Sunday snapshots

This weekend I stole a few hours to do some shopping for Cameron. It is so much more fun to shop for her than myself! Kohl's was having a great sale with some stuff up to 70% off for kids. I hadn't even been planning to go into the store (isn't that always the way?) but I had something to return and Babies 'R Us was very lacking in fleece PJs and socks.

As of today all of Cameron's 9 month clothing has been put away and she's been moved into her 12 month clothes. I love it because it means all new outfits for me to enjoy. Cameron could care less, of course...the pants are still a bit long but she can still crawl around with no problem.

Yes, she really is adorable, isn't she? No, I'm not biased! We've had to start putting clips in her hair to keep it out of her eyes. It usually only lasts an hour or two before falling out. But at least she doesn't pull it out herself.

Our friends, Pat and Nikki, sent along this adorable Adidas outfit. Cameron is ready for her professional sports career to start!
As you can see, the squinty look has become a favorite of Cameron's when the camera is whipped out. She's quite the ham. DH and I try to present a lot of options for finger foods but Cameron always prefers her carbs. I can put a new kind of food in front of her and she will only pop it in her mouth if it is carb related. Otherwise it takes 6-7 introductions for a new food before she puts it in her mouth to try it. Then it is a 50/50 chance if Cameron will actually like it.

Despite her pickiness with finger food Cameron has always been fascinated with Charlie's food. One day, we let her indulge herself. Watch and enjoy!

Product review: the FURminator

Anyone who had a dog that sheds will tell you it is an uphill battle to tame the dog hair in the house. I think it's even worse in a home with hardwood floors because I can see the clumps of dog hair as a I walk through the house. The hair has a bad habit of accumulating on the stairs and any place I can see while feeding Cameron. I notice it and then forget about it once Cameron is done only to see it all over again at the next feeding. It drives a Type A personality like me nuts!

While having dinner at Amanda's a friend of hers mentioned the FURminator. DH expressed immediate disbelief at the testimony that it is an amazing comb for cats and dogs. Because we live in the Internet age I immediately Googled it (http://www.furminator.com/shedless.cfm) and watched the videos. It looked like the answer to our prayers. Our prayers of laziness by only wanting to brush the dog every once in a while rather than every day during shedding season.

I planned to pick one up last week while getting more dog food but the item is so popular the pet store was out of stock. I asked the clerk if the boasts about the product were true and he said, "I've never seen anything work better." So I made a special trip once they restocked and picked up the most expensive brush I've ever gotten. Charlie is about 60 pounds and I got the medium size brush.

As soon as I got home I cut open the package (why do manufacturers make it so hard to get to the actual item you buy?!?) and took Charlie outside to test it out. And it was AMAZING! If you have a dog or cat that sheds, run, do not walk and spend your hard earned money on this product. It totally works. After about 5 minutes of brushing Charlie I had a mound of dog hair that would normally take about an hour of brushing to get. I would post a picture but I had to clean up the hair before the wind blew it over the yard. Even DH has become a believer although he is holding off on unconditional support until after Charlie's next bath.

I can't wait to see if it really reduces the dog hair in the house but considering how much I got off Charlie today, I'm sure it will. Has anyone else tried this product? Do you like it as much as I do?

Oh, you didn't ask for my advice?

Now that we have been living with Cameron for more than two months, I have taken note of the things we can't live without in order to keep me sane. I thought I would pass my advice along to future parents. It was a challenge for me to build my registry and I had two sisters to give me advice! What else am I missing from my list that you would recommend? How about as the baby ages?

• Prefold cloth diapers - I can't say enough about how useful these are. 3 packs are not too many! I use them for everything: extra protection on the changing pad or boppy, wiping up spit up or drool, or as a makeshift breastfeeding cover or bib. I also use one under her head while she sleeps in case she spits up. It is such a pain to change crib sheets!


• Boppy - I have two, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I use it for all of Cameron's feedings and sometimes put her in it for naps (when swaddled of course). She likes the "arms" around her while napping. If you haven't tried it yet for napping, I recommend it. Get the Boppy with a cover so you can throw it in the wash as needed.


• Boppy pad liner - this is useful for changing pads. Cameron liked to pee as we were changing her diaper and we would have had to wash her changing pad frequently if not for this.


