The Best Teether!

We have been dealing with a lot of teething pain around here. After I gave the last dose of Tylenol I let my baby chew on the top of the bottle. She was able to hold this and chew on it better than any of her other teethers... So I decided to keep the bottle. I washed it out, added some craft paper, and put a few popcorn kernels inside so it was a rattle too. My girl loves this!

Infant Sensory

After we had so much fun with the bubble foam blowers,
I decided to make an effort to have discovery time. I found a list of 107 things to put in a sensory table from The Crafty Teacher here.

Here are just a few that caught my eye:

4. Rice - which can be colored with food coloring if desired
5. Pasta - one kind or a mix; can also be colored
6. Snow
10. Sod
11. Homemade silly putty
12. Jello - make a few large pans of it and dump it in
13. Cereal
14. Sugar or salt
16. Easter grass
18. Ice cubes or crushed ice, or a large block of ice
19. Shredded documents - from a regular or cross-cut shredder
31. Feathers
32. Applesauce
33. Cotton balls
34. Strips of bubble wrap - you can buy it in large rolls
37. Cooked spaghetti - add a little oil to keep it from sticking
38. Curling ribbon
41. Confetti
44. "Oobleck" - equal parts cornstarch and water
49. Potato flakes (dehydrated)
 
(Not all of them are safe for young children. I tend to let my child play with things that are "choking hazards" if I am right there guiding her to play with her hands only. You decide what is safe for your child.)

You really should check out the link! We have had so much fun. :)

Infant Hair Accessories

I love making bows that match my baby's outfit perfectly.

A little hint is to keep the ribbon that is tied around blankets or outfits you buy. I was so excited when my mom gave me this outfit with gray and white stripes because I had the ribbon that matched exactly.

I think most people have seen how to make Lace flowers. If not,  here is a good tutorial from 

I {Heart} Nap Time.  

{Wire} Ribbon Flowers: It is very easy to make them with wire edge ribbon. Just pull on the wire to cinch up one end. Pay close attention to make sure the wire doesn't pull out the other side. Then you wrap it around just like the lace flowers. 

If the ribbon doesn't have wire just use a needle and thread to weave in and out of one side. Then pull  to cinch it up and create that wavy affect. 

I made Fabric Flowers from an old sheet using this method from Homemade Gifts Made Easy

I was playing with ribbon one day and realized I could make {Knot} Ribbon Flowers. I started by making one tight knot at the end and then about 12 loose knots. Then I just wrap it around the tight knot and work my way out using hot glue as I go.

My mom recently bought us some bows that were on baby snap clips and I love them because they are flat against baby's head and someday when her hair comes back in we can use them right in her hair. So I ordered some on Amazon that work out to be less than $0.10 a piece... then when I counted to make sure they sent me enough they had sent extra (about 155 instead of 144). I bought a lot thinking it will make a good baby shower gift. 

I also love these headbands because there is enough room to clip a few for a flowers and make the perfect color cluster. And you can get the set of 16 for less than $9.00 on Amazon. :)

There are so many ways to make flowers. I have a whole pin board dedicated to hair accessories. 

Homemade Finger Paint

1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
food coloring
containers

Over medium heat mix cornstarch and water until it becomes smooth and thick (almost like Vaseline). Separate into containers, add food coloring, and mix.

I used up&up baby food containers. I used to save the Gerber containers, but they don't seal well enough to hold liquid or seal air tight for storing something like paint.

We have also painted with corn syrup, or sweetened condensed milk (colored with food coloring) The corn syrup is mostly clear, and the condensed milk has a iridescent sort of look.

Green sweetened condensed milk & pink (cornstarch) finger paint

Ladybug Collage

We had fun making a ladybug...

I used our floor mat as a stencil by taking out one of the circles and placing contact paper behind it. Then I had some red scraps that we played with. (That got me thinking that if I had a mat that had letters, it could be a great literacy activity.)

When we were done playing with it, I took it off of the mat and used another piece of contact paper to hold everything in. I then simply drew a lady bug outline and then it hit me that next time I'll put some black circles in the mix of scraps so she ca make the spots on the ladybug.

I think she had just as much fun playing with our finished project on the fridge.

