Month: February 2016

Stuff We’re Crushing On, Lately

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about things we’ve been loving, lately–things that make life with Finn a little easier. Now that he’s 6.5 months old, we’ve outgrown many of the things we originally coveted. He can basically crawl out of his Rock ‘N Play now, for instance.

But there’s some new stuff that has come in handy, and these are the things that, currently, we can’t live without.

  1. Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit

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At around 3.5 months, we decided to transition Finn out of his Halo swaddles at night. It lasted about two days, and then he started showing signs of the dreaded 4-month sleep regression. Immediately, I took to the trusty internet and found many moms singing the praises of this sleepsuit. We tried it, loved it, and have never looked back! Finn sleeps like a charm, and he’s never woken up in the middle of the night since we started using it.

For most naps, he sleeps in a sleep sack, as we want to try to make the looming transition out of the sleepsuit a little easier, but if he’s really fighting a nap, the sleepsuit always does the trick!

2. Noggin Stik

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The Noggin Stik is one of the best-rated baby toys on Amazon. So, for Christmas, we ordered it for Finn. It was the first gift he opened, and for those first couple of weeks, he seemed relatively uninterested in it. “Well, that was a dud!” I thought.

Then, sometime in January, once his grip improved, he took a liking to it, and he has been obsessed with it ever since. Not only does it rattle and light up, but it also has a mirror on the bottom. It has provided hours of distraction (which reminds me–the battery needs replaced)! It is definitely his most favorite toy.

3. Plastic Chain Links

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These seem so simple–and cheap! But they are really great for chubby, little baby hands. They are easy to grip and good to chew on. One set comes with plenty of links, allowing us to have some in the car, in the diaper bag, at home, at the nanny’s–you get the idea! They are a quick and easy method of entertainment, and Finn really enjoys them. All of that for $5? Sold!

4. Aquaphor

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Can we buy stock in this stuff? It’s the perfect remedy for dry baby skin, faces chapped from drool, diaper rash, craddle cap, chapped lips… I could go on. Very early on, when Finn started showing signs of dry, sensitive skin, our pediatrician recommended that we “slather” this stuff on him twice a day.

At his latest check-up, she said that we should start putting it around his mouth every time we change his diaper. Since he’s drooling so much, this helps prevent drool rash.

Truthfully, in this dry winter air, I find myself sneaking in and stealing a scoop for myself, too.

5. Zutano Booties

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I went a little crazy, buying Finn lots of baby shoes that he really didn’t need. But, in pretty much every photo you’ll see of him, he’s wearing these booties. He wears them nearly every single day. They are cute, warm, and easy to put on. He’s very close to outgrowing his first pair, sadly, and we’re already planning on buying another.

6. Silicone Baby Food Freezer Storage

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Finn has started eating solids, and we try to give him a “meal” at around dinnertime each day. Usually, I just put whatever we’re eating in the food processor. I like making his food. It really doesn’t take much time at all, it’s cheaper than buying pre-made baby food, and I can control what goes in it.

When I make a batch of something–like lentil stew or sweet potatoes or cinnamon pears–I usually make enough for a few days. So, I fill these silicone trays with the leftovers, pop them in the freezer, and have little pre-portioned rounds of baby food for a later date. When they are frozen, I put them into little freezer bags, labeling them with the ingredients and the date. Without much effort, we’ve already accumulated several bags of possible meals, and it makes busy evenings much easier.

I’m going to try to post about the things we find useful more often, as the internet is overloaded with lists of “must haves” for new parents. The reality is, there is a lot of stuff we could do without, but there are also some things that we find invaluable. And, as Finn changes so rapidly, our must-have items change, too.

365 Day DSLR Challenge: The First 15

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I am 15 days in on my 365 day DSLR photo challenge and, so far, I haven’t missed a day. I know, I know–there’s a whole 350 days to go. Still, I’m appreciating the small miracles.

