Baby Doodah!

Fisher-Price EZ Clean High Chair

I love this high chair.

Let me repeat that statement, so you know how serious I am, I love this high chair!! It is the most amazing high chair I’ve come across (and I’ve had experience with a few). It isn’t the fanciest high chair but it does its job very well (better than the other ones I’ve come across). I think my favorite feature is the chair cover, in the description it says this, “Crevice free to prevent food from getting stuck.” That doesn’t even begin to explain how great it actually is. The cover is cloth and is removable, that means that you can take it off and throw it in the washer and dryer and remove every tiny bit of grime without needing to scrub it down. So for those OCD moms out there who really like things to be germ/grime free for baby, this high chair is for you! That being said, if you don’t want to wash it constantly, it does wipe down easily and there really are no crevices for pieces to get stuck in

It also has a double tray so that you can easily detach the top one and wash it without needing to lug the entire thing around with you. And the straps are also fantastic because they’re not cloth; they’re a plasticy rubbery material, which wipes with ease.

This is also a very affordable high chair; it’s on sale on Amazon right now, for $70.17. I absolutely recommend this chair to anyone looking to buy one.

Playskool – Rocktivity Walk N Roll Rider

What a fun toy, with decent music!

When Emmett first received this toy, he wasn’t quite mobile so we would sit him on it and he would just stare at the different buttons and bump into the horn occasionally. He just loved it! As he has progressed into a mobile baby, he loves having it in the upright position so that he can walk around with it. It moves pretty quickly on its own, so Seamus or I will help it slow down by holding the wheels lightly or making sure it’s faced in a direction where it will bump into something before it takes off.

If you’re looking for a walking toy, I would definitely recommend this.

Boppy Nursing Pillow with Slipcover

This is the third time I’ve listed the Boppy nursing pillow in my list of favorites. Emmett continues to be breastfed and I use this pillow several times a day and without it, nursing would not be as enjoyable as it is. I know there are other nursing pillows out there but I truly feel like nothing compares to Boppy. If you’re nursing or planning on nursing, register or buy yourself a Boppy. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

 Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods – and Helping Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater

This book and its methodologies have led Emmett to be a happy and healthy eater. There are days when he doesn’t want certain foods but I have yet to come across a food that he refuses to at least try once and I believe that it is because of this method. If you haven’t started solids with your baby or are looking for a different way of handling foods, give Baby Led Weaning a try.

Pampers Swaddlers

This is the first time that I’ve added these to my list but they should have been on here long before. They are the most amazing diapers I’ve ever used; they keep Emmett completely dry and comfortable. We’ve tried Huggies, Luvs and Pampers Baby Dry and none work as well as Pampers Swaddlers. Sadly, the Swaddlers only go up to size 3 and Emmett is reaching the tail end of wearing 3s. Hopefully we are able to find something that works as well as the Swaddlers have.

My favorite part about Swaddlers is the yellow stripe that runs down the center of the diaper. When the baby is wet this stripe turns blue and lets the parents know that the baby needs to be changed. This is ingenious to me, especially for newborn babies who pee very lightly.

I just cannot say enough good things about Pampers.

Books

No book in particular, just books in general. We have so many and Emmett loves to sit and read with us as well or just sit on his own and flip through them.

It’s no secret that I’ve been trying to workout and get into shape, pretty much forever, but more immediately since having Emmett. It’s also no secret, to those who know me well, that I love shopping and clothes. So it makes sense that when it comes to working out, just like with anything else, I like to be clothed well.

Since I am considered plus sized, finding workout clothes that fit the way they should and that are made out of wicking materials, is hard. Most items in my size are just essentially big bags that cover you but offer no style or comfort when sweating hard, and when I workout I workout hard, sweat is typically dripping off of me.

With that said, I had heard really good things about Old Navy’s Active line and decided to try it for myself. I can’t say I was surprised (because Old Navy has served me well through the years), but I was seriously impressed with how well everything fit. I bought, Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy Tanks (in black), Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy GoDRY Tanks (in neon green, which is sadly no longer offered), Women’s Plus Cropped Wide-Leg Yoga Pants (in black), and Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy Compression Shorts (9″) (in black) and I loved each and every piece.