Sensory Book

I decided that Ladybug (my baby) was ready for some activities. I though about art porjects, or sensory bottles and then I decided that since she love books we could make a sensory book. She seemed to enjoy it more than anything that she got for Christmas this year, and she looked at it with me for half an hour.

(I guess my video was too long for blogger so I had to just pick some clips of us looking at it.)

I put the ingredients in freezer bags, glued them shut, and then taped the bags together using duct tape. 

Blue: vegetable oil, water, food coloring

Green: soap, food coloring

Yellow: cornstarch, water, yellow food coloring

Orange: ???soy extract oil stuff that my mom gave us???

Red: coconut cream, coconut oil, food coloring

Purple: fruit loop dust, sprinkles

Bubble Foam Blower

I went to visit my friends at the Child Development Center I used to work at and they were having a training. I listened in to a few of the ideas and got excited to think my angel-bug would have some fun experiences.

To make this I cut off the end of a water bottle. covered the hole with a paper towel and used a rubber band to hold it in place. I put a little bit of baby wash and water on a plate to dip the it in. Then I just blew in it.

I am sure she will enjoy making the bubbles when she is a bit older. :)

My Pholosiphy-- baby sleep

I worked for many years at a child development center with children 0-3. I felt confident in my abilities as a teacher, but I have been surprised how much I worry about my parenting skills. When I am working with 8 children it is easy to accept that children are all different. I know that they may be advanced in one area and need extra support in another and that it doesn't reflect on my abilities... and it is OK. Now that I have one child I sort of feel like I am taking a pass/fail class, and if my baby doesn't measure up to others I "fail".

My baby does do really well in a lot of areas. But the area that I have the least experience with and tend to doubt myself the most is with sleep. Like most moms, at first I was very very sleep deprived. I feel like we now get enough sleep for me to function, but I sometimes compare myself to other moms and find myself feeling frustrated when I don't measure up. I figure if I am struggling with the issue, others may be struggling with it as well.

I asked for peoples advice and read several books about the issue. The more I read the more I realized that I knew deep inside me what I needed to do for my child. The knowledge and skills I had acquired did relate to sleep.

I always enjoyed my child development classes. I found it fascinating to hear how their growing minds work. After I started working for Early Head Start, we had a training on Conscious Discipline that was AMAZING!


A lot of what was taught was stuff I already knew, but the way everything came together felt so empowering and loving... and it just felt right. I left craving more information from Becky Bailey and ended up going to several more trainings, reading a couple of her books, and buying several CD's (music that supports her concepts, and audio from her workshops).

I loved that balance of structure and compassion. I feel that her way of teaching is the way my Heavenly Father teaches me. I still have to go through hard times, but I am sure He is there saying things like, "I know this is hard, but you can do hard things." I don't believe He is the one that puts in my mind, "How many times did I tell you not to do that?!" In fact I learned in one of her trainings that the word "discipline" comes from the same word as "disciple" that means, "to teach".  It is such a warm and cozy thought to think I can teach my child in the same manor that a perfect and loving Father in Heaven teaches me. Becky Bailey uses a lot of Brain research so not only does it feels good but it is based on concert information. But with all the trainings I attended, I only heard information that focused on children 3 years and up.

As I pondered all that I read and heard about baby sleep, I finally thought about Conscious Discipline. I thought if I were to talk to Becky Bailey and ask her about making my child, "cry it out" what would she tell me. I came to the conclusion that she wouldn't recommend abandoning a child while they scream with panic, terror, and hopelessness until they pass out.  When a child is in that "fight or flight" state, their inner speech is programed. I think this is such a good opportunity to help program my child's inner speech to a soothing peaceful tone that will help her be able to talk herself through struggles.

Some people may think that means that I rock my baby until she is in a deep sleep... which isn't true. I try to have her be as successful in her self-sooting. Sometimes I can tell she has a belly ache and I need to rock her and whisper loving and encouraging words in her ear. Other times I can tell that she will be able to do it if I stay by her side. Other times I can lay her down and hear a little bit of a whimper (but not historical panic crying), and she is able to fall asleep without me. I feel OK about her learning to deal with some discomfort, but I don't want her to feel abandoned when she "needs" me.

