I found him...

I have been searching.

I have been searching long for the perfect piggy bank for the nugget. From etsy to ebay to the flea market to my local goodwill store. Somehow I had it in my head that I would find the perfect vintage, well loved, modern yet rustic non-piggy piggy bank. Should not have been this hard.

I found him - on ebay. And I bid and I waited and I hoped and then I didn't win - by 50 cents. So then, I went a little crazy. I emailed the seller - letting them know I was interested should something fall through with the sale. I can't believe I just admitted that.

Knowing he was from Pottery Barn Kids, I madly searched online and googled his name over and over. Nothing. I found a link to an article from 2008 that mentioned the modern nursery additions. Great 2008.

But I kept at it. I mean I had the time - my husband is across the world sleeping on a bed of concrete and meditating all day that leaves me with lots of free time once the nugget is sleeping. Yes, I kept at it. And then another link - this google search engine thing is amazing. This time it was to the blog from plum tree studio which I will now need to add to my list of blogs to read - it is darling. And there in one of her posts - was the giraffe version, with a date from last week. That meant, I had a chance. I called the local store, and yes in fact, they had one, new in box, just for me. Or I guess for the nugget, but let's be real - this stuff is never really for them.

And, I should have you know, that shortly after hearing the overzealous PB employee ask for my name and number, I checked my inbox and would you believe I had gotten a response from the ebay seller saying they had another one for sale and I should respond back if I wanted it listed. I realized in reading this how slightly "over the top" I had gone and sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. I figure, I never get this crazy over stuff...I won't be too hard on myself this time.

The irony is that this little fellow came from Pottery Barn Kids - as un-vintagey as it gets. But I think he was meant to be ours. Sometimes you don't get to choose who you fall in love with.

A clever trick

There needs to be a new word for baby proofing. Making your house baby safe doesn't cut it either. I have put up a gate at the stairs and put plastic doodads in the wall outlets, covered a few really terrible tile corners with some sort of clear puffy plastic and even enclosed our desk space and made it the "grown-up pit", but the rest I am doing as he dictates.

And really, I want him to explore his environment - its his house too.

So that is when I started to think about how I could actually shape our environment to be less risk free but also more engaging. I have been trying to figure out what to do with these black and white animal postcards from wee gallery and I finally hit the nail on the head.

A few pieces of self-sticking velcro, 6 adult friendly images of woodland creatures and just the right height makes the wall into a game. The nugget walked up to it the first time, stuck his squishy little digits right behind the image and with one pull, it was on the ground. Over and over again, one after the other. I stuck them back up, he pulled them off.

Right now I think its the sound of the velcro that is kind of fun. We'll work on the actual animal names next.

Daiso

Here is the thing, you just have to love a Japanese dollar store.

Actually it is a "most things are $1.50" and I always seem to find the goodies for $5.00 but I still love it. I love it because the Japanese get the pretty and practical rule: things you use in ordinary life don't have to look ordinary.

All this stuff for the nugget - baby spoons, a toy sack for his toys on the go, a toy bin - and it all has an interesting and different aesthetic. And I spent about $20.

Interested? It is absolutely worth a visit. Just give yourself time, you will be amazed at how much there is to look at.

Click on Daiso for more information

I heart these...

hat from little chick knits

hat from lulu and charlie

cozy from knitty vet

image from the knitted cupcake

knitted egg from weaver bird designs

hug and kiss your valentine

happy valentine's day

XOXO

First words

This time the first belongs to me: my first written words in the nugget's baby book. It comes at his 10 month birthday, or at least just a few days after, which seems an embarassingly late time to start such a journal, but I suppose it is better late than never.