• Bouncer - my "go to" device for keeping Cameron occupied while I'm doing things. It took her about two months to really enjoy the toy bar but the vibrations on the bouncer have always worked in soothing her.


• Medela Pump & Save storage bags - I recommend these over the Lansinoh storage bags. I don't actually pump into them because the measurements aren't accurate but they stand up nicely (flat bottom) and work better once defrosted in staying upright.


• Swaddling blankets - if you don't swaddle you should! Cameron is a little Houdini so I have to do the super swaddle but she wouldn't sleep half as well without it. We use two types of blankets for swaddling. The first is for nighttime and is the flannel blankets that my grandmother made for Cameron. The second I tend to use during the day and they are the waffle weave blankets. The waffle weave ones stretch easily and I can tie her up nice and tight. She will outgrow both of these blankets in terms of swaddling so I also have the Aden + Anais muslin blankets which are much larger.


• Pacifiers - I never worried about nipple confusion and was more than happy to let Cameron have a pacifier in the hospital. However, Cameron wasn't good at holding on to the Soother brand, probably because of how it is shaped. Instead she likes the MAM button ones. We started with the 0+ months ones and have now moved on to the 2+ months ones. There is an actual difference! The 2+ ones have a wider base. I just picked up the Pacifier Keeper for use in the car and it's working great so far. Every baby is different so you may need to pick up a couple of brands to see what is right for your baby.


• Cradle swing - I love this product for soothing Cameron to sleep. Our version is shaped in such a way that we can put her in it swaddled and be able to easily move her to her crib after she's fallen asleep. Cameron also loves the mirror and will often fall asleep looking at herself.


• Bath pillow - based on my sister's experience with Finn, I decided to go with the Safer Bather over a plastic infant bath tub. I probably use a bit more water than if I just used a small tub but I like that it's soft and it is easy to move Cameron around to get her clean. Once I'm done I can hang it up in the shower to dry before her next bath. I have thrown it in the washer if it starts to smell a little and it cleans up great. Word of advice though, put it in the washer by itself or it will collect lint.


• Tubside Kneeler & Step Stool - let's face it, tile floors are hard, even when covered by a rug. I came across this product and snapped it up. I love the pockets and the fact that as I lean over the tub there is padding for the side too.


• Playmat - when Cameron gets over stimulated by the bouncer toybar I often move her over to her playmat. I received the Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe but really, any of them are good. I also picked up other toys to hang off the bars. I'm told that mine comes apart and can be washed but I haven't had to do that yet.


• Bottle drying rack - we got the Dr. Brown's one mostly because that's they brand we use for bottles but we only use one of the two levels it comes with. I would probably go with this one instead.


• Dishwasher basket - we don't use this much yet since Cameron only gets one bottle a day but I have a feeling it will be very much in use once she starts daycare and we are at 3-4 bottles a day. The Prince Lionheart one fits well in the top or bottom of the dishwasher and holds a fair amount of bottle parts.


• Pack and play - I have this permanently set up downstairs. I used it for naps initially when I was trying to get Cameron to distinguish night from day. But now she is napping in her crib so I use it primarily for it's changing table feature. We have two floors so it is critical to have a separate changing table downstairs. It breaks down fairly compactly and it much easier to transport than a regular crib. If you get the Pack and Play, make sure you get the one that has the bassinet and changing table features.


• Diaper Champ - I call out the brand on this one because the Diaper Champ takes regular garbage bags. Some other brands require you to buy their bags which can be a pain.


• Cleaning agent and bucket - Cameron is the queen of diaper blowouts. My favorite was the time she as feeding and pooped through her clothes, mine and on the Boppy. Good times. If we didn't have a cheap plastic bucket and some variation of OxyClean (whatever is on sale at BJs) we would be throwing out a lot of clothes. I use the cheap 5 gallon bucket you can find at any home improvement store and keep in next to the washing machine. Fill it up with some hot water, add the cleaner and clothes and they can wait until the next time I do laundry. No need to wash right away!


• Symphony-in-Motion mobile - similar to the toybar on the bouncer and the playmat it took about 6 weeks before Cameron started noticing and responding to the mobile. I like this brand in particular because the music plays for 15 minutes and the toys are big enough for her to see clearly.