Today I came across this clip of Becky Bailey and feel so good about my decision to patiently help teach my baby to self sooth.

I am now craving more information so  I am totally buying myself this CD.

Conscious Discipline principles used with permission. ©Conscious Discipline www.ConsciousDiscipline.com

Fuzzy

I received both these before my baby was born. With a newborn, I had a hard time finding a good place to clip the binky. I started clipping it to this little blanket square. My baby love fuzzy things next to her face and I usually had it when I was trying to calm her down anyway. I realized that it will be really nice when it is time to take the binky away that she will still have her fuzzy. 

 We loved it so much that I went to the fabric store so I could make more. I just put a little velcro on the ribbon so it is complete all by itself. We have started referring to it as her "fuzzy" and I plan on making a few so I always have a clean "fuzzy" when I am doing laundry.

Baby Checklist (updated)

As my sister is getting ready for her new baby she asked if I still had my baby check list. I told her I did but there were some things I would change or add. So I thought I would just go through my list and update in purple. (Most of the pictures added are also links to that item on Amazon)

As I tried to get everything in place for my baby, I found several checklists online. I put them together and this is what I came up with for me. Because I have worked with infants I feel lucky to already know what brands I like best.


Tooling around
__X___Car seat.
__X___Baby sight Mirror.


I think this is a MUST!!! I love being able to see my baby and more important that that is she loves being able to see me. I don't think she would be happy in the car if we didn't have one of these. I also bought a little mirror that sticks to the windshield which was a waist. Because it is curved, baby looks so small and you can't really tell what she is doing. I found I was just moving my head up a bit so I could see her in my regular rearview mirror. 

__X___Stroller. (After watching many car seat reviews I decided on this one from Baby Trend because it was rated the safest car seat, it was a good price, it's cute, easy to adjust, and relatively easy to carry.)

I ended up wishing I didn't do the travel system. The stroller was too bulky to keep in my trunk so it was hard to take shopping. I guess the travel system was nice while she was so small, but I ended up getting The First Years Jet stroller that is a lot smaller. And as I went to Amazon to get an image, I noticed that the black one is only $37 right now.

Beds and linens
__X__Crib.
__X___Crib mattress.
__X___Two to three fitted crib sheets.
__X___Four or more waffle-weave cotton receiving blankets for swaddling baby
__X___ Mattress pads.


I LOVE our crib!!! I love the drop down gate that allows me to easily lay bug down without disturbing her. And I still admire how beautiful the crib is. 





Diaper duty
__X___Diapers.

My favorite diapers for the day are Luvs. I had an old package given to me and a package of new ones and the new ones are sooooo much better than they used to be. For the day I could go with several different types and be fine but Luvs are the most economical ($.14/ diaper). I have a baby that needs extra protection at night and I struggled for months trying to find a diaper that would keep the sheets dry and found Fisher Price Happy Nights. They are awesome!!! You can find them on Amazon and with the Amazon Mom program (witch I totally recommend) you can get them for a great price ($.21/diaper). 

__X___Diaper wipes.
__X__Diaper pail (The Diaper Champ is my favorite diaper pail because it does a good job keeping the smell in, uses regular bags, and is easy to use.)

__X___Diaper sacks 

I realized that this diaper pail didn't keep smells in as well as it did at work, and the reason is at work we used rubber gloves that ended up being wrapped around each diaper before. I found that they make deodorized sacks that help a lot. My mom bought me some Arm & Hammer ones that I use on the go and I LOVE these Sassy ones for home. (It wasn't until my baby started eating dairy that I noticed the smell so don't worry about having them right away.)

__X___Diaper bag.
___X__Diaper changing pad. (for nursery)
__X___Diaper Changing kit 

When I saw a friend with one of these I knew I wanted one. I love that everything you need to change baby's diaper is right there and easy to grab.


Dressing baby
__X___Four sleeping outfits or one-piece sleepers with attached feet. (While it is hot, I'll probably just swaddle her in a onesie.)
__X__Four to six onesies.
__X___A small baby cap.
__X___Six pairs socks/booties.
__X___Two to three soft, comfortable daytime outfits.
___X__Child hangers.

