My Favorite Things: Baby Edition

 This post is pretty lengthy and is catered more to New or Expecting Mommies.

Consider yourself warned :)

It's been ages since I posted a favorite things list and I thought it would be fun to post a baby edition. Here are all of our favorite baby items at the moment. As a new Mommy, I highly recommend all of these products- some of them are survival items, while others just make life with a sweet little bundle a little easier sweeter! I also included a few items we thought we would love, but ended up not working for us.

Sleep Sheep: We do not leave home without this little guy. He is our lifesaver!

 Little Tummies Gas Drops: You will never catch us without these one hand. Our sweet bundle is a gassy little thing! They are especially handy now that MG is on a Similac rather than Nutramigen.

 

Multi-Use Disposable Pads: We put these down in MG's bassinet, crib, and on her changing table. If she spits up or makes a mess, just toss it and place a clean one down. We can never have enough of these. {Much easier than changing sheets all the time}

 

Summer Infant Day/Night Video Monitor: This has really come in handy for this new Mommy now that we are placing MG in her big girl crib for daytime naps. It makes me nervous having her in another room alone, so this really helps ease my fears.

Medela Pump In Style  On-The Go Advanced Breast Pump: Medela is the best. Period. If you plan to breast feed, this is worth the investment.

Baby Trend Expedition Jogging Stroller: I wanted a jogger, so after much research I settled on this one. It is perfect for what we need {the roads around the lake are not known for their smoothness} and you cannot beat the price {compared to a BOB}. It's so easy to steer which makes it perfect for everyday use, too.

Gowns: I thought I would like these, but when MG was tiny they just didn't work out for us. However, we started using them again a few weeks ago and they make life so much easier {especially in the diaper changing department}. Now that MG is a bit bigger,these are my go-to outfits for lounging around the house.

 Boppy Pillow: This was really helpful when I was breastfeeding, but it's just as handy now that MG is getting older. We use it to prop her up during playtime and it still comes in handing during feedings since she's getting oh-so heavy!

 

Aden + Anais Blankets: Best baby blanket, hands down. We have dozens upon dozens of baby blankets- every size, shape, color, texture.... you get the picture. Well, they are all nicely laundered and tucked away somewhere because the only blankets we use are Aden + Anais. These are the best baby blankets- the perfect combination of lightweight, soft material, yet they can be folded for times when a heavier blanket is needed.

 

Cloth Diapers: When it comes to serious spit-up, you can toss all the fancy schmancy {yes, I said schmancy} burp cloths because plain jane cloth diapers are hands down the best. MG has dozens of cute, monogrammed burp cloths and what do we use day in and day out- cloth diapers. You thought for a minute I was going to say I use those instead of Huggies, didn't you!  ;)

Cradle Swing: MG loves, loves, loves her swing. It's out lifeline when things start to get hairy.

 

Aveeno Baby Care Products: We started out using the traditional Johnson & Johnson baby products, but ended up switching to the Aveeno brand. Not only do I love their scents better {their nigh time bath wash smells soooo good} but they keep MG cuddly and baby soft without irritating her sensitive skin.






And now for the items we dislike.

Safety 1st Turtle Complete Bath Center: If I had it to do over again, I would choose a tub without mesh. Our tub has a turtle cushion that is removable. However, there is a mesh fabric that is necessary for the baby to lean back on while bathing. I have to wrangle it off the wire frame and wash it at least twice a week because it gets slimy and mildewy. Yucko! I'm considering tossing it and purchasing one like this:

 

 

Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Bottles: These sound great, in theory, and were the bottles I had registered for. When I first switched MG from breast to bottle, these were the only ones she could latch onto. The gas issue quickly arose and we realized the bottles were making it worse. They did a horrible job at diffusing air bubbles. We scrapped them after only one week of use and now we have a cabinet full of bottles we cannot use. We went to the Playtext Nursers, which work great except that you cannot buy the liners in our small town. It became frustrating having to drive 45 minutes just to buy refills. We ended up giving our set of Nursers to Nanny J for times when MG is at her home. We finally ended up using the Dr. Brown bottles {which I hate despise}. But hey, if they work for Little Miss, then they are worth the headache brought on by the tedious task of cleaning them.



