A Couple of Big Updates

I wanted to let you all know that Nic got his helmet off last week!  We were extremely lucky that he responded to the treatment very well and only had to wear the helmet for 1.5 months (as opposed to the at least three months we thought he'd have to wear it).  His head shape is back in normal range and we are all glad to have our little fluffy-headed baby back.

Also, on Christmas Eve, Nic gave himself the gift of mobility--he started crawling!  It was my dad's goal to get him moving while he was visiting for Christmas, and he succeeded.  Check out the video below of Nic playing with our cat's favorite toy, the laser pointer.

Mommy Resolutions

For the past few years I’ve been trying to put together realistic resolutions. These aren’t huge life-changing resolutions, but more so reminders of things I’d like to keep up to improve my life and those of the people around me. Now that I’m a mom, there are a number of things I’d like to try to make happen this year. I’ve listed these below. Do you have any mommy resolutions?

Schedule one play date a week. Mommy and baby both need some social interaction! This may be a little aggressive, but I’ll tweak to once every two weeks if it is.

Have date night twice a month. Having a baby has added so much joy to our lives, but we have to remember to make time for each other too. This gives grammy a little fun too!

Play with Beth at least 2 hours a day. Since I’ve been doing some work on the side during my maternity leave, I realize how hard it is to actually get quality play time in with Beth since she naps quite a bit. I want to make sure we get in some time for reading books, playing, tummy time, etc. outside of going for strolls and the like.

Work out at least three times a week. Being a mom is a good excuse to put off going to the gym, but I’m determined to get back into shape. Not by any extreme means of course, but just getting back into an active lifestyle.

Make homemade baby food. I love to cook so why wouldn’t I cook for our precious little angel (as my hubby calls her.) J I hope to come up with a few recipes of my own!

Video chat at least two times a week. This is a very important one. Since my parents live so far away, I want to make sure they still get their QT with baby Beth and likewise. They are super grandparents and she needs to know that! 

Open Wide...

Tazzy turns six months soon and we’ll be introducing solids. Like many first time parents I have a bazillion questions. What do you introduce first and how much do you feed them? Is it just one meal of solids per day? When do you move to three? What foods to avoid? And then there is the high chair. There are so many choices - it’s a bit overwhelming.

411 on Starting Solids

I’ve recently discovered the Wholesome Baby Food website, which has great info and suggestions for introducing solids and lots of homemade baby food recipes. There’s also a Baby Food Blog.  Suggestions on how long to wait before introducing a new food, a sample baby menu and “forbidden” baby foods are just a few of topics I’ve found helpful so far. I’m also reading First Meals and More, which provides a Q&A, tips & tricks and delicious recipes for getting started with solids.

Seating Arrangement

Ok, I feel like I’ve got more than enough information to make Tazzy’s introduction to solids fun and successful. Now, how do I decide on a high chair? There are so many to choose from. Some that have been recommended to me include the Peg Perego Prima Pappa Best, Carter’s Classic Comfort Reclining Wood, Tripp Trapp and Svan. Suggestions please?!?!

Until then I’ll be using Tazzy’s Bumbo for her first few feedings.

You’ll be hearing from me next on my experience with making my own baby food. I can’t wait.



Avoiding Turbulence on your Next Infant Flight

Well we just finished up our first trip. Daddy flew with us out there but had to come back so early so it was just us girls on the way back. Boy was I nervous about flying alone. Getting the car seat and stroller broken down, getting through security, going to the bathroom, nursing on take off – so many things to try to get right! I did pick up a few tips along the way and thought I’d share for all you other novice family travelers. Here they are!

Infant in Arms. When you purchase your ticket, make sure you check that you are traveling with a baby. All airlines list this option – this will keep you from having to go through the trouble of getting the baby a boarding pass at the airport.

Bring your medicine. I don’t care if your baby is the picture of health, take a baggie containing baby Tylenol, a thermometer, suction bulb, gas medicine, whatever. The last thing you want is a screaming baby and no way to help them and no access to medicine.  

Schmooze with the check-in clerks. Upon checking our bags, we made sure to chat with the clerks and show off our new bundle. They told me they’d make sure we got to go through security in the priority lane, which was a huge timesaver. Give it a try for yourself next time!

Wrap it up. I use the moby wrap for our travels. It is a long piece of fabric so isn’t as bulky as a buckle on carrier and it gives you multiple options for holds. You can also nurse in it so you don’t have to wake the baby up after you feed her when you want to put her in a carrier.

Make nice with your seatmates. We brought ear plugs and chocolates for the passengers around us to make up for a potentially crying baby. It put smiles on their faces and eased up any tension they may have had about sitting by a baby.

Sit in the aisle. I have heard different sides on where you should sit with a baby. Some said by the window so you can avoid germs in the aisle. Others said the aisle for easy access. I have to agree with the latter. I was able to easily access my diaper bag by moving it out in the aisle with my foot, grabbing what I needed, and moving it back.

