Houston Trip - Part 1: Packing

Tonight will be Jack's first plane ride!

We are heading to Houston to visit Max's sister and her husband. So I thought I would write a little something on how/what I'm packing for Jack since I can't be the only parent that is overwhelmed by traveling with baby the first time.

Max's sister doesn't have any kids yet so there won't be anything to borrow/steal while we're there so everything must be brought or bought. It's also a super short trip (we come back Sunday night) so we can also skimp on a few things.

Food:

- 3 Bottles - All of these will be going in the carry on empty. Then once we're pass security we can buy some water to make the formula with. Anything to make going through security easier am I right?!

- Formula - we're bringing the whole can in the carry on, it just seems easier than parsing it out. We'll see how this does going through security.

- Oatmeal Cereal - This will be checked and in a baggie since it's already been opened. I really don't want cereal all over our clothes.

- Spoon - Also in the checked luggage and probably in the same baggie as the cereal.

- Bibs - These will be checked too. We're bringing plastic ones so they are easy to wipe off. I'll do anything to avoid doing laundry on our short trip.

Clothes:

- 3 Burp Rags- Not clothes but necessary to keep our clothes clean :). One will go in the carry on and two in the check. We probably don't need three but can you ever have too many burp rags?

- 6 onesies - Our flight is late and we won't land until almost midnight so I'm going to put him in his safari pajama's. I also tend to get cold on flights and in the airport so hopefully this will keep him warm too. Then 2 other onesies will go in our carry on in case of blow outs or giant spit ups and the rest will be checked. Also as a side note these onesies were on sale at Target for $3.99 a piece so you should totally check them out. They are so adorable!

- Hats - These will be in the checked luggage since we'll be landing at night. But during the day it's going to be hot and sunny like AZ and Jack got the short end of the stick with two pale parents so a hat for him is a must. The last thing we want to do on vacation is have a sunburned baby.

- Sunscreen - See sunburned baby above. And even though we have a stick rather than lotion for him we are still going to check it. There's just no need for it before we get there. Sorry Jack, your parents are just too pale. You'll learn to love the smell of suncreen.

Toiletries:

- 20 diapers - 5 are going in the carry on and the rest will be checked. I'll probably put these in baggies t0o so they don't get ripped or torn on something. A diaper with a hole in it is probably my worst nightmare :)

- Wipes - We're only bringing what is left of the pack that was already in my purse/diaper bag and if we need more we can buy them while we're there.

- Dog Poop Bags - "But you're not bringing your dogs," you say. True but we are bringing our own personal poop machine. These baggies will give us something to put smelly gross diapers in when a trash can isn't readily available. They'll go in our carry on so they can be used anytime and they take up such little space.

- Changing Pad - This goes with my purse/diaper bag from Lilly Jade so it's definitely coming with us and will go back in my carry on purse.

- Binkie Wipes - These will go in the carry on too. Now I will admit I hardly ever clean Jack's binkie's off more than just a quick wipe with my hand. But for the times that they get in real dirt or get some kind of gunk on them or maybe they touch an airport floor for instance I like to have these wipes on hand. They are safe for him to have in and around his mouth so no need to dry off the binkie for giving it back to him and they do a good job at making it squeaky clean.

- Diaper Rash Cream - Jack doesn't really ever get diaper rash but you never know, they can start so fast! This will probably go in the checked luggage. I just don't feel like fighting with security over some butt cream.

Fun Stuff:

- 3 Binkies - Jack MUST have a binkie at all times, plus it will help with his ears. So one is coming with us attached to him of course. So you could say it's Jack's carry on :). Aw that was adorable. Then the other two will be packed.

- Muslin Blanket - Jack has to sleep with a blanket not only on him but also over his face. It's horrifying but what can you do? So this muslin blanket is perfect. It's super lightweight and breathable. We're going to check it because the other blanket is going in carry on along with a diaper rag that he can use as a blanket/cover his face with on the plane.

- Quilt - This is going in our carry on. We're going to use it at the airport to give Jack a place to lay down since our changing pad is just a little too small and then in Houston he can use it to play on and sleep with. I love multi-use items!

- Sophie the Giraffe - As every mom knows this is the best teething toy and Jack is no different, he loves it. (More details in the 4 month must haves coming up) This will no doubt be going in our carry on.

- Rattle - My sister got this rattle for him and it twists and turns and even has chewing nubbers on it. Jack has grown to love it so it will be in the carry on too.

