Birthday Time

Jack is 3 today! I can hardly believe it, except that he woke up in a cantankerous mood and declared that he did NOT want to be 3. I’m pretty sure that the mere disputing of being 3 plants him squarely at that age.

I got lucky Thursday night and found a ton of space-themed items at The Party Stylists store here in San Francisco. There were space shuttle plates, planet party favors, space stickers, star candles, and even a Happy Birthday banner with an astronaut on it. Bingo! I bought some decorative icing and used my mama skills to draw a rocket on his cake, too. I hadn’t intended to have a themed party but it all worked out that way. Don’t ya just love it when that happens?

Friends and family gathered at our home in San Francisco on Saturday to celebrate. We even met some new friends (some of you may know VDog and she is featured in the video below if you have a good eye). Toddler-geared lunch was served in the form of PB&J sandwiches, carrot sticks, cucumbers, goldfish crackers, and juice boxes. Could it get any easier?

So what does a three year old like to receive for his birthday? I think the answer is everything! But here are the biggest hits for the Jackonaut (whose little gems of wisdom can now be found on Twitter, by the way, under that name):

Mobi Tyke Light (aka Glow Alien), accompanied by glow-in-the-dark stars that we stuck to his ceiling (not pictured)

WALL-E and Eve plushies

Space Shuttle
I made the mistake of handing this one to him too early and he did NOT want to open anything else afterward. I tried everything I could think of, and finally told him that the other gifts had rockets in them, too. Luckily he was not disappointed by anything he saw!

Remote control “land shark”

And legos, of course. No need for a picture of those! Other great gifts were hermit crabs from Jack’s dad and a tricycle from David. Those will both take a little growing into but they were a bit hit. He got two space-themed books entitled Roaring Rockets and Space Boy. Space Boy is a bit wordy for his age (or maybe just for this lazy mama) but Roaring Rockets is perfect.

There are still a few items to come (Buzz Lightyear & Woody with a rocket and a LeapPad) and I’m sure those will be hits as well.

Here is the video of Jack’s friends and family singing the birthday song to him.

Product Review: Ecostore USA Bath Products

I recently got a chance to try some new-to-the-US bath products and wanted to share my thoughts here for anyone else looking for something eco-friendly, animal-friendly, and chemical-free.  Ecostore USA makes bath and body products for babies, adults, and pets, as well as household cleaning agents.  They got their start in New Zealand 20 years ago and are now entering the US market through internet orders and Meijer stores.

For Jack I got the Baby Shampoo and Baby Body Wash.  I’ve been searching for some bath products that would work with his dry, sensitive skin.  Even at almost 3 he still has issues with “cradle cap.”  Luckily he has a ton of hair to cover it up but we have tried Johnson & Johnson, Method, and DHC products and none of them has made an impact on his scalp.  We tried the Ecostore baby shampoo this weekend and I totally fell in love.  It was extremely easy to rinse out (which is awesome because Jack has absolutely no patience for having his head rinsed) because it it not overly sudsy and sticky.  His fine hair was soft and shiny when it dried and there was a huge improvement in the dryness of his scalp.

I also got the Manuka Sandalwood Shampoo, which is marketed as helpful for dry, flakey scalps.  David and I both have dry skin issues and have difficulty finding products that don’t strip our natural oils or cause the opposite problem – greasy hair – so in my neverending pursuit to find a product that is just right, I decided to try this one.  Again, I totally love this product.  It doesn’t dry out my hair or cause crazy amounts of frizz (yet there is still body!) after using the shampoo.  The smell is divine and great for both genders.  I like the fact that a little bit goes a long way and the shampoo suds up, unlike some other organic products that I have used.  Even with the suds, it is not difficult to rinse out.

And now it’s contest time!  If you would like to win a $25 gift certificate to the Ecostore website, please leave a comment by Friday, April 17, and I will pick a name at random!

Also of note: Ecostore is offering free shipping on all orders over $25 for the month of April in celebration of earth month.

Our Little Astronaut

Jack’s obsession with rockets rages on and has even expanded.  He now dictates which youtube videos of rocket launches we watch (they usually have to have a countdown, fire, and announce “we have a liftoff!”).  He will sometimes even consent to watching moon landings and shuttle orbits.  I took the opportunity Sunday night to begin educating him on our galaxy, but quickly realized I need to do some more research because I couldn’t remember the names of all the planets.  I knew there used to be nine and now there are only 8 because Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.  (Side note: don’t you love it when they backtrack on the things you were taught in school?  Shouldn’t we all be notified by mail of the book revisions?)