Be prepared for the poop! Our little one pooped on the flight back. I like to carry Wet Ones since they kill 99.9% of germs – I use them to wipe down changing tables. They are great for wiping down your seats too and for cleaning babies’ hands. I also purchase the pet potty training pads (they’re much cheaper than those intended specifically for babies) and put that down below my travel changing pad so I don’t get any leftover germs on it. And, don't forget that spare outfit - our little one needed it!

Put in the paci. There are no direct flights to home so it’s a little difficult to nurse on a connecting flight right after just nursed on the last flight. The paci helped keep her swallowing, but if she starts to tense up, you’ll need to pull out the real thing.

Ask for help. People love babies and most are eager to help. Getting through security was a breeze since the guy in front of me helped set up my stroller and car seat. The same goes for getting on the plane. I asked the guy behind me to help break it down. Both were super nice and happy to help. Don’t be shy! You don’t want to risk injuring the baby by trying to do it all.

Well that’s about it – hope these help you on your next travels in 2011! Do you have any to share?



Finally...A Yummy, Healthy Snack for Nursing Moms and Moms-to-be!

As a nursing mom, I am snacking all the time! And let me tell you, I’m not the healthiest snacker, mainly because I prefer the deliciousness of salty Lay’s and leftover Halloween candy to almonds, carrots, apples and other healthier options. But, I’m working on it – heck, why not make it a New Year’s resolution?

My lackluster eating habits are most likely the reason I don’t feel that energized unless I take my prenatal vitamins. But, those days are gone because I recently had a tasty healthy snack made just for moms-to-be and nursing moms that I would gladly pass the chips for! The good folks from newly launched Numa sent us samples of their hazelnut and cinnamon almond snacks that are packed with protein, fiber and vegetarian Omega-3 DHA for baby’s healthy brain and eye development, in addition to pre- and post-natal nutrients.  The best part? Each pouch is just 140 calories – and there are a lot of snacks in each bag for that amount of calories.

 

I tried the cinnamon almond first because they sounded more my style than hazelnut. They had a light cinnamon flavor and little pieces of almond in them, which I liked because sometimes eating plain whole almonds get old. Here’s how I can best describe it. Imagine a piece of biscotti, cut into little bite-size pieces, but a little softer. They’re still crunchy, but not as hard to bite into as biscotti.

Next I tried the hazelnut and was surprised that I actually liked those better than the cinnamon almond, and I really liked those! They didn’t taste so much like hazelnut to me. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor other than very, very tasty.

I’m usually not one to go for items that are created specifically for certain groups but I would totally buy Numa for a couple of reasons.

1. The healthy punch of nutrients
2. The low calories (hey, I’m trying to get back into those pre-prego jeans!)
3. Easy to carry around – they come in little pouches that have re-sealable plastic liners so I they won’t spill
4. They don’t leave me dying of thirst. I’ve tried some other products made just for moms and that have left me feeling parched.  Not these little guys.
5. They aren’t super sweet. Again, some other bars and snacks contain too much sugar or taste too sweet. These had a nice subtle sweetness.

The only kicker? They’re a little on the expensive side at $11.97 for three 1.5 oz pouches. They’ve just launched in the San Francisco Bay Area, but can be purchased online.

Here’s what our other mommybetas had to say:

Nathalee

I tried the NUMA snacks this morning to tide me over until Nic was down for his morning nap and I could eat breakfast.  I had several of the cinnamon almond ones, and they were tasty!  They were like little biscotti rounds, crunchy and not too sweet. I usually keep a granola bar and some fruit leather in my diaper bag in case of hunger emergencies, and I will definitely add these to the mix.

 Alex

The worst and best part of breastfeeding is that I'm constantly hungry. Often I need a snack or two in between meals. Usually I'm not thinking about nutrition, which I need to be. I tried the Numa Hazelnut and Cinnamon Almond snacks and love that they're packed with protien, fiber and Omega-3 DHA. And Numa snacks aren't overly sweet.  Each serving only has 8 grams of sugar vs. for example, 11 grams in Nature Valley granola bars, which I also enjoy. But keep in mind that there are two bars in each package of Nature Valley granola bars, which ends up being a total of 22 grams of sugar). Eeks! Numa snacks get my vote for being tasty and healthy! For me, if the snacks were a little less hard on my teeth, they'd be even better.

Natali

I am a big texture person so I thought they were perfect! A good combination of sweetness and crunch. I was able to break each bag into two snacks so it was great to keep them in my office drawer. A win! I'd buy them again. Especially because I don't like buying granola bars much. They have too much sugar but they are filling so I find myself eating them, knowing that they have high fructose corn syrup and feeling bad about it. 

Interested in giving Numa a try for yourself? Numa has offered to do a giveaway on our site so if you'd like to win some, let us know and we'll do a follow up giveaway post!