There you have it. The best and worst baby products {in my opinion, of course}. I'm gearing up for another jam-packed weekend. Today we are off for a special retirement celebration and tomorrow is Chickadee's bachelorette party.

See you Monday!

Bonjour, Overstreets

Let's give a warm welcome to my newest blogging friend! Like me, she is a new mommy and I have been begging her to start a blog so that I can follow all the happenings of the Overstreet family!


So, head on over to the Overstreets and learn more about this sweet family!

The Overstreets

Oh, Happy Day

While sweet pea was taking her mid-morning nap, I curled up in my favorite chair in our bedroom to enjoy my coffee, a few morning talk shows, and the new Ballards catalog that came in yesterday. Happy times!

While enjoying my quiet time I heard one of my favorite sounds- the delivery truck coming to see me. This is what was waiting for me...

Perfect timing right? Seeing as how I was just drooling over some pretties from this very same catalog.

Remember my summertime bucket list? One of my must-do's was to complete 3 pinterest projects. I decided on this idea for the laundry room....

The wire pins arrived this morning. Now I'm just waiting for my Etsy order to come in so I can get started.

 Happy Decorating!

A Day In The Life

Funny enough, the title of my blog used to say " A day in the life of me... my life, my journey, my thoughts about everything." When I posted about getting my ducks in a row, I had a reader comment that I should do a day in the life post.

Well, here you have it- the good, the bad, and the oh-so adorable moments that took place on an average day at the James residence.

Early Morning {between the hours of 5:20-8:45} Instead of the usual alarm clock sounds, our wake up call comes at 5:20 and is in the form of Miss MG cooing and wiggling around in her bassinet. Daddy-O took a bit to long getting up so MG went from smiley, happy baby to a screaming feed-me-this-instant baby in just under one nanosecond. Daddy is up and it's time for a diaper change, a 4 oz. bottle, and some playtime.

Daddy leaves for work at 7:00 and MG and I are on our own for the day. We spend time on the playmat, reading books, and in our bouncy seat. At 8:45 she's ready for a snack (2 oz. bottle), diaper change, and a nap.

Mid Morning {between 9:00 and 11:15} At 9:00, Miss Priss is asleep in her swing and Mommy is enjoying a quiet breakfast of blueberry muffins and coffee. Her mid morning naps are when I eat, read my devotional, blog, and get dressed for the day (sometimes). At 9:55 she is up again and ready for a diaper change and spends time in her bouncy seat. At 10:45 she's ready for her mid morning bottle ( 4 ounces) and she's napping in her crib at 11:15.

 Lunchtime {between 11:15 - 1:00} MG is napping while I accomplish my chores for the day {mopping, sweeping, laundry, tidying up, loading/unloading dishwasher}. At 12:00 I take a lunch break in our bedroom which consists of a tomato sandwich and sweet tea {can you tell I'm from the South}, catching up on a little t.v., and folding laundry.... all while keeping a close eye on Miss MG via our baby monitor.

Laundry- oh joy!

Afternoon {between the hours of 1:00 3:00} At 1:04 MG is up and, you guessed it, time for a diaper change. It's now our favorite part of the day- Storytime! Afterwards, we walk around and look out the windows {since it's too hot to spend time on the porch}.

Late Afternoon / Early Evening {between the hours of 3:00-7:30} It's now time for a bottle (4 oz.) and at 3:26 MG is down for her later afternoon nap (she's sleeping in her swing). She's up again at 5:02 and it's time to help Mommy cook dinner. She sits in her bouncy seat on the counter while I teach her the ins and outs of cooking. Daddy-O is home at 5:54 and she's scooped up for some playtime with Daddy before dinner. Dinner is usually around 6 -6:30 and usually consists of some background noise from a fussy baby {we like to call it our ambiance music}. After dinner, it's tummy time on her play mat followed by more playtime with Daddy (I'm busy cleaning up from dinner). Depending on the heat / weather, we may take a stroll around the lake. If it's too hot for Little Miss, then Mommy usually goes for a jog solo.