Since Old Navy no longer carries their plus sized line in stores, I placed my order online and excitedly waited for everything to be delivered. Once it arrived I immediately tried everything on and was so pleasantly surprised to find that everything fit perfectly and had the look that I desired while working out (which is not a big giant t-shirt). I have to be honest, I read the reviews for each I item I bought because I knew that some of the items were considered “compression” and would be tight. I wanted to ensure I gave myself enough leeway, so as to be comfortable.

The Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy Tanks (image above), fits tightly and has compression support but because of the reviews, I ordered a size up and it fit perfectly. The first time I wore the top, it was tight under my arms but it has since loosened up and literally fits perfectly. It does not roll up around my waste and it covers well too. The first time I worked out in it, I was anxious to see whether it would wick the sweat away like it says it will in the description and it absolutely did!

The Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy GoDRY Tanks, is one of my all time favorite workout tops. It was so soft and so comfortable from the moment I put it on. I’ve worn this shirt a bunch of times and the quality of it hasn’t changed. I got my normal size in this item because it is not considered compression and it fit perfectly.

 Love the Women’s Plus Cropped Wide-Leg Yoga Pants! They are so comfortable and I wear them constantly. They are perfect for working out, for anything from jogging, to spinning, to yoga but are also great for just lounging and relaxing around the house, I use them for both.

Women’s Plus Active by Old Navy Compression Shorts are another compression support item, because of that I paid close attention to the reviews again and decided to go with a size larger than my normal one. This was the right decision, the shorts fit perfectly and aren’t so tight that they feel restricting. I love these alone or underneath another pair of shorts and do a really great job of keeping the sweat away from your body.

There are several more pieces from the Active line that I want but for now, what I have is, is doing a really good job of motivating me to workout because I get to look cute and feel comfortable while doing it.

**This is NOT a sponsored review, I just really REALLY love Old Navy’s Active line and want any plus sized woman out there to know that they can be comfortabl, while working out.

I’m not old, but I am getting older and my skin is definitely starting to change, so I had decided to start a search for lotions that would help hide the years being placed on my skin. Right around the same time I started my search, I received an email from “HTY Gold,” asking if I would be interested in trying out one of their products. Considering the whole premise of their company was exactly what I was looking for, I jumped at the opportunity. Check out their site and available items, here.

I chose the Body Gold lotion since I know I use body lotion every single day. I knew it would be easy to switch out what I was currently using and begin my HTY regimen.

Right off the bat I was super impressed with the item, simply because of the way it was packaged. Sure it came in just a plain brown shipping box, but I mean the inside, the product box was what impressed me. I loved how shiny it was and the animal print, was very visually appealing. Once I opened the actual container of lotion, I literally couldn’t wait to dip in. It looked soft and fluffy and like it would just melt on my skin, which it pretty much did.

Since I was doing a review of their product, I wanted to ensure I followed their recommended usage so I could give it a fair shot. They recommend applying to crepe and dry skin twice daily and as needed.  I started applying it twice a day and immediately fell in love. My frequently dry elbows were now as smooth as Emmett’s and my hands, which I wash nearly a million times a day, are consistently soft and supple.

I’ve fallen head of heels for this product and in an effort to give my readers the same experience, HTY is offering everyone 25% off anything on the site, just enter the code blogger03.

Please do yourself a favor and check out, Hide The Years!!

You can also check out HTY Gold on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

**HTY provided me with a sample of their Body Glide lotion, but as always the opinions are my own.**

Here are Emmett’s 9 month pics… Finally!! 

9 Months

4 Months

The End!

Do you realize that there is only 3 more months until you are a year old? This blows my mind! At this time last year, your father and I were anxiously awaiting your birth and here we are a year later, having the time our lives.

We celebrated your first Easter this month. Your dad and I didn’t decorate, dye eggs or get you an Easter basket because we knew you’d probably be getting one from your Grammy, we weren’t wrong. You got the cutest basket from her, it is a monkey’s head and inside of it was a stuffed peep (since you can’t eat the marshmallow ones yet), a VERY cute barn with 4 different farm animals in it that make noise and a chicky bird sippy bottle. I think there might have been one more thing in there but I’m drawing a complete blank. It was really cute stuff and I really love the barn, I can’t wait until your a little bit older and can play with the animals with me.