Joe reminded me yesterday that Jack has had a fascination with the moon and stars since he was a baby.  This is the longest he has been interested in anything – longer than drawing and Curious George combined (although I believe the Curious George movie was the inspiration for his interests expanding to rockets).  So perhaps he will be an astronaut or astronomer!

One thing is clear – we need to get some more space-related educational materials.  My cousin recommended a movie called Space Chimps, but I think we need some more books, as well.  Any recommendations for toddler-friendly space media?

Shoe Solution

I ended up buying a bigger pair of the shoes Jack loves so much.  A day after I placed the order on TinySoles.com his big toe rubbed a hole in the too-small pair, so it was just in time.  He either hasn’t noticed the difference with the new shoes or is happy just to be able to wear his “brown shoes” without being offered other choices first.  Thank goodness I could find the same kind; I don’t believe See Kai Run is still manufacturing that particular shoe.  Yay for old inventory!  I probably should have gotten the next few sizes…

Diaper Sale!

Sumbuns is having a huge sale today!  The sale amount changes hourly from 10-35%.  Enter code PREGOCHICK at checkout (click buy, then there will be a link at the bottom to modify options/enter sales code).  I just grabbed a pirate map pocket diaper and entered the two free-for-shipping lotteries.

Go buy the diapers before I do, please!  The fabric options are fabulous – retro Alexander Henry, Star Wars, pirates, Superman, Batman, etc.  Check it out!

Brusha brusha brusha

After weeks of dealing with nightly struggles over toothbrushing and feeling like even when we were able to brush Jack’s teeth, it wasn’t a thorough cleaning, I decided something had to be done.  I got the bright idea to try one of those toothbrushes with the spinning brush head, so off I went to the store where I found an orange crayon toothbrush.  (It didn’t even occur to me until last night how perfect the design is for Jack – I just chose it because it was the only one without a weird action-figure handle!)  It’s battery-operated and not rechargable, but the price was pretty good for something I wasn’t sure would do the trick.

Jack wasn’t sure about it at first.  Put this vibrating thing in my mouth?  Whaaa?  No way, mom.  I ended up brushing his teeth with the spinning turned off.  The next day, though, Joe and Jack had some sort of breakthrough and Jack was suddenly in love with the spinning toothbrush.  Now he requests to brush his teeth several times a day.  The brushing goes on for a good five minutes, too.  We have to put an end to it, otherwise he will keep going.

Last night, after a good long tooth-cleaning (during which I noticed that he lingered in the place where his molar is erupting), I suddenly heard the buzzing get louder.  Wondering what Jack was up to, I wandered into the bathroom to see that he was using his toothbrush to clean his fingernails!  Well, he’s got the right idea, I guess…

Future birthdays may be a letdown

Jack’s birthday is in less than a month!  We have a costume party planned and there will even be a few kids there.    I am pretty excited, although the only things I’ve accomplished so far are to send out a save-the-date evite and buy Jack’s present:

 

More Pocket Diaper Reviews

Sick of trying to stretch the baby prefolds fit Jack, we finally sold them off and I bought some more pocket diapers to compensate.  We could have gotten by if we were more inclined to use the next size up of prefolds (I think we have toddler size??) but they are HUGE and we hate them.

I am still in love with Fuzzi Bunz, but I didn’t feel like spending $18 on a sized diaper and I have been wondering if there’s something out there I’m missing…  I still like the BumGenius diapers quite a bit, but they are actually getting a little snug on Jack, so I didn’t want to invest in more in case he really does grow out of them.  I am comfortable enough with cloth diapering, and I trust Nicki’s Diapers (home of free shipping and inserts for all pocket diapers) enough, that I didn’t read reviews on these diapers before purchasing - just took the plunge and hoped for the best!

I bought:

• 2 Haute Pockets One-Size Diapers (on sale for $14) – one snap, one velcro
• 1 Happy Heinies One-Size Diaper ($19)
• 1 Large DryBees ($16)
• 1 Imse Vimse potty training diaper (yet to be used, bought due to wishful thinking)

I like the color options on the Haute Pockets, and the fit is great.  I don’t like is that the open portion for the insert doesn’t lay flat or overlap to completely cover the insert.  It doesn’t seem to bug Jack and the diapers haven’t leaked (although this might be an issue for babies spending most of their time laying down).  I tend to use our BG at night because Jack would unlatch the velcro when awake, but the Haute Pockets have much stronger velcro to prevent toddler’s from stripping.  I am not sure if they would work for overnight as the ones I bought have “breathable” PUL, and frankly I’m a little afraid to try…

The Happy Heinies diaper is great!  I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it since Jack is so keen on undoing velcro, but this is strong stuff.  I love the trim fit and the cow print we got is so adorable!  I would definitely recommend these, and will stock up more with a second baby.