Summer babies
__X___Brimmed hat.

Feeding time
If you're planning to breast-feed:
__X___Three to five nursing bras.
__X___A box of washable or disposable breast pads.
__X__Breast pump if you expect to use one.
__X___Four small baby bottles with newborn nipples. (The VentAire bottles are my favorite! Because the vent is at the bottom, it doesn't make a bunch of bubbles in the milk, and it comes out nicely for baby.)

My baby ended up being quite particular about the bottles she would take. :( She ended up taking the Breastflow bottles and only the fast flow. Every now and then I would try the VentAir bottles because I like them so much more, but she wouldn't have it. Finally at 10 months I gave them away deciding that by this time I would just switch to a sippy cup and now she is using the Nuk Sippy cups, which I have liked. 

__X___Bottle brush.
__X___Dishwasher basket (There are lots of small pieces that need to be washed and these baskets are great! I love that it holds the straws so water can get through them.)

__X___Burp cloths.
__X___Breast shields
__X___ Nipple cream

When feeding solids:
__X___Highchair (I have a booster that attaches onto a chair that has worked great for toddlers that I have watched, but I am not sure it will work very well when I first start feeding infant cereal if my baby doesn't sit on her own. I don't feel like I have a lot of room for a high chair, but I would use something like this)



__X___Bibs

My favorite bibs are now the waterproof ones with a pouch to catch food that falls. I have a set of Bumins bibs. I keep a small one in the diaper bag and use the medium ones most of the time. I use the short sleeve one for messy things like spaghetti and the long sleeve one for art. I would use more short sleeve ones if that is what came in the pack but am still so happy with this purchase from Costco. 


Bathing/Grooming
___X__Infant bath tub.
__X___Three soft hooded towels. (I usually just use regular towels and don't think this is necessary)
___X__Two packs of baby washcloths. (I keep some in the kitchen to wash baby up after meals)
___X__Baby body wash that doubles as shampoo.
___X__Baby-sized nail clippers.
__X___Soft brush and comb.
__X___Zinc-oxide-based diaper rash ointment.

Butt Paste is the best ...especially the extra strength!

__X___Baby Lotion

Medicine essentials/Safety
__X___A pain-and-fever reducer

Buy it from the dollar store! I got some from Honks on a Tuesday and found out they have $.88 day! Score! :)

__X___Teething gel
__X___Cotton pads/swabs.
__X___Rubbing alcohol.
___X__ Outlet covers
__X___Childproof cupboard and drawer latches

Because we don't have handles or knobs on our cupboards, I haven't had to install these. ...yet??

__X___Safety gate

Keeping baby happy
__X___Pacifiers. 
__X___ Car seat/Stroller toys
__X___Teething rings

Other/Extras
__X___Baby monitor

I had friend tell me I should get a video one and decided I didn't have to be that fancy. That is one thing I wish I would have gotten. I wouldn't have to go up stairs and in her room to see if she were talking/crying in her sleep or if she were awake. 

__X___A rocker or glider
__X___Sling
__X___Boppy.
___X__Nursing cover-up.
___?__Infant swing.
___X__Bouncy seat.
___X__Night-light.
___X__ Lullaby music.
___X__Books to read.

It's a Girl!

Last summer I put together a nursery that was gender neutral.

It turns out I am having a girl and so I switched it up to this:

I added a pink sheet to the baby bedding.  I took the blue out of the play mat and replaced it with more pink. I was tempted to add more green because Ross has a brown and green set now... but decided to just use what I have.

I added a pink tissue paper pom-pom. ...and if you look closely at the tree art I added a few pink apples to it. (Eventually baby's name will be above her crib.)

I added a couple of storage boxes to the shelf. I took the yellow off the ABC's & 123's art and replaced it with some pink.

And I hung this adorable bow holder a friend made.

Now all it needs to be complete is a beautiful little girl. :)

Pouch Sling

I knew I wanted a pouch sling like this:

But I also knew if I were going to wear it out and about, I wanted the pattern to be basic and simple. I decided to go with a plane black for the outside and a black and white print for the liner. I found this territorial on youtube and it went together really easy.