- Mr. Bear - This is Jack's Mr. Bear. I put it on the 3 month must haves but it is still a must have for him. He loves the soft texture and let's be honest he's also easy to chew on :). This is a carry on item too.

- Butterfly - This butterfly toy is also one of Jack's most favorite toys (while writing this I learned it's a firefly and not a butterfly o 'well lol) There are so many dangly things that he loves to play with (see more on his 4 month must haves coming up). This is probably also going in the carry on, but if it get's too tight we might check it.

- Squeak Toys - These three little animal toys I actually bought from Jack's swim lesson place, so they are really bath/pool toys. But he loves them. They are the perfect size for his little hands and the soft rubber is great to chew on. They squish into the smallest places so they will go in our carry on.



We are also taking the stroller, carseat, and his front carrier. We debated a long time about the stroller but figured since we have the awesome City Mini that folds up super easy and is really light we might as well. So our "plan" (we all know how well those work with a baby) is to put Jack in the car seat in the stroller. Then once at security we will wear him and put the stroller and car seat through the detector then ourselves. Then we'll check it all at the gate. Pictures and hilarious after-the-fact stories to ensue, I'm sure.

Well that's everything. Wish us luck!!

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

If you are like everyone else in AZ you are from somewhere else. Something like 80% of the people who live here are and I am no exception. As you know; I'm from the Bay Area and moved out here to go to ASU and stuck around once I married this nerd:

However, Max was born and raised here. That means I knew/know NOTHING about this state and Max knows EVERYTHING.

I have no places to show him, take him, surprise him with, etc. without him saying "Oh I've done/seen this before." Awesome, Fail #1,938,475,543,157. So he takes me around to all the places he loves and I get to see some amazing things like this:

Sierra Anchas

But even after 7 years I am still trying to find something that will be new to the BOTH of us. Enter the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Technically Max has been there before...shocker. But it was when he was a kid and he only remembers bits and pieces so it's basically new for the both of us. We have been checking for reservations for years. But they are always full a year in advance and booking something for a year from now just isn't our style; besides a lot can happen in a year...like having a baby per-say. But one day we were looking online and there was a CANCELLATION only 3 weeks away. Done and done; Max booked it.

LET THE NEW FAMILY MEMORIES BEGIN!

This also happens to be our first true family vacation! No parents, no dogs, no friends...no help! But I was bound and determined to make it as fun and amazing as possible.

We left Sunday morning and after a 6 hr. car ride, in which Jack decided to either be silent or scream as if his car seat was some kind of torture device, we made it up to the gates of the North Rim. I didn't know what to expect but I knew there would be trees (something you cherish when you live in a desert), amazing views, cooler temps (for those that don't know it's currently 115), and some kind of wild life. What I didn't know was that as we entered the park this would be our view:

What the What?! I had no idea buffalo were at the Grand Canyon let alone in AZ! I always figured that to be a Yellowstone thing. Even though Jack was screaming as loud as he could it was still an amazing sight.

We reached the Lodge, got checked in and put our stuff in our log cabin. Yes you read that correctly, are you jealous yet, you should be.

Don't worry that's not how Jack actually slept.

Then we headed off to grab some sandwiches at the deli for dinner and ate outside over looking the canyon. What a sight.

Since it was still too early for bed we decided to walk around the top and take in the views. Max even made a timelapse at sunset. You can check it out on his blog.

Then we headed back to our cabin to settle in for the night. I know what you're thinking, "What did baby Jack sleep in? He can't sleep in a bed yet!" Well first don't under estimate Jack he's a bad ass. Second I worried about this too. We could have brought the pack and play but let's be honest they don't pack as much as they should, they way like a 1,000 pounds, and our cabin was pretty tiny and I wasn't sure how it would fit. So like a week before the trip I bought the Brica Fold n Go Travel Bassinet. I tried it out at home first to make sure he wasn't too big or anything and it worked great so it came with us. This thing is amazing. It folds up super slim, weights roughly 3lbs, and un-folds like a dream. And the best part was Jack slept in it GREAT! He wasn't scared or confused where he was and the mesh on the sides allowed air to move so he could breathe and I could sleep :). The first night we put it on the twin bed across from our bed but there is ONE SINGLE squeaky floor board between that bed and ours so it was a bit tricky to check on him and pop the binky back in without fully waking him up; so the second night we put him on the floor next to us. Both worked great except for the stupid squeak :)

Per-usual Jack woke us up for his 6AM feeding so we decided to start our day. We headed out for a short hike along the Widfross Trail.