You are so SO mobile! I remember when we used to be able to put you down on the floor to play and you would stay there, now, no way! The second you hit the floor you move, move, move. You continue to do your army crawl, where your right arm is straight out, pulling, your left is bent underneath your chest pushing you forward and your legs every once in awhile will give a good push but mainly it is your arms doing the work. You still get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth but you haven’t yet done any “formal” crawling, who cares, though!? You are able to get around perfectly well the way you do it now. You’ve become really really good at doing planks and downward dog, obviously you have no idea they’re called that but you have inspired me to start planking or doing downward dog when you are doing them. So thanks for the motivation!

Going along with your crawling, you’ve also become really good at standing. Your dad or I can stand you up, holding onto your crib or pack ‘n play and you stand there all on your own for long stretches of time. You actually love it quite a bit because now you can watch your daddy cook. At the start of the month, you were just standing there for a little bit and then falling down, now you like coasting along the side. So if I am in my bedroom and you want to see what I’m doing you’ll slowly inch your way around to the other side so you can see me. You’ve also pretty much mastered sitting down from standing. Initially you’d just let go and fall, sometimes you’d land on your back other times on your butt but at this point, most of the time you land your on your bottom in a sitting up position.

We’ve even experimented with your toy motorcycle that you can use as a walking prop. When we set it up so that you can hold on and walk behind it, you’re pretty good at taking 3 or 4 steps before you stop and sit down. You seem to get tired or bored of doing this because you’ll only do it once or twice but you’re getting better and better. Sooner or later, you will be walking and then, everybody better watch out!

In your classroom at school they have short plie bar attached to a mirror and then attached to the wall. You love that thing! The second your teacher puts you up on it and you start looking at yourself in the mirror you start talking. You yell and smile, babble and grunt, you just adore it. Your teacher also tells us that you are very talkative, that all day you are making some sort of noises. I have a feeling your dad and I are in for it. But I’m pretty sure I was a talkative toddler, so it only makes sense.

Midway through the month, your dad and I started to get a little nervous that maybe you weren’t getting enough solid foods down. You were definitely getting enough breast milk but at around 9 months you start needing the nutrients from whole foods. We considered starting to give you more pureed food and we even pureed some sweet potatoes for you, but in the end our worries were for nothing. You are a champion eater! You are now eating and swallowing pretty much everything without any trouble, this includes meats like chicken, pork or steak. Vegetables and fruit are no match for you, you grab them tight and chomp away. It has been quite the experience watching your eating abilities grow with each passing week.

You love to play with everything but mostly with items you shouldn’t be playing with. Your favorites tend to be the outlet that is strangely in the floor, that we’ve put an outlet cover over but you still want to crawl on over and take it out. You also love grabbing for the cable box and Blu-ray player, which gives your dad a heart attack nearly every time (understandably). I’m personally, not looking forward to when you can reach the TV because that is one expensive piece of equipment and it would be very sad if it got damaged. We’ll just need to be extra vigilant when we get to that point.

We continue to teach you the signs for different words so that it makes it easier for us all to communicate before you are able to speak. Last month you conquered milk and continue to do a great job with that, this month, we’re pretty sure that you’ve mastered “more.” We use it mostly to ask if you want more food, or for you to ask us for more food. We’re still working on “diaper” and “all done.” I have no doubt you will get both of those very soon.

You and I are doing swimming lessons and you are having a blast! When the other babies are bothered by the chilly water or even just being in the water, there you are, happy as a clam, splashing and smiling. I’m so happy we can experience this together. Since before you were born I knew I wanted to do a mommy and me class but couldn’t find one that was the right fit for us, swimming is perfect and something I’m good at. My hope is to continue doing these classes together until you’re 24 months, when you’ll have to start doing the classes on your own with a swim teacher.

Speaking of water, bath time is a blast! Getting you squeaky clean isn’t the easiest because you like to move and squirm but once that part is done, playing with your toys is the best. I’m not sure how it got started, but one day I started calling your toes vinegar toes, now every time I wash them I say that, it’s pretty funny. You have started moving around in the tub to reach your toys or the hose and sometimes you’ll turn your little self around and moon your daddy and I, thank goodness it is such a cute dupa. You like when I lay you back and let you float with my hand underneath your back, it seems like you find it so relaxing. I think if your dad and I let you, you’d stay in the tub forever.

