Daddy's Apprentice...

Almost 14...

My little angel is almost 14 months and amazing. I cannot believe that such a little person can completely blow me away every day. She's learning so fast, and is expressive, and a complete doll. Really I can't think of a better place to be than by her side. She has been shaking her head no for months now, and this week she started nodding yes! It's amazing how much you can communicate with a person one-sidedly using words. I still get a kick out of watching her do what I ask "sit in your chair mama so we can eat" or asking her to show me something "baby, where's "Goodnight Moon" " how telling her it's bath time makes her sit in front of the bathroom door, or the way she points at everything. Her words are becoming clearer...or maybe only mommy understands the goobly gob that comes out of her. She's my heaven...I almost can't breathe, the love just fills me. She's proof that I'm doing something, if only one thing, RIGHT! MY Brianlily...

COUGH WARS...

SHE'S ONE!

at 3:46am on january 15, 2009 the universe sent me an angel...her name is brianlily...strong, beautiful, and pure...perfect in every way. how blessed am i!

thank you bebe

♥ happy birthday my angel ♥

Baby Bottle Tips & Reviews

When my daughter was born, I started out with Born Free and really loved them. Born Free has 6 parts; bottle, nipple, collar, 2-piece vent, and cap. My partner thought we should try something with more nipple options and came home with Avent bottles. My God did I hate them! The venting system is built into the nipple and it was impossible to get the damn thing back onto the bottle. Then when I thought I had it on and went to shake up the bottle, I had a mess of milk all over. I couldn't get the collar/nipple back on the right way and it just leaked all the time. Avent only has 4 parts; bottle, nipple, collar, cap. Needless to say...I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my Born Free! They're comfortable to hold (love the wide mouth design), relatively easy to clean (considering more bottles have a bunch of parts to clean) and my daughter never had a problem using them. I started out with glass bottles because they seemed easier to keep sterilized, then switched to plastic once she was old enough to make it dangerous to use glass. She will be one this week and she we still love them.

My sister, who gave birth to her son 5 days after me, started out with Playtex Ventair bottles and didn't really have a problem with them. They are great for the cost. She decided to try something different because my nephew was having a reflux problem, and went with Dr. Brown's . What a pain those bottles were! They came with a special brush to clean out the tube inside! She chose the skinny bottle, so not sure what they're wide mouth bottle is like. I think she only used them for a week and went back to her original bottles.

All in all I would have to say it's really up to you. What is most comfortable? What is better in cost...don't forget to look at all replacement parts like nipples, collars, and vent? My sister and I had about 12 bottles each in rotation. Sounds like a lot, but when you're whole life revolves around bottles...you better make sure they're ready to go! That way you really only have to wash once a day. You're not going to know how well your baby does until you try them, so start out with something you like and go from there. If they're plastic, make sure they're BPA free .

Now on to bottle accessories.

I've tried at least 4 different bottle brushes including Nuby and Dr. Brown's but have found my all time FAV with First Year's. My pick was the strongest. It has a hard plastic reinforced arm that really held up well. The Dr. Brown's and others just bend easily. Plus the built in nipple brush was easy to use and get to, unlike Dr. Brown's that wasn't a brush at all but a rubber tip or Nuby which you have to use separately (the tiny thing is impossible to hold on to!). They both have a sponge at the tip which is great, but the First Year's sponge it softer making it easy to get in and out of the bottle.

Next is a bottle warmer . I really thought this would come in handy for my daughter who was born in January...just think of a hungry newborn in the middle of winter! When I opened the box I thought I was looking at a NASA machine. I didn't even know where to begin. I chose this warmer because I thought I could warm 3 bottles at once, or heat one and keep the other two warm. That's not what this warmer does at all. It warms ONE bottle and chills TWO! What the hell! I thought I was buying a bottle WARMER. Ugh! After thinking it over and realizing the last thing I want it another gadget on the counter, I decided that I really didn't need this thing as all. I was using glass bottles at that point and warming the bottle under hot water worked great (plastic bottles take longer that way). I wonder who uses warmers and how it works out.

Once we started going out more with Brianlily, I knew I needed something to keep formula in. The selection is pretty big for these little containers, but my goal was not to spend too much and came up with these . I love them! We still use them for snacks! They're not bulky like Sassy brand (there are 4 compartments so the container is taller) and the least in cost. Honestly I really like the Munchkin brand products. The colors are fun too and you can mix them up.