15 days in, here are some things I’ve realized:

  • I don’t take nearly enough candid photos of Finn. When I have those “I must grab my camera!” moments, it is generally because something important is happening. Or I’ve put him in a super cute outfit and want to pose him like a doll. Or there’s a first (first time eating, first time swimming, etc.). Over the past 15 days, most of the photos I captured are of quiet, uneventful moments. So, I’m capturing things I most definitely wouldn’t capture, otherwise.
  • Some days, I don’t get to take a photo until late in the evening. On Thursdays, I hardly get any time at home. So, one day, I had to sneak in and snap a shot of him sleeping in his crib. That’s okay.
  • I’m taking my camera out and about more than usual. To the park. The pool. Restaurants.
  • This project is as time consuming as I allow it to be. The first few days, I was taking 30-40 photos eat time, and I was editing at least half of those. HELLO, TIME. Already, I’ve cut down quite a bit, often snapping just 4 or 5 photos and quickly culling out only the best in Photoshop. I keep 2 or 3 photos each day–and not 20.
  • I don’t have to edit every single day. If I have 5 minutes to post that day’s photo, great! If not, that’s okay, too. I can post it, tomorrow. Instagram can wait.
  • These photos are PRICELESS. That probably goes without saying, but the truth is this: these are moments we will never get back. Facial expressions and mannerisms he’ll outgrow–and quickly. Even in just 15 photos, I can already see how he’s changed. Looking back on a whole year’s worth of photos, if I make it to that point (I think I can, I think I can), will be worth every second I stopped what I was doing–which probably wasn’t that important, anyway–and focused on REALLY looking at our son.

And now, the photos:

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Hello, Wonder Week 26

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For the most part, we’ve been pretty lucky when it comes to the various much-feared baby phases. We’ve managed to make it through sleep regressions, moody periods, and lifestyle transitions fairly unscathed. We’ll read about he horrors of the 4-month sleep regression or of week 23 or whatever–and we’ll grow anxious as they approach–but we’ll usually get through them with little more than a blip in Finn’s behavior. He’s a good baby, and we’ve been lucky.

Yet, Wonder Week 26, which is a relationship-focused developmental phase, has definitely made itself known in our household, and Finn is pretty much checking off the list of expected behaviors:

Increase crankiness? Check!

Stranger anxiety? Check!

Not wanting to be left alone for a single second? Check!

Watching our every move, ensuring that we don’t leave his sight? Check!

Sleep changes? Check!

During this developmental phase, babies become aware of distance for the first time. If they see you walk away, they know they can’t come after you; they know you are beyond their reach. If you leave the room, they recognize that they are alone. If a stranger comes near, they become cautious.

Our baby who never understood the concept of stranger danger–and who would go to absolutely anybody–has now cried at the sight of his babysitter, his pediatrician, and his Mimi–all people he generally loves. Luckily, he still loves us. And he loves his nanny. THANKGOODNESS.

He’s grown increasingly clingy, too. This is cute, of course, as we want him to want us (we’re needy mommas like that), but it is also a little annoying. He no longer will play in his room for long periods of time without our direct supervision. He HATES his play mat, as  being flat on his back means he can’t easily monitor our every move. And he’s constantly turning his head, even in the car seat, to make sure that we haven’t left his side.

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His sleep has suffered just a bit, too. Though, because he is really the best sleeping baby I know, I feel guilty even complaining about it. We always put him down for naps awake, and he used to fall asleep with relatively little fussing. Sometimes, he wouldn’t fuss at all. For the past couple weeks, though, he has been fighting naps pretty badly. There are times when he goes right to sleep, but there are also lots of times when he screams for a good 5-10 minutes, and we have to go in to soothe him. He eventually falls asleep, but I hate to see him get so upset.

Oddly enough, his bedtime routine has improved. Whereas he used to fight bedtime, he now goes in his crib awake, and he usually falls asleep relatively quickly and without much drama. He’s also still sleeping solid 10-11 hour stretches. So, that’s a miracle.

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Right now, he’s in his jumpy, whining a bit because: 1. He’s hungry. 2. He’s getting a little tired. 3. I’m more than 3 feet away, and that’s just not acceptable.

The good news is that that, after this phase, there should be TONS of developmental leaps: language connections, assisted standing, throwing, feeding, etc.

