8. 9. & 10. Month Roundup

Oh my, my, my. I cannot believe we have reached the 11 month mark. My baby boy is hardly a baby anymore...I sometimes catch myself telling stories about my "newborn," only to realize I'm no longer a new mom with a infant. Somehow things still feel new to me. Each chapter is new, and everyday is new. Today a woman at the department store wrapped a scented silk ribbon around my wrist and asked me, "What do you say yes to?" I responded instantaneously with the first thing that popped into my head and replied, "change." Now that one must have come from somewhere deep in my subconscious because I wouldn't say that I give the warmest of welcomes to alterations unless of course they entail taking in a beautiful Vince Camuto dress or hemming a brand new pair of blue jeans. I could have answered yes to anything--to traveling, to shopping, to happiness, to Luca always, to world peace, or to a free bottle of the amazing perfume this woman was the rep for (it had black currant in it. BLACK CURRANT PEOPLE.), but no, I responded with "change," and I have no idea  where "change" came from. I suppose I am more open to it than I thought, either that or the gypsy, my sagittarius husband, is really starting to rub off on me. We left my longtime home and up and put roots down further north, which I can't lie and say I was ecstatic about. It's as if one minute you are living where people vacation and the next you are staring at a photograph of the ocean as you sit in the AC because it is 100 degrees outside and you're starting to feel like a "Damn toucan." I swear I'm about to click clack my red glittered shoes together, close my eyes tightly, and chant "There's no place like home" over and over again until I open my eyes and I'm back at the beach. Not only is it hot, but relocating has brought with it the usual protocols such as having to make new friends, finding a new hot yoga studio, acclimating my skin to the high desert, figuring out a new routine, and re-familiarizing myself with my childhood home. It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, I'm just missing my cottage by the sea. Soon I will find my new normal, I'll readjust, and I'll do my best to find the good in every situation. So I'm saying yes to change. We are almost completely settled in our new digs and I cannot wait to sit down, put my feet up, and call it a day. But before I do that, here are our 8, 9, and 10 month favorites. Enjoy!

 1. Safari Walker \\  This walker is perfect for the transition between crawling and walking. Luca loved playing with all the buttons and listening to the tunes before he was able to stand up on his own. And now that he's furniture cruising and balancing on his own, this little tool is great for Luca to practice walking around.

 2. Umbrella stroller \\  This light-weight and compact stroller is essential for when you need to run in and out somewhere running errands. 

3.Baltic Amber teething necklace \\ We swear up and down by this necklace. This may just be the most useful item on this list. If you aren't familiar with baltic amber it works by rubbing with the heat of your skin and creating a natural analgesic. Luca sprouted three teeth in a week and barely made a peep. I can't say enough good things!

4. Calm Forte Tablets \\ These are chamomile tablets so even though the package says ages 2+, they are totally safe. We've had both sides of our family recommend these for when Luca is overly tired or fussy and just like the tea, they help!

5. Safety First Cabinet Locks \\ These are rad. I could leave it at that. They are a total bitch to install but totally worth it. You use a little magnet to open the locks and there's a switch for when baby is asleep so you don't have to fuss with a child proofed kitchen.

6. Teething bunny \\  You know the old phrase "if it ain't broke don't fix it?" Well they make things simple for a reason. Luca likes this teether the most out of all his fancy-shmancy ones.

7.Mustela Lotion \\ I was recommended this lotion by a fellow mom and it is the best smelling baby product of all time. I feel like if you could bottle up the magical scent of a baby and sell it you'd place second because Mustela already did it. It's also really great for moisturizing Luca's eczema.
 8. Sippy \\ Luca loves water and is obsessed with straws, so sippy cups with straws are all the rage in this household.
9. High chair \\ This high chair doubles as a kids seat when your baby outgrows the highchair and Miles and I love products that are duel purposed. Plus it is so cute and doesn't look like most of the high chairs out there or how a hummer looks in a parking spot-- way too big.
 10. Ella's Puffits \\ These are Luca's favorite snack. We love all Ella's offers, but these are great because they are free of oats and sugar. They don't have all the added crap most of the other brands contain, just a couple simple ingredients and in this day and age that's hard to find!
11. Maxi Cosi Pria 70 Car seat \\ Lastly, but certainly not least...Luca is a beast for his age and so at 8 months the infant seat had to go. His feet were touching the back seat and he looked so uncomfortably squished. We read tons of reviews and decided on this plush seat. I love that it's comfortable and extremely safe. Worth every penny!