I bought Nikki McClure's wonderful baby journal - The First 1000 Days - in the last weeks of my pregnancy, certain that I would diligently record and write and daydream and wish. I loved it then and I love it now because it is very unbaby - no elephants or rattles or pale blue ducks in sight. Her baby inspired paper cut-outs are each a piece of art - worthy of being hung on the wall. So it is beautiful and inspiring, and still it sat for 10 months. Often I glanced at it sitting amongst the other unread books on my desk and longed for just an hour - of quiet, uninterrupted time to simply record every small detail that my fuzzy milk-brain would allow me to remember. But that hour never came.

In my defense or at least justification to myself, this blog has become my place to record and recollect, but I realize that this is my place, my story, not his. During our trip to Denver two weeks ago, my diligent scrap-booking friend provided the nudge I needed. Though she too did the scrapbooks for her babies as a cathartic process for herself, the end result is that her 5 year old nugget loves to look back through his. For it is indeed, a book all about him.

Luckily, I still have around 700 days that I can record in this lovely journal, which leaves me with plenty to share.

A new pastime

I have never really been an online shopper. Actually, I have never been an online shopper. Until 9 months ago. And I am not alone.

And though I have tamed the visits to Ebay, Amazon and Etsy, I can't help but click on the email notices that come from The Mini Social. The sales are short and sweet - just enough time to get you hooked and convinced that you really need to order that thermal striped hoodie for the nugget.

Interested?

Follow this link to join https://www.theminisocial.com/myaccount.php?invitation=30214

Too big, too long, too mobile

And then, just like that, in a matter of a few days maybe a week, everything was too small. He is now too heavy for my favorite sling, too mobile for my favorite bouncy chair, too long for my favorite towel, too big for our favorite hammock.

So on Sunday, with a sort of bittersweet longing for what was, I packed these favorites into a storage container and placed it in the garage, to be opened again should there be a baby number two.

What has stayed with me is how much effort, time and energy I put into choosing and obtaining these "favorites". Some were gifts, others were the divine answers to the unexpected needs that arose in the first weeks of new parenting (ie. the hammock saved our lower backs from endless hours of bouncing on the yoga ball). The decisions all seemed so important, and then a little over 6 months later, the results simply lie dormant in a box in the garage.

So it is once again a lesson in the fluidity of the first 12 months of life - how much change and transformation occurs in such a short span of time. And it is a lesson for me, to not get attached to the "stuff" of child-rearing, because I have a lifetime of favorites still to come.

As a side note...I read this post aloud to my husband just now. And as I read, he blurted out "The hammock's gone?" And it made me smile - that was one of his favorites too.

Favorite spoons

I bought these spoons when I was 8 months pregnant - so much for my rule of only buying things that I needed in the present moment. But somehow these spoons were such a symbol of babyhood, that I couldn't resist.

And of course, I was using them before I knew it.
And I love them.

What I didn't know if that they actually turn white when the purees or rice cereal are too hot - an added bonus when keeping your little one safe.

Available locally at:
Citikids

Favorite meal time basics

In the world of Bob the Builder and Winnie the Pooh, it is sometimes difficult to find unbranded and decal-free baby items. For me, less is definitely more.

The bibs come in a multi-pack and are easy to wash, over and over again. As for the high-chair, I secretly covet the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair, but for now, this IKEA staple gets the job done. And at $19.99, its a no brainer.

Available at your local IKEA store

pretty + practical

So this is not a discussion on whether pacifiers are good or bad - but if you are like me, and you happen to have a baby that gets a bit of comfort from the little nukie (or whatever you have called it), these are the cutest and best pacifier clips.

Because you have all been there when that thing hits the floor in the middle of Trader Joes...

Available at fawn + finch

Why are girls clothes so much cuter?

image from www.bodenusa.com

I love this whole outfit.

I am not sure how I stumbled upon Boden or its kiddie conterpart, mini Boden, but when the tiny catalogs arrive in the mailbox, I get almost as excited as when my Domino used to arrive. Okay, not really even close, but what is a girl to do.

Its the tinyness of the catalog, the styling, the stripes, the bold colors - the whole package.
So for mamas with darling girls (and mamas with boys too) - do not miss this!

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.

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.

