Category Archives: Before Baby Arrives

Happy Passengers

We live kind out in the middle of nowhere. No matter where we are headed, there’s always at least a 15 minute drive involved. We live a half hour away from one set of grandparents and an hour from the other. Needless to say, our toddler has grown accustomed to riding in the car for long periods of time. He still gets restless sometimes, however, so we have come up with a few tricks to keep him occupied and happy during a quick (or long) trip. It helps if your child can have a special toy or lovey that she … Continue reading →

Picking Out Your Baby’s Christmas Outfit

With Christmas a little more than a week away, you might be planning how to dress your baby for his or her big Christmas debut. If this is your baby’s first Christmas, her wardrobe is a big deal. Will she wear a “Baby’s First Christmas” shirt, a dress, or a Santa suit? She’s going to be in a lot of photos, so choose wisely. My philosophy on special outfits is “keep it simple.” Sometimes, something understated and elegant will actually have the biggest impact. I love to see layered and accessorized outfits featuring a blend of neutrals and a touch … Continue reading →

Blowouts

Every parent dreads this moment. You smell something unusually stinky. You pick up your baby and you feel something damp on their leg or their back. You remove their pants and realize the poop is all over their clothes and up their back. You are afraid of opening the diaper but it is the inevitable next step. It is the infamous blowout and it happens to every baby. Sometimes the best thing to do is simply put the baby in the tub, because some messes just can’t be cleaned with wipes. Blowouts happen, so the best thing to do is … Continue reading →

Christmas Shopping for Baby

Last night my husband and I perused the toy aisle in Walmart, looking for ideas for our son’s Christmas present. He is just over a year and a half now, and pretty much anything that has wheels or involves horses is sure to get him excited. The problem we’ve been facing is trying to find a toy that will not only reflect his favorite things, but will also be age appropriate and hopefully so for a long time. We don’t want to get him something that he will outgrow in 3-6 months. It should at least last until next Christmas … Continue reading →

Baby-Proofing The Christmas Tree

I’ve been brainstorming a lot lately about our Christmas tree. With a toddler in the house, whom we affectionately call our “little monkey,” there are extra precautions to be taken to make sure that our Christmas tree is safe, both to and from our child. We don’t want our tree hurting our son, and we don’t want our son hurting the tree. The easiest way is to create a physical barrier in the form of a play yard baby gate, which can be wrapped around the tree. The only problem with this, though, is it is not exactly visually appealing, … Continue reading →

Keeping Your Baby Warm

With the weather getting colder and colder, it is time to bundle up those babies. There are so many adorable options these days. Babies in snow suits are always adorable, but there are other ways to keep your little one toasty. The traditional snow suit. The old fashioned way to keep your baby warm is to bundle her up in a plush snow suit, which usually has a hood attached. The pros: you’re pretty much guaranteed that there will be no drafts chilling your cute little bug. Cons: your baby will not be able to move much. Unless he or … Continue reading →

The Well Stocked Diaper Bag

A well stocked diaper bag can make everyone happy. Never underestimate the power of a well packed diaper bag. It can prevent meltdowns, embarrassment, and stress. All too often we think of diaper bags and automatically limit their use to diapers (or bottles, depending on the baby’s age), but a diaper bag can be so much more. It should be an emergency kit for both mom and baby. Here is a sample list of things you might want to add to your diaper bag. To conserve space, use travel size containers. Snacks for mom & baby. The key phrase here … Continue reading →

When You Can’t Stand To Change One More Diaper

Imagine yourself standing before the changing table. Your baby squirms and coos. It is a familiar routine for the both of you. You could probably change a diaper in your sleep; you’ve done it so many times. Now picture yourself standing in front of the same changing table. Your baby is now a toddler, squirming and threatening to grab his bottom, which is covered in the most putrid, foul smelling poop you have come across yet, thanks to his overindulgence in grapes yesterday. Cleaning him up is far from easy because he is determined to get up and run away. … Continue reading →

Halloween Fun With Your Baby

Last Halloween, we did not go trick-or-treating. My son was only 6 months old and we did not think it would go over well. Plus, it might have looked pretty silly to ask for candy when it was clear we would be the only ones eating it. This year, however, we will be taking him trick-or-treating with both sets of grandparents. Some of our friends and family will have treats that are toddler friendly and we think that our son will get into it now that he is old enough to grasp the concept. We are also working on “please” … Continue reading →

Creating a Nursery that Will Grow with Your Baby

When I compare a photo of my son’s room before he was born with what I see before my eyes today, I am surprised at how much it has changed. There are several things we had to change as he got older. We did not anticipate how much storage we would need once we started accumulating toys and clothes, nor did we anticipate his ability to get into the storage we did have and make a huge mess. Next time we build a nursery, we’ll be able to take what we learned from adapting our son’s room and apply it … Continue reading →