• Glider - we were fortunate to get a used glider and ottoman (also glides) from DH's brother and sister-in-law. This is critical for late night feedings, whether you breastfeed or not. I've also started using it when Cameron is fussy during naps to try and calm her down and put her back to sleep now that she naps in her crib upstairs. My ottoman has a nursing stool attached to it that I use frequently. Target sells a very reasonably priced glider and ottoman set.


• Nursing stool - this could be useful for bottle fed babies as well. I find it gives me the leverage I need to prop Cameron's head up slightly and make feeding her more comfortable for me. Since I have the nursing stool on the ottoman I keep the stand alone one downstairs.


• Breast pump - it was completely worth it to spend a significant amount of money on a breast pump, especially because I will return to work full time. I bought the Medela Pump In Style Advance and it has worked great for me. If you want to read my review of it, you can find it here.

Things you don't need to buy because you will get a million of them:

• Bibs - lots of 4 or 5 piece outfits come with bibs. I think we have about 10 and that's on top of the ones we bought ourselves. So no need to register or buy any yourself. Once we start solid foods we will get some plastic ones.


• Small burp clothes - similar issue to bibs. Plus I've already advised about using cloth diapers for this purpose.


• Caps - we never really used caps on Cameron but if we needed to, we receive about 20 as gifts. Again, no need to register.

Don't you just love a bargain?

Today Amanda and I went to a consignment sale to check out the deals. It is my first baby consignment trip but I've heard great things about them from other moms. This consignment sale hasn't been going on very long but they do it twice a year and I'm already marking my calendar for a return trip in September.

For less than $80 I picked up a ton of 9-12 month clothes (including a couple of OshKosh B'Gosh overalls which I love), some books and a few toys. The trick with the clothes was focusing on separates. I got a lot of sweaters and pants since it will be Fall and Winter when Cameron can wear them. DH was very happy with my frugality. I was hoping to find a couple of big ticket items like a stroller but the pickings were slim. I might sell some stuff in September so I can take advantage of the consigner early sale.

I'm a big fan of the sales and am trying to pick up all of Cameron's clothes on sale. So if I'm in Old Navy or Babies 'R Us I look at the sale rack and focus on clothes 6+ months out. Of course that means her closet is rapidly filling but she'll be growing out of her 0-3 months soon enough (sniff, sniff). What do other moms do to try and save money for clothes that are worn out through play, washings and rapid growth?

This week we've also introduced Cameron to the play feature of her bouncer. She is absolutely fascinated by the bubbles and moving lights but can't kick her feet up yet to activate it herself. I can get a few things done while she is mesmerized. I have a feeling she is going to love TV! The only caveat is that Cameron can get over-stimulated. I try to spot any impending fussiness and remove the toy bar.

Look at the pretty lights!

I'll just chill here for a while.

Spring has sprung, I hope

DH and I were blessed with a fantastic weekend weather wise in Charlotte. Temperatures reached 70+ degrees on Sunday and will again today. I realize it is only the second week of February but I can't but feel that our cold winter weather is done for. I'm sure a nice ice storm will come along to prove me wrong. But in the meantime, I have hung up my winter coat in the closet and hope to not pull it out until next winter!

It was so nice outside I felt guilty about the massive cardinal bathing itself in my disgustingly dirty bird bath. So I pulled out the hose for the first time this year and cleaned it out. I also filled the bird feeder. We have so many birds that the bird seed lasts less than 24 hours. But Charlie loves to watch the birds so whenever I remember I fill it up.

Other than that, DH and I had a lazy weekend broken up by some shopping trips and eating dinner out on Friday. I tried to pick up an exercise ball from Target but the medium one (65 cm) seemed way too small. There are a few reasons I want an exercise ball and using it for exercise is just one of them! I have heard it is great for pre-labor and during labor for easing back tension. Plus Mommy, Esq. swears by it for bouncing and calming her twins. Anyone know what size I should get? And should I swing by a sporting goods store instead of a Target?

In other news, I am now T minus 7 weeks until my due date. Apparently the little one is now over 4 pounds (the size of a pineapple) and over 17 inches long. DH is impressed that she somehow fits in my belly. I know she does because now I grunt every time I get out of a chair or roll over in bed. I'm also a lot more short of breath and run to the bathroom at least once an hour. As I said, T minus 7 weeks!

