frames. I was told to try Portrait Innovations, but I haven't tried them.
Oh, at Sears, they usually try to upsell additional pictures when I pick them up (the pics are never ready the same day - at least at the sears that I go to). It is hard to resist the upsell, but usually I do.
I wish we had done 3m instead of 4m.
There are many places to go and maybe try a few. We went to Sears due to cost. Even only going this amount gets expensive. Plus, they try to sell you packages and really YOU want pictures, but your family doesn't need a picture of your little one every 2 months. :) I know my father-in-law loved pictures, but really he was overloaded with pictures. (plus he got ones in between for the holidays...)
Sears was ok. The people there are mainly teens, but they are usually good at getting smiles.
My friend was always strong and got the $7.99 package at sears (or 9.99), but she could only pick one pose. I was NEVER that strong. These places are strong in their sales appeal. :) I usually went during the week as Sears has discounts during the week. I usually got a collage each time so I didn't have to stick to one pose. The collages are $29.99 I think and I got buy one get one free (due to the sears club that I joined). I really liked the collages and then stuck to one pose for the other package. This was more than enough pictures.
I haven't tried JcPenney but I know they are similar to Sears. I know my friend goes to Picture People, but they are more pricey than sears since they usually sell you the pics with the frames. I was told to try Portrait Innovations, but I haven't tried them.
Oh, at Sears, they usually try to upsell additional pictures when I pick them up (the pics are never ready the same day - at least at the sears that I go to). It is hard to resist the upsell, but usually I do.
Sippy Cup Issue Resolved!
I gave my son a sippy cup maybe around 4m to get him to practice with it. That didn't work well. He sometimes would drink from it, but he didn't seem to like it.
My sister gave me quite a few sippy cups to try and my son didn't like any of them.
I even bought some expensive klean kanteen ones and he didn't like these either.
I talked to some moms and I got this as a recommendation. (Nuby soft spout)
http://www.amazon.com/Gripper-Cup-Soft-Silicone-Spout/dp/B0001NE9F8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1268772246&sr=8-4
Oh, I went to daycare one day and he was drinking from one of these. It surprised me since I figured he was drinking from someone else's cup. I asked the daycare workers and they said that it was an extra one and that my son LOVED that kind. Gee, thanks for telling me sooner!! I went and bought some that very day.
My son was over a year and wasn't getting the sippy cup and we wanted to transition from bottles. The day I introduced the Nuby, he took right to it. He is 99% on these now. We had to give him a bottle the other day as he didn't want to suck on his sippy cups (most likely due to an ear infection).
I am not sure if it was because he was breastfeed for 11.5months and the nuby is soft like a bottle/breast, but he liked these. I will say that this one may not be for all kids. They do have handle ones, but we used the ones without the handle (but little one was over a year).
My point is...try different brands and don't invest in one brand until you know that your child will like that sippy cup. My little one always tossed his and that is very normal, but make sure they eventually drink out of one or the other. My little one didn't like hard spout ones, but I think when he gets older he would be able to use those. Some kids GET the straw sippys easily, but my little one doesn't get the sucking action needed for straw use.
Oh, if the baby books says 'you need to have baby on sippy cups at 1year', etc, THROW THEM out (see my post regarding parenting styles and baby books...) EVERY child is different...some kids walk at 9m and some at 12m and some later...same thing with the sippy cup/bottle transition. There is nothing that says your baby MUST be off a bottle at 12m. It is good to aim for that, but don't stress. We were over a year before the transition happened. The soft spout on the nuby is similar to a bottle.
I have also heard that the take and toss cups work well and some kids. I haven't used those personally. I would have concerns that those would leak if my little one threw the cup on the ground (which he does several times daily).
Good luck with the sippy cup transition!
My sister gave me quite a few sippy cups to try and my son didn't like any of them.
I even bought some expensive klean kanteen ones and he didn't like these either.
I talked to some moms and I got this as a recommendation. (Nuby soft spout)
http://www.amazon.com/Gripper-Cup-Soft-Silicone-Spout/dp/B0001NE9F8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1268772246&sr=8-4
Oh, I went to daycare one day and he was drinking from one of these. It surprised me since I figured he was drinking from someone else's cup. I asked the daycare workers and they said that it was an extra one and that my son LOVED that kind. Gee, thanks for telling me sooner!! I went and bought some that very day.
