Geocaching

So I know I'm like 15 years behind on this but I totally forgot geocaching existed until I was reading about someone else's adventures online. I thought it would be a fun easy way for us, Jack and I especially, to get out of the house without spending money. And who doesn't love a treasure hunt?

So I signed up online and looked around on the map to find the closest one to our house. It's still a billion degrees here so somewhere quick and easy was a must. So I picked one at the local park which is literally two streets away.

But that night when I told Max about my sweet weekend plan he suggested instead of going to the sunny park we take a short flat hike in our local mountain preserve (Near Shaw Butte Mt. for you locals). And at that time of day the whole trail would be in the shade of the mountain, thank God. Well there obviously was a geocache location at the end of the trail so of course I said we had to find it. Max was this close to getting out of this nerdy treasure hunt, but I wasn't giving up that easy :)

This was also Jack's first time in the hiking backpack! He is so good at holding his head up and sitting/standing that we thought we should give it a try. He was perfect! It held him nice and snug and he could look around. And isn't he just the cutest!

The trail was super easy and the dogs just loved getting out of the backyard. It's hard in the summer to get them out since it's so hot, so this was perfect. Max and I also got a chance to talk and just be together. At home we are usually either so busy dealing with a Jack crisis or so tired that we don't spend as much time talking or hanging out. So this was like going on a date :).

We finally got to the end of the trail and it was time to find the treasure. The map inside the phone app did a pretty good job of telling us where it was down to like 15-10 feet. We almost gave up because it was supposed to be under a rock and in Arizona that's prime rattle snake housing. But I mustered up some bravery and moved some rocks and found it!

I know this is super nerdy, surprise surprise, but I highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a simple, easy, free way to get outside without much effort.

Enjoy!

Disposable Diaper Battle Cont. - Babyganics & Seventh Generation

We have officially moved Jack up to size 2 diapers! I know this might be later than most babies but he just didn't get those chunky leg rolls until now.

If you missed my first diaper review you can read it here.

Because of the size change Max's mom bought a small stash of new diapers for her house. She originally had Babyganics but with the new size she decided to change brands and use Seventh Generation. I believe these were both on sale at the time she picked them up at Target. And we all know it's cheaper to buy in bulk so she bought some big boxes and split them with us.

SPOILER ALERT: It's not good.


Babyganics - Size 1

These diapers are not the worst but also not the best. They do have the wetness indicator which we all know I LOVE. However they are not super contoured and they run SMALL. Jack is a relatively small baby. At 3 months he was just over 10 pounds but he was busting out of size ones! I believe they say they go up to 14lbs but I definitely wouldn't push it. I also never left him in them over night, 8 hrs of pee was way too much for them. They never leaked but there were times he was only in them for a few hours and they were full and super squishy wet. They just didn't seem to absorb very much. As far as Jack he didn't mind them. They didn't give him a rash and he never seemed bothered when I would change him. They also didn't stick to his skin even though they were squishy wet which I did really appreciate. Like I said they aren't the best but also not the worst. Just be careful with the sizing!



Seventh Generation - Touch of Cloth - Size 2

These are no good. I am desperately trying to hurry through using them. They don't have the wetness indicator which is a major no-no to me. They also don't seem to absorb very much. I have stopped letting Jack sleep in them because every time I did they would leak pee all over him and his bed. And when I went to take them off it was so squishy that just folding it up to put it in the diaper pail made pee drip out like a wet sponge. It's terrible. So they are day time diapers only. They also seem to fall down on Jack during the day. I put them on nice and high and tight and then a few hours later it's drooping down by his knees. Then when he sits there is a gaping hole by his leg that anything could just leak out of. They just don't seem to be contoured to fit as much as other brands. So far they haven't given him a rash which is good because they are supposed to be all natural. And they don't stick to his skin no matter how wet they get which is really good. But based on the fit and the lack of absorbancy I don't really recommend them.