A long lazy weekend

While I worked on Friday I only received about 10 emails so to say it wasn't busy is an understatement. That means I felt as though I had a 4 day weekend. The last time I had one of those was in October but we traveled to Hilton Head so it doesn't count. I think that a weekend that involves travel cannot be, by definition, a long lazy weekend. I am trying to store up now since I won't have any of these once the baby arrives.

DH did more work than I - he started painting the nursery. I picked out two colors, a base color (Touch of Violet) and a stripe color (Elevator). DH removed the baseboard (to make painting easier, thank goodness for a nail gun to put it back on!) and put up two coats of the base color. It looks great and I can't wait until the stripes go on. But first I have to help with a chalk line that will represent the chair rail. That won't happen until tonight. The contrasting colored stripes will run below the chair rail. I promise to put up some before and after painting pictures once it's done.

I did manage to rouse myself enough to go shopping. I picked a few presents for the nieces and nephews. I was really tempted to buy some stuff for our baby but I resisted. Well, I did buy one thing but I couldn't help myself! It was just too perfect. Despite all radio reports to the contrary, I didn't really find any spectacular deals. It could be that they only happened on Friday and I was not about to fight the crowds during that day. I also wrapped most of the presents. What can I say, it was a tough weekend :-) I just have the stocking stuffers left to wrap which are always the most annoying because they tend to be oddly shaped.

Next weekend I hope to put up Christmas lights and take out the few Christmas decorations we have for the house (yes, DH, even the ceramic Christmas tree you hate so much!). I might start Christmas cookies but it depends on how strong my wrists are feeling. I have an old fashioned cookie press that requires twisting to make the dough come out. I usually have to get DH to help me once my carpal tunnel kicks in.

Is it just me or does it feel as though Christmas is just around the corner? Thanksgiving was "late" this year. Plus DH and I leave in three weeks for our long journey up to Massachusetts. I'm almost wondering if it's worth it to do Christmas decorations if we'll only enjoy them for a couple of weeks...

Black Friday

I decided to suck it up and work today instead of taking a vacation day. BigFinance is closed for Thanksgiving but not Black Friday. You'd think they would want to do their part and encourage us to go shopping but apparently not. DH gets the day off and I'm very jealous.

But in a way, it's a good thing that I am working and hundreds of miles away from my family and closest friends. That way, I don't shop as much! I am very thankful that, aside from my diminishing retirement account, DH and I haven't had to worry too much about the economy. We're both still employed with no sign of impending layoffs (fingers and toes crossed). While we have been spending more than usual to get the nursery ready we are still able to save and I can splurge on the newest fantasy fiction books.

I've completed most of my Christmas shopping (I know, don't hate me!) primarily because I've been in nesting mode for the past two months and want everything to be done. DH and I set limits for each other and we are being more frugal with the other presents. I am going to make Christmas cookies again this year (I will try to make the bow for the wreaths this year so back off A. and Mommy, Esq!) and give those out as small gifts around the office. I anticipate that this Christmas will be under $1,000 which is a good thing. I'd like it to be even less but DH and I both have big families with lots of little ones. It's hard to resist buying for the kids!

When I was getting ready for work this morning I heard a report on the radio that this Black Friday should be pretty good for both retailers and consumers. Apparently prices are extremely low (thanks deflation!) and there are fewer shopping days before Christmas. The big push is to have consumers spend so we can start righting the economy. One of the reasons the US economy has been so stable is because consumers have spent, regardless of economic situations. The savings rate went from 9% of disposable income in 1985 to almost nothing today. But now there is a resurgence for "economizing" and people are not spending as much. While that's good for us individually to save, it is not good for the economy as a whole.

How about the rest of you? Are you also cutting back this year? Any good cost cutting tips?

Why does everything have to be "improved"?

Last night while watching Boston Legal, DH and I saw a commercial for Monopoly. I love that game. When my sisters and I were in elementary school we used to play all the time. We had marathon games that would go for days. We would play before and after school and were always careful to collect our property cards and money and bring it with us so no cheating was permitted. Fairness is extremely important when you are a triplet. Just ask my mom.

