Favorite socks

I never thought keeping baby toes warm could be so challenging.

Until now.

Gagou Tagou Baby Socks, they are the ONLY ones that stay on.

Available only at Babies-R-Us. And at 3 pair for $4, it doesn't get much better. Their 2 cons: Made in China and that they are only available at Babies-R-Us.

A lesson in sleeping

So tonight I did everything you are not supposed to do when it comes to getting your infant to sleep...

First we completely messed up the pre-bed routine by being out on the town until 7:15.

Then on the way home he fell asleep in the car for 20 minutes.

Then he woke up when I carried him upstairs.

Then we played and played and played and played.

Then I put him into our bed with all the lights on and we just lay there.

And then, he just fell asleep. Go figure.

new uses for old things : natural curiosities : authenticity : children who build boats out of styrofoam and string : simple abundance : farmer’s markets : a well-designed space : groups of women working together : travel : young people who are fearless

what and who inspires you?

Favorite pregnancy top

I bought 2 pieces of pregnancy attire: Gap Jeans and the Ruched Button T

It fits perfectly and the sleeves are nice and long!

Put away the thong

So at one point, it was just time.
Time to embrace mom underwear.

It became a matter of comfort and since I was indeed needing some new undergarments and I was in fact pregnant, I ventured into the Motherhood Maternity Outlet and bought the Hipster 3 pack.


And can I tell you - I LOVE this underwear.

Now, 5 months postpartum, I bought a second pack. You see, as a new mom, you spend a lot of time on the ground and even more time bending over to clean things up and pick up the babe. So where before, a peeking panty or thong show with low rise jeans was for some fashion forward, now it's just not cool, no matter what.

Available at: motherhood maternity hipster panties

I too was overwhelmed with all the choices and it made me crazy that most people said they had a "few" strollers, all for different things and uses. We live in San Francisco, in an apartment with lots of stairs and little space. I was not willing to have several different strollers or spend close to $1000 and I finally found the solution: The City Mini by Baby Jogger. It is available locally at Lullaby Lane in San Bruno.

Pros

1. Extremely easy to close - with one hand. I can hold baby, close it and put it in the trunk

2. Very light

3. Under $250

4. Infant car sear adaptor is extra - means you can use this stroller from the beginning (no need for snap'n'go)

5. Small and narrow enough to navigate aisles in stores and boutiques

6. Huge sun canopy (that I haven't used yet since we're still using the infant car seat with adaptor)

7. Back rest folds down to almost flat - for napping

8. Big wheels - foam not air, so you can't puncture them. Also, front wheel swivels for easy manuverability or locks in place when needed

9. Weight up to 50 lb - so we'll have this stroller for a while

10. Nice colors

Cons

1. Handle bar is not adjustable for different heights (but it is at a good height for everyone in our family 5'7" to 6'4"

2. Drink holder is extra

3. Storage space underneath is adequate, not huge

4. It's not actually a jog stroller - if you need that I recommend getting a proper jogging stroller that will be used for only that purpose - not your everyday needs.

Since this post was written:

Stroller was recalled because of malfuntion in buckle. Problem has been fixed on ALL new models. All models get a replacement buckle and problem is solved.

A now without the infant car seat, I LOVE it even more!

On Muni a few weeks ago and you should have seen the drivers face when I folded it up in one quick motion! I dream of big prams - the kind with the big wheels - perhaps its the life that goes along with it - long strolls along the pedestrian only paths of Europe - set amidts the backdrop of crumbing city walls, sidewalk cafes and......or then there is Muni and navigating the streets of SF.

This too shall pass...

I ran into a friend of my brother's today. He is 30, a dad to a 1 1/2 year old and a police officer. I remember him from his college days - quite different from the man who was now standing in front 0f me. I introduced him to the nugget. And he melted. Immediately.

He saw the little nugget toes moving around in the sunshine and with a sort of longing said "Oh, I miss those baby toes. Those feet. My guy has dude feet and they stink. Can I just hold him?"

And with that he took him into his arms and simply inhaled. And right there, on the street in Mill Valley I was reminded that this too shall pass. I realized in that moment that I have only so much time left with those little feet. Those feet with those toes that stay all curled up when he is gleefully engrossed in the new object I hold in front of him. Those feet with those toes that seem to collect lint even when he is not wearing any socks. Those feet with those toes that are as soft as clouds. Those feet with those toes that fit perfectly into the palm of my hand.

from Body + Soul Magazine

Perhaps there is some gem of information here that you can use. Pick one suggestion a week and see if it makes any difference in your new crazy post-partum, sleep-deprived, over-scheduled life.

Loving kindness deployed

I knew this day would come, I just wasn't sure when. Amidst the bliss and exhaustion, instead of loosing my cool towards this little helpless being who was screaming for a reason that I was unable to decipher, I closed my eyes and I started the mental mantra - May he be free from harm, May he feel protected and safe, May he be free of pain, May he feel loved, May he be happy.

And it worked. My nerves settled, my heart opened and whether or not his crying subdued was somewhat irrelevant.

Favorite utalitarian item

Whether burp cloth or nursing cover or summer blanket or shade maker or on-the-go changing pad or emergency wipe, these basic muslin square cloths from IKEA are another staple. They get softer with every wash and you can simply have them tucked into any corner and always have them available.

Available at your local IKEA store

My First Date

It's Monday night and I am on a date with myself.

I am at our corner coffee shop - with students and artists and couples on dates and a young man immersed in the pages of a yellowing old book. And right now, I am not a mom.

This new plan - of Monday nights for me are an attempt to establish or re-establish some sort of equilibrium. Of finding my inner calm and sanity that somehow after almost 5 months of being a new mom seems farther away than the Great Wall of China.

So I could be out shopping or at some bar or with some friends or at some yoga class, but instead I am sitting here, typing. I have chosen this because I have been yearning to speak - at least through the written word about what it feels like to be a mom, what it feels like to be responsible for feeding our family when cooking is one of my least favorite things to do and what it feels like to be a milk farm.

So, for my sanity, my equilibrium this will be my place to come back to, when I have something to say.

About me

I am a new mom. I am a wife. I am a city dweller in a one bedroom apartment. I gave birth at home in our living room, in a birthing tub. I used to have a seated meditation practice - now I steal moments during the day, whenever I can. I trust this too shall pass. I am learning to never say never. I accept that there will always be a stain on my new white shirt. A few of my favorite things include peonies : flea markets : barefeet : white peaches : lillet with lime : dancing : crafting : pigmy goats : thriftstores : mac & cheese : retreats in silence : salted caramels : organized drawers : healing touch : christmastime : bali : my red cowboy boots and holding my baby's hand while he sleeps. Why maus + nugget? My husband is German. He nicknamed me maus, very early on in our relationship. The name just stuck. We nicknamed our baby nugget, while in utero. That name just stuck too. Why this blog? Because when I write I feel the most like myself. Because my other blog is on hold while I make sense of this first year of motherhood.

The lazy hold

What's with the giraffe?

She is a little plastic giraffe. She is famous.

I babysat my way through high-school, interned at a childbirth and early parenting center and even trained to be a post-partum doula, but I had never heard of her.

And then, when it was my turn to be showered with baby gifts and I sat amidst a group of my dearest women friends and I unpacked this odd looking little creature, a unanimous "Sophie" sigh came from the mouths of the moms in the room. I must have been living under a rock.

And now, she is everywhere.

And she is in fact loved - and brings a smile to the nugget's face everytime.

Eye contact