We still have a giant stash of huggies and pamper size 2 to go through from my baby shower, THANK YOU friends who bought us so many diapers, but after those I am planning to try the Honest Company brand to see how those rank.

But for right now the Brand power ranking is:


Let me know if you have any other diaper brand suggestions or diapering tips and tricks.

4 Month Must Haves

Jack turned 5 months on Wednesday so it's time for our Must Haves!

He is getting so big and I feel like every month he learns new things and has a totally new look on life. I can't wait to see what comes next!

1. Plastic Bibs -These bibs are amazing. Now that Jack is eating solids feedings are super messy. You don't even know how many crevices a baby has until they start eating sloppy cereal. These are plastic and wipe up with a simple wipe of a wet cloth. They are also a decent size to offer as much coverage as possible. And the pocket entertains Jack while I feed him :).

2. Giraffe -Every mom knows Sophie the giraffe is the single greatest teether toy. I thought it was a bit silly and over priced but OMG so worth it! Jack loves it and the squeak sound it makes is a life saver. As soon as he starts to fuss in the stroller I just squeak it and he smiles and giggles and starts to naw on her. worth..every..penny.

3. Rattle -My sister gave Jack this Green Sprouts rattle, I'm sensing a pattern here, she also gave him his Mr. Bear from last month's must haves...way to go Auntie! This rattle is one of my favorite toys for him. It twists and turns so I can see his little brain trying to work it out. It also has teething nubbers on it so he can shew on it and lastly it has two little rings on it that make the rattle noise. He can hold on to it and slam it on the ground and throw it over and over. Matter of fact I keep this and Sophie in my purse at all times (even when I'm at work) because they are my standard go tos.

4. Butterfly - As I learned this is technically a dragonfly but Max and I still call it his butterfly. This is great. The big ring on the top lets you attach it to a car seat, bouncy chair, jumparoo, jungle gym or anything else. It also has many things to grab on to and chew on. The only noise factor is the tiny rattle so if noise is a big thing for your little one this might not be the best. Jack loves to grab all the rings and shove the mirror ring into his mouth. Of course he doesn't chew on the teething leaf...oh my son lol.

5. Car Seat Toys - This is a life saver when I'm running my long errands on the weekends. Sometimes we run around to 2-3 stores in one day and he's in the car seat a long time so I'm really glad he can entertain himself with these. They swing all the way around so they teach him cause and effect and the rattle is pretty loud so it grabs his attention. The blue mirror isn't the greatest, it kinda looks like a piece of foil but I think he enjoys swinging it around. Because my child might also be a monkey he loves when I lower it down the car seat bar all way so he can kick them with his feet. Basically it's a pretty inexpensive toy for hours of entertainment which is a mothers dream.

Jack's 5 Month Update

Weight: ~13.5 lbs.

Length: ~25.5"

Loves: BATH TIME! That kid could take a bath all day long. He loves to splash and kick in the water. And he has recently learned how to crunch up and sit from his reclined position. Great now he can face plant in the water. While I am always with him I make doubly sure to keep an extra hand on him now so he doesn't go face first in the water while he reaches for a toy. He is also into what I call the howler monkey talk, which basically means he screeches and yells and you can't tell if he's upset or just talking! He also likes to sit in his Bumbo chair and bat at the toy on the tray. He likes to watch tv and wiggle around any which way to see it better, this does not bode well for our future. And lastly every morning he loves when I change him because he knows after I'll stand him up in front of the mirror so he can check himself out, he gets the biggest grin! He must think he looks good in everything :)

Hates: Being ignored. If we turn our back for one second he starts the whimpering and throwing his arms up to get picked up, or my personal favorite, the bottom lip quiver. While it's super adorable it's kind of annoying because it makes it hard to get anything done.

Milestones: He has officially decided that rolling over isn't that bad. However, he will only roll over from back to belly, the hard way, he's such a Wilson. He tries to roll over from belly to back but after one attempt he gives up and cries. Then as soon as I help him roll over to his back he immediately giggles and rolls back to his belly. I think it's a ploy to get me to hang out with him lol. He is also making great strides in sitting. He can do a baby crunch and bring himself up to sitting from a reclined position, specifically in the bathtub...great. He can also sit on dry land for a few moments before he topples over. He's getting so big!

