What I've Been Reading - Jul 7 Edition

Mommy On the Go: 4 Tips for Easy Outings with Kids - Creative Home Keeper - This has some good ideas. Mostly about having 2 diaper bags - one for quick outings and one for longer ones. Also, parking near the cart return area.

9 Times Mint Had No Chill | MintLife Blog - This made me laugh out loud. I've thought those exact same things so many times. Seriously, though, I love mint. It helps keep track of my spending.

How to Choose the Best Over-the-Air Antenna for Free HDTV - We use Sling TV for watching news mostly and have stopped cable or satellite for some time now. But Sling does not have ABC or CW and I do miss watching those channels. One of the options I've been considering is getting an Over-the-air Antenna for getting these channels for free. I will let you know how that goes.

Visit to Acton Children's Museum

On Friday, I took AGirl to the Acton Children's Museum. They are free for the public the first friday of every month from 4:30-8:30 pm. Though they have a Discovery Museum and Science Museum, we only explored the Discovery Museum. From the outside of the building, it looked very small and you wouldn't think that they would have as many exhibits as they did.

There were kids of all ages in there - from a 6-month-old baby to middle school kids.

AGirl had a blast - she kept running from one exhibit to the other. The pirate ship exhibit and the kitchen exhibit were her favorites. This is AGirl trying to climb the ropes (sails) of the pirate ship.

Unfortunately, it was so crowded that I couldn't take pictures. Plus, I was busy chasing after AGirl! But I will definitely go again and will try to take more pictures that time.

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?

Over the last few days, I've read and heard so much about the measles outbreak and people coming out to talk on both sides of the issue.

I'm vaccinated and my daughter's vaccinated. My personal viewpoint is that parents should have a choice in whether they should vaccinate their kids or not and when making that decision, they should think about how their decision affects others too - not just their kids but their neighbor's kids, the kids they go to school with, anybody they come in contact with.

That said, here are some blog posts and other articles that I read recently that made me think more about this issue.

I Wish My Mom Had Vaccinated Me :- Talks about how she was not vaccinated as a kid and how she caught whooping cough, was not treated for it and suffers to this day because of side effects.

Enough is Enough with Blaming “Anti-Vaxxers” :- I have very mixed feelings about this one. I don't agree with a lot the author has to say but she has a few valid points too.

Dear Parents: There are more unvaccinated kids than you think

This Dad's argument for Vaccinations is a Game Changer

How I Save Time, Space, and Money on Kids Clothing

When I read this article, I kept thinking I wish I had done what the author had mentioned. AGirl's closet is a mess. She has lots of clothes and in multiple sizes. I have bought extra clothes a size bigger to save money and while that has been good in some cases, it still has led to some clothing not fitting properly and having to store all these clothes is a mess.

I think from now on, I'll buy in season and whatever fits at that point. It may be easier to limit the number of clothes she wears and easier to organize them too. Also, the number of decisions to make at 7 AM in the morning while getting ready for daycare would reduce. :)

The only thing I probably won't do is buy used clothes from Goodwill or Salvation Army. My husband's not in favor of it and I am not too crazy about it either. If it's from somebody I know, no problem but from a store second-hand, nah! Maybe it comes across as being snobbish but that's just how we feel.

How I Save Time, Space, and Money on Kids Clothing

Preparing for baby checklist

One of my friends is pregnant and I made this list for her based on lists which my sister and best friend sent with a few changes.

Essentials for baby:

1. Infant car seat and stroller (available as combo at stores) or convertible Car Seat
2. Crib
3. Changing Table (not essential but helps your back!)
4. Crib Mattress
5. Changing table pads
6. Mattress cover for crib (3 at least)
7. Changing station pad covers (3 at least)
8. Boppy (nursing pillow) and a slipcover (this doubles as baby support later)
9. Diaper bag
10. Bath tub and cushion that goes in tub for babies
11. Diaper disposal system

Layette essentials:

1. Onesies (0-3 months) - at least 3  & (3-6 months) - 3 or more  (baby grows very fast in the first few months, so it is wise to buy more in the 3 to 6 months range)
2. Sleeper suits with foot covered - at least 3
3. Button down sweater or hooded fleece siuts (for cold season babies) - at least one
4. SwaddleMe with the velcro for swaddling baby
5. Socks/booties/mittens/caps - babies need to keep head, hands and feet covered for the first couple of months since they can't regulate their body temperature yet.. also, their nails tend to scratch their faces.. (socks can work as mittens too)
6. Bibs/burp cloths - several
7. Wash cloths - helps when bathing baby
8. Towels - at least 3 (hooded ones are nicer)
9. Receiving blankets - at least 4 to 6 (bigger ones to swaddle baby)
10. Thick blankets - at least 2 if baby is born during cold season
11. Diaper holder/ organizer - to keep diapers/lotion/oil/wipes etc. handy for diaper and dress changes
12. Diapers - I prefer Pampers swaddlers sensitive brand coz they were the best for my daughter and most leak proof for her - (babies need at least 7 or 8 diaper changes every day in the first few weeks)
13. Diaper wipes - the ones that are not perfumed are better for new babies. Sensitive ones are not perfumed, for the most part
14. Mattress protector sheets (u get these for crib mattress just like the regular ones) - they are waterproof so it is good to have at least one for the mattress)
15. Dreft laundry detergent (wash baby clothes before use the first time and always separately in baby detergent)
16. For mom - nursing pads (disposable ones are better)

Bathing and other essentials:

1. Baby wash (head-to-toe) Aveeno or Burt's Bees is what I used for my daughter
2. Baby nail cutter (I prefer Safety 1st brand - still use it for the kids)
3. Nasal aspirator (it is also called nasal bulb) - need to remove stuff from nose
4. Brush/comb - needed if baby has lots of hair :)
5. Baby lotion
6. Petroleum jelly or diaper rash ointment
7. Temporal thermometer
8. Regular thermometer (non-mercury - think you get it from the New Baby class)
9. Baby tylenol (infant drops)
10. Mylicon gas reliever (check doctor before use - good for gassy babies)

Other extras that are optional:

1. Glider/ottoman (This was a huge plus for me - saved my life. I still use it to rock my daughter)
2. Baby sling or carrier - try out several brands to find the right one to work for you.
3. Baby monitor (needed if u live in 2-level houses) - go with video monitor if baby's sleeping separately at any point.
4. Bouncer seat (for times when baby is bored of looking up at the ceiling and even for colicky babies)
5. Swing (helpful in calming baby or swinging baby to sleep) - was very useful for my daughter - she slept in it for a few months.
6. Play yard (again for 2 level houses since it serves as a crib and diaper changing area)
7. Bottle feeding supplies (Bottles, nipples, bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer, bottle brush cleaner)
8. Breast pump & accessories
9. Nursing cover
10. Portable Changing pad

Immunity Boosting Meal Suggestions for Kids

My daughter hates veggies and is very choosy about the food she eates. She just recovered from a long-lasting low-grade fever that lasted for more than a week.

So I want to give her some foods that increase her immunity but which she will eat. I came across this article on WhatToExpect.com on immunity boosting foods. Here's what I got from the article.

Main foods to aim for seem to be foods rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, food which has live cultures, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids and Zinc. But how to get these foods inside them? Here are some suggestions from the article.

Suggestions on how to serve:

• Steamed baby carrots or broccoli
• Mashed sweet potatoes with some maple syrup if they need the sweetness
• Fruit based smoothie with spinach or kale and tablespoon of flax oil
• Greek yoghurt & serve with granola, fruit, nuts or honey
• Oatmeal with cinnamon and honey
• Whole grain toast with jam and nut butter
• Yoghurt with berries and walnuts on top
• Chicken noodle soup
• All-natural Almond butter on apple slices
• Peanut-butter and jelly sandwich

(Disclaimer: This post is just what I got this article. All credit goes to the author of the original article.)

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

I've always found it difficult to buy gifts for a baby shower. I don't know why. I've had a baby, know quite a bit about toys and baby stuff but still it's hard to guess what the other person would like.

Of course, if there's a wish list given before the event with the invitation, that's the best. That way, you know what to get and there's no confusion.

If not, each mother has different needs and likes/dislikes. Some plan to breastfeed, other bottle-feed. Some may want to breastfeed but may not be able to. Some may be very eco-minded, other not-so. Some may have different brands in mind, etc.

Either way, I will be attending a traditional indian baby shower in the new couple of weeks. So I've been searching for some gift ideas. Generally, whenever I give such gifts I like to give some baby clothes and a baby toy or something of the sort. Also, it helps to have a budget in mind before buying a gift. Most of the gifts I list below are below $20. Most of them are also toys which were hits with my daughter.

