Water Water Everywhere

Baby B is now 15 months old and already has three cross-country trips under his belt. That's what happens when half of your loved ones live on the East Coast. Luckily, he's a good traveler. This time, it was a joy to see the wonder in his eyes as the plane started moving and took off. I could tell he knew we were in that "ay pane" that we point to "up in the sky" so often in our yard, and that we were now up in the sky. He smiled during take-off and took a nice nap during the ride.

This time our destination was Florida. Having lived there for three years and Drew having grown up there, it's surprising to me what a shock it is the way we both feel after touch down. Getting off the plane, you can taste the humidity. Driving around, we pointed out the window at all of the water, the boats, the bridges. "Water! Look water!" You'd think we'd been dying of thirst out here in the desert.

We had a wonderful trip seeing family and friends. Watching these three adorable cousins hang out together, going to the zoo with his Godfather, getting in a tickle fight with Auntie Heather, and helping Uncle Steve and Auntie Morgan get engaged were just some of the highlights!

We managed to avoid most of the rain while staying at the beach, but boy did we forget about Florida's afternoon showers. We spent plenty of time swimming, splashing, getting sunburned (ok, just me) and soaking up all the water we could. But, it is nice to be back home in Arizona, the true sunshine state.

At 15 months, Baby B likes:
chasing the dog with his car, eating everything in sight, choosing a book to read for bedtime, dancing, babbling and repeating words, spinning in circles, roughhousing, and much more.

He diskiles:
Being told no.  (where did he get that?)

Juggling

Baby B never stops moving. During his waking hours he literally never stops. The only reason I'm writing these few sentences right now is because he's toddling around next to me preoccupied with my husband's camera bag full of gadgets. Husband, consider this my apology for everything he is doing with said gadgets.


As Baby B (now toddler B) grows in height, mobility and curiosity, my multitasking skills are being put to the test. As a former news reporter, those skills were already pretty advanced. As a current working mom with a spouse who works nights, I surprise myself every day with my ability to grow new arms (which I assume must be happening because I don't know how else things are getting accomplished) as I eat dinner, wash dishes, start a bath, remove chocking hazards from a toddler's hands and let the dog out all simultaneously. Yes, the choking hazard was dog food. Sometimes we need all the help we can get.

Thankfully, we are getting that from our family that lives just a neighborhood away and I am eternally grateful (and I'm pretty sure I owe them about a thousand babysitting hours.) Last week, I was also grateful to have an extra set of hands from my mom while she visited us on vacation, enjoying our beautiful weather, and our beautiful boy.

We took this adorable zoo selfie during one of our many Phoenix-area outings.  We had a wonderful time! Now, this circus is headed to the East Coast to have more fun in the sun at the beach! Stay tuned.

Snow Day

I know all of you East-Coasters are so sick of snow storms, you probably never want to hear the words "milk, bread and toilet paper" ever again. I remember having to scrape ice off my car or shake the grey salty sleet from my shoes every time I stepped outside. There's a point where it just stops being pretty and starts being... well, like this:

Fortunately, here in Arizona the question, "do you wanna build a snowman?" is an extremely rare occurrence. Unless, you're in Flagstaff. After weeks of hearing about all of the glorious snow, and being asked if I ever missed winter, I started to. So that's exactly where we went.  Three hours in the car and we were sledding, making snowballs, breathing the crisp, pine air. We were back home in time to eat dinner outside. In shorts.

Baby B is 13 months today. Here's a look at his very first snow day:

My Best Parenting Advice

After just one year, I'm still relatively new to this parenting thing so I'm usually on the receiving end of advice. Today as we celebrate my son's first birthday, I can't help but reflect back on what we were doing a year ago, watching him open his eyes for the first time, introducing him to the world. We survived the delicacy and sleep deprivation of his newborn months, watched in awe as he learned to roll and crawl, meticulously made his first pureed and solid foods, and before we knew it, he was bulldozing around the house on two feet rearranging the furniture and trying to get cans off kitchen shelves.

He's a walking, clapping, smiling, laughing, dancing, incredibly loving, adorable toddler.

My advice is short, but important. It's something I heard so many times from so many parents but never truly felt its magnitude until today: Don't Blink.

Not just because the blink of an eye is all Baby B needs to stick a piece of dog food in his mouth off the floor, or trip and fall into a bed frame, or spill a full glass of water all over himself and a pile of books.

A year ago he was a tiny, 7-pound squirmy little thing in my arms, who could barely even see. Now, he's looking and acting more like a little boy every day. Happy birthday, to my baby boy.

At ONE YEAR, baby B likes walking, playing at the playground, eating bananas and waffles and rice, balloons, music, dancing, opening and closing doors and boxes, building block towers and knocking them down, and throwing his ball.

He dislikes naps, staying still, and being told no.

First Christmas

I'll be the first to admit, one of the reasons I wanted a child was a selfish one. It's so I can re-live all of those wonderful childhood moments all over again. To see things though brand new eyes and believe in magic. There's something about Christmas that's so special when you're young, that for some reason fades with time. This year, the magic and meaning became new again as we helped Baby B pull the tissue paper out of boxes and exclaim, "ooooo" at the sight of whatever was inside. Sure, he's not quite old enough to fully appreciate it, and most of those "oooos" were actually in response to the dog's stocking full of treats and toys, but I could tell part of it was clicking for him. This day is something special. 