My son was over a year and wasn't getting the sippy cup and we wanted to transition from bottles. The day I introduced the Nuby, he took right to it. He is 99% on these now. We had to give him a bottle the other day as he didn't want to suck on his sippy cups (most likely due to an ear infection).
I am not sure if it was because he was breastfeed for 11.5months and the nuby is soft like a bottle/breast, but he liked these. I will say that this one may not be for all kids. They do have handle ones, but we used the ones without the handle (but little one was over a year).
My point is...try different brands and don't invest in one brand until you know that your child will like that sippy cup. My little one always tossed his and that is very normal, but make sure they eventually drink out of one or the other. My little one didn't like hard spout ones, but I think when he gets older he would be able to use those. Some kids GET the straw sippys easily, but my little one doesn't get the sucking action needed for straw use.
Oh, if the baby books says 'you need to have baby on sippy cups at 1year', etc, THROW THEM out (see my post regarding parenting styles and baby books...) EVERY child is different...some kids walk at 9m and some at 12m and some later...same thing with the sippy cup/bottle transition. There is nothing that says your baby MUST be off a bottle at 12m. It is good to aim for that, but don't stress. We were over a year before the transition happened. The soft spout on the nuby is similar to a bottle.
I have also heard that the take and toss cups work well and some kids. I haven't used those personally. I would have concerns that those would leak if my little one threw the cup on the ground (which he does several times daily).
Good luck with the sippy cup transition!
Sites for discounts on baby/kid gear
I like the following websites for discounted baby gear...
Baby Earth (monday -friday)
http://www.babyearth.com/baby-sale
Baby Steals (daily deals)
http://www.babysteals.com
Kid Steals (daily deals)
http://www.kidsteals.com
Woot (daily deals and sometimes more than one a day)
http://kids.woot.com and http://woot.com
I also look at http://mamabargains.com and ebates.com
I subscribe to Haute Look (sometimes there are baby stuff on here like diaper bags, but it is kinda too pricey for me).
http://hautelook.com
I also subscribe to Babies R Us on facebook as sometime they advertise their special. I only signed up because I got $5 off a future purchase.
Baby Earth (monday -friday)
http://www.babyearth.com/baby-sale
Baby Steals (daily deals)
http://www.babysteals.com
Kid Steals (daily deals)
http://www.kidsteals.com
Woot (daily deals and sometimes more than one a day)
http://kids.woot.com and http://woot.com
I also look at http://mamabargains.com and ebates.com
I subscribe to Haute Look (sometimes there are baby stuff on here like diaper bags, but it is kinda too pricey for me).
http://hautelook.com
I also subscribe to Babies R Us on facebook as sometime they advertise their special. I only signed up because I got $5 off a future purchase.
Shopping sites for girls!
I like these skirt onesies for girls:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/illiakids
You can probably find a seamstress locally that could do these for a cheaper cost.
I like these a line dresses for girls:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mekokids
http://www.etsy.com/shop/illiakids
You can probably find a seamstress locally that could do these for a cheaper cost.
I like these a line dresses for girls:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mekokids
Toddler food ideas
I haven't used this website, but it is a good resource for toddler food ideas.
http://weelicious.com/
Actually there are some recipes on here for babies that are 6 months or older...
Enjoy!
I wish I cooked more, but I do make easy stuff for my son. I cook chicken and give him pieces of chicken with a vegetable.
http://weelicious.com/
Actually there are some recipes on here for babies that are 6 months or older...
Enjoy!
I wish I cooked more, but I do make easy stuff for my son. I cook chicken and give him pieces of chicken with a vegetable.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Parenting Styles
What is your parenting style? If you are pregnant, what will your parenting style be. I have to admit that I didn't know a lot about different parenting styles when I was expecting.
I learn towards attachment parenting, but I don't frequent forums regarding AP because 1) I hate the label. What are other parents - 'detached?' and 2) I think people hide behind parenting styles and compare themselves to others. (ex: Mary doesn't breastfeed or doesn't hold her baby in a sling, she is not an attachment parent', etc.)
Don't know what attachment parenting is? Here you go:
Attachment parents lean toward baby wearing (I tried to do this, but my son hated the specific carrier that I had. Next time, I would try a different carrier), breastfeeding, feeding your child on demand, follow their cues and being attentive to them (not letting them cry much, but being very proactive on their crying), bedsharing or cosleeping (there is a difference - bed sharing means you share the same bed with the child and cosleeping means to be in the same room with the child --AAP says to do this for six months, but not everyone does (and that is OK)). Dr. Sears is the doctor that proposes AP. Dr. Sears also recommends delaying some vacinnes. I don't agree with most of that (but that is another post).