Here are some gift ideas:

• Clothes: I like to buy at BabiesRUs, Kohl's and Gap/OldNavy. Generally, I tend to buy 3-6 months or 6-9 months, based on what's available in stores and on how the weather is going to be at the time the baby would be that age. 

• Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes: My daughter loved this and I used this a lot especially during diaper changes to distract her. Even now at almost 2, she loves the music on it and plays with it sometimes. Current price on Amazon: $8.09

• Sophie the Giraffe: My daughter loved chewing on Sophie. While she was younger, she mostly just like the squeaking noise but as she grew older and her teeth started popping out, she enjoyed chewing on it. Even now, with her molars coming in, she loves chewing on it. Current Price on Amazon: $20.20

• Lamaze Cloth Book: This was one of the first books I bought for my daughter. She loved chewing on it and lifting the flaps. Current Price on Amazon: $9.99

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  Lamaze Play & Grow Freddie the Firefly Take Along Toy: This was one of my favorite toys for my daughter - I could clip it to her playmat and she would pull on it, chew on it and play with it. I've also used it in the car to distract her on the way to daycare. Current Price on Amazon: $12.39

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  Bright Starts Rattle and Shake Barbell Rattle: My daughter loved this rattle - it was her favorite among all the rattles I had bought for her. It was extremely light and easy for her grasp this from when she was 4-5 months. Current Price on Amazon: $5.10

• Summer Infant SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap: These were a lifesaver for me. My daughter had a lot of difficulty with sleep and she would move her arms and hit herself and wake up. She was so strong she would kick out of regular swaddle blankets. Once I started using the SwaddleMe wraps, they helped a huge lot and were a timesaver as well and it was so easy to use them. Current Price on Amazon: $16.22 (different prices for different colors)

• Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine: I actually received this as an unexpected baby shower gift from a friend. I didn't use it for a long time till I read the book "The Happiest Baby On The Block" where it was suggested to use a sound machine to help the baby sleep better and it actually worked. I still use the sound machine to block out household noise so my daughter doesn't wake up. Current Price on Amazon: $29.98

(This post contains affliate links)

Blogs on crafts for toddlers

One of my friends recently posted on Facebook about craft kits for kids and it gave me the idea of coming up with a list of blogs or articles about crafts for kids. Her son is around 3 - so I thought I'd make a list for toddlers.

1. Gift of Curiosity:- This website has a lot of articles with ideas for toddlers and preschoolers in particular. She explains the activities very well with lots of photos and has printables available for free which we can download and use. 
2. 1+1+1=1 :- This website has a lot of articles on homeschooling and parenting and also has printables for free.
3. 3 Dinosaurs :- Has a lot of great suggestions for activities  for toddlers and preschoolers and tons of printables. 
4. Toddler Approved :- As the name suggests, has a lot of suggestions for activities for toddlers
5. Kids Activities Blog :- Again, the name is self-explanatory

Toddler Favorites

My daughter, who is 22 months old now, is very active and her personality's really coming out now. Her favorite word is "Noooooo!", of course as with all toddlers. 

She's really into reading books right now. She loves bringing me books and saying "Book" and plopping down in my lap. Her favorite nighttime books are currently "Goodnight Moon", "Time to Bed", "Goodnight Gorilla" and the "The Sleepy Little Alphabet". At other times during the day, she loves reading "Bear says Thank You" and "Barnyard Dance". 

Her favorite toys right now are her dolls. She calls them "babies". She loves feeling them du-du (milk) and putting her to sleep on mats (pillow) and covering them with a baby blankie. She also loves playing with her teapot and pouring into cups. 

She loves watching Barney videos and listening to Barney songs. Her favorite songs right now are "Pop goes the weasel", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Five little monkeys", "ABCD..", "I love you, you love me" and "Tap Tap". She likes so many songs it's hard to list them all out but these are her favorites right now. 

(This post contains some affiliate links)

Feeding a Picky Eater

My daughter, who is 22 months old, had a lot of food allergies when she was born. As she grew older, she outgrew a lot of them like milk and soy but still is allergic to anything in the bean family like beans, green beans, lentils.

This has made me very conscious about what I feed her. We are also vegetarians. This narrows down our options for what I feed her a lot and we are Indians as well so our diet is very different from the western diet. She goes to daycare - so what I can give to daycare for lunch and snack has to be daycare-friendly (something she can eat by herself without too much involvement by the teachers, no nuts, etc).