Your 9 month doctor’s appointment is on May first, so I don’t have any of your weight or height information to share this month, but I’ll make sure I include them next month. I am anxious to see what you weigh and how tall you are because you just seem so ginormous.

Well Emmett, my happy beautiful boy, I love every precious moment I get to spend with you and can’t wait to see what is on the horizon this go round.

XO

A few months back I received a flyer from my gym advertising all the classes they offer, this included all of their swim classes. I had heard in the past that places offered mommy (daddy) & me type classes but wasn’t sure if my gym did. I was thrilled when I flipped through and found that there were indeed classes that Emmett and I could take together. I immediately signed-up! We went to our first class last weekend (and daddy came along to see another Emmett first and take pictures)…

When I was a kid my mom forced my sister and I to go swim lessons every single summer. I hated it, well, maybe I didn’t hate the classes, I hated the instructors. They were cold, nasty and forced you to do things before you were really comfortable doing them. However, it is because of them and my mom’s insistence that I am such a strong swimmer. I LOVE swimming and I’m really good at it, so it only makes sense that I would want the same for my son (minus the nasty swim coaches).

Last week was so fun! They had us get into the pool with the babies and just kind of bopped around to make sure they were used to the water and weren’t going to be scared. I was so proud of my boy, we got in and he was as happy as a clam, kicking his legs and splashing around. Not once did all that water, or even the temperature (it was pretty chilly at first) of the water scare him. Then we moved into some group songs, which believe it or not, were a lot of fun. Singing the songs and using Emmett’s arms/legs for the motions was just THE best (I know I’m a total mommy cheeseball).  After the songs they broke us into two groups because the “Water babies” class goes from ages 6 month – 24 months, so they split us into the older and younger baby groups.

He was this relaxed the entire time!

In the younger baby group we played with a pinwheel, blowing on it and letting the babies catch it or try to blow on it themselves. Emmett didn’t quite understand that he was supposed to blow on it, so I blew and he caught it. Then they taught us how to properly lay baby back in the water so that their ears went under. They explained that many children hate the way it feels when their ears go under water so it’s important to get them used to it early.  I’m totally bragging, but Emmett had absolutely no problem with this and I’m going  to take credit for that because ever since he’s been big enough to take a bath in the big boy tub (around 6 1/2 months), I’ve laid him back and let him feel what it’s like to float (obviously with my hands underneath him), so his ears would go under then. I’m telling you, I want him to be as comfortable in water as I am, it’s such a great feeling!

The rest of the class we spent playing with little water toys and talking with the other babies and mommas.  We ended the class singing, Happy and You Know It, but with a twist, instead of clapping or shouting Hurray! we would blow bubbles in the water or splash each other, so much fun!

I had so much fun and cannot wait for today’s class!!

TO ME!!

It was my first birthday as a mother and such an amazing birthday it was, thank to Seamus and Emmett. <3

Around four months of age the topic of solids was broached at Emmett’s doctor’s appointment but we let his pediatrician know that we had no plans of introducing solids until he was 6 months old. We wanted his stomach to be as developed and ready for solid foods as possible. Plus I knew that he could sleep through the night without a “midnight snack” so solids seemed unnecessary for that reason. I will admit that he didn’t always sleep through the night but I knew that he was physically able to.

I have previously mentioned and did a book review of, Baby Led Weaning, you can see my review here. When I came across this method of introducing solids, it seemed like the best decision for us but I still had to convince Seamus that it was the right thing to do for our baby. I’ll be honest, I was concerned it would be tough to convince him but with my solid level of knowledge and armed with answers to all of his questions, it was pretty easy to sway him.

There’s nothing magical that happens on the exact date that a baby turns 6 months but we wanted to wait until that specific date. Well, unfortunately it had to be postponed for a couple extra nights because our power went out on his 6 month birthday and then again the next day. I was disappointed but also it just prolonged the excitement of giving my baby his first solids.

The book talks about what foods are best to start with and the one they recommend most frequently is broccoli, so we went with that. I was really curious on how Emmett would react to his first taste of food, he’s been breastfed since birth so he’s not used to the exact same flavored drink like formula fed babies are, so I wasn’t nervous but I couldn’t wait to see his facial expressions.