The really cool part about this was not only that it was along the top, thus meaning flat, it also had a pamphlet guide that told you about different things along the trail at different points. It was kinda cool to learn some new things and it gave us a chance to stop and take a breather and enjoy our family time.

Jack did great too. Max carried him in the carrier instead of the Moby wrap this time because he's getting a bit big and squiggly. And this carrier also breathes a bit better which was nice in the sun.

We went up there to escape the heat so once the sun started bearing down on us we headed back. We hung out in the cabin for awhile so Jack could eat and enjoy some play time outside of the carrier. He loved every second, that kid has the cutest smile!

After some much needed relaxing we headed out for a picnic. This was my #1 to do while we were up there. I wanted some time just sitting around on a blanket soaking in the scenery and our little baby. Max drove us out to an amazing lookout point that also had a wonderful picnic table area. The ground was too rocky and pokey for the blanket so we just put it on the table and let Jack go to town (supervised of course!). We had some PB&J's and walked along the non-railed edge (it was terrifying but worth it). It was great quality family time. And aren't we the cutest little family ever!

After our picnic we headed back to the cabin to rest some more and give Jack some more play time. He rocked the tummy time at the picnic so now it was time for sitting, rolling over and giggles. Jack really isn't into rolling over, he'll roll onto his sides but feels no desire to go all the way over. Sitting and standing however might be the coolest things he has ever done. He will sit and stand for hours if you let him. But by far the best part was when he mastered his squealing giggle. He hasn't done the belly laugh yet but his squeal giggle and huge grin is simply amazing. I may have tickled and danced with him from then until dinner ;).

 

Before we left I called and made reservations for dinner on Monday night. There are only two sit down options; one fancy white table cloth style and one buffet western cook out style. Which one do you think was better with a 4 month old. Yeah we went with the cook out. They picked all of us up outside the lodge in a train; it was so adorable. The cookout was in the adjacent camp ground under a huge tent. The food was pretty good and there was even a live western show! They sang music, told corny jokes, and even told a story. Jack did great and even danced along to some music (with mama's help :) ).

That night after dinner I knew Max was dying to hike the canyon but since I'm in NO shape to do that and Jack is well...a baby we obviously couldn't. So Max was left to hike it alone, through the dark, our last night there while Jack and I "slept". And by slept I mean Jack slept and I stayed awake hoping Max didn't fall to his death, but you know whatever :). He started around 11PM to beat the heat and got back around 7:30AM. I was a little jealous; first he got some alone time, I love Jack but some mommy time is much needed, second he got to see some super cool bats. Max hates bats so this was more annoying to him but I would have loved it.

Once he got back we packed up and got ready to go. Jack was less than enthused about leaving, and wanted to stay napping with mommy in the big bed; I think we all felt the same.

All in all it was a fantastic trip and NEW FAMILY MEMORIES MADE!

Win #1.

Jack's 4 Month Update

Weight: 12.6 lbs. (8%)

Length: 25" (55%)

Loves: TALKING! He is so happy just laying on the floor kicking and talking to you. It's like he's dictating some great master novel. He also likes sitting up, standing, looking in the mirror, staring at the tv, and kicking and wiggling.

Hates: Not being able to see us at all times, loud noises, and not being in the exact right position for nap time.

Milestones: He still hasn't made rolling over a regular event. He only does it at the most inconvenient times like during swim lessons or when being changed. He loves to roll onto his side when he's on his back but hasn't quite figured out how to flip all the way over. He's working on it though and gets frustrated when he's so close. He also LOVES to stand. Whenever we stand him up he gets the biggest smile. We just hold onto his waist and he does the rest.

Sleep: He's doing great! He sleeps regularly for 6-9 hrs. mostly from 9:45ish to 4:45ish and even pushes to 6 sometimes!

Eating: Breastfeeding every 3-4hrs and eating 5 oz. at daycare. The Dr. said we can move onto rice cereal whenever we want. But she doesn't recommend any later than 5 1/2 months. I don't know why but I'm super excited to see him try his first bites. Then after 2 weeks of eating well we can move onto pureed veggies and fruit. Max and I are hoping to make our own so watch from some posts about that!

Teething: Lots of drool, snotty, and sometimes rubbing his face so maybe he's teething? The Dr. said there's no way to tell until a tooth pops so we'll have to see.

Swim Lessons

For 9 weeks now Jack and I have been going to weekly swim lessons. I have been wanting to do swim lessons ever since I found out we were having a baby. Swimming was such a huge part of my life so I wanted to be able to share that with him. And besides what's cuter than a swimming baby?! :)

And my sister was in town this weekend so she got to join in, which was so fun!