One of the major issues I have hitting with her diet is that she doesn't like any vegetables and she's low on protein. I was reading the article linked below on What To Expect on some tips. Here's what I took away from the article.

Make food fun:- Cut sandwiches into fun shapes (though I first need to get her into sandwiches - so far she's not liked bread much at all). Put blueberry smiles on pancakes or on top of cereal. Interactive food like food with dips where they have to dip and eat might be fun. (I tried this - carrot sticks with ranch dressing. She didn't like it at all). Get toddler involved in meal prep - like getting her to help in picking veggies in the store or letting her choose which healthy food to buy. While cooking, have her do some of the small things like stirring or adding ingredients. Make small portions of food - like mini pancakes or mini muffins.

Sneak in nutrients:- This is where I'm facing a lot of difficulty. Sneak some cauliflower into mac'n'cheese (except she doesn't like mac'n'cheese). Add shredded carrots or sweet potato to pancake batter or omelettes. ( I tried this as her daycare teacher suggested - carrots in omelettes. It worked. ) And fruits are good too - if she likes fruits, let her have them. Her daycare teacher suggested making muffins with veggies and see if that works. She said she'd get me the receipe from her mother.

Be a good model:- Toddlers mimic mom & dad. So we need to eat better, at the table and eat a lot of veggies for dinner. Avoid junk food.

Let them choose:- Let her choose what to eat. Give her 2 healthy options and once she's picked one, stick with it. She'll eat if she's hungry. Don't force your toddler to eat.

Feeding a Picky Eater

Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair review

We bought this high chair before the baby was born - I had heard great reviews about this chair and it was touted in all the books as the best.

In the beginning, I liked it. It seemed comfortable for my daughter. I could wipe it clean and use it. I could tilt in the beginning when my daughter couldn't quite sit up and adjusted it as she grew up.

My issues with this chair started when my daughter threw up all her formula and sweet potato together one day. While I could wash the seat and wipe down all the plastic, some of the vomit got inside the crevices and I couldn't clean there. Also, the straps got the brunt of the vomit (apart from her dress) and no matter how much I wiped & cleaned, the stains never went away and I still don't feel happy about her using it.

I tried to let that go - cleaned as best as I could and am still using it. But now, the underside of the seat has started to pill. My daughter has easy access to it since the underside shows up near her thighs and she has happily started plucking away at it more and more. I'm concerned she may put it in her mouth.

Overall, while I was initially happy with this purchase, now I'm seriously considering and looking for another high chair to buy.

Babywearing

I recently bought a sling and 2 front carriers to be able to carry my baby without my arms killing me. My baby wants to be held all the time and I'm not physically capable of that. Add to the fact that she wants only me to hold her and will only calm down for me. While this makes me feel really special, I do need to get some other things done as well.

I tried the sling - didn't work out so well. My daughter hated it - refused to sit in it and she just didn't look comfortable in it. I had the eddie bauer front carrier from before but it seemed too huge for her and there's no head support.

I bought the Infantino Swift Classic Carrier Black and tried it out. She seems ok in it but I'm still not quite sure - I want to wear her around in it some more. She has gone asleep in it a couple of times but I'm not sure if she's comfortable straddling in it.

I've also bought the Beco Baby Butterfly II ORGANIC Carrier In Espresso and am yet to try it out. I'm not sure it will fit me as I'm very short and it doesn't seem to be meant for very short people. 

2 months ...

It's been 2 months since my life changed completely. My daughter is 2 months old and she had her 2 month visit with her doctor today.

Life moves by so fast .... When I think of these last 2 months, my life has revolved around my daughter. Her cries, her smile, her mannerisms, everything about her has fascinated me. Even though we've had other issues in our life, my main focus has remained on her.

Already in 2 months, some of the things she used to do, she doesn't do anymore.

Things my 8 week daughter has done recently

She has started pouting before she starts crying.

She used to put her 2 fingers in a V position while feeding; now she puts her hand in her hair.

She has started to try to suck on her thumb - she mostly sucks on her entire fist since she hasn't that control yet

She smiles in response to my smile.

She loves her changing table and becomes excited and hyper when she's on it.

She's the joy of my life!

My baby daughter Anjali !!

After months of waiting, we finally have our baby - a girl we named Anjali.

I will put my birth story in a different post - suffice it to say my baby was delivered safely and she's perfectly healthy.

Bloody Show, finally!

After being 3 days past my due date, I was beginning to despair of labor ever starting for me. I hadn't had my mucus plug come out or any signs of contractions.