Nightime {between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30} At 7:30 it's bath time, followed by our nightly bedtime Bible story and a nice 6 ounce bottle with cereal (she prefers oatmeal over rice). Little Miss is asleep in her bassinet at 8:39. Time for my shower, pj's, and a catching up on a little reading before crawling into bed at 9:30.

There you have it- a typical day in the life. There are peaks and pits to each day, but the peaks far outweigh the pits. Some days are better than others, but I am loving every minute of Mommyhood!

Sweet Mary Grace - 3 Months Old

My darling Mary Grace,

Where is the time going? I hardly seems like 3 months have passed since you came into our world. I know you're ready to grow and try new things, but if you could do Mommy one favor, please stay little as long as you can.

Summertime is in full swing and you've spent your days hanging out with Mommy. Our daily schedule is always full with story time, visiting friends and family, play time, and taking strolls in the evenings to unwind from the day. You, my dear, are quite the little handful and keep Mommy and Daddy on our toes. Lately we've been playing dress up and having fashion shows in an attempt for you to wear all of your outfits at least once before you outgrow them.

 {Morning outfit}

{Afternoon outfit. Look at those sweet dimples!}

 

 I must be honest, I've enjoyed this past month so much, more so than the first two months. Each day brings something new and exciting and I love seeing your little personality blossom. I am enjoying each month even more than the last as you grow into your own little person.

You still L O V E to eat and you are downing 4-6 oz. every 5 hours or so. There have been a few evenings where you drank 7 ounces- I just knew you'd have a belly ache, but you didn't! Our checkbook is happy these days since you are no longer on the Nutramigen. The pediatrician recommended trying to step you down a notch on the formula type since you've adjusted well from breastmilk to formula. We started you on Similac Gas and Fussiness, and as long as we place a few gas drops into the formula to keep it from frothing up, you do fine! I can tell you like the taste of this much better than the Nutramigen.

We started giving you rice cereal here and there when you were 1.5 months. Last week we introduced Oatmeal cereal and you love it! You can't seem to get enough of it and much prefer it over the rice. This has helped satisfy you more and you've officially started sleeping through the night {the first time you were 10.1 weeks}. For a couple of weeks it was hit and miss, but you've slept through the night for the last 5 nights. Mommy and Daddy are so grateful for the extra sleep we are getting.

Our nightime routine hasn't changed. You still get a bath between 7-7:30, and then we go straight to storytime and our evening bottle {6 oz. with cereal}. You fall right to sleep once you finish eating and are usually in your bassinet by 8:30. Lately, you've been sleeping great and usually wake between 5-6:30, take a 4 oz. bottle, and go back to sleep for a couple more hours. Your most animated in the mornings and I have no idea where you get that trait from- since Daddy and I are most definitely not morning people.

You are quite the little social butterfly and love to smile and talk to any and everyone. People are always commenting on how happy you are. You are such a happy, sweet baby. Everyone says we are lucky to have such a good baby. I'd say blessed, more than lucky. You are definitely a good baby and we are so happy to call you our daughter.

 {"Talking" with Mommy}

 You are still in size 1 diapers and can wear most of your 0-3 month attire. However, we're moving into a few 3-6 month sizes not because of your weight, but rather your length. Right now you are very long and lean. You prefer cool outfits, and would go in just a diaper if I let you. You are very hot-natrured! Needless to say, these triple digit summertime temps don't go over well with you, so we're staying indoors as much as possible {which you hate since you L O V E the outdoors}.

{Little hands and feet}

 

 

Speaking of length, the time is quickly approaching when we will have to initiate "Operation Sleep In Your Crib" because you're almost too long for your bassinet. Mommy is dreading that day, but I know it's a must. In preparation for that dreadful day, we've been letting you nap in your crib so that you can get used to sleeping in your own room.

{Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Daddy}

 

You still love your swing and playmat. Daddy and I are waiting with bated breath for you to roll over. You are getting so close! You are now scooting a bit and will inch all around your playmat. The days of having you stay put where ever we place you are coming to an end, my Dear. You're now wanting much more stimuli during playtime, so Daddy and I scoured through Geoffrey's in search of toys with light, sounds, and moving parts. You're now able to sit up like a big girl in your Bumbo seat and you love just hanging out and looking around. You really have great head control these days.

 

You have officially found your thumb and your ears. You never really took a paci, and now you really don't want one since your preference is your fist/thumbs. You usually suck your right thumb and play with your left year or your burp cloth- it's so sweet! Mommy is thankful that you can self-soothe. Although, I would rather you take a paci over your thumb- I can always take the paci away when the time comes, but stopping you from sucking your thumb will be much more complicated. You're also noticing your legs much more. You will kick away and then stop and stare at your little legs in amazement!

{That thumb has magical powers to soothe you and often put you to sleep}

 

As for adventures, you traveled to the beach, had a few playdates, went on a couple of lunch dates, met your great-grandmother (Granny), celebrated your first Fourth of July, and visited with Nanny J and other friends. Getting out and about with you is much easier these days compared to the first month.

Life is simply amazing with you in it. I think about life before you and realize that it was so empty and dull at times. You bring such joy and zest to our lives. It's as if you've always been here. Mommy and Daddy love you oh-so much and are looking forward to watching you grow into a little lady!

Happy 3 Months My Darling Baby Girl!

Cutie Patootie @ 3 Months

{At 3 months, it's looking like she's going to be a red-head, like her daddy! This makes Mommy oh-so happy! I just hope it stays that color.}

 

{Love those sweet baby feet}

I'm working on posting her three month update, but I thought these were just too cute. Plus, I know some grandparents who have been asking for more pictures of Miss Mary Grace! :) Hopefully I can get it posted tonight. MG is spending the afternoon with Nanny J while the hubs and I run some errands. Even though we're running errands, I'm looking forward to an afternoon with my other favorite red-head!

Baby's First Fourth

We decided to forgo the usual Fourth celebrations and instead spent the holiday together at home, just the three of us. Our calendar has been chocked full for several weeks now, so it was nice having a lazy day at home. We had a typical American Fourth of July, complete with grilled burgers and watermelon for desert.

{MG's First Fourth}

Today I am reflecting on our life one year ago. The first thing that comes to mind was having my brother overseas in Afghanistan. It is such a wonderful feeling having him back on American soil. Second, this time last year we were still a family of just two hoping beyond hope that a little one would be entering our lives one day. Fast forward and here we are, a family of three, having a simple Independence Day at home.

I am thankful for my Independence. We are a blessed nation in that we can be who we want to be, do what we want to do in life, go where we want to go, raise a family, and enjoy life. I know others across the globe are not as fortunate. I am also aware that our independence did not come free, and am thankful for those who served in the past, and those who are still serving today.

Happy Independence Day!

Summertime Bucket List

Summer vacation is already half over and it got me to thinking of all the things I'd like to do in the next couple of months. Popping up on blogs everywhere are Summer Bucket Lists, so I thought I'd join in on the fun. Here is a quick rundown on things I'd like to accomplish before summertime slips away.

• Watch the Summer Olympics
• Complete at least 3 crafts from Pinterest
• Clean out closets (mainly mine and MG's) and make a donation to Goodwill
• Save money
• Run a 5K
• Spend a whole day sleeping
• Make more Summertime deserts (like this recipe we loved so much from last year)
• Sew at least 3 things for MG
• Declutter / Organize our upstairs
• Organize all my recipes into one recipe binder
• Start making homemade bread again
• Tackle some yard work projects
• Read some tutorials to get better at using my camera
• Take a hair bow making class
• Find the perfect anniversary gift for my husband
• Host a dinner night for my Sunday School friends
• Order/Organize pictures of MG
• Cook dinner at least twice a week
• Enjoy the season!

On a side note: I had to remove one of my items - Get back into my 'skinny jeans' because I wore them today for the first time since I had MG. It feels so good to get back to where I was pre-baby :)