Sleep: Still going strong! We never really went through the sleep regression most parents talk about at 4 months so knock on wood that it continues. I usually put him down around 9ish and he wakes up around 6ish

Eating: We have made the transition to formula. As you already know from this post and that post breastfeeding was difficult and my body has given up the ghost. So we have him on the gentle tummy target brand of formula and he's eating 6oz and seems to be doing fine. We have also started solids! He has been eating oatmeal (We skipped rice since that can back a kid up) every night for almost 3 weeks. And on Friday we'll start eating veggies!

Teething: Lots of drool but less snotty so we'll just have to wait and see!

Instagram!

So I'm waaaaaay far behind but The Nerdy Wilson's has finally joined Instagram!

Follow us @NerdyWilson or click on the link to the right.

Now I can't make a post without at least one cute thing about Jack so watch him check out his new jumparoo toy!

Adventures Into Baby Food : Veggies

Over the long 3 day weekend I decided to make the first batch of HOMEMADE baby food for Jack. I have read like a billion pinterest posts, asked my mother many questions, and searched my own thoughts for what and how to make baby food.

Max and I decided to make our own baby food because frankly it's cheaper. Yes fresh food is best for Jack but honestly it came down to the price and that it's pretty easy. So for little time we can save major bucks and that means more toys for Jack ;).

Per our pediatricians guidelines we are starting with veggies. You are supposed to serve a single food for at least 3 days before switching or combining with anything else so you know your kiddo doesn't have any allergies to the food, we however are going to do a new food each week. I really want to be around to watch for allergies and since I don't stay home or work from home that means doing new foods on the weekend. So every Friday we will introduce a new food.

On this first batch we did green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. This made 5 weeks of new foods with about 3 weeks of extra. The freezer trays I used so far are amazing. They are a bit pricey but I think totally worth it. These have lids which works so much better than plastic wrap and they stack so it takes less freezer space. Also since they have lids you don't have to pop them out and put them in plastic bags thus freezing them into one giant clump of cubes. Each cube is about 1 oz. While I know this seems small it's perfect for now when he's trying foods and then great as we start combing foods, just take two cubes of different flavors and combine :).

Ok onto the how to:

Things you will need:

1. Cutting board
2. Large Knife
3. Veggies (butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, peas, green beans)
4. Cookie sheet
5. Foil
6. Blender (or any mixing device like a food processor or stick blender)
7. Spoon and Fork
8. Containers to cool food in before using the trays
9. Freezer trays

Step by Step How-To:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half. This is a little difficult so find someone with muscles or I did it in halves. So I cut from the middle down to the bottom then from the middle up to the top. Then scoop out the middle seed section like a pumpkin. As you can tell in the photos I forgot this step, it's really no big deal I scooped it out after baking and it was fine.
3. Poke holes in the sweet potato with the fork or knife so it doesn't explode.
   
4. Cover your cookie sheet with foil so you have super easy clean up, the sweet potato lets out some sugars and liquid which could get pretty sticky and messy.
   
5. Bake these for an hour. I did 25 minutes and then added time as needed which ended up being an hour which is the exact time my mother told me it would take...one day I'll have the "mother is always right" thing down.
6. While those were baking I made up the rest of the veggies. I started with the green beans. I bought a bag of already washed and ready green beans because frankly I'm lazy, they cook faster, and I wasn't sure how many beans to get anyway :). So for these just follow the package directions; I added an extra minute just to make sure they were mushy enough (5 minutes total). If you use non-packaged ones or frozen ones just put them in a dish with a little water and microwave on high until they meet your desired mushyness level (probably 10 minutes).
   