But now Parker Brothers has come out with a new and improved version: electronic banking. I was horrified enough to play on the latest edition with rents reaching $4M and tokens like a Starbucks coffee cup. "But this version has been updated to reflect changes in how the real world uses money: All transactions are conducted with Monopoly's new banking card system."

Gah. Really? Is this what we've come to? Is paper and coin money soon to go the way of other types of currency? Will we only be using electronic money? In Japan they use debit cards to purchase chips out of vending machines. With electronic money will our kids every really learn the value of a dollar? It's hard enough to keep them from getting spoiled but now we have to worry about them not understanding the difference between a ten dollar bill and a hundred bill because it is a number on a screen and not a physical bill.

One other thing I would note about this new game is that it doesn't allow the customizations that many of us have with Monopoly. Free Parking would probably be a thing of the past. Good or bad? Depends on how recently you lost because someone landed on it.

Has anyone played with this version yet? Is it really any better? I wonder if BigFinance worked with them to set up the electronic banking...

Best practices in building a baby registry

I bit the bullet a few weeks ago and started my baby registry. Being the organized person I am, I first stated with a spreadsheet of all the items I thought I would need. Then, realizing I know nothing, I forwarded it to my sisters for their review and comments. Thank goodness I did! Mommy, Esq. has very recent experience with her 8 week old twins and A. was a researching fiend with Finn.

There are a few things I have to wait on once I know the sex of the baby. How can I register for bedding if I don't know the decor of the nursery, which is of course, dependent on whether we are having a boy or girl?

I think it's great to be able to register but DH and I are assuming that there will be many big ticket items we will be paying for ourselves. It is amazing how many things are "required" for a baby registry. I'm very thankful that I had the input from my sisters or I could have ended up funding the economic recovery with the items suggested by retailers. Some of items I have dismissed out of hand include: wipes warmer, jogging stroller (yeah right), door jumper, nursing wrap/cover, and high chair toys (really? Isn't food enough?).

What about the rest of you? Any advice on must haves or items to stay away from? Also, I'm curious what readers think about registering for babies after #1. I had always thought it was like a wedding or a shower - one time only. But I'm seeing registries for babies #2 and #3. Thoughts?

Nesting Saturday

Today I woke up with the desire to clean out my kitchen cabinets and linen closet. I was out of bed by 8 AM and went down stairs to survey the kitchen. DH (that is Dear Husband for those of you not familiar with the acronym) was pouring his second cup of coffee. I immediately started clearing out some cabinets in the mud room and sorting into piles. Because he is taller he helped me move a few things which somehow resulted in him helping me clean out and rearrange all of the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Thanks, honey!

I took advantage of the built-ins we have in the library to move some of the less used serving-ware out of the kitchen cabinets. I also got rid of an old George Foreman Grill which hasn't seen the light of day for at least 2 years. We ended up with a nice pile of kitchen-ware to donate to GoodWill. Now that I am more organized in the kitchen I am amazed at how much space we have! There should be plenty of room for all the baby stuff that will be residing there. Assuming I don't fill it up with purchases from Target first!

Speaking of Target; I went over there after having breakfast with DH. His job was to trim all of the million or so bushes we have around the property. My parents are coming to visit next Friday and the house must look nice. Or at least like we are responsible home owners. While Jeremy was doing that, I was doing what came naturally to me: spending money. I picked up a bunch of clear plastic storage bins and a few other knickknacks. Did you know it is impossible to leave Target for less than $100? I think it's a law or something.

Anyway, upon return home (and being distracted by weeding out the front bed) I tackled the linen closet. I organized all of our extra blankets in one bin, sheets in another, table clothes, linen napkins in the last one. It totally opened up a ton of room.

Being on a roll I moved on to my closet. I did what I probably should have been doing for years and put away all of my summer clothes. Not only do they not fit me any more but the weather is getting noticeably cooler. I also moved all of my nice work closes into the spare bedroom's closet. Now I have plenty of space for the maternity clothes. Thanks, Mommy Esq. for the selection!

I am feeling nice and organized now. I'm not sure how long that will last but for the first time in weeks I don't have any clothes sitting in a laundry basket! I think Sunday will be a nice and relaxing in comparison. Even if DH does make me watch a ton of football.

Any suggestions on another organizing project for me to tackle?