Adventures in Rice Cereal

Cole is such a big boy that he's started eating rice cereal.  After his very first bite he gave me a very confused look and immediately demanded his bottle.  A few funny faces later (along with encouraging words) he was loving every bite! Gerber's Rice Cereal is now my best friend.

He's done so well with the cereal that we added a veggie...peas! So far he loves them.  Every now and then he gets a little cranky and just wants a bottle (he still gets some formula at every feeding).  We've developed a system that seems to work really well for him: a couple spoonfuls of cereals and then a few sips of milk.  We just repeat the steps and, before we know it, he's smiling and laughing as usual.

I'm super excited for him to try new veggies and fruits.  It won't be long til we're talking sippy cups and real utensils!

When it comes to feeding, here are the products I love:

1.  DISPOSABLE BIBS: It goes without saying that food goes all over the place, especially at the first few feedings.  Plus, Cole like to have something to grab while he eats - which I love too because it keeps his hands out of his mouth.  I find it works best to put a disposable bib over his real one.  He plays with the cloth one and I get to throw away the messy one covered in cereal and peas!

2.  GRACE CONTEMPO HIGHCHAIR IN BIRKSHIRE: I love Cole's highchair! It has a lot of adjustments to make sure he fits and is comfy.  It comes with an extra cover in case things get messy.  Plus, it folds down and is easy to store!

3.  FIRST YEARS TAKE AND TOSS SPOONS: These are great and wear well through several washes in the dishwasher.  Cole seems to like them - and they were very easy for him to use.  They're just soft enough where he can chew on it and learn how to eat from a spoon without hurting his little gums.

The Jumparoo That Saved Our Lives

There are lots of things parents use to entertain and/or soothe their babies.  Well, this is Cole's new favorite: The Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo.  It has so many fun things for him to play with that his little face lights up whenever we put him in it.  It keeps him entertained and gives mommy and daddy some free time to get things done - like cook dinner or make a phone call.  Its a little pricey, but definitely worth every penny.

Cole is growing so much. Its hard to believe he's just about 5 months! He's such a big boy - he's eating rice cereal, and just a few days ago, he had his first veggie...Peas!  He's rolling over and almost crawling!

In a few days we're heading on our first family road trip. I'm super excited for Cole to meet extended family and play with all his cousins!  I'll do my best to take pictures and post soon (this time I mean it)!

A Little Fun on Father's Day

A full blog post will be coming soon, but I had to get this picture up because its just too funny!

Grandpa Tom and Cole having fun with a napkin

Designer Discounts

For mommies, make sure to check out Totsy. Its a great site that offers sales on fabulous kiddie gear.  Use my invitation link: http://totsy.com/join/claudiaromney

It's True...He's That Cute!

More on the Baby Products

Over the past 2 months I have come to realize I don't need every baby gadget or product.  Here are some things I haven't really used and could probably live without and one thing that's a must add to any diaper bag:

The Bottle Warmer 

Now don't get me wrong, this is a great product.  I just don't have any use for it.  I buy powdered formula and prepare it for every feeding, not in advance.  I use room temperature water so there's no need to warm it.  If you're the type who buys the pre-mixed formula or you make your powdered formula in advance and store it in the fridge (or for that matter have to warm up stored breast milk), then you probably have more use for the warmer.

The Dishwasher Basket and Bottle Sterilizer

I have a few of the baskets and haven't used them.  I'm going to save them in case I use them more as Cole gets older - for his little sippy cups and utensils - but so far its easier for me to wash bottles in the sink.  Brett and I don't use a lot of dishes and it takes us a while before we fill the dishwasher.  I hate the idea of running the dishwasher unless its full so I just fill up the sink.  That, of course, means I don't use a sterilizer.  I don't have one, so maybe its a luxury I'm missing out on.  I'm also not such a paranoid mommy that I feel like I can't get bottles perfectly clean without good old fashioned soap and scrubbing.

Now here's a tip on something I LOVE:

Changing Pads

These little pads are inexpensive and quite handy.  I put one on my changing table and in Cole's crib.  It helps cut down on laundry.  In the early days, and especially after Cole's man bit surgery, he had the occassional leaky diaper.  It was so easy to swap out a changing pad than have to put on a new crib sheet or changing pad cover, particularly in the wee hours of the morning.  Using these changing pads got me thinking...and I came up with a must have addition to my diaper bag: puppy pads.  That's right, you read that correctly.  Puppy pads.  I had some left over from when Koda was a puppy.  Seeing how well the changing pads worked at home I decided puppy pads were the disposable version while I was out and about.  This way, any mess happens on the puppy pad and I can just throw it away after changing Cole.  I don't have to worry about the changing pad in my diaper bag getting dirty and having to tote it around all day til I can get home to clean it.

If you feel differently about any of these products, or have any tips or ideas of your own, feel free to let me know!

New Additions to the Blog

Since this is our first baby, I can't claim to be an expert in parenting.  However, I have come to learn about what baby products I like and which ones I've discovered I can live without.  So I've decided that whenever I have one of these little epiphanies, I will post to the blog.  Hopefully this will be helpful to the mommies-to-be and those of you that already have little munchkins can comment and share words of wisdom.

Up first: The Miracle Bottle

I recently decided that I needed to increase my bottle supply.  After reading tons of reviews online, I decided to try the Born Free bottles.  They are fantastic!  The venting system really helped reduced gas and I could tell Cole was much more comfortable.  I bought the 9oz size, which I would recommend for those even with newborns and here's why: you're going to need the larger bottles eventually anyway, so you might as well buy one set instead of buying small bottles first and then buying the larger size later.  They sell different size nipples and are great for babies who are combo breast and bottle fed or for those who are switching from breast to bottle.  What's really great about these bottles, aside from the fact that they're BPA free, is that they can be converted to sippy cups later by adding handles and sippy tops.  This is fabulous considering how costly baby supplies are - you're dollar will go a long way because you'll get a lot of use out of these bottles.    For the pumpers out there, they sell an adapter that allows you to pump directly into these bottles! For more on Born Free, go to www.newbornfree.com

Great Product 2: The Pack 'n Play

A playard might seem like an obvious choice on any registry...and it should be.  I LOVE my Graco Pack 'n Play and can't imagine life without it.  We have a two story house.  Having this playard allows me to have a setup downstairs so that I don't have to go toting Cole up and down the stairs.  It has a bassinet for him to sleep in while he's little and, once he's bigger, he can play and sleep in the larger play pen.  It also has a changing station that holds just enough supplies.  The greatest part is the portability.  Cole is constantly going to the grandparents houses for visits.  For his extended stays, we just pack this up (in just a few seconds because its sooo easy to do) and head out the door.  From the day he