Well I'd better get swimming' or I'll sink like a bone, cause' the times they are a changin'

I wish you all a great rest of the week! 

Happy hump day!

7 months & Growing.

Welp, we made it to seven months! Of all the times I've questioned myself wondering if I'm doing the right thing, Luca is living proof that I must be doing something right! 

Here is a rundown of our seven month must-haves! 

1. B. One Two Squeeze Blocks- Squishy, squeaky, and chewable, these blocks are perfect for Luca to play with on the floor or in his highchair while we eat dinner. He loves all the vibrant colors too!

2. Sophie the Giraffe Teether- this seems to be a popular favorite amongst moms and babies everywhere and rightfully so! Luca loves Sophie and I love that she's completely organic and non-toxic giving me a peace of mind that my baby isn't consuming harmful chemicals--so we both win :)

3. Motorola Baby Monitor- this is great since Luca began sleeping in his own room a few months back. We love this monitor and it has worked out great for us--we can go about our business while he naps and still keep an eye on him, and at night we can sleep sound knowing we don't have to get up out of bed every time he makes a sound.

 4. Boon Bath Appliques- These stick to the wall in the bathtub but also float, giving Luca something to grab and interact with while he's in the tub. 

 5. Tovolo Perfect Cube Ice Tray- these work perfect for freezing homemade baby food. Each cube is 1 oz, so you know exactly how much your baby is eating.

 6. Chewbeads- You know how you feel like you can't wear any jewelry due to all the tugging and pulling as your baby's eye meets anything shiny? Well this brand Chewbeads has made fashionable jewelry for mom that is completely baby safe and I love it! Luca is beginning to teeth so it's nice for him to be able to grab my necklace and put it directly in his mouth, and I think he's shocked that I'm allowing him to! lol.

Here is a check in with Luca's progress as a 7 month old babe!

Stats: 20 pounds and 29 inches long. Yes, this boy is a beast!

Favorite food: Luca pretty much likes everything, we've yet to encounter a food he turns away from, but I'd say his favorites thus far are bananas and sweet peas. 

Favorite toy: Dandelion Organic Crinkle Book, Sophie the Giraffe & B. One Two Squeeze Blocks

Any teeth yet: Nope.

Crawling yet: Not quite, but he's trying. He'll lay on his belly and frustratingly kick his feet until he realizes he's not going anywhere, and then he cries... His favorite mode of locomotion right now is rolling. everywhere. One minute he's here and the next minute he's on the hardwood floor trying to eat it. He's part baby part ninja. 

Favorite Activities: Bath time, jumping in the exersaucer, looking in the mirror, waving, clapping, babbling, and putting everything and anything he lays his hands on in his mouth.

Least Favorite Activities: Getting dressed & waiting for his food. 

Nicknames: Lu, LuLu, Luberry, Luberry Muffin, BamBam, Choochers, the list goes on...

Mom's Proudest Moment: Seeing Luca wave to me for the first time or teaching Luca how to properly play a game of peek-a-boo. He can pull the blanket off my head and his head, and laughs every time. 

Dad's Proudest Moment: Putting Luca on his skateboard for the very first time. I know there's a youtube video circulating around right now of a 2 year old skateboarding, but we may have one upped him with 7 months, just sayin...

Months Three and Four

1: ExerSaucer Safari Jumper | 2: Happy Bellies Baby Oatmeal | 3: Sassy Ring o' Links | 4: Mam Teether | 5: Ba Bottle Holder  

 6: Boppy Pillow | 7: Sleep Sack

We officially have a four month old on our hands! Where has the time gone?? I skipped out on doing a three month favorite post because not much had changed since I posted our two month faves, but now were in a whole new realm of baby toys. Right after that three month mark it's as if you have an entirely new baby. They coo & interact & smile & laugh...it's the best thing in the whole world. 