During swim lessons we do all kinds of things:

Back floating

Tummy floating

We hang on the side of the pool to get used to pulling ourselves out

We pull them around in "boats" which let's them kick and move

And we finish up with some tummy time on a giant floating hippo.

All in all it's a lot of fun and Jack loves it. I was so glad Katie got to watch Jack and I show off our skills :).

Check out some videos too! And you can see more photos on my facebook page.

Monthly Must Haves - 3 months

Jack will be 4 months on Sunday so it's time for our Monthly Must Haves!

3 month old Jack really marked the beginning of baby-hood. He no longer seems like a little newborn. Everyday he had something new to show me; grasping at blankets, trying to giggle, and rolling onto his side.

1. Johnson & Johnson Body Wash - We have been using this wash ever since he was born. But I love it a little extra now. Because sure enough immediately after I lather up his hands he sticks them all over his face, including his eyes. But this wash is a no-tear formula so it doesn't bother him one bit and we can keep the good times rolling.
2. Mr. Bear - This is Jack's favorite cuddle buddy. Whenever he is about to go down for a nap I give him his Mr. Bear. It's nice and soft and gives him something to grab onto since he's in the death grip phase. My sister got his from a boutique store in SF but you can find a similar one here.
3. Pacifier Clips - Better known as Life Savers. Jack constantly needs to be sucking on something, his hands, feet, toys, or his binkie. And the last thing I need to be doing is running around the house with a screaming baby trying to find the last place he chucked it.
4. Baby Brush - I literally laughed out loud when my mom told me to buy one of these. He doesn't have hair?! The little he does have I can just run my hand over. Well I ate my words once Jack got cradle cap. I felt so bad. It looks terrible and seems awfully itchy. While it doesn't seem to bother him I want to help him get rid of it. Brushing over it with this soft brush really really helps.
5. Baby Bathtub - When Jack was a newborn and until this week we have been using this tub. It was perfect. We placed it over our sink and the water would run right through and if he peed he wasn't sitting in pee water. We moved it to the bathtub once his belly button fell off and we could use more water. It worked great there too. I wasn't worried about him drowning (even though I never left his side) and it was easy clean up because I didn't have to drain anything. But now that Jack is a bit older and squirming around I wanted something he could play a little in. So we graduated him to this tub. Besides the fact that it's adorable it also allows him to splash his feet and play a bit more. Since he still can't sit up it has a butt stop which works perfectly.

Feeding a Baby is Stressful

Feeding my son is one of the most stressful things I have ever done.

Please put down your pitchforks and hear me out. I know what you're thinking; another post about formula vs. breast feeding. Well this isn't that, or at least it's not supposed to be. This is about my experience (which is still ongoing and ever changing) with breastfeeding and how it has changed everything.

Ever since Max and I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to give breastfeeding a shot. It is an experience I knew I wanted to have even if just for a moment. I didn't want to look back and wonder what it would have been like or if I somehow missed out on something. I figured I would give it a full faith effort and whatever happened happened. If I had to switch to formula who cares. Formula fed babies are fine babies. You never see a 3 year old and say "wow that kid was totally formula fed." And if you do you have some other deeper problems.

I of course have the myriad of friends who formula fed from day 1 to ones that breastfed until their child was 2. And whenever we get together you have to do the fake smile and nod and direct the conversation in another direction because things are bound to boil over.

This is stressful.

I had just told everyone I was pregnant and instead of being full of joy people were asking me if I was going to breastfeed. I could see them getting ready to defend whatever choice they made just in case mine didn't line up with theirs. As if me making a different decision some how meant theirs was wrong. Instead of just having an honest conversation I quickly came up with a generic all inclusive response "I want to breastfeed; but I understand it might not work so I'm trying to prepare for that."

Tip-toeing around family and friends is stressful.

Our hospital has what they call the "golden hour". So once Jack was born we spent an hour skin to skin while he rooted around and eventually fed. He latched on perfectly, he sucked great, the nurses were impressed...I just gave birth to a miracle child who eats perfectly. Lucky me, right? This is my first baby, I have NO IDEA what I am doing. I asked the nurses so many questions but mostly; "How do I know if he's getting anything." Jack seemed constantly hungry, even for a newborn, and he hadn't had a wet diaper yet. I knew something wasn't right. The nurse informed me that I should hear a swallow sound about 2-3 times a session. Well I hadn't heard one yet; or at least I hadn't noticed. Ever since she told me I became the quiet police; shushing everyone while I fed him so I could listen. I even put a finger on his throat to see if I could feel him swallow. Nothing.

