Happy Halloween!

Jack 'O

Went to my first Pumpkin Carving Party...this is the result. The Sistine Chapel it is not but you can't go wrong with a classic single-toothed grin. I spent more time setting up this shot then actually carving. I am delighted with both.

Flame

5 Best Baby Items...

I meant to post this ages ago, along with the first edition of the "5 Worst Baby Items..." and I have only just now gotten around to it. Seeing as it's only fair to give credit where credit is due and these, by far, were the items that we got the most mileage out of since bringing Master Cohen home from the hospital:

Burp Clothes/Diapers. We started using this IMMEDIATELY, what with all the poop, pee, spit up, and general dribbling taking place. They can hold gallons of liquid but they're soft enough to use when wiping the bean's chin for the thousandth time. We have them in every room of the house and when the time comes we just pop them in the wash and they come out as good as new.

Miracle Blanket. After about the first month Cohen was able to burst from any swaddling attempts we made which resulted in him waking himself up after sleeping for about 25 seconds. We had purchased another "swaddle blanket" with velcro straps but the Miracle Blanket, hands down, was the clear winner. It was the only way we could get the bean to sleep longer than 45 minutes at night and to take a true nap during the day. We got by with just using one but the next time around (HA!) I'll definitely make sure we have several of these on hand.

Aveeno Baby Moisture Lotion. After our run in with Johnson & Johnson's Rash Inducing Bed Time Lotion we were pretty leery about putting products on Cohen's skin and after a few trial and error attempts we started using the Aveeno products. They worked wonders with his dry skin and now he boasts a soft and perfectly kissable complexion, which he clearly did NOT inherit from his mama.

Candleloo Lamps. Okay, so these aren't necessarily a baby item but they were invaluable when it came to nighttime feedings. We had originally outfitted Cohen's room with a nightlight but it started proving a major distraction early on with Cohen staring at it when he should have been eating or sleeping. So we tossed the plug-in and started using these Candleloo Lamps instead. They have just enough light to see what needs to be seen for feedings/diaper changes/cleanups but not enough to completely suck Cohen in and keep his attention. The great thing about them is you can take them where you need them, changing table, dresser, nightstand etc., they have a power switch on the bottom, and they don't scream BABY DECOR.

The Arc Thrift Stores. Apart from what we were gifted all of Cohen's clothes, blankets, bibs, hats etc. were secondhand. When you love to shop, as I DO, learning to appreciate and love thrift stores is a must. Otherwise we would be poor. Very, very poor. So, thanks to all those lovely people out there donating their slightly used, sometimes brand new, with the tags, clothes, linens, furniture, books, you name it and I've probably bought it. We were able to put together quite an impressive layette for less then $50 when it was all said and done. Who says the average nursery costs a whopping $5000?! Ridiculous. All you have to do is spend a few weekend afternoons rummaging through the racks and bins at the Arc on Colfax. And every Saturday, practically the entire store is 50%. Wahoo!

Evinrude

Business Card

Bonnie

Journal: Sixth Month

Dearest Bean,

We did it! We have survived to make it to this HALF YEAR milestone! I can hardly believe it. Where's the fireworks? Where's the cake? Where's the parade? It certainly feels like there should be some sort of celebration besides another round of booster shots. In the past two weeks you have really started to change and I understand when people talk about the Babymoon phase. It may have taken us a bit longer to get there but, man oh man, it was worth it.

You kicked off this past month by deciding naps were a terrible nagging inconvenience and the only reason I keep harping on your obvious disdain for sleeping during daylight hours is because I hope some poor, frazzled mama in her search for solidarity will stumble across this blog, and breathe a sigh of relief because, THANK GOD, they are not the only person on the planet who has a baby that treats naps like a chance encounter with amoebic dysentery. However, at this most current writing your naps are getting better, much better, and that's all I'm going to say before the universe decides to totally screw me over on that.

We had been mixing rice cereal into your bottle and that went well until one week the rice cereal decided staying in your belly was simply out of the question and came spewing out of your face with a shocking amount of force, I was waiting for your head to start spinning. At first we thought it was just a fluke but several dozen loads of laundry later we finally (FINALLY) stopped giving you the rice cereal and you have not been Exorcist baby since. I did try spoon feeding the rice cereal but that was a no go as well, so the rice cereal is out. The sweet potatoes and applesauce are a huge hit and I've spent the better part of my weekends baking, stewing, and steaming vegetables, then blending them to mush and freezing them for your meals. Next up, zucchini and peas. Feel free to resent and loathe peas. Your papa and I do so it's probably wired into your DNA. I tried mixing formula into your breast milk and your very finicky palate was appalled. There wasn't any amount of coaxing to get you to take that bottle. I even had your papa try and you weren't fooled for a minute. You just want the good stuff and I can't blame you. I got one whiff of that crap and gagged, you'd think they would have done something to the smell and the taste to make it more appealing. Barf.

We took you to the zoo except I'm not really sure you knew you were surrounded by exotic and some not-so-exotic animals. I got to use your new stroller and I only managed to "stroll" you into a curb and fence on one occasion. Then there was the time I failed to set the brake and you ended up taking a brief trip all on your own, completely unaware there was no one at the wheel. It would appear your mama needs to pay better attention meanwhile you were perfectly well behaved.

Just last week we purchased your very first Halloween costume and I am so excited for the 31st to get here. I have always looked forward to having my own children to share holidays with, especially the holidays that I wasn't allowed to participate in. Halloween, specifically, has always been fascinating to me and what can be better than dressing up and filling a pillowcase full of "fun size" candy and shouting "trick or treat" at the top of your lungs?! I can hardly wait until you're old enough to enjoy this incredibly fun and spooky day, to choose your costume and pick a pumpkin from the patch, and to see that just because you may not fully understand a holiday doesn't make it wrong, sinful, occultic, or something to be feared but, rather, an opportunity to have a laugh and make some memories.

Because of a crashed network and schedules that couldn't be re-worked on such short notice I ended up missing your sixth month appointment and I will try my very hardest to never let that happen again but your Papa took you and everything was right as rain. Not much changed regarding your height, weight, and head size and I can honestly say I'm a little relieved. It seemed like you were growing WAY too fast and all of a sudden, the time is whizzing by, and I'm trying to hold onto all these special wonderful moments each day. I've been keeping a calendar and filling out your baby books in the hope that I can capture the joy and wonder of this time. I'm certain you're going to grow up thinking your mama's face has been replaced with a Nikon D50. There is just so much going on and I don't want to miss a moment of it. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of firsts. First reach, first hair grab, first babble that sounded like "ma-ma", first spit bubbles, first raspberries, first unassisted sit up, first thumb suck, first foot in your mouth. I know there are many more firsts to come and I'm on the edge of my seat!

Love Forever:

Mama