Yesterday afternoon, when I got up from a nap and went to the restroom, I saw some drops of blood - they were pink and brown. Since then, I've been seeing a few drops every time I go to the restroom. I was so happy to see the "Bloody Show" as this is called. This means that my cervix has not started to ripen and that some of the blood capillaries have broken. This means something is happening down there!! Yay!!

Also, since last night, I've been having light period-like cramps along with back pain but not regularly. This is still not very painful but mostly uncomfortable. Once in a while, there's a painful one but for the most part, not too bad. When I spoke to my sister today morning, she said that's how contractions are - period-like cramps with back pain. They get worse in intensity & more frequent and more painful as time goes on.

I'm excited that this is finally going to happen and hope it happens without being induced but am also nervous... :)

1 day to go...

It's hard to believe 40 weeks has flown by and now, I just have 1 day to go for my due date! My baby doesn't seem to have any interest in coming out though. I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and I'm not dialated at all - not an inch. She said the baby needs to drop down a little more too. I've not lost  my mucus plug yet either. :(

I'm so disappointed. I was hoping my baby would arrive soon - I'm so excited to meet her. I don't want to be induced and would like to go into labor naturally. However, I have other commitments and dates and it's going to be difficult to meet them if the baby doesn't come out soon. My doctor has said she will prefer to wait till 41 1/2 weeks to induce me if I don't go into labor by then - which is going to be around 5th of August, which is going to be very late for me.

I have an ultrasound and NST (Non Stress Test) scheduled for next Monday - the 30th and then the decision will be made about induction. I'm really hoping the baby decides to come out before then.

Just 10 days more..

I can't believe time has flown by so fast and it's only 10 days away from my due date. I still haven't had any contractions yet and am feeling ok for the most part.

I have feeling concerned though - the last 2 days the baby has not been moving much; my feet have swollen a  lot and I've been having some nausea. I have my 39th week doctor appointment tomorrow and am nervous about it. My mucus plug hasn't fallen out yet.

I just found out that one of my friends had a baby boy on July 13th - 5 days after her due date. I wonder if that's going to happen to me as well.

There's a lot of stuff happening right now. We just found out last week that my father-in-law needs to have open heart surgery immediately. He will be getting the surgery next week in India. Unfortunately, because I'm due around the same time, my husband won't be able to go and help out. We're hopeful everything should go well and he will be fine but it's a lot of stress around this time.

Baby blanket disaster

For the past several months, I've been trying to knit a simple baby blanket for my baby. I was hoping to finish it before the baby comes. But yday, after all my family left, I went to knit again and saw that somehow in the all the confusion, some of the stitches had come loose and unravelled and it didn't look like an easy fix.

I'm so disappointed - I had such high hopes that I would make a baby blanket for my baby. My husband told me that it's ok - we had already received a beautiful handmade baby blanket for the baby. And I admit, it's much more beautiful than what mine would have been. But I wanted to create one for the baby - he didn't understand.

Perhaps I should just give up on the blanket and go ahead and make something else for the baby but I have no idea what. Any suggestions?

Baby Shower

I had my baby shower on June 23rd and it was so much fun. It was a co-ed baby shower. My husband and I did most of the organizing and my sister helped with the final preparations for decorating & shower games.

We ordered baby shower invitation cards from Vistaprint and mailed them out. We had a tough time finding a good place to host the baby shower but eventually managed to find a place which wasn't too expensive but still nice. We catered the food from the same place and ordered centerpieces and baby shower take-home gifts online. We bought the decorations, balloons and some of the baby shower games from iParty. We ordered a beautiful cake from Jacques Pastries in NH - the cake was delicious and so beautiful.

Two of the baby shower games - Baby Charades and Baby Items Memory Game - we organized that ourselves. We printed some baby related things on paper and couples had to participate - one had to act out and other had to guess. It was a lot of fun and everybody participated in it. For the memory game, we bought a bunch of baby items and organized on a big tray - everybody was given a minute to remember everything on the tray and then write it down. That was a fun game too.

Overall, it was a fun day and went very well. The food was good and everybody had fun. We got a lot of great gifts from people who came - I had put my registry on Amazon; so most people had just mailed the gifts home. A few people bought the gifts over when they came too. I appreciated all the gifts but one of the best gifts for me was a beautiful baby blanket from one of my friends which she had crotchet'd. It was lavender and white with small hints of pink. It's so thick and beautiful that I'm sure my baby will love it.