Babies, Babies Everywhere!

So, quite an unusual (at least I think) trend has started occurring with the people in my life... we knew of 6 babies originally due in October (including ours).  Well, as of last week (the 2nd week of September) 3 of them (or 50%) had already been born!  Technically all 3 of them were before 37 weeks, or preterm, but they're all happy & healthy and at home now.  Thank God for those beautiful healthy babies!  Needless to say, I was motivated enough to start packing my hospital bag...

I'm only about 34 weeks and as of my doctor's appointment this week I don't have any dilation occurring.  (I don't remember being checked this early with Jack, but maybe I did?)  Now, I know things can change quickly as far as pregnancy and labor & delivery but I take that as a good sign (for now) that I won't be having this baby early.  I go back to the doctor around 36 weeks and then every week afterwards.  I have been noticing a slight swelling these days and my nose looking swollen/wide, the joys of the last couple of months.  I think I will probably get to about 37 weeks and wonder what's taking so long, but I feel like that's pretty typical pregnancy feelings at that stage!

34 weeks and 1 day... I really didn't feel that big until I saw this picture.  We are doing maternity/family pictures with my friend Brooke on Saturday.  We will be doing them with an A-Z theme and I can't wait to share the link to those pictures.

While Jack was at his first day of preschool, my mom and I went to the store and she got us our double stroller!  It's the Chicco Cortina Together stroller and it fits the infant car seat we already have.  We're so thankful for how generous of a gift it is and I know we will all put it to good use.  We I was so excited that we put it together that evening!  (I have a thing with putting things together, I kind of love it.)  Matt calls it the Escalade of strollers and Jack "made" us push him around the house a bit in it before bed.

Jack checking out the back seat.

The infant seat can go in either the front or the back seat, in case Jack wants to lay down he can be fully reclined in the back while the baby is up front.  Odds are that Jack will spend 99% of his time riding in the front (where he can see everything), but it is very nice to have the option.  Because the infant car seat can go either place, it also means that we could fit two infant car seats if we ever have twins... ha ha!

The basket down below is huge (goes practically the full length of the stroller), and when the backseat is fully reclined you just unzip the back to access the diaper bag.  The front seat also has the option of being open with two cup holders as end caps or to have a bar that goes across the front.  I suppose it will depend on the situation and how contained we need to keep Jack!

Folding the stroller isn't too cumbersome, but the fact that I am under 5' tall, trying to fold any double stroller is going to take some coordination.  I can do it pretty easily while this pregnant, so that's a good sign! 

Can you tell I'm pretty excited for the double stroller?!  I'm already thinking our "big" outing this fall/winter will be either (or both) a) cutting down this year's Christmas tree or b) going to see the Christmas lights at the zoo!

Shopping Tips for Baby Shower Gifts

Here are a few things that I've compiled as a list of helpful hints when shopping for a baby shower or the parents to be.  I know, I'm only expecting baby number two and some of these things should seem to be common sense, but I thought I'd type them up anyway!

• Always start with the registry (this goes for wedding gifts too), even if there isn't a store location convenient to you!  Odds are that you can still purchase something off of their registry (just from a different store or using online shopping).  As a person who read many reviews when registering (both for wedding & baby registries), it is always good to assume that the parent(s)-to-be have a reason for choosing X product or brand.  Never assume you know better than those who registered, remember new products come out all of the time so they may have newer information.
• If the new parents left items off of their registry that you enjoy purchasing for new babies or you feel are a "must-have", then feel free to purchase it!  Always include a gift receipt (this goes for all gifts) in case the parents have already purchased or received something similar (hence why it wasn't on their registry).
• Avoid the urge to go crazy over newborn or 0-3 month sized clothing (its okay to get one outfit because they're so cute & tiny) because everyone gets sucked into the teeny tiny clothes.  A great option are onsies the 12 month to 18 month range because they can be layered up or left alone depending on the season.  Believe me, parents will be grateful to have some 12-18 month size onsies once they realize baby has completely outgrown the 9-12 month clothes!  Maybe I just randomly shrank onsies, but I know Jack seemed to fit fine in something one day & the next couldn't squeeze him into it!
• Find out if the parents have chosen to use cloth or disposable diapers and get them some that they can use!
• Maybe go a little more unique and give the gift of memories.  My good friend Brooke (owner of Cherished Moments Photography) offers gift packages for either maternity shots or newborn sessions!  Her newborn sessions are done in the home in the first week (or two) of baby's life outside of the womb and are a beautiful way to capture those early days of baby being a part of your life!  Feel free to check out her website linked above or her business' Facebook page.

Now onto my most recent newborn purchase, and it wasn't for our baby number 2!  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I purchased a baby shower gift for a good friend of mine.  Well, Jack and I went to Texas last weekend for her shower and now I can spill the beans about what we got for Baby E!  (I failed as a blogger and didn't take a picture of the actual purchased items, but I've linked them.)