Luca just started on baby oatmeal by spoon and he loves it! He's slowly getting the hang of it, but simply put it's really messy :) Our pediatrician recommended oatmeal over rice cereal because it is more fiberful. I told him it wouldn't matter what we put in Luca's mouth because he'll eat whatever! This baby loves to eat and I'm happy about it because a fed baby is a happy baby & Luca is one happy kid!

Month 1

Meet Luca Lennox Wood.
7.23.2013 || 12:55 p.m. || 8 lbs || 20.75 in.

This little man came into our lives on July 23rd and has had us completely enraptured ever since. In all my life, I have never known such a love. Motherhood is incredible. I am so blessed. I promise I will get around to writing Luca's birth story soon, but in the mean time I just couldn't keep him from you any longer!

Tuesday will mark one month since Luca was born. Over the past four weeks we've slowly begun to discover our new "normal" and in that process we've found some things that have made life with a newborn so much easier! Here are our favorite baby items for the first month:

1. 4moms mamaRoo- This swing is designed to mimic mother's movements and let me tell you, it is a lifesaver. This is Luca's couch in our living room. As difficult as it is to put your newborn down, there are just some things that are way too ridiculous to do one-handed. The swing comes in all sorts of different colors, and also plays soothing sounds to lull your little one to sleep. The swing is a little on the pricey side, but if you're estimating cost per use you will definitely get your money's worth. I guarantee you'll be seeing tons of photos of Luca in this contraption. 

2. Cloud B On the Go Sleep Sheep- This sheep puts Luca to sleep in minutes at night. It plays calming nature sounds. The falling rain is his favorite. I don't recommend the babbling brook unless you want to be changing diapers and running to the bathroom every five minutes, but this is a must have, PLUS it will teach your baby to sleep with sound. No one wants a baby that needs complete silence to sleep.

3. Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Soap- This is what we use to wash all of Luca's clothes. It's all natural and made with essential oils. You can also use it as bath soap, cleaner, dish detergent, and tons of other ways you can read about on their site. We love Dr. Bronner's!
4. Gumdrop Pacifiers- Now I wasn't planning on giving my baby a pacifier right away, but he had this continuous need to suckle even after feedings, so I finally gave in and how glad I am that I did! These turn my baby from fussy to content in a matter of seconds, we've nicknamed them "the silencers."
5. Boon Grass Bottle Drying Rack- This is just plain cute and totally functional as well. We have the flower accessory to dry the nipples and caps, and millions of other accessories bottles come with these days.
6. Medela Calma bottle- Luca took to this bottle right away. It allows babies to use the same feeding patterns as when they breastfeed. Everyone has their favorites as to which bottle works best for their babies, this one works well for us.
7. Summer Infant Organic Swaddler- Luca was never happy to have his arms swaddled, he has this overwhelming need to be free and so it was really hard when we got home from the hospital to try and wrap him into a little burrito. He wouldn't allow it. We would swaddle him bellow the arms but his strong legs would loosen the whole wrap and then it became a suffocating hazard having loose blanket surrounding him. In came these swaddles. They velcro. enough said. Luca sleeps in one of these every night. It keeps him warm, snug, and he can flail those arms all he wants! If there is an art to the swaddle, these are the Michael Angelos.
8. Angelcare Bath- It's really difficult to describe how this bath works, but it has little holes that allow the water to drain as you scrub your little one up. It's portable, compact, and easy to clean. I'm so glad we decided on this one.
9. Aden + Anais Bamboo Muslin- I know everyone raves about these and it isn't without reason. These are great. It's way worth it to go with the bamboo material because it is so much softer than their traditional blankets. We didn't care for these as swaddlers  because Luca just could not be contained and his arms were always flailing out, but we loved them as blankets. They are breathable and cozy, and are perfect in the stroller, carseat, mamaroo, what have you.
10. Baby Delight Snuggle Nest- Lastly, but certainly not least, the snuggle nest. This was a hand me down from our neighbors who have three kids and know their way around all things babies and toddlers. At first we were using this as his changing pad, but it has since become his bed.  He'll eventually sleep in his bassinet, but right now it's just too spacious for him. We plop this thing right between us in bed and he sleeps sounder than ever. Did I mention Luca only wakes up once a night? I know not everyones newborn is like this, so please no hate mail!

*This is not a sponsored post.