Bursting with Pride & Animal Noises

Ahh, yes. This may border a post of the typical mom, telling you how awesome her child is. However, bear with me, as I try not to do that...

Lucy loves books. She gets them and brings them to us, ready for us to read. Lately, she keeps bringing me books with animal pictures. Last night I read a five page book probably 20 times!

"Curly the pig goes - oink, oink, oink (insert awkward snorting noises here)."

After the 20th time through, we were finally able to move to another picture book of animals.

I started reading the one word pages, "Lion."

I looked at Lucy and asked, "What does a lion do? Does he rooooaaaar?"

I of course held my hand up like a claw. She smiled.

"Duck. Quack, quack, quack."

Lucy indulged me as I somewhat formed my arm into a "chicken-wing" and flapped it.

"Bear. Raaawrr.."

I paused and thought, "hmm......that certainly sounded a lot like the lion from before. That was probably a little confusing for her."

I continued, "Tiger. Raaoooaawwwr."

Okay, that was a little bit of a tiger and a bear. Oops. This book was really testing my animal calling skills.

Next page,"Giraffe....um,.....yeah, giraffe." I had no sound for that one.

Next page, "Sea Lion..umm......."

I finally asked, "How about we read something else?"

Nope - Lucy literally grunted at me and wanted me to continue.

At the end of the book I was happy to see an elephant. Classic. None of these odd, soundless, exotic, animals.

I immediately pursed my lips together, pressed my nose to my bicep, flailed my arm, and made a big elephant wail.

Lucy took the most enjoyment in that one. She took her arm, flung it in the air, and tried to mock the sound.

I could have burst with pride. Animal pride? :) haha.......corny, yes - I know. I was proud nonetheless.

It is crazy how proud I am of her for the smallest things. She is just learning so much and growing so fast. I know it is simply a part of her development; but, I still feel like she is the smartest girl in the world. Ahhh...enough with that though. I won't be that mom. haha

Have a good Tuesday!

My Top 20 Baby to Toddler Musts

I was thinking the other day, as I was using one of our many 'transition' products, "Wow, I couldn't do without this!" I felt compelled. I just needed to share with someone the awesomeness of the product and tell every mom that they should get one!

Now, here we are. I decided to make another list of my top 20; however, this time, it is for the transition from 'Baby' to 'Toddler'. Many items we purchased a long time ago and we have been using them for months; but, they are becoming even more useful. So, soon-to-be-moms out there: register for these too! You will need them before you know it!

Again, these are in no particular order and most are musts. Some, however, are just Lucy favorites. Enjoy!

1) Dishwasher Basket


We use this every time we put dishes in the dishwasher. It has become a permanent fixture. Unless you hand wash or boil the nipples for bottles (which we did every once in a while), it is impossible to keep them from flipping over in the dishwasher. Then they collect water and need to be washed all over again. Also, the small parts to bottles and sippy cups sometimes slip through the top shelf in the dishwasher; so, putting them inside is great! We also put Lucy's silverware in the basket!


2) Toy Box

I had a toy box growing up. So, this is a pretty 'usual' thing in our family. In fact, after I used mine, we gave it to our cousins. Then after they got older, they gave it back to Lucy! :) The box will go in her big-girl bedroom for all of her random, small toys. It is a great storage place and it hides all of the clutter. Plus, the top is a great place for all of her stuffed animals to sit. :)

3) Outdoor Swing

Lucy used this swing at daycare from the time she could hold her head up, and somewhat sit up on her own. She loved it. In fact, she would sit and swing for a good 20 minutes or so. We hadn't purchased one yet, since winter was coming. But, Lucy just got one for her birthday from Grandma (thanks!). This spring will be filled with swinging. I love the type of latch too; it is near impossible to fall out of. And, it comes in blue and red too.

4) Stacking Cups

Santa Claus got Lucy these for Christmas. It is a Lucy favorite and not a must. However, they are great for learning and development. Lucy and Heath play with these almost every night. They stack them and Lucy knocks them over. They yell into them, put them on each other's heads, and even put them on the dogs. The are so simple and cheap; but, they are one toy she plays with the most.

5) Snack Dispensers

Where would we be without these?! For car rides, they are a must! With dogs who like to steal snacks, they are a must! For babies on the go, they are a must! For babies who get antsy in high chairs, they are a must! Whew! Okay, get my point? They are so helpful!

We use these so often that I wish I had more than just two. We put Gerber Puffs, Crunchies, Yogurt Bites, and even Cheerios in these containers all the time. When you tip it upside down, nothing falls out. Plus, Lucy caught on right away. She didn't struggle with getting snacks out at all. She carries the container around during snack time, whether that be at the house in the living room, in her car seat, or in a shopping cart. She can snack anywhere and not make a huge mess. And, I don't have to do a thing!