This was stressful.

Jack finally had a wet diaper and we could go home. In the first two days at home Jack had one more wet diaper and he was crying every 30min to an hour for food. I would feed him anywhere from 20-45 minutes; desperately trying to hear him swallow. But my crying wasn't helping my hearing. I knew something wasn't right. That second night home Jack woke up in the middle of the night; his lips were chapped, his cry was hoarse, and his tongue was like sand paper on my skin. He was clearly dehydrated. After a terrifying Google search I knew we needed to get something into his system. We had a received a sample can of formula so we made up a bottle. Max had to give it to him because I was crying too much to see what I was doing.

A dehydrated baby is stressful.

I continued to feed Jack and supplement with a bottle of formula after each feeding. Our pediatrician encouraged me to pump after every feeding to help bring in my milk. This totally worked. After a few weeks my milk had come in and Jack was eating less and less out of the bottle. And I could supplement with pumped milk instead of formula. I'm not sure why this mattered to me. I had spent 9 months thinking I would do what I could and formula feed if I couldn't. But the thought of it broke my heart. I felt like a failure. During my pregnancy by boobs had grown, gotten sore, and even leaked a little. What was the point in all of that if not to produce milk for my child. My nerdy, accountany, detail oriented, logical mind knew formula was fine, knew it didn't matter as long as he was healthy. But somewhere deep inside me I felt crushed.

Feeling crushed is stressful.

There were many times I wanted to give up. I told Max over and over that I should just stop, clearly it wasn't working. He held me close and told me to keep trying. That word trying, everyone uses it. "Keep trying", "try as long as you can", "Try to breastfeed first", "You should at least try." But try isn't the right word. Try implies that improvement is possible if I try harder. I can try every conceivable way to increase my supply but it still might not work. I failed, did I not try hard enough? Is my "tryiness" not good enough? Am I not good enough? I should be telling myself that it's just my boobs, producing milk is science, factual, biology, no amount of "tryiness" is going to change biology. Either my boobs will produce or they won't. Don't get me wrong there are things you should and should not do for your supply but ultimately your body will only do what it can. I know this, I still feel less than adequate.

Thinking something is wrong with you is stressful.
Feeling like a failure is stressful.

After 8 weeks I had to go back to work. Our bank account demands to be fed as much as Jack does. This means I pump at work. Jack eats 12oz (currently) while at daycare. I don't pump 12oz at work. I'm falling behind. My stash in the freezer is getting smaller rather than larger. I sit in the mothering room at work, pumping, and wonder how I can produce more. See "tryiness" above. I know it might not work; but I still wonder...what if this works. The internet will give you a 1,000 ways: eat oatmeal, take fenugreek, buy lactation cookies, pump more, dance around counter clockwise until the crow cries and it starts to rain. I'll be damned if I didn't consider all the options. But in the end I don't want to risk it. Milk is liquid gold and pumping sucks. So while these options may work for some it may harm others. I'm a nerd so for me it's about supply and demand. The pump demands, my boobs must supply right? I was desperate. I AM desperate. This is still a constant battle for me.

Pumping is stressful.

My daily routine consists of searching on pinterest for ways to increase my supply, finding nothing concrete, getting discouraged, wanting to give up, deciding formula is FINE because it is, leaving to pump, getting stressed about how much I pumped.

But once I'm home and looking down at my son's face as he nurses, especially those times he unlatches to smile at me, it makes that stress worth it. No matter how this crazy feeding game plays out at least I know I did my best and he's happy. He will get fed one way or another. I am his mother; and what's being a mother without some stress anyway?

Monthly Must Haves : Birth - 2 Months old

Jack is officially 3 months old! The first 3 months have just flown by, not like the first three months of pregnancy which took forever, so here is my list of things that we just couldn't have possibly survived this long with out. Keep in mind this doesn't include necessities like a car seat, crib, diapers, etc.

Newborn

1. Bobby - Let me just start off by saying this is the best thing in the world! I won't lie though I didn't use it until a few weeks in. At the hospital I kinda forgot I had it and then once we got home it didn't fit quite right in the rocking chair we have so I didn't use it. But once everyone left and I could nurse Jack in the living room on the sofa this became my bff. It holds him up for me so I don't have to hold all his weight. And if I fall asleep during those late night feedings he is nestled in close and won't fall off. Not that I have ever fallen asleep ;).