DryBees – my new favorite diaper of the sized variety.  These suckers can hold a TON of pee, there is a huge variety of cute colors and patterns, and the velcro is super strong.  Bonus: the fleece is the softest and thickest I’ve ever felt, and the diaper is constructed so that only fleece touch’s the baby’s skin.  I LOVE this diaper.

I am still awaiting an order of Sunbums (including one with sock monkeys on it!) from a sale I took advantage of, so that review is pending.

Reminder and a quick update

Reminder: Today is the last day to leave a comment on this post to get a chance to win a copy of Rebecca Woolf’s book!  I’ll be announcing the lucky reader’s name tomorrow.  I finished it in 3.5 days and absolutely loved it.  I can’t wait to hear reviews from all of you!

Two of Jack’s 2-year molars came in while I was out of town over the weekend.  He now has 18 teeth!  Only 2 left before this teething business is over (for a few years)!  YAY!  I firmly believe his recent sleep troubles are due to those molars.  He was drooling all over my side of the bed this morning.  Sheesh.

Three weeks from tomorrow we fly to Maryland to see my sister!  Since I was so happy with the service I received from the Traveling Baby Company back in December when Jack and I flew to Seattle, I decided to go through them again to rent a carseat, stroller, and baby monitor for this trip.  Their prices are great and their equipment is exactly what I would buy.  I am so excited for this visit and I can now enjoy the anticipation because I don’t have to worry about how to lug all kinds of gear along.  I can focus on worrying about how to keep Jack entertained on the plane for 5+ hours.

BPA-Free Bottles and Sippies

Tiffany at Nature Moms Blogs has several posts I thought I would point out to those parents out there concerned about BPA in plastic baby products.  I have written about this a little bit but Tiffany’s posts are much more in depth:

Bottles (For you breastfeeding moms, keep in mind that many of the slimmer nipples offered with glass bottles are counter-recommended due to the possibility of nipple confusion.  Some babies don’t care but many are very particular!)

Sippy Post #1

Sippy Post #2

In our house, we have the Avent Naturally sippy, the Born Free sippy, and the Sigg water bottle.  Jack doesn’t like the Avent except for chewing purposes.  He loves both the Sigg and the Born Free, though he turns the Sigg upside down to drip water everywhere and he has recently chewed the spout on the Born Free so much that it is starting to split.  We also have some random straw sippy that he completely ignores.  (And, for those of you wondering why my 18 month old is still using a sippy, well, we have tried cups again and again and first he chokes on the fast flow and then he dumps the whole cup of liquid on himself.  He’s just not ready!)

By the way, I usually share these types of posts in my google reader widget down to the right on my page (check it out!) but I see many “BPA” searches lead to my blog, so I thought I would point my readers in the right direction.

Not so good books

I wrote about our favorite books and I figured I should follow up with the ones we dread.  Joe has even gone so far as to hide some that Jack insists on dragging out repeatedly!

Dr. Seuss – yes, there are several books.  It’s hit or miss; we don’t hate them all but I have soured on Dr. Seuss as an adult.  Hop On Pop is on my hit list (I skip all of the rhyming if I’m forced to read it), and Joe detests There’s a Wocket in My Pocket (citing it as the least creative book ever).  I wouldn’t mind if Fox in Socks went up in flames, either.  Clearly, we don’t like rhyming books!  Oh, and I have always hated The Cat in the Hat.  That damned trouble maker cat stresses me out!

Catch the Moon by Elizabeth Mitchell – I won’t share the mean things we say about this book but I will say that it tries to rhyme and fails miserably.  The author must have been under the influence of something.  The abrupt ending is bizarre, as well.  Jack seems to like it, though.

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown – It’s just…too long and repetitive.  Jack does not have the patience for this one and neither do we. 

A to Z by Sandra Boynton – In my opinion, an A-Z book should teach something but the book is just too off-the-wall so we generally sit looking at the book in bewilderment.  I am linking to the whole set of books we have because it should be mentioned that the illustrations in all of the books are immensely ugly.

Good for Me and You by Mercer Mayer – What’s with the bad grammar, Mercer?

We also have a few mini Richard Scarry books that are like 4 pages long (I could find a link).  The one I particularly can’t stand is “Busy Trucks,” which starts off talking about the vehicles around town and then all of a sudden ends with a birthday party.  Joe says I am too harsh on a book that is so short but, come on, I need a little plot development!  Also, Mr. Frumble is an idiot!

We can’t be the only haters out there.  Share with me your black listed books!