What are other parenting styles? Well, some people lean towards Dr. Ferber and cry it out methods. There is nothing wrong with either style or any style of parenting you do.
I like to say I parent by gut. I don't read parenting/sleeping books at all. I think they set poor expectations on what will work FOR YOU. For example, many people read books aimed at sleep training and the book may say that your child need X number of sleep per night. People get stuck on this and think they are a bad parent when really the book should say 'most' kids need this. Not all kids fit into little statistics...Do what feels right for you and YOUR family.
Also, don't look down upon others who choose different parenting styles than you do. People have been parents forever and they managed to raise their children appropriately. Your way may not be the best way. Get over it. Some people put their baby to sleep at 6pm and some at 11pm. They do what works for them. I know some of my friends look down upon me bedsharing, but it is what works for us. DS has never liked a crib. In talking to other moms, quite a few have to bedshare at some point (baby is sick, child is teething, etc). All children are different...in talking to real moms I have found out that each of their children were different. One of my friends had a son who only when to bed nursing (my son was the same way). She also had a daughter who had no sleep issues and didn't need that kind of close comfort. My friend has three kids - two girls and a boy. He had sleep issues with his last daughter. Each child has a different personality and something that worked for one may not work for another.
I am only mentioning two parenting styles. There are many more out there, I am sure. Do some research and it is ok to buy books, but a lot of parents that I know don't do the books. In fact, one of my friends is going to burn all her parenting/sleep training books. :)
Here are four completely different parenting styles:
http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style.htm
I learn towards attachment parenting, but I don't frequent forums regarding AP because 1) I hate the label. What are other parents - 'detached?' and 2) I think people hide behind parenting styles and compare themselves to others. (ex: Mary doesn't breastfeed or doesn't hold her baby in a sling, she is not an attachment parent', etc.)
Don't know what attachment parenting is? Here you go:
http://www.attachmentparenting.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_parenting
Attachment parents lean toward baby wearing (I tried to do this, but my son hated the specific carrier that I had. Next time, I would try a different carrier), breastfeeding, feeding your child on demand, follow their cues and being attentive to them (not letting them cry much, but being very proactive on their crying), bedsharing or cosleeping (there is a difference - bed sharing means you share the same bed with the child and cosleeping means to be in the same room with the child --AAP says to do this for six months, but not everyone does (and that is OK)). Dr. Sears is the doctor that proposes AP. Dr. Sears also recommends delaying some vacinnes. I don't agree with most of that (but that is another post).
What are other parenting styles? Well, some people lean towards Dr. Ferber and cry it out methods. There is nothing wrong with either style or any style of parenting you do.
Information on Dr. Ferber:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-ferber-method-demystified_7755.bc
http://www.sleep-baby-sleep.com/ferber-method.htm
I like to say I parent by gut. I don't read parenting/sleeping books at all. I think they set poor expectations on what will work FOR YOU. For example, many people read books aimed at sleep training and the book may say that your child need X number of sleep per night. People get stuck on this and think they are a bad parent when really the book should say 'most' kids need this. Not all kids fit into little statistics...Do what feels right for you and YOUR family.
Also, don't look down upon others who choose different parenting styles than you do. People have been parents forever and they managed to raise their children appropriately. Your way may not be the best way. Get over it. Some people put their baby to sleep at 6pm and some at 11pm. They do what works for them. I know some of my friends look down upon me bedsharing, but it is what works for us. DS has never liked a crib. In talking to other moms, quite a few have to bedshare at some point (baby is sick, child is teething, etc). All children are different...in talking to real moms I have found out that each of their children were different. One of my friends had a son who only when to bed nursing (my son was the same way). She also had a daughter who had no sleep issues and didn't need that kind of close comfort. My friend has three kids - two girls and a boy. He had sleep issues with his last daughter. Each child has a different personality and something that worked for one may not work for another.
I am only mentioning two parenting styles. There are many more out there, I am sure. Do some research and it is ok to buy books, but a lot of parents that I know don't do the books. In fact, one of my friends is going to burn all her parenting/sleep training books. :)
Here are four completely different parenting styles:
http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style.htm
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