7. Once they are mushy enough pop them into your blender and puree. My blender has a puree setting but any setting with enough time should do the trick. I hit puree and let it run for only a minute and they were done. Super Simple! **NOTE: NEVER EVER add seasonings to your purees. I love me some salt on green beans but until your little one has tried and passed each food never add anything to them, that way you know exactly what caused any potential allergic reactions.**
8. Then pour the puree into a dish to cool. Don't add hot puree to your freezer trays, most likely they are made for cold things and not hot so they might warp or break. All the dishes I used to cool my purees are microwave safe and thus safe for hot items.
   
9. The potato and squash were still in the oven so I moved onto peas. I bought frozen ones because I didn't feel like shelling peas, is that what it's called? Anyway frozen are just as good as fresh according to our pediatrician so I went with it and a bag is super cheap. I got this bag for 99 cents. Put as much as you want in a dish (I did half the bag) add a little water and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
   
   
10. Once they're done pop them into the blender and puree. This didn't yield as much as the beans so they got splattered against the blender walls and I had stop to push them back down. And even though they aren't in the shell bean thing they still have little shells on each one so make sure to blend these really well or you'll be picking shells out as you feed your baby.
11. Put the puree in a dish to cool (or in my case a glass).
12. The oven was still going so I moved onto the carrots. I bought a bag of baby carrots because again I wasn't sure how many carrots to get so an already portioned bag seemed easiest. You could also buy regular long ones or frozen ones. If you buy the regular long ones make sure to peel them first. Then cut the carrots into small chunks so they cook and puree easier, I cut the babies into thirds and I did about 3/4 of the bag.
    
    
13. Put them in a dish with a little water and microwave on high for 7 minutes. Once done pop them in the blender and puree. My blender had a harder time getting them as smooth and pureed as I wanted so I added some extra water to help it along and it worked like a charm. But remember you can always add water but you can't take it out so add little bits at a time so you don't over do it.
14. Put it in a dish to cool.
15. The oven was finally done so it was time for the squash and sweet potato. You can determine their done-ness by sticking a fork in them and seeing how soft they are. Mine could have probably gone longer but I was impatient and it all still worked out so whatever :).
16. I did the squash first so I scooped out my forgotten seed section and then started to scoop out the rest, you don't want any part of the peel/rind. My squash was still a little hard in the middle so it wasn't super easy. You also have to hold it with one hand so it doesn't slide all over and I couldn't wait for it too cool so I may have burned a few fingers but o' well.
    
17. Once you have it all scooped out put it in the blender and puree. Considering how hard it was to scoop it actually blended super easy and was velvety smooth.
18. Put it in a dish to cool.
19. I finished up with the sweet potato. I cut it in half length wise and peeled off the skin; just like you would a baked potato.
20. Put it in the blender and puree. Since potatoes don't have much water in them this actually took a quite a bit of extra water to get the right texture so don't worry if after blending it's a bit lumpy, just try adding some water.
21. Finally put it in a dish to cool.

    

    Top (L to R): Green Beans, Peas, Carrots. Bottom (L to R): Sweet Potato, Squash

    
    

22. Once they are all cooled fill up your trays. Remember DON'T combine any purees into the same cube. You want a single veggie in each cube.

    

    Starting on the left: Squash, Peas, Sweet Potato, Green Beans, Carrots, 1/2 squash 1/2 green beans.

    

    
    

How much does this all yield?

-Green Beans : 10 cubes
-Peas : 7 cubes
-Squash : 11 cubes

-Carrots : 11 cubes
-Sweet Potato : 19 cubes

While I tried to do this all during Jack's nap the world doesn't always bend to my will so I had to check in on this cutie frequently and even stopped to do the Hot Dog Dance (those who watch Mickey Mouse Club House know what I'm talking about).

And still this whole process only took 2 hours (as seen on the oven clock 10:51 to 1:00). So I highly recommend it to everyone.

All these veggies only cost roughly $8 and yielded roughly 58 oz of food so that's $0.14/oz. A jar of baby food is on average $0.40/oz that means I saved $0.26/oz or $15.08 for the same 58 oz. While that's not a ton it sure adds up.