Kangaroo Care and Babywearing

When I was pregnant and going through the onerous task of registering for baby gear, I asked Joe if he had any special requests.  He had no desire to be part of the gear registry for the most part but, to my astonishment, he did ask for a Baby Bjorn.  I had no idea he even knew what that was!  I added it to the registry and our good friend Sabrina ended up buying it for us.

We also received a Snugli as an off-the-registry gift from a family friend.  We decided that the BB would be Joe’s and the Snugli would be mine; that way, we wouldn’t have to worry about readjusting the straps all the time (as Joe is 8″ taller than me and weighs twice what I do).  This turned out to be a very good decision, as adjusting the Snugli was a major pain in the ass.  There are a million straps, it seems.

Parents of premature or children with low birth weight are often advised to practice kangaroo care (or skin-to-skin contact) as it has been shown to help regulate heart rate, temperature, and breathing.  Kangaroo care has also been known to improve the breastfeeding relationship, infant sleep, weight gain, and overall mood.  Having read about the benefits of kangaroo care prior to giving birth, I made sure to mention it in my birth plan wishes.  When Jack was born blue, with his umbilical cord wrapped around him three times, he was placed naked against my chest while receiving oxygen and quickly regained his color and his breathing recovered.  Joe also practiced skin-to-skin in the hospital when Jack’s body temperature tanked after a bath, and we have used the method at home many times.  Kangaroo care is not just for preemies!

After seeing first hand how kangaroo care can help in caring for newborns, we were even more excited about babywearing.  Since Jack was so big (8 lbs 10 oz) when he was born and had such great head control, he was able to go into the carriers within a week (at which point he weighed 9.5 lbs).  As most people with newborns know, babies like to be held a lot.  I’m sure most parents have numerous photos of their newborns sleeping on their chests.  In Jack’s case, he simply would not stand for sleeping more than 5 minutes anywhere but in our arms.  We tried the swing, the Pack N Play basinette, the bouncer and he would have none of it.  This is one of the reasons we started co-sleeping at night.  During the day, we made good use of the baby carrier.

Joe is a hiker, so in his pre-baby daydreams, he saw himself exploring nature with Jack.  This has worked really well because when everything else fails to soothe Jack to sleep, a nice long walk works almost every single time.

I did a lot of babywearing, as well.  The carriers have enabled me to get out of the house while preventing Jack from having a meltdown.  Additionally, I really enjoy having my boy zonked out while snuggling up to my chest.  Since Jack gained weight so rapidly, though, the Snugli didn’t work well for us – it soon became a huge burden on my shoulders and back (a common complaint with both the Snugli and the Baby Bjorn).  I had heard good things about the Ergo, as it had been touted as being more comfortable and healthier for the developing child’s hips and spine, and I got the chance to try one when I visited Jen in Oregon.  Soon after that trip, my sister asked if there was anything we needed and graciously bought us the Ergo as a gift.  It was an immediately improvement over the Snugli for me, as Jack’s weight was distributed more evenly with the pull being more on the hips, and the stress was removed from my back.  My center of gravity was corrected!  Also, the Ergo has less buckles than the Snugli and there was nothing sitting between Jack and my chest, which meant I could nurse with it on.  Yay!

Joe stuck with the Baby Bjorn until Jack reached 22 lbs. and outgrew it.  Bonus of the Ergo: it lasts until 40 lbs!

Jack’s daycare provider in Humboldt used the Ergo, as well.  Jack has been pretty good at daycare but she said she noticed a huge improvement in fussiness when she started wearing him.  Not only that, but he was always extremely happy to go to daycare and I believe this is because he was getting the closeness that he desired even when the daycare provider had to focus on the other children in her care.

Needless to say, I’m a huge proponent of kangaroo care and babywearing.  I especially love it as a great way for the baby to bond with the non-breastfeeding parent.  I know there are many times when Joe has felt frustration at not being able to calm Jack with breastfeeding as I do, and the baby carrier is a nice substitute.  Plus, when my magical breasts do not do the trick, Joe can strap Jack into the Ergo and take a walk, giving me a little space!

I highly recommend that every parent utilize the benefits of kangaroo care and baby wearning and get a baby carrier.  You may have to try a few different types to see what works for you and your baby.  Some parents prefer slings over a backpack-type carrier, for instance, and there are certainly benefits to having a variety of carriers to choose from in any situation.

Budding Artist

In case you were wondering (and thanks to Parent Hacks for the information), baby wipes will clean crayon off of a surface painted with glossy or semi-gloss paint (such as white kitchen cabinets and drawers), no spattula scraping required.  Note that baby wipes alone do not work on the eggshell paint that is perhaps covering your walls.