6) Sippy Cups

We weaned Lucy off of her bottles pretty early. Almost as soon as she could hold one on her own, we started to integrate sippy cups. We did it because bottles slowly drip and caused a big mess when Lucy would throw hers down. Sippy cups, or more specifically these cups, don't leak. You have to suck or pinch the nipple for it to leak. We can put her to bed with a cup of water and it is no problem at all. She just throws it down when she is done and it there isn't a big wet stain the next morning. These are what we use; they are made by Munchkin.

7) Sun Blockers

These are something you need with an infant too, not just a toddler. However, it seems like we travel a lot more now-a-days. Lucy is finally 'travel-friendly'. Haha. We got this set for both backseat windows in our SUV. They work really well and don't block the view completely. There are only two complaints that I have. 1) The heat warning dot turned white once and never went back. Not a big deal though. 2) The bottom suction cups are either amazing (you can't get them off the window) or they are horrible (you can't get them to stick). I think it has to do with the temperature of the window. In the cold, not so helpful!

8) Popcorn Puffs (Cheesy Optional)

When Lucy first started eating semi-solid food, I remembered popcorn puffs. I used to love them as a child because they literally would disintegrate in your mouth. Since they are only $2 at the store, what an affordable snack?! Although they aren't as nutritional at Gerber products, Lucy loves them. We used the plain ones as an occasional snack when she was little and now that she is older, we have integrated the cheese ones. She really loves those! Warning: the child may become addicted. ;)

9) Music Play Table

As soon as Lucy could pull herself up, she played with one of these at daycare. She would play until her little legs got tired. Grandma Jeannie got her one for Christmas (thanks!) and now she plays at our house all the time. She dances to the music, moves all the little gadgets and I have even caught her trying to repeat the colors and sounds. It is great for development.

10) Outlet Plugs

Of all the baby-proofing items out there, this one is the most needed in our house. Lucy thinks plug-ins are so neat. And, our house was built fairly recently; so, we have a ton of outlets. In addition, I have found that these help put my mind at ease for other things too. We usually fold our blankets and put them behind our love seat. Sometimes they topple over and I find them pushed up against one of our outlets. I always get freaked out about it possibly starting a fire. So, I covered the outlets with these! I feel so much better now! :) Irrational? Eh, what's the price of peace of mind?

11) Crib Music Box

Lucy has two music boxes (thanks Mimi!). One is very similar to the one above. It is more of a fun item for Lucy to play with until she falls asleep. The other has 'cry recognition'. It's amazing! We turn it on at night and it plays a lullaby for 15 minutes and then fades out. It even has a light that shines on the ceiling. Then, if Lucy starts crying, it recognizes the pitch and starts playing again for 15 minutes. Sometimes we don't even have to get up with her, the box will comfort her back to sleep! It sucks a lot of batteries; but, it is worth it! Warning: high-pitched chihuahua barking sometimes sets it off too. :{

12) Fleece Jacket

Heath and I have read that you are not supposed to put your baby in their car seat with a big winter jacket on. It claimed that the car seat isn't being as effective. So, we try not to do this with Lucy. It's tough with Midwest winters! So, we usually bundle her in stocking caps and blankets. With her carrying car seat, it wasn't a problem lugging her back and forth. Now, with her big girl car seat, we can't do that anymore. So, we use one of these little jackets in addition to the blankets (thanks Mimi!).

13) Formula/Snack Dispensers

We used something very similar to this when Lucy a newborn. We used them for formula. You could measure out the formula into these and just throw them in the diaper bag. I highly recommend them for that use! It beats trying to lug around a big container or buy those expensive packets.

Now, that Lucy is older we can use if for small snacks. They aren't really as good as the snack dispensers, like above; however, it would be nice to send with her when she is getting babysat. Not everyone has Cheerios in the house. :)

14) Faucet Cover

This has saved a lot of bumps on the head! Granted, we aren't as careful because we know the faucet is covered; but, it helps nonetheless. He is great! Lucy likes him, he covers all the sharp parts of the faucet, and she can't pull on the shower knob!

15) Cardboard Books

Right now Lucy destroys any book that isn't cardboard. She is in a tearing stage. :( Sad day for my magazines. She loves to look at books and jabber. We joke that she is imitating us reading them to her. Her favorite is 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. It has smaller pages; so, she can turn them easily. And, the colors are vibrant too!

16) Cabinet Locks

Another baby-proofing item that we got were these, or something similar. There are so many locks out there and we have found that we had to get different ones for different kinds of knobs. Our kitchen and bathroom cabinets have handles and the corner cabinet and TV stand have knobs. So, be careful buying and it will be worth it!