Let me know if there are any other veggies you recommend for our next batch or if you have any tips or tricks. I wish you all the best of luck in your baby food adventures.

Houston Trip - Part 2: Adventures

As you all know last weekend we went to Houston to visit my sister-in-law and her husband. While the trip was short it was a lot of fun. Jack did great getting passed around and held and his Aunt and Uncle were so excited to see him. I've never been to Texas before so it was nice to see another part of the country, and to get out of the crazy desert heat.

Onto the adventures of our 3 day trip!

Friday:

Friday we took the day off work and stayed home to pack and get things ready. We left by 3:00 PM to pick up Max's parent's and everything went so smoothly until we got to the check-in counter. We couldn't check-in using the touch-screen machines since we had a lap baby so we had to wait in line to check-in with a real person. Luckily the line wasn't very long and we got up there quick. We handed over our ID's and luggage, and then the person asks, "Do you have proof of age for the baby?" No, why do I need that? I don't exactly travel with his super important documents that could be lost at anytime. Well you have to prove that he's a lap baby; I don't have to prove that's he's mine and I'm not kidnapping a child, I just have to prove his age because that's makes complete sense. But anyway, we didn't have anything but my insurance card that has him listed, and luckily they accepted that.

So all you parents out there make sure you have your baby's birth certificate, shot record, or social security card so you can prove their age. That is not something they will tell you when you book your tickets online, that would be too easy.

Once we got upstairs we stopped for some dinner and then sat by our gate. I pulled the quilt out for Jack to play on and it worked like a charm. It's such a great size so it didn't take up too much room and Jack had a great time rolling, playing and squiggling before we got on the plane.

The flight was relatively easy. Once we started to take off I nursed Jack and topped him off with a bottle. He didn't cry but when there was a loud noise like the landing gear coming up or the wing flaps changing he would stop eating and freeze up, like he was trying to be still so a T-Rex wouldn't eat him (Jurassic Park anyone?). Because he wasn't crying it was super adorable.

The rest of the flight he sat in my lap and played or slept. When he was sleeping we had him in the carrier so we could keep our hands free. Then when it came time to land I had a bottle ready to go just in case he started to cry; but he slept through THE WHOLE landing! I was shocked since that's apparently the hardest on his ears, but it was after 11PM when we landed so I'm sure that helped.

Since it was so late we just went straight to their house and to bed. Luckily Jack didn't get too disturbed with the hustle and bustle and went back to sleep pretty easily.

Saturday:

Saturday we all slept in from our late flight, but of course Jack was up at his usual 6-7AM (he even adjusted to the time change, thank god otherwise he would have been up at 4) feeding time so all three of us hung out in bed for a little cuddle time before waking up the house.

Around lunch we headed out to Galveston to see the Gulf Coast. There is a giant shop next to the boardwalk that has a huge porch you can sit on over the water. So we all sat down to watch the boats and listen to the waves. Aunt Amanda got to feed Jack his bottle while I shopped around for some souvenirs. Max and I don't go on many tourist trips so when we do I like to play it up :).

The water was so clear that day, which is apparently a rarity, that we could see schools of Sheep's Head Fish and Dolphins! I wish Jack was old enough to enjoy that more but it was still super cute. After hanging out for awhile we headed down to the water. As a Northern Californian I am so excited to take Jack to Santa Cruz and watch him play in the sand, so I was determined to get pictures of him touching the ocean and sand for the first time. And it was so nice that it was warm unlike CA.

The rest of the day was filled with outlet mall shopping and visiting the largest gas station in the history of ever, Buc-ee's. I can't even describe this, google it, it will change your life. That night we all went our separate ways and since it was close to Jack's cereal dinner time we opted to stay home so Jack could eat and have some play time since he had been in the stroller for most of the day.