Oh, and despite how safe you may feel when your child is standing quietly by your legs while you cook dinner, pay attention when you hear a mysterious scraping sound.

As you may have surmised, Jack has taken a liking to crayons (or, as my brother-in-law says, “crawns” which rhymes with prawns apparently – he claims Virginia roots).  He has mostly stopped chewing on the crayons and now colors with wild abandon in the coloring books we provide.  Or, ya know, cabinets and walls.  He perhaps got the idea that it was okay to draw on other surfaces when he was gifted bath crayons by his aunt and uncle…okay, I admit it, I put them on his wish list.  I’m sure it’s not my only parenting mistake!

After the home decorating incident I put the crayons away (note to self: child must be supervised while in posession of art supplies) and Jack desolved into tears, pointing at the counter top where I had stashed them and moaned “culee, culee!”  We compromised by giving him a bath so he could play with crayons there.  His dance of excitement while the water was filling the tub was priceless.  It was possibly the longest bath he has ever taken.

Methinks I need to stock up on magic eraser.

Kid Birthdays

Prior to Jack’s first birthday, I had this idea that kid birthdays were boring and our non-parent friends wouldn’t want to come.  It’s not that kid birthdays were boring to me, just that I am aware I am in this parenting bubble where everything my kid does is uber interesting.  I know that others might not share my interest.  Then Jack’s birthday came, and our small apartment was packed with people, most of whom were kidless.  It was readily apparent that they were having a great time, and everyone was extremely excited to see Jack’s reaction to the gift they had picked out for him.  It was wonderful watching Jack enjoy his special day, and I will always have this memory of celebrating with all of the people who love Jack and had been there for us at various times during his first year of life.  Suffice it to say, I was surprised at the enormity that is the first birthday.

Last night we attended a birthday party for my boss’s 2 year old daughter.  I did not hesitate in accepting the invitation because now I know that kid birthday parties are fantastic!  After acquiring a small gift for the birthday girl (the book The Gift of Nothing* because the invitation said no gifts** and I am ever so clever), we drove into San Francisco, the city welcoming us with festive lights strung across the Bay Bridge and around the buildings downtown.

The party was just as wonderful as I thought it would be.  There were toddlers everywhere, and they were highly entertained by the mylar helium-filled balloons shaped like dogs, with feet weighted to the floor.  I picked one up and barked at Jack.  He was startled at first, and then he giggled uproariously.  He begged for more and chased the dogs all night.  He also had a great time playing with the birthday girl’s toys.  It was a whole new world for him, drawing on the easel with crayons, shaking maracas, and pounding on the toy piano.  Gotta love going to other people’s homes to test out toys!

My boss dressed up as Santa an hour into the party to hand out gifts to all of the kids.  The kids were terrified!  One little girl kept repeating, “No more Santa!” over and over for the rest of the night.  Jack was mostly ambivalent but as soon as we got near Santa to get his present, he started crying.  We quickly got his gift, a book, and redirected his attention by reading it.  I felt for the kids, I really did, but it was also amusing to watch them freak out over a big guy with a white beard and red clothing.  Only two of the kids (who were decidedly older than the others) out of ten enjoyed Santa.  Poor kids!  And poor Santa!

Jack’s second birthday is seven months away, so presumably I have a lot of time to plan, but with as much time as it takes to do anything these days and as fast as time is flying, I want to start thinking about this now!  (Have I mentioned I’m a planner?)  There is so much to be done!  With that in mind, I’d love to hear your best (cheap, practical, yet creative) ideas for kid birthday parties.  I open the floor to you, dear readers!

* Do you know about Patrick McDonnell’s books yet?  I had to resist buying them for every kid I know!  I bought Hug Time for Jack but want them all.
** I did check with her parents first to make sure it was okay to get a book.

A book about love

I was sent an advanced reading copy of the book I Love You More, written by Laura Duksta and illustrated by Karen Keesler (together nicknamed “Hippie and the Bald Chick“).  The book is a picture book with a great story about the love between a mom and her son.  One part of the story starts in the front of the book and the other can be read when you flip the book over.  They meet in the middle with the beautiful sentiment, “I love you more….”

Jack and I did our duty and sat down to read the book together as soon as I opened the package.  We both really enjoyed it!  It is written with subtle rhyme and the illustrations are vibrant and gorgeous.  I love the fact that Jack and I now have a book to read that is just about us – a mom and her little boy (although wouldn’t it be great if they made multiple versions for all types of parents and children? hint hint!).

This would be an awesome holiday buy for new parents, as well!