Santa brought Baby B's favorite toy, a scooter that you can push or ride, with a seat that opens up. Drew showed him how to ride and since then we've been pushing him around the house constantly. Wonderful gift for the baby, terrible gift for any adult's back.

We stayed in our jammies all day, playing with cousins and eating new food (including scallops- a winner!) Overall, I think baby's first Christmas was a great one!

At ELEVEN months, baby B likes... his scooter, cruising, taking the occasional step when no one but mommy is looking, reading books, pretending, building things, stacking, sorting, helping with laundry, dancing, and so much more.

He dislikes... diaper changes, runny noses, naps, Papu's sneezes, and noodles. Or maybe he likes them, he just likes throwing them on the floor better.

5 Awesome Baby Gifts... and some not so awesome ones.

It's so hard to believe Baby B is already 10 months old! He amazes me every day as he continues to learn and grow so quickly. I just can't believe that in less than three weeks, we'll be celebrating his first Christmas, and before we know it, his first birthday.

With the holiday season underway, I find myself shopping not just for the usual family members and friends I give to every year, but for new adorable tiny humans, as more of my friends start families.  I like to draw upon my whole 10 months of experience, giving baby products that have been my personal favorite. For anyone who might be shopping for a little one this Christmas, here are my top 5 gifts for new moms:

1. Aden and Anais Swaddles and Sleep Sacks- In my opinion, this brand is a must-have for Arizona babies in particular. They're all muslin, breathable fabric and they've been a life-saver when it's 115 outside!

2. Milkies Milk-savers and Madela gel pads- For any breast-feeding mom, these products were worth the money, especially in the beginning months. Milkies saves milk while nursing, and the gel pads- well, they were quite a relief.  Milkies can be found in some specialty boutiques and online here.

3. The Hungry Caterpillar Teether Toy- This was a hand-me-down from Baby B's cousin, and he absolutely loves it.  He likes to bring it everywhere and it rattles so he shakes it around, although it did end up in a man's lunch at a restaurant when it accidentally flew out of his hand.  Mortifying.

4. Activity Table- We first discovered the activity table when we visited VA and my mom had bought one for him while we stayed there. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit in our suitcase. He loved it so much, we bought another one when we came back!

5. Lillebaby All Seasons Carrier- Another great item for an Arizona arsenal, this carrier is similar to the popular Ergobaby, but has a few different features. Babies can face front, and the carrier has zip-down panels made of mesh so it's breathable. I got it in beige, so it doesn't absorb heat as much. We just went hiking with it last weekend and B had a great time.

Of course, any mom has their favorite and least favorite products and these may work or not work for other babies. In my short experience so far, I've also stumbled upon some products that I wouldn't spend my money on. Here's my list of fails:

Wipe Warmer- Okay, I might be able to understand this if you live in Minnesota and put on a parka to get the mail, but even the name of this product sounds a little over-the-top to me. Like those pet food commercials where they feed a bishon out of a crystal dish. "Anything else my liege? A spot of milk? A massage?"
Belly Bands- Some people swear by these products meant to make your postpartum belly slim down back to normal in no time, but honestly all I was doing the first six weeks after delivery while my uterus returned to its normal size was taking care of my little one while wearing yoga pants and a spit-up covered tank, wandering around like a sleep-deprived zombie. I don't think anyone was looking at my waistline.

Baby Air Jordans- It's true, they are the tiniest and most precious little shoes you'll ever see and they're so cute you just have to buy them. Don't. Once you wrestle them on to your little one and take a picture you will never use them again.

Baby Bathroom Harness- During one of my many web-searches about baby-related topics I came across this product. I'd never heard of it before but I can tell you right now based on the picture, I will never buy it. And I'm pretty sure it's illegal in some states.

At 10 months, Baby B likes walking while holding my hands, kicking his ball, putting things in boxes and taking them out, opening and closing doors, drawers and cabinets, stacking toys, feeding himself, babbling, and so much more!

He dislikes getting dressed, diaper changes, Santa Claus, and waiting.

Fall Fun

This month, Baby B had his second plane ride. Another sleepy red-eye flight, this time to my hometown in VA to visit our family, and Fall.  We had a wonderful time with Grandmama and Abuelo, Papa and Nana, Grammy (my grandmother!) uncles, aunts, and his 2-year-old twin cousins. 

Our fun-packed trip included multiple visits to farm festivals, and Baby B's first hayride!

And, baby's first visit to the nation's capital, where he tested out the new grass on the National Mall.

We returned just in time to celebrate Halloween with his other cousins. Superman had a wonderful time trick-or-treating!

At 9 months, Baby B isn't a big fan of sitting still, so this was the best photo we were able to get. He's 29 3/4 inches tall, and 19lbs 9.6oz.

Baby B likes: playing in the grass, playing with his ball, cruising, rearranging furniture, tickles, biting noses, watching his Kuya's soccer games, and playing with all of his cousins.

He dislikes: Naptime, being on his back, diaper changes, wearing pants, and strangers (especially the pediatrician)