So, never fear, there is light at the end of this clingy tunnel. That is, if he ever lets us leave him long enough to find it.

Finn is 6 Months Old!

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This child has been alive for half a year. How can that be? My astonishment at his rapid growth is becoming cliche, by now. But really, people, I’m amazed. It’s the strangest paradox: on one hand, I can’t imagine what life was like without him; on the other hand, I can’t believe we’ve already known him for half a year.

As I type, he’s screeching at me from his play mat, which he has suddenly decided that he doesn’t like. He doesn’t like being flat on his back, now, for whatever reason. He’s constantly straining his little abdominal muscles, trying his best to sit up. We call them baby crunches, and they are HILARIOUS.

He also doesn’t like being alone. For a while, he was great at playing independently, but now he won’t let us out of his sight. I’ve read a good bit about Wonder Week 26, and this is one of the most notable changes that typically happens around this age. I’ll write more about that later in the week, though.

6 months is proving to be a very fun age. He’s more interactive than ever. He wants to be involved in everything we do. Go everywhere we go. Eat everything we eat.

He’s eating a lot more, now. We’re giving him a mini-meal of solids each day. He recently SMASHED  a bowl of sweet potatoes with cinnamon. And he eats bites of whatever we are eating. We’re trying to do some version of baby-led weaning. Mostly, we just want him eating everything “the adults” eat. (Granted, these adults eat donuts on a pretty regular basis.) But we’re struggling a bit with the whole letting-him-feed-himself thing. Let’s just say that, the first couple of times we tried it, we had food everywhere but in his mouth.

He went swimming for the first time, yesterday, and he loved it. We’ve been going on more walks, lately, braving the cold. He’s a champ. His ability to reach for things–and really hold on–has improved dramatically. He’s standing with just a tiny bit of assistance, but he shows little interest in being on his tummy long enough to resemble any pre-crawling stance. The nanny keeps saying he’ll walk, soon. He’s obsessed with cell phones, thanks to Mimi and Pops allowing him to play with theirs during their visit a couple of weeks ago. So, now, we’re doing our  best to hide them from him. It doesn’t always work.

His eyes are a deep hazel. His hair is growing–fuzzy and light. His wrists have developed little, delicious rolls.

Everything about him is delicious, really, and we just can’t get enough.

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365 Day DSLR Photo Challenge

If you look through my laptop files, you’ll (literally) find hundreds of photos from Finn’s first month of life. HUNDREDS. But if you look at the most recent folder, labeled “Finn’s 5th month,” you’ll only find a handful.

That’s true of most parents, I’m sure. It’s not that the novelty of having a new baby wears off that quickly, it’s just that life stops catering to the fact that you are a new parent, and other things begin to get in the way. There are more expectations outside of parenting, and those things take time away from spending all day, documenting every move your little one makes.

So, I’ve found myself reaching for my camera less and less. Life is busy, and, when I do get a chance to snap a quick photo of Finn, I usually just reach for my phone. As a result, my iPhone is overloaded with quick snapshots of varying quality, and we have less and less “good” photos of Finn.

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Of course, as a photographer, my expectations of a “good photo” are higher than most. I look at photos for a living, and no matter how cute and candid they may be, iPhone pictures just don’t live up to what I know my DSLR is capable of.

Enter: the 365 Day DSLR Challenge, which I saw a couple photog moms participating in on social media. The premise is simple: take a photo of Finn every day for a year, using my “good” camera (a Canon 5D Mark III).

One of my new years resolutions was to begin the challenge on February 1st, but I kind of forgot. Good job sticking to those resolutions, Danielle! But I remembered, eventually, and started  on Sunday, February 6th. So, here’s my vow, Internets: I will photograph Finn every single day until February 6, 2017.

