Month: October 2011

Fisher at Four Months

Today our boy is five months old, so I’m officially a month behind.  Here he is at four months.  Don’t you just want to squeeze him?  A random lady at the Texas State Fair asked how many tickets it would cost to take a bite of those baby thighs.  I was a bit creeped out, but still flattered.

Fisher is growing and changing and doing new things every day.  He is laughing and really responding to us now.  He discovered his feet and likes to chew on his toes.  He has started soothing himself by sucking on his thumbs and sometimes his whole hand.

At his four month check up he weighed 18.2 pounds, putting him in the 95 percentile for weight.  We’ve come a long way since our breastfeeding crisis at 2 weeks old.  He is still exclusively breastfeeding and I would say it is working pretty well.

His eyes are still blue with hints of grey and green.  As a brown eyed girl married to a blue eyed boy, I hope his eyes stay blue like his daddy’s.

He is losing his soft baby hair and has a wicked mullet developing in the back.  It is still super cute.  New hair is starting to come in on top and I think it looks a lot lighter.  His daddy and I were both blonde as kids (Jed still is) so I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns a lot lighter.

At his check up he measured at 25 1/4 inches long, in the 75 percentile.  He also measured off the charts for cuteness.

He has started really grabbing things this month, so we are having to be more careful.  He likes holding on to his toys and then putting them straight in his mouth.  I bought him an exersaucer (we call it his office) at a consignment sale, and he loves it.  I bring it into the kitchen while I’m cooking and he plays happily.  He is also loving his Bumbo chair right now.  

But mostly he just loves his toes.

My Favorite Baby Products – The Woombie Review

I’ve written about swaddling before, and how it worked wonders for Fisher’s sleep habits.  By the time he was about 11 weeks old he could fight his way out of every swaddle blanket and velcro swaddle we could find.  I was visiting a semi-local cloth diaper shop (our closest one at 30 minutes away), The Nappy Shoppe, when I spied the Woombie.  I asked an employee about the product and she raved about it.  I purchased an original Woombie in the orange “paprika” color in the Big Baby size (14-19 lbs) for about $27.  It was wonderful.  The original Woombie zips right up the front and swaddles baby in a comfy cotton sleep sack that even our little Houdini couldn’t escape.

We loved the Woombie so much that I wrote to the company and asked to do a review of the Convertible Woombie.  They kindly sent us a Convertible Woombie to try, and we love it even more.  It is light enough for Dallas weather, but adds a layer of light warmth for our sweet boy.  

We used it with his arms tucked in until he started rolling on his sides in the crib.  To help him sleep safely we unsnapped the arm holes and released his little arms to freedom.  We were nervous that transitioning to arms out sleeping would be difficult, but it really wasn’t.  He self soothes by sucking on his little fingers and naps like a champ.  

Why do we love it so much?  It is easy to use, you just zip it up. If your babe falls asleep you can even get him/her in without waking them up.  Amazing.  They can’t fight their way out of it, and the soft cocoon soothes their startle reflexes and helps them sleep longer and better.

 Even though the Woombie keeps him snug, there is still room for movement.  

Woombie has a ton of great products, for babes from 3 pounds and up.  Next on my shopping list are the Ultra Sleeper, the Eco Baby Donut, and the brand new Mod’Sleeper.  The only negatives I’ve found with Woombie products are the prices.  As a frugal girl and consignment/garage sale addict I have trouble shelling out close to $30 bucks for a baby item.  I know, I’m cheap.  However, when you find a product that really is above and beyond the competition, it is worth the money.  Obviously I think Woombie products are worth it, or I wouldn’t be sharing them with you.  

Woombies are available online at the Woombie website, Amazon, lots of mom and pop baby stores, and right now on Zulily for only $17.99 instead of the normal $27.99.  Woohoo!  Just search “Woombie” on Zulily and all the options left will pop up.  I’m thinking about stocking up for baby showers and future wee ones.

**All opinions are strictly my own.  I am in no way affiliated with the Woombie company, and was not compensated for my opinions other than being given a product to review.

Thankful Thursday II

I am reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and it is slowly changing my perspectives on what it means to be thankful every day.  I have started keeping a list of the gifts I’m thankful for both big and small, so that I can take time to really appreciate them.  I plan to share parts of that list with you here on the blog, and hope that you will share some of your gifts with me as well.  When I hear things that others are thankful for, it helps me to see even more gifts in my own life.  What are gifts?  Anything, no matter how small, that blesses your life.  I believe that every gift comes from God, and even if you don’t agree you can still appreciate the good things in your life with thanksgiving.  I usually make a list of things I’m thankful for during the Thanksgiving holiday with my Young Life, YoungLives, and WyldLife kids every year.  Reading this book has made me start to do this daily, instead of waiting for the holiday.  I have been so surprised by the joy it has brought me and the increase in contentment with my life.  
Here’s a few things on my list this week:
holding hands with my husband while driving, praying, on the couch, anytime
fundraising and friendraising at the Lakewood Young Life Banquet
pumpkin spice lattes
our house full of YL kids and leaders watching the World Series
What are you thankful for this week?  
Please share.  
  

Frugal Friday – A Little Fall Color

I like to decorate with natural elements whenever possibly, and I love a fall display. One of the components of our first date was a pumpkin patch, so Jed knows pretty gourds are the way to my heart. He brought home a whole bushel of various pumpkins and cute gourds from his trip to Lubbock last weekend. Thank you, sir. The best part was that he got them all for just $10. Woohoo! I’ve got gourds coming out my ears but our budget didn’t take hit. I’ve put them all over the house and still have a ton to give away.

How do you decorate on a budget?

Saturday Sweetness

Our boy is changing so much, doing new things daily. We have both been sick this week, and I had 2 big YL events that totally overwhelmed me. It was a beautiful afternoon and we are both feeling better, so we spent sweet time on a blanket in the yard.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for glorious fall weather, my sweet baby’s smiles and giggles, and blanket time outside on a lovely afternoon. I want to take time to be thankful for my life, and all the little things that make it good.  I think it will help my attitude, which has been a bit of a struggle as of late.

Join me.  What are you thankful for today?