Seamus cut the head of broccoli into long stalks and we roasted it plain for about 10 minutes. Once it cooled, we placed a couple stalks in front of him; he almost instantly picked one up and put it to his mouth. He sucked on the florets and his face was instantly covered in the little buds, it was adorable but there wasn’t a single funny expression. He didn’t cringe or look grossed out, he just ate. I was shocked! I truly expected him to have even a slightly negative reaction but there was none. At that moment, I knew I had chosen the correct path for Emmett.

We continued to have success with each of the new foods we introduced to him. He didn’t turn anything away until we gave him plain chicken breast. I’m not sure whether it was bland or he just didn’t like it but he just would have nothing to do with it that night. The next time we gave him chicken we seasoned it and he was fine with it. Who knows, maybe he just wasn’t in the mood for chicken; I know I’m not always in the mood for chicken.  :)

There were a couple of times where I almost called it quits with BLW because the gagging and choking was making me nervous. Seamus, being a wonderful and supportive husband, encouraged me to skim the book again to look for any tips on how to handle gagging and whether it was normal. Being the nervous first time mom I was, I had read AND HIGHLIGHTED the section all about how gagging was normal, but had forgotten I’d done this. After rereading and see that it was completely normal and even expected, I was right back on the BLW bandwagon. That has pretty much been my only time faltering.

We did hit a few roadblocks with Emmett eating this way while at day care, but we overcame them with the help of our center’s director. This was the first time they had ever heard of a baby being fed this way and because they needed to remain compliant with many different standards they were leery of how things would go. Seamus and I met with the director to explain the process and the reasoning behind Emmett eating this way and after a couple of weeks things were up and running smoothly. They ensured us that someone would sit and watch Emmett while he. As he’s become more and more proficient with food, they’ve begun feeding him while watching other babies at the same time. Not all day care centers may be willing to work with you if you choose this method, but I encourage you to at least check with them and fully educate them before completely writing the idea off. I promise you, that feeding a baby this way is as easy as feeding them pureed food with a spoon and sometimes even easier.

This method may not be right for everyone but it has been nothing but successful for us. Emmett eats pretty much everything and we rarely have to make a separate meal for him, so it saves time in meal prep. Plus, Seamus and I are able to eat our food when it’s hot since Emmett is feeding himself and we don’t need to take extra time to feed him separately. The benefits of a baby eating this way are pretty much endless and I absolutely would recommend this to any parent who will be introducing solids to their baby soon.

To date, Emmett has tried and enjoyed (in no particular order), broccoli, sweet potatoes, corn bread, bananas, rolled oats (prepared), plums, red potatoes, chicken, mini-meatloaf, mini-quesadillas, mini-hamburgers, sweet peppers, apples, avocado, spaghetti, yogurt, mum mums, pierogi, pickles, ham, sausage, eggs, bread, cheese, pizza crust (with a tiny amount of sauce and cheese left on it), asparagus, tomato, peaches, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, pears, cabbage, corned beef, pork tenderloin, grilled cheese sandwiches and applesauce (which he surprising did not like at all). There very well may be more but this is all that I can recall at this moment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me!! Go ahead and use the ‘Contact Me’ button at the top of the page.

Just a really quick post to let you know that I was one of the individuals featured this week on one of my favorite blogs, The Lean Green Bean. Since it is super important to pack a lunch daily, I used her blog as motivation to do my own Sunday food prep. She featured my picture and a small blurb about me, check it out here.

Hi blog readers!

I’ve been posting so sporadically lately and I’m sorry about that. Life has gotten so busy and unfortunately the first thing to suffer is my blog since there is no one forcing me to write. I need to stop this because I enjoy sharing my stories with you and often times when I’m posting regularly it becomes a routine.

As you’ve known throughout my many posts about myself, I struggle with my weight and have done so pretty much for my entire life. I am considering sharing more about my journey on this blog but I want your opinions about whether this is something that would interest my readers. I realize my primary focus has been on Emmett and it will continue to be, but since I want to post all about what a first time moms (and repeat moms) go through, I thought hearing about my struggles and successes would interest you.

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