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

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.

Best baby hat

There are baby hats and then there are baby hats. Somehow this little red knot hat from Kate Quinn just fit the nugget's personality, right from the start. And its the only hat that stays on and doesn't loose its shape. I will be ordering the next size when he outgrows this one.

A what?

When it comes to newborns, there are some things you need. Then there are some things you want. And then there are the things that make you go "Huh?"

And so walks in the pee-pee tee pee.

Yes, this is exactly as it sounds - a tippee shaped cone that is meant to protect from the inevitable spray of urine that can land in your eye or all over your baby is you have been blessed with a little boy.

Don't get me wrong, the first time I got sprayed I understood the mom or dad who invented this strange contraption. It is a mess but somehow it just seems like part of the whole package. So when I actually saw the package of five Smurf size teepees at a local store the other day, I had to really check them out, and laugh.

And then, today in the mail it arrived. Our very own, couture, handmade, vintage fabric, one of a kind pee-pee teepee. And I love it.



I suppose I should have used it in earnest as the nugget managed to perfect aim just now: his own eyeball. I don't know if I should be horrified or die of laughter - I suppose a bit of pee in the eye never hurt anyone.

Cradle Cap

Sometimes it just takes the advice of a mom who has been there and done that.

Some babies get the flaky yellow scales known as Cradle Cap, while others never do. And though it doesn't bother them, moms are constantly trying to figure out to get rid of it. Our pediatrician recommended Selson Blue and any kind of thick ointment. Our midwife recommended olive oil. And then, a mom recommended California Baby Calendula Cream and a tiny toothed comb.

And with some gentle picking with the comb (think shaving your legs with a razor) and then a substantial amount of cream rubbed into his scalp, after two days the scales were gone.

Project Baby

Really, all babies need is you. But in addition to you, your attention and presence, there are certain modern inventions that have become necessities or at least extremely helpful for new parents.

As my due date seemed to get closer and closer, I could feel the pressure of wanting to feel ready or prepared - somewhat of an illusion since I had absolutely no idea what was headed my way. But somehow having the right diapers, a few clothes and a Boppy made me think i was ready for anything.

I could feel myself getting all overwhelmed by the choices, so instead of going to Babies'R'Us and relying on the young employees there who have no idea, I simply asked 10 of my favorite moms (who are also my close friends) for their 10 lists - the things they wish they had or had that made all the difference. I asked them to include manufacturer or brand - why reinvent the wheel and make life harder - if something works, just go for it.

This list is made of the top 1o lists I received - when an item or brand was listed at least 5 times, I figured I couldn't go wrong. (I have added my 2 cents on favorite brands now that I am on the other side.)

Stuff for baby

Revised February 1, 2012 - after welcoming baby number 2 and doing it all over again

For baby

1. Graco Snug Ride Infant Carseat

2. Snap N Go stroller (to go with Infant carseat until you figure out what stroller you need)

3. Ergo Baby Carrier with infant insert

4. Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow (whether you are breast or bottle feeding)

5. Hat (knot hat from Kate Quinn is the best)

6. Miracle Swaddle Blanket or Swaddle Me Swaddler
7. Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets (you can use these for everything!)

8. Dresser or storage unit w/changing pad

9. California Baby products

10. Onesies from Carters (long and short sleeve)
11. Sleep gowns (about 5-7 of them) and the footed one piece outfits from Baby Gap (save the cute clothes for after 3 months, maybe even 6)

12. Rocker or Glider

13. Diapers - Pampers Newborn (until you decide on cloth or disposable) and Huggies Nighttime (this is a trick to help sleep through the night)

For mom
1. Medela Pump-N-Style Breastpump and Lansinoh milk freezer storage bag
2. Sitz bath herbs (for mama), available at Scarlet Sage in San Francisco

Okay so it turned into 13 items, but I figured that in some circles that is considered lucky. So that is what I bought - no more, no less. The rest shall we say, you figure out one day at a time.