17) Bumbo Tray

I never really recommended the Bumbo before; sorry about that. I do though. It is a nice addition. However, you really can't have the Bumbo without the tray! Even at one year old, we put Lucy in here for snack time. It is a nice change from the high chair. Plus, she likes being on the floor, next to her toys and the chihuahuas.

18) Boogie Wipes

One splurge that is worth it! Okay, they aren't that expensive; but, they are worth the money! These wipes are very soft, softer than diaper wipes. They also have saline in them to help their little noses. And, they smell good. Lucy would cry when we would use tissues or damp cloths. She actually allows these. They also fit nicely in the diaper bag.

19) Bath Bucket

This is it! The item that was so awesome that I had to recommend it. I know, I know. Anyone who has been down the baby aisle at Walmart has seen these. But, if you are like me, your first thought was that it probably didn't work that well. Wrong! It does! It is amazing. I really don't know how people get all the soap out without one of these. I've become spoiled. Lucy has even learned to tilt her head back for me.

20) Baby Gate, Extreme

We broke down and bought one. We had been blocking our stairs for a long time now and finally broke down this last weekend. Lucy cannot and will not stay off of the stairs. A regular baby gate isn't cutting it either; they just aren't long enough and don't work well with open staircases. We need one that doesn't mount to the wall (I don't want to drill holes!) and that has a gate. Plus, I think our chihuahuas just may be able to slip through too. Haha.

Online portions of this gate were around stairs, a fire place, and a entertainment center. It is great for 'cornering' items in.

Those are my recommendations for the 6 month to 18 month range. I will be sure to share any other wonder-products that I find along the way. Any mothers out there want to add any items or comments?

Strike a Pose: Part II

The textbook that Lucy and I supposedly ‘modeled’ for came to life! If you are completely lost at this point, here is a refresher: Strike a Pose.

I can’t believe it! Lucy is only 7 months old and is already on the cover of a book! It’s kind of weird how things change when you become a mother. Two years ago I would have been so excited to have been on the cover – me – on the cover of a book! It would have been all about me, me, me.

Now, I don’t even care that I’m on the cover. I just keep thinking how neat it will be for Lucy some day. She will be able to take a copy to show and tell or have something neat to share when people ask.

The most interesting thing I can share about myself is: I met Mark Paul Gosselaar once and then 15 years later I met Dennis Haskins. That is Zack Morris and Mr. Belding from ‘Saved by the Bell’ for all of you amateurs. ;) I have quite a few cast members left to meet and I better pick up the pace a little too.

Anyway, Lucy can say, “I’ve been on the cover of a book.” Then, she can whip that baby out and show it off!

Since, as of now, her only interest in any book would be to eat it and/or tear the pages out, I’ll gloat for her.

Mommy Works to Buy You Toys

I was visiting Lucy again yesterday during my lunch break. I was running a little earlier than usual and caught the children at lunch time. So, I nabbed Lucy, and her bottle, and headed for a rocking chair. While I was walking out of the kitchen, I heard a young boy, perhaps 2 or 3 years old, ask, “Where is she going?” The Daycare provider said, “That’s Lucy’s mommy.” I immediately smiled. I really never get sick of hearing that. It still hasn’t quite sunken in; but, yes, I am Lucy’s mommy. :)

Anyway, being reminded that he too had a mommy, the little boy became upset and started a whining mantra, “Mommy, mommy, mommy…I want my mommy.” The provider said, “Your mommy is at work.” This of course triggered the inevitable question: “Why?”

“Do you like toys?” she asked him.

The boy was probably thrown by this question. It didn’t really make sense when he was just talking about his mom and not toys, but he mumbled out a “yeah.”

“Well, your mommy works, so she can buy you toys.”

Hmmmmm…….I just sat in the rocking chair with Lucy and thought. I’ve often asked myself what I would answer to that very same question, when Lucy asks it. “Why do you have to work? Why can’t you stay with me?” There is no doubt that my heart will break when that day comes. When I tell her my reasons, will they be good enough? Or, will she grow up thinking, ‘my mom chose buying toys over me’? I don’t want her to ever think that money is more important than family.

So, I have started a mission. I am going to find a children’s book that discusses Daycare and what it is like to have parents who work full-time. I want it to help explain to Lucy. Also, the book would be something we could read often; it would help reiterate that although we work, we love her very much.

Anyone know of such a book? If not, I’ll write one myself – haha. I will just use clipart and print some pages to staple together. For longevity though, I need a hardcover. Any help is welcome!

I am not sure how children perceive these types of things or if they even give it much thought at all – besides the 10 minutes after mom drops them off. I grew up spending every day with my mom until I went to school; so, I am at a loss........