Our New Trick!

William has a new trick! I noticed on Thursday that he was trying to help himself sit up a little bit. I got sooo excited and we started doing baby sit-ups right away! I would let him hold on to my fingers and he would pull himself up. I would, of course, give him a little boost to make it all the way up. He loooooved doing the baby sit-ups. Every time he got to "sitting" he would smile the biggest smile and squeak. Then! I lifted his hands up a little bit and he stood up! Woo hoo! So now we do our little baby sit-ups to standing every night. I can see him being able to sit on his own in no time! Here's a little video of William doing his exercise. Please excuse my obnoxious "baby voice", I was really proud. =)

Some 'splanin to do...

Back to work I go! And boy am I tired. There are reasons why maternity leave is so important and why most moms try not to go back to work. Taking care of a baby and working is exhausting! Pumping bottles at work is exhausting. And none the less... I'm up blogging and Jerry is sleeping on the couch as we speak. My body is actually used to getting four hours of sleep a night. It's sad.

Here's a picture of what Jerry and William looked like when I left for school on the first day. There were no tears, no "Mommy, please don't go" and overall it was a very uneventful day at Daddy Day Care. It was a very interesting day for me, as I am continuing to nurse baby Will and if you are a teacher, especially of little ones, you know that on those first few days I BARELY had a minute to get the bottle pumping done. I didn't have a break until 1:20 and, well, I'm lucky I didn't have an embarrassing leak. Things are under control now, I have a routine and I am a pro-pumper. But, it is quickly getting old... Hopefully I can hold out for a few more months. Luckily we will be trying to start on some solid food soon and hopefully that will curb some of the bottles needed.

A few people have asked why there is always a towel under my child. If you look at almost any picture taken, there really is a towel there. I only bib my child if there is a really important outfit or if we are going out in public. I should probably bib him more often, but it's almost a moot point. He always manages to spit up beyond the bib and usually doesn't even get a drop on it. Half of the time the bib turns into a baby super hero cape... it's just not worth my time and laundry detergent. Instead, as a solution that we conjured up on our first day home, we just put a towel under Will whenever we're playing, changing and basically letting him move around on his own. It has cut down on needing to steam clean almost every surface in our house. I apologize if anyone thinks it looks tacky, but I think spit up stains on the couch you sit on when you visit are tackier.

Tune in this weekend... I have a video of William's latest trick! I'm too tired to post it tonight!

What do I REALLY need?

Back in March, Jerry and I went to a "Baby Expo" in Ft. Lauderdale with the hopes of finding everything we needed for our little bun. While we were there, we walked into the Fisher-Price booth and found a wonderful lady who showed us all of the newest products. Being a "minimalist" after growing up with my parents who saved EVERYTHING, I asked her... "If you had to choose just ONE, which of these products do I REALLY need?" There were bouncers, jumpers, exersaucers and rockers everywhere in many different shapes, styles and themes. Needless to say, she didn't give me a straight answer.

While registering in Target and Babies 'r Us, they give you this "handy" list of baby supplies that you need in order to keep your baby alive. The list had well over 100 different items on it to register for. Really? Do I need ALL of this? I am here to tell you, you don't need all of these things. Here is my list of the essential 25 items...

1. car seat

2. stroller

3. crib / mattress

4. crib sheets

5. diapers

6. wipes

7. clothes (specific types are a personal preference)

8. feeding supplies… breast pump and bottles for breastfeeding, bottles and formula for formula feeding

9. burp cloths

10. receiving blankets

11. diaper bag

12. something to put baby down in… swing, or bouncer

13. high chair (if you get one that reclines, you can use it as an infant)

14. dresser or hangers for clothes

15. baby monitor

16. toys (rattle)

17. play area for tummy time

18. pack and play

19. wash cloths

20. baby towels

21. baby soap / shampoo

22. baby nail clippers

23. thermometer

24. butt cream (destin or other)

25. the bulb sucker thingie (the give this to you in the hospital, it's important you take it with you)

That's all you need? Really? Yes. There are other items, however, that are NICE to have but are not essential. They are...

a changing table, a humidifier, a baby bath tub, a bassinet, travel swing or bouncer, a bumbo seat, a baby sling or carrier, a mobile, sun shades, a rocking chair, bottle brushes, a toy box and a nursing pillow

Things you DO NOT need include, but are not limited to...

travel wipes, diaper stackers, stroller netting and rain gear, sleep positioners, wipe warmer, pretty expensive baskets to put stuff in, special laundry detergent, diaper genies

Like I said above, other moms may consider different items more or less important than I do. I've found that baby supplies are really about what makes you and your baby comfortable. I, personally, went google eyed when I first walked into the stores to register. And yes, I cried in the stroller aisle because of all of the different choices. If you are really economical, you can combine some items. Travel system strollers include the car seat, some dressers include a changing table, a pack and play can include a bassinet and changing table and a first aid kit will combine some health items.

Yes, I didn't include a pacifier anywhere. I'm strongly against using a pacifier. I may be the only mom in America that feels this way, but I refuse to put a pacifier in my child's mouth and I don't care if people call me crazy. =)