As for a bottle drying rack I tried two. This super cheap Especially for Baby rack, and my pick . The first one was terrible! The pegs didn't stay in place and the rack just didn't hold enough bottles and parts. The First Year's rack was and still is my favorite. It's roomy, gets the water down into the catch tray great, and I love that it spins! If you check out some others like this one from Skip Hop (personally I think this brand is SO expensive for rather crappy quality) you can see that there is no way a bunch of wide neck bottles are going to fit on that thing (check out the old school skinny bottles in the additional photos). It's a great idea to have the brush nice and handy there, but it takes away from the much needed bottle space. My pick is also pretty compact...it's on my counter and I don't feel like I have a nuisance on the counter.

The last thing that I used/use is a delicate laundry bag for my bottles and accessories in the dishwasher. When we moved from NYC to Portland, OR I was most excited about having a dishwasher (never had one). "You mean I don't have to wash bottles anymore!? The best feeling ever, until I realized I needed to keep them in place. There is something at Babiesrus just for this purpose, but they're just too small and pricey. So I thought "why can't I use a delicate laundry bag?" I picked one up at Walmart for less than the above product and it works perfectly! Lots of room for lots of parts and accessories. Here is one at The Container Store (super pricey place- Bed Bath & Beyond is better) but you get the idea.

I really hope something here can help new parents or someone just having trouble with a product. I'm very happy to say Brianlily has been a very happy baby and I hope mommy's neurotic perfectionism had something to do with it!

Compiling...

I'm getting a list together of things I've tried since becoming pregnant and a new mom. I always read reviews and like to see how they stack up with my own experience. It'll be anything and everything from the moment I found out I was pg to today...and I'll keep it going! I would love to help a new parent! It's taking some time but it will be here soon!


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Our little ones...

Why do we get excited when our little ones advance fast, go through their milestones quickly, or just surpass other kids? It doesn't make sense only because we're the same parents that don't want to rush them, want them to stay our babies forever, and want to protect them from the hard lives we go through and see around us. We're so contradictory! I show off my daughters intelligence and cry because she's such a big girl...so tough. Parenthood and even more so Motherhood is bitter sweet!


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King Size...

I soooo need a king sized pillow...hehehehe


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Loud Toys - solved!

I purchased a few toys on Craigslist again for Brianlily this Christmas, and noticed a few of them had a piece of packaging tape across the speaker. I thought "huh, clever way of making sure gook doesn't get in there" I could keep food and whatever other crap my daughter might get in there out. Then I got it! It wasn't to keep it clean, it was to keep it QUITE!!! hahahahahaha. Wonderful! Most toys don't have a volume control and even if they do it just isn't enough. Her new Elmo (which I LOVE) was much too loud, so I gave it a try...and it worked perfectly!!!

By the way...this Elmo (Fisher Price Elmo's Greatest Hits @ Walmart) http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11331755 is adorable! He's small enough for her to carry around the house and this short tunes are fun! And I can't forget how much fun we have with his little microphone!!!

First Sicky Poo...

As hard as I tried I couldn't keep my little one from catching my cold. I guess being her sole cargiver I have to expect this. It's her first sicky poo and I'm a mess. Stuffy runny nose, watery eyes, head congestion, headache, and exhausted but can't sleep! I just got over the same thing and I thought I was dying...imagine my little honey going through it! UGH! I HATE seeing her like this and know I can't do anything to make it all better. Such is a mothers love.

I have to accept that we're going to make each other sick for a long time...no pun intended.

Honey's new shoes!

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Busy season....

With no money, I've managed a few treats for us. We thought we couldn't have a tree because Brianlily would rip it down, and decided we could do without the added financial cost....BUT I needed one! For me AND my baby! It's her first Christmas and I wanted her to have a tree. I went through hell and high water and found the perfect fit for us. After searching high and low (my dumb ass didn't buy it at Rite Aid when it was in stock) and found something at Home Depot! I always love real trees, but this would be better because of the baby. It was the display! The last one! And I got 10% off! Yippeeeeee!!! Again I wasted my chance at purchasing our lights and decorations at Dollar Tree (perrrrfect place for that stuff) and ended up getting pricey stuff at Target. All in all the trees total cost was about $30! I don't care...baby has a tree!

