Favorite Things: Mommy Edition

Three sweet friends of mine are expecting to be mothers soon! This calls for some specialized posting.

Here are my tried-and-true great baby finds.

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash

It’s gentle, it’s botanical, and it smells delicious!

Arbonne’s Herbal Diaper Rash Cream

A neighbor introduced me to this when I got jalapeno oil in a finger cut. It soothed instantly.  I use it, in tiny amounts, on baby’s bum, and even mosquito bites. 100% botanical.

Bum Genius from Kelly’s Closet

Kelly’s Closet is great because they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on select makes, the most generous I’ve found. That was important to me because an initial  stock of diapers is expensive. I’ve loved Bum Genius! So cute, and they go right in the wash. I feel like I’m getting away with something when I leave Target or Sam’s without diapers.

Baby Bjorn Original  Carrier

Baby Bjorn doesn’t make baby products. They engineer baby products. And they keep their no-gimmick designs on the market for years. Noah would go in and out of this without waking. (Brae’s always been our Ninja Baby; he barely sleeps away from the crib.) I love the carrier. Used the cover with Braeden in the winter, and loved that, too.

Skip Hop’s Pronto Diaper Wallet

I would recommend anything by Skip Hop. This wallet simplifies diaper changing trips, and makes for great transition when you still want to carry diapers, but are ready to move out of the diaper bag phase.

Leap Frog’s Learn and Groove Music Table

Noah received this as a gift when he was a baby. He and Braeden have loved it, both of them using it more than any other toy. It’s nice to have a “standing toy” to engage them when they’re ready to pull up and teeter around (though it can also rest on the floor). The audio here is some of the least annoying we parents have encountered in toy-land.

SaraBear Diaper Caddy

Cute, tidy, and transportable, this has eliminated our need for a changing table. I’ll be  using it long after the baby days, too.

Picnik.com

The first freebie! This website is fun, and it makes photo editing a snap.

Baby Bjorn Little Potty

Braeden is using the potty. It sounds wacky (and unamerican), but we’ve found it’s easier and more pleasant than changing diapers, for both us and him. The technical term is Elimination Communication, and this little potty has been essential. It was surprisingly easy to find in stores, because parents often buy one for their car as a back-up for older toddlers.

Playtex Nurser Bottles

Noah was mostly bottle-fed, and we loved these for him. Easy to clean, and instead of toting back-up bottles, we simply carried extra liners and tops. Braeden was mostly nursed, and when the time came, these were the only bottles we could get him to accept. (Same for my midwife’s baby, coincidentally.) The liners collapse, minimizing air intake.

Melissa and Doug

Favorite toy manufacturer! Beautiful classic toys.

Immersion Blender

Take frozen veggies, fresh fruit, whatever’s on the menu. Boil until tender in water or chicken stock. Blend veggies with their cooking liquid into a smooth puree. Divide in containers to eat now, to go in fridge, to go in  freezer. Wash the stick and the sauce pot. Feel content in healthy, frugal living.

Ultimate Swaddling Blanket

These are the best! Soft, light, and big, these are fantastic for swaddling.

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Momisms

Didn’t plan for it, but here they’ve come. These are the most recurring lately:

“God made it, Mama cooked it. I need you to take a bite.”

“We all have a job to do. We’re a family; we need to cooperate. Mama is making supper; Papa is at work. Will you put these toys away?”

“I’m so happy to see you! I love you forever. But now it’s dark outside, and it’s time for you to rest so you can be strong. I’ll see you in a little while.” — And it’s working!!! We’re down to one feeding, 4 or 5 a.m. Yes!!!

[Used in times of trouble] “Do you want to be a good boy, or a naughty boy?”
Route A: “Okay. You need to practice.”
Route B: “Hmm, that makes me very sad. I know you can be a good boy!”

“Well, that costs money, and I don’t have enough. I gave my money to [someone] for [something]. Let’s do [something else].” — It would sound sad to some, but I love this one. Noah takes it so well, and I like to think he’s learning that money involves decisions. It also makes celebrations more celebratory, when he anticipates the gratification.

“I know that you know how to be a good friend. Let’s say hello together.” — Because Noah has a shy streak, just like I did.

“Braeden woke up! Go say hello.” — This buys me time after naps to finish up whatever I’ve been doing. Braeden’s safe in his crib, and I can hear them through the monitor. Love it! That’s not a momism, but I say it all too frequently.

[Whispering during church] “Noah, would you like to take communion? [He nods. I say:] Why do we take communion? [Together:] Because Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus will come again. [Mama:] Let’s go!” — Grammie Gilliam instituted this one.

And of course, “I am so happy to be your Mama! I am proud of you.”

Friday will be ten days till the start of Pre-K4, and the first time ever Noah hasn’t stayed within my reach. School, here he comes!

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Defending Mothers’ Day

Mother’s Day (or Mothers’ Day, for the times you’re community inclined) receives its share of criticism. Florists, card companies, and restaurants receive their due through our faithful consumer traditions. The verdict on waitstaff is out… tables turning, but children, children everywhere!

It’s commercial. It’s silly and sentimental. Mom wins a craft, maybe breakfast. Women love thoughtful, romantic scenarios, but men and children are hard-pressed to deliver (goes back to that mind-reading bit). Our mass-production vendors are encouraged, the jewelry advertisements are endured, and we maybe-maybe-not allow ourselves to be exploited in the hubbub.

Or.

No matter the vehicle: a mass-produced gift; a careful, fragile preschooler’s craft; or in my case, a sincere card mailed a day too late, it serves a noble cause: to tell Mom, not just “I love you,” but, “I see you.” It asks all of us, moms included, to acknowledge and honor motherhood especially for one day. Rather than gearing up for a day of entitlement (I used that word last post! Maybe I’m realizing an inner theme, hmm), or enduring well-intentioned acts of service gone messy (Braeden and Noah are a bit too young yet), an urge surfaces in me to scoop up my boys and thank them for making a Mama out of me. My friend Stephanie says when she becomes a mother, she wants one specific gift every Mother’s Day: a photo of her kids, showing their progression through the years. Because as much as I want my kids to love me, and to express that — why not? — with creative genius, how real, how grand, to remember that I own this position, this charge to channel God’s love with my own creative efforts? The cards, the restaurants — hey, it’s all good. The flower from the church parish? It’s chivalrous. Whether my kids or husband even remember to commemorate the day, the main point is that I can, and I will. Make memories. Be blessed. I’ve been chosen for impact.

Plus, it’s kinda fun seeing my husband’s face when he realizes he forgot, and “owes me.” Because he does. That’s just another solid mark of marriage. Owing one another perpetually, the forgetting-and-remembering of it.

Enough of that. Here’s what happened this past weekend: It was Jared’s birthday! He got to care for the kiddos while I stayed in bed, taking vitamins and naps to fight off a bit of flu. We still had fun — well-moderated. The funnest part came Sunday night, when Jared and I decided to place an order for a new custom electric guitar!!! He received his first graduation 2003, which was stolen a couple years ago. Every cash gift he’s received since has gone to saving for the cause, including some thoughtful gift certificates. It is time to redeem them! He let me help choose the features, and lemme tell you, this guitar will be gorgeous! Built to be a show-offy monument after hard scholastic work, and representing the support of everyone who helped purchase it. It will be a prize.

Today — shhh — I’m making a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich for Jared, whom we will soon be picking up from work for a picnic! His family used to do that with my mother-in-law, but I’m betting without the Nutella. :) The weather is picture-perfect!

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