2. Breast Pump - I started using this earlier than most. The hospital recommends not using it until week 2 but since Jack was so dehydrated and I needed milk fast the pediatrician recommend I start using it at week 1. I would nurse Jack then pump, while I only got a tiny bit out it really helped boost my supply and in only a few days we had Jack back on track. I highly recommend getting one and using it whenever you feel ready.

3. Milk Freezer Storage Bags - The pump only comes with four bottles so as soon as you get some milk to freeze go for it. These Lansinoh bags are the best because they freeze flat which takes up less space in your freezer.

4. Swaddlers - We used two different types of swaddlers depending on Jack's mood. I love these muslin swaddlers because they are lightweight for the hot desert nights. But sometimes he liked to be swaddled super tight so we bought some Swaddleme swaddlers. They are super easy to use if you aren't confident in your swaddle skills and they are tight so he wont startle himself awake.

1 Month Old

1. Moby Wrap - I was so confident that I was going to only wear Jack that I didn't even want to buy a stroller. But we did anyway and I'm so glad. Jack didn't take to this until about 7 weeks. But when he did I was so grateful! I could just wrap him up and go. I could do dishes, clean house, relax, all without him crying from being separated. My only complaint is this wrap is bulky. The fabric is really thick and makes us both pretty sweaty by the end. But a quite baby is worth it :).

2. Bouncer - I love having a bouncy chair. It gives us a place to put him down so we aren't constantly holding him. Our's was a hammy down so I'll just tell you some of my favorite features. I love that its in the reclined position not too straight up and down. We had another one that sat up more and when he was little he would slump over and cry. I also love the obvious, bouncing. He loves to bounce, not vibrate or sway but bounce. So we are thinking about upgrading to this one with an auto bouncer; which would be awesome!

3. Burp rags - I know this seems obvious but they are more necessary than you think! Jack really didn't start spitting up until he was around a month old and then he didn't hold back. My favorites are these because they are larger and thicker so they absorb more.They aren't the most stylish but when they are covered in spit up no one cares :).

4. Binkie - Max and I swore up and down that we wouldn't be binkie parents. But Jack loves to suckle. When he's done nursing he quits swallowing and just suckles. At the beginning I would let him do this until he feel asleep which took forever! If I tried to take him off earlier he would cry. So in the interest of saving time and getting some life back I thought since he's not eating maybe we try a binkie to suck on and that would serve the same purpose. BINGO. Now we are binkie parents. It took us a few tries to find the kind that he liked the most so if your little one doesn't take to it right away, maybe try a different shape or brand.

5. Jungle Gym - My favorite feature about this is that there is a setting that only makes sound based off motion like if Jack hits a toy or does something. This means it's not constantly playing the same song over and over and over. It's also the perfect place for him to get some floor time so he can learn new things. He loves looking at the lights and hitting the toys.

2 Months Old

 

1. Swing -When we first got this from a friend I immediately regretted it. It is ENORMOUS and our house is so little. I had no idea where we were going to put it. I thought with all the other baby stuff we had surely this was over kill. But my mom assured me that it was her #1 baby item and that we would get endless use of it. So after a few days we plopped Jack in it to watch the magic my mother spoke of...he hated it. Great. But after many tries it eventually became his favorite nap spot and now I can't imagine not having it. Watching the mobile go around and the night time music really helps him fall asleep for naps. Of course my mother was right.

2. Books - Around 2.5 months Jack really started to take less and less naps so I needed to fill his day with something and of course I wanted it to be something that would help him develop so I grabbed some Dr. Seuss books we had and started to read them to him. At first he didn't seem to care about the book but liked to hear my voice which couldn't make a mommy happier.

3. Bumbo - We started using this for short bursts around 11 weeks. Jack could sit up in it pretty well and we have a toy that attaches to the tray that he can bat at. While he only lasts a few minutes in it and of course we only use it on the floor and supervised it has really helped him enjoy sitting and being more independent. Plus he looks so cute! :)

4. New Swaddlers - Around 2 months Jack started fighting being swaddled. I would wrap him up and lay him down and he would fuss. Until one night I swaddled him up a little looser than normal and he fussed until his arms popped out and he put them over his head and fell asleep. He officially no longer likes his arms being stuck down. So we bought these new kinds of swaddlers that can be wrapped around his arms or under his arms. And the best part is that they unzip at the bottom for super easy diaper changes at night!



I'm really excited for this next stage in his life; this is when things will get interesting (well at least according to the billion pinterest posts I've read). He'll start giggling, rolling over, sitting better, cooing more, I just can't wait :).