Now for her gifts. I have been searching Craigslist with no luck. I did however pick up a few things from Target and books from Dollar Tree. I like to buy a few classics (they're too expensive at almost $10 each) and buy a bunch from the Tree!

We're visiting Santa tomorrow! I can't wait! Her dress is from Oldnavy and her shoes from Payless! LOVE it!

I'll post photos soon...I'm zonked!!!


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VACCINATIONS...

Well...we did it. My daughter is now vaccinated for seasonal and H1N1.

I debated about it for months. I was worried about the hoopla and the conspiracy behind the H1N1. The connection people are making between Autism and vaccinations. I worried about all of her vaccinations. But I never felt like a had a good grasp or could believe what I read, no matter the side. Since her birth she has had her vaccinations, but I wasn't sure about the flu. I found myself keeping her away from kids completely and paranoid about her getting sick without protection (the shot). In the end I started feeling irresponsible about it. I know there are tons of parents out there that do not believe in any sort of vaccinations, but those families are living much differently than we do. It's not to say that we wouldn't want to live healthier, but we don't eat organic, take vitamins, exercise, or take any extra steps to keep ourselves healthy. So why was I putting my daughter at risk? And if we've given her every recommend vaccination since birth what's the difference now? I decided that she's a little older now and I feel a little better about the flu vaccinations...enough to go ahead with it.

We were at the doctors to check Brianlily's weight. The last time we were there we noticed she had lost some weight. I hadn't thought of it, but we were stupidly diluting her formula because of the cost. We're on one income and even with WIC, it's just so expensive. We did it for about 3 weeks. I took her in for a rash she had, and that's when we noticed her weight was lower. I was too embarrassed to even mention what we were doing, but knew we had to stop right away and we did. Her weight is back up and turns out her recent cranky loss of appetite, which I thought was because she's teething, is due to a looming ear infection! UGH! My poor baby! It's so hard knowing these are all firsts.

Which leads me into antibiotics! I was given a prescription for amoxicillin for her ear. I decided to wait it out and see if it actually turns into something (the dr notice a little redness and fluid). I just think of my childhood filled with loads of bubble gum flavored medicine. As a child and even into adulthood I was constantly sick and on some form of antibiotics. I had problems with my salivary glands swelling and throat infections all the time. At about 24 years old I had my tonsils removed. Since then I rarely get sick-once a year is too many times. The gland problem continued and I was found to have a stone in a salivary gland. They told me it is most caused by excessive consumption of antibiotics! It wasn't until last year that the stone popped out on it's own. Something that I had been suffering from since childhood was over. Now I don't have either problem...now the new problem is that the location of the stone is wide open and I squirt saliva like a snake!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA

In the end, I just worry that my daughter will suffer a similar fate because of he way we consume medications. I don't want to pump her up with things that, in large quantities, has health risks. That goes for mercury causing autism, antibiotics weakening immune systems and causing more illness, or any one of the thousands of risks. I just worry...that's all.

My Angel Sleeps...

Brianlily is doing some serious teething lately and is absolutely miserable. This is a rare moment.

My Favorite Finger...

I've loved these thumbs since the day she was born! I love how cute, short, and fat they are! Yummy Thumbs!

Freeze Queen...

I wish I had an extra freezer! The butternut squash is done, the yogurt and grapes are freezing now, the carrots are cooling and waiting to go in, then it's just pineapple. Having a baby changes so much! lol

BTW...had catfish for the first time last night. I was grossed out everytime I thought about it. I hate those fish. Brian came home with a big bag of frozen catfish filet. So I breaded a few and fried them up. Hit the spot, but had to distract my mind.


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11:17pm...

And finally going to bed! My angel is asleep, curled up next to me. I'm excited to say, I actually picked up a book! Feels good and I hope I get through it. The last thing I read was the Twilight Saga during my pregnancy...needless to say, I'm a TwiHard Fan!!!

GoodNight...ThankGod


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Strawberry Face...

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Yummy...

I can't believe my little honey bunny is such a big girl. I hold her and she's so big, it's hard to imagine she was once inside my belly kicking and swimming around.

Life is Good...because she's in it!





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These Feet...

They belong to my perfect, spectacular, delicious, ball of light...Brianlily.

I can't imagine these feet growing old and callused like mine. Where does the time go? Why does it have to go so fast?! It makes me so sad.

*sigh*