My daughter was born into water after her thirty nine weeks and one day stay in my uterus (which is slightly inaccurate given how the weeks of pregnancy is calculated) also in water; she is water baby. After a week and a half of sponge baths, I finally brought into the bathtub with me. I was not sure how she would react to the water but I was very interested to see how she would react. She was immediately calmed (she did not like being naked when she was a newborn). I supported her head and shoulders and she just … Continue reading →

Since I have a fussier than normal baby, it is also more difficult to keep him happy when he is not in my arms. We have a myriad of contraptions that he is starting to grow into like the bouncy chair, saucer, and swing. We also have a playmat on the floor that has toys that hang over his head. Yesterday, he managed to bounce himself in the bouncer for a good 15 minutes. I was thrilled! It gave me time to fold some laundry. My older kids are big helpers too. I frequently ask them to “go play with … Continue reading →

Books open up a new world. The concept is not lost on a baby or toddler. Little ones love to explore through books. I remember when my children were little and would sit and look through board books for what seemed like hours. Having a chubby little hand place the same book in your lap night after night is one of the joys of parenting. Board books are wonderful since they fit nicely in little hands and can stand up to abuse. The selections of board books are growing from classics to beautifully interactive books. I always have a hard … Continue reading →

Today we had some very depressing weather in my neck of the woods. The temperatures were hovering around freezing, and there were alternating periods of drizzles and flurries. The skies were dark enough that we had to turn lights on, even though it was the middle of the day. Needless to say, there was no way I was taking my toddler outside to play! Since he is one of those children who has an endless supply of energy, I had to find something else to keep him occupied. Luckily, the delivery man arrived with some inspiration in the form of … Continue reading →

I love playing with my 19-month-old son. Lately his favorite thing to do is basically destroy whatever I manage to build with his blocks. I try to make a tower and he knocks it down as hard as he can. I’m thinking someone would really love to play whack-a-mole… But, it’s not realistic to play all day. There are things that need to get done around the house. At the same time, you still have to watch and interact with your toddler. What is the solution? I am a big believer in including your toddler in your everyday activities. There … Continue reading →

Over the course of the past year and a half, the way I trim my baby’s fingernails as evolved quite a bit. Who would have ever thought a task so simple could become such a big deal, especially when the nails in question are so very small. When we first brought him home, his nails were soft and thin. They were so delicate, they reminded me of tissue paper. They were a little long, but I discovered that the excess would simply peel off with little effort. We did not need clippers or a file at first; all I needed … Continue reading →

A few things about meal time with a baby make life a little stressful if you are not prepared. For one, babies are very impatient when they are hungry, so if you are running around the kitchen trying to fill sippy cups and steam carrots, you can count on a big commotion coming from the high chair. Two, babies make big messes. It takes them two seconds and a flick of the wrist (which is likely covered in some type of mush) to turn a clean dining room into a disaster. What can you do to make meal time easier … Continue reading →

We have lovely friends who live at least an hour’s drive away from us by car. Our extended family is also a short trek away – close enough to make the journey seem feasible, but far enough away to make it seem impossible when you have a child who can’t stand the car seat. I vividly remember the first time we tried to head out to a pre-Christmas dinner with family. Our daughter was about 3 months old, ands she screamed for a good 20 minutes along the way. She screamed so violently that I debated turning the car around, … Continue reading →