• Two wet bags; because she & her husband registered at Babies R Us and I knew they were planning on using cloth diapers I asked her if there was anything cloth diapering related that she couldn't register for and this is what she mentioned.  I got her a large Planet Wise hanging wet bag for everyday storage of dirty diapers (it even has a dry storage for clean diapers) and a smaller Bummis wet bag for packing in the diaper bag!
• Two newborn all-in-one diapers; she already has built herself a great stash of newborn prefolds and diaper covers because she's so economical!  I wanted to get her some newborn diapers because a) they're so cute and b) I wanted to splurge on her a little.  I choose two GroVia Newborn All-in-Ones, in "Ice" (a light blue) and the "Nature" print.  Selfishly, I can't wait to hear how they work for her to see if I should purchase some for our baby #2.
• Flushable diaper liners or as my husband calls them "crap catchers"!  This was Matt's idea for the baby shower gift.  Newborn poop isn't a big deal (especially breastfed poop) for cloth diapers, but as soon as baby starts solids its a whole other ball game.  These will hopefully be helpful at least for their diaper bag in the future!

I hope you've enjoyed this post!  I love buying baby gifts and have a number of other baby showers to go to in the coming months for which I can't wait to purchase baby gifts!

The Infantino Cloud Cart/Highchair Cover

When I was pregnant with Jack, I swore I'd never be that mom that tried to protect her baby from every possible source of germs.  I held true to that pretty well, the one thing I did give-in on wanting was a high chair/cart cover when he was about 5-6 months old.  He was chewing on EVERYTHING and when sitting in either a high chair or shopping cart the handles and bars seemed to be within easy "reach" of his mouth.  It didn't so much gross me out with the germs factor (but it was cold and flu season and he couldn't get the vaccine at that point) but the danger factor that these seats can cause.  Now, most carts and highchairs aren't in that bad of shape, but I had come across quite a few rough wooden highchair and rusty shopping carts with exposed screws.

I recently was approached with the opportunity to try the new Infantino Cloud Deluxe Shopping Cart Cover.  I must say, this is one high quality, and intense, cover!  Here's a picture of the package I received:

Front view with description and uses.

Top view with the handle for carrying when not in use.

I don't have picture of Jack in it because he is at the age where doing anything Mommy wants him to do is not good, but I did eventually get him to ride in a shopping cart with it.  He was just very angry about being in the cart to begin with.  Here are my pros & cons of my experience:
Pros:

• Very comfortable and cushy, perfect for those babies that are just sitting up!
• Adorable pattern
• Machine washable (a must for any baby item)
• Very stretchy, would easily fit on a lot of different shapes & sizes of shopping carts!
• The velcro that keeps the sides together through the bars of the shopping cart.  I like this as opposed to ties for a quick set-up

Cons:

• Hard to put on one-handed (using other hand to hold baby), wouldn't be an issue if I were out with Matt (he'd hold Jack and I'd get the cover on).
• Leg holes seemed small for Jack, but would be perfect for a younger/smaller baby.
• Too big to put in the diaper bag (has to be carried separately), but all covers I have seen are.
• Because it is meant to go across the handle of the shopping cart, if you get a cart with a wonky wheel (which I did while trying this) it makes it very hard to steer the cart.
• Would also be too big for a wooden restaurant high chair.

Overall, this is a great cover!  You definitely need two hands and it would be better for a smaller baby and early sitter, but it is definitely high quality!



Disclaimer: I was contacted by a representative of Infantino Test & Tell Mom program. I received the cart cover to facilitate my review. I have not been compensated in any other way for this post, and my thoughts expressed above are completely my own.

Problem Solver

Our pediatrician has been constantly reminding us on how many preventable injuries occur in children Jack's age.  While, we have kid-proofed a lot in our house, Jack's height is allowing him to grab things from the kitchen table and counter that were previously pushed back far enough to be out of his reach.  I know we keep a pretty good eye on him, but at the same time there's no way for a parent to stare at their children 24/7.

My father-in-law always tells Matt & I "No fortress is impenetrable to the mind of a child"... referring to all of the things kids will find a way around.  One weekday when Matt was off work, I got a picture message with Jack standing on his ride-on giraffe after he had pushed it up against our couch in order to climb up on the couch.  Here is a picture of him showing Mommy his new trick later that day:

Shortly after I took this picture, he stood up and let go of the handles... depending on your perspective the appropriate response is: ta-da or duh-duh-duuuuhhh!

Needless to say, the giraffe toy only comes out when Mommy & Daddy are not cooking or doing dishes.

Getting So Big!

So here is a picture of what new trick Jack decided to try... and continue to do in our living room!

He's pulling himself across it!

"Hi Mom!"... he did it later for Matt when he came home and the box was in between him & Daddy.

Testing out a new carseat... such a big boy! This one is either going in Mommy & Daddy's car or Grandma's. Depends on fit in our car.