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In order to make this challenge manageable, I’ve set some rules/goals for myself. Here they are:

  • Don’t be a perfectionist. Every single photo isn’t going to be a masterpiece. Yes, I do covet all of those photo-perfect, carefully-curated social media feeds I follow. BUT THOSE MOMS MANAGE THOSE ACCOUNTS LIKE IT’S THEIR JOB. In fact, it is their job. And I already have one. So, I don’t want to get bogged down in my own perfectionism. This is about capturing Finn’s life–not about creating magazine-ready photos that are the envy of every Instagram mom out there. (Sidenote: I had to talk myself out of re-shooting today’s photo. This one may be tricky for me.)
  • Let Sona take the photo, sometimes. One of my goals for this project is to capture our lives as a family, and I am part of that family. I’m always behind the camera. We have tons of photos of Sona and Finn together but very few with him and I. I hope to get some keepers over the next year.
  • Accept the photographic realities/limitations of our lives. We live in a garden apartment, currently, and we get about 27 minutes of good photographic light a day. That’s just the reality. The lighting conditions in our home SUCK. (Loads of natural light is one of my must-haves as we search for a place to buy, btw.) We also sometimes have a messy house. And our cats have ripped our couch to shreds. And, sometimes, there will be piles of unemptied grocery bags in the background. That’s okay. Again, it’s not about perfection; it’s about reality.
  • Don’t stage photos. Don’t prop Finn up like a doll, teasing him into the perfect, cherubic pose. Those photos can happen, too, but they just aren’t part of this project. My goal is to capture candids–and not staged moments.
  • Aim for variety. Shoot during all times of the day. Capture the morning. Capture bath time. Capture tantrums. Capture everything, especially the stuff I wouldn’t capture, normally.
  • Take my camera out of the house. It’s currently 15 degrees in Chicago, and I don’t see myself taking many outdoor photos in the very near future, but I do hope to, eventually. As we get out and about, I want the photos to reflect that.
  • Don’t let this challenge stress me out. This is supposed to be fun; it’s not supposed to feel like another burdensome responsibility. Keep things in perspective.

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I’ll share the photos, as I edit them. I’ll probably post them more regularly on Finn’s Instagram account (@allthefinn). Here are the first three.

This is going to take some serious dedication, and I’m not always the best at seeing things through to the end. Nonetheless, I know the results of this challenge will be something we cherish forever, and that should be enough to keep me going.

Back on the Wagon

Sometimes, living life gets in the way of blogging about life, and that has been happening a lot, lately.

We’re finally getting our sea legs, figuring out how to do this whole mommy thing with both of us back to work full-time, but it’s taken us nearly a month to adjust.

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Truth is, we’ve just been crazy busy. And I could’ve blogged, if I wanted to, but I would have had to sacrifice something to do it: exercising (yes, yes, we’re back on THAT wagon, too), play time, cooking, showering, etc. Weekday evenings are no joke.

Yet, here I am. Alive! On a weekday evening! With a few minutes to spare! It’s a miracle, I tell ya.

So, what’s been going on with us, lately? Not much new. We’re still on the hunt for a house. Us mommas have started MyFitnessPal, again. We’re all adjusting to the nanny situation pretty well. My parents just left after a week-long visit. Our 15 year anniversary is this week (we celebrated with dinner while the rents were in town). Our first big family vacay is in a month. We’ve discovered that we can get our favorite donuts delivered to our doorstep (this conflicts a bit with the MFP thing).  Ya know–the usual.

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Finn will be 6 months old this week, which is CRAZY. He can roll over, but he’s pretty lazy about it. We have to motivate him with an iPhone. Speaking of the iPhone, we seriously need to start hiding ours from this kid, because he is OBSESSED. And that’s without our actively trying to engage him with it. He’s obsessed with all screens, actually. Right this second, he’s sitting beside me, watching me type. He was having a fit, begging me to see the computer screen. Once again, we are waiting for that Moms of the Year award to come in the mail. Any day now, right?

He’s still cute as ever, though, and we are enjoying him more and more. This is a really fun age, and his personality is revealing itself a bit more each day.

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I plan to be better about blogging, and a lot of that has to do with finding a little more time for myself. It’ll happen, I know.

But, for now, I better run. There’s a baby who needs bathed. A wife who needs attention. A new Jamie Oliver recipe that needs tested. An episode of Jane the Virgin that needs watched.

Life is busy, for sure, but it is also GOOD.

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