Sunday:

Sunday was our last day. The morning was the same routine and filled with cuddles so who could complain. We went out to lunch at PF Changs and then went home to greet Max's Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. His Aunt and Cousin hadn't met Jack yet so that was pretty special. He was ready for a nap though so he was a little fussy and had to be put down but at least they got to meet him for a little while.

The flight home was almost identical to the flight there. Jack did fine with both take off and landing and slept most of the flight on Max's lap this time. We also had a friend take a picture of his social security card back home and send it to us so we didn't have any troubles with check-in.

All in all it was a great trip and I hope we get a chance to make it out there again. Though since Jack screamed every time we were in Uncle Matt's car I'm not sure he'll be so happy to have us back ;)

Feeding a Baby is Stressful - Part 2

Well today is the day, the day my breast milk freezer stash has run out. Today will be the first day Jack doesn't have a full day of breast milk at day care.

You may have noticed that in the Houston Packing post I mentioned we brought formula (more to come on that trip later once the pictures are done). Your eyes weren't tricking you. I am supplementing nursing with formula; specifically Similac Supplementing Formula. Our Grand Canyon trip was rough on the feeding front. Jack seemed to fuss for food more often than usual and my boobs felt squishy and empty. The next few days our daycare lady mentioned he was sucking down bottles faster than usual and he had less dirty diapers. Every terrible memory from his first few days home came flooding back. That weekend I bought some formula.

Having a dehydrated baby...again, is stressful.

I felt like we had come so far. I was pumping more than usual, still not enough for day care (he is up to 18-21 oz a day there) but enough to prolong the obvious inevitable. I told myself that I would nurse him then top him off with formula like I had done what seemed like so long ago. That first time I made up his bottle I looked to Max for support, to lift me up when I felt like I had failed. And he did without skipping a beat. He looked at me, smiled, then looked at Jack and said "Mommy's going to feed you! It's going to be so good!" I almost lost it. He was right I was going to feed him. Maybe not from my body but I was feeding him. I still got to hold my son and look into those beautiful baby blue eyes.

Having an amazing husband made it a little less stressful.

Because my supply is dwindling our pediatrician said to start solids which would give my boobs time to fill up before he needed them. And I have to say I was very excited to start this new stage in Jack's life. I couldn't wait to see him in his highchair trying new foods. We went with oat cereal instead of rice cereal because they say rice can back kids up and since Jack was just getting over that I thought we should skip that hassle all together. The first time I made it runny and with some pumped breast milk. Even though it was only a few oz it hurt a little not to freeze and stash it but it obviously wasn't going to waste. While he didn't finish the whole serving we made for him he did better than I ever thought he would. He was hungry, I did everything to try not to blame myself for how hungry he was but a little piece of me will always believe it. Logically I know this is the natural progression, he's getting older, he needs real food; but since this has been such a struggle for us I will always blame myself a tiny bit.

Blaming yourself for non-existent problems is stressful.

Ever since I started supplementing with the formula I have felt a little liberated. I don't worry about feeding him in public, stopping what we are doing so I can find a place to sit down. I can make up a bottle and continue on with our day and nurse him once we get home. But I still get looks. I get looks from the other mothers who think I'm a slacker. I feel like I have been kicked out of some VIP group of motherhood, the breastfeeding super mothers. I feel like those mother's turn up their noses at me like the mean girls at school. I feel like they find my support for the public breastfeeding fight disingenuous because I'm holding a bottle. I dread the standard sentence they spout off, "Oh, well I guess at least you made it this long." I find myself justifying and correcting everyone, "I'm just supplementing. I nurse him then top him off with a bottle."

Having other mothers, people who are supposed to be your allies, look down on you is stressful.

But I still pump at work and it's getting harder. It's hard to motivate myself when the line has already been crossed. It's hard when I only pump 4 oz a day. I feel like I have already failed so what's the point. But I guess the point is I want to give my son everything that I can. I want to give him every drop of my milk that I can squeeze out, every oz of formula that he needs, every bite of food he can eat. I want my son to be happy and healthy like every other parent and based off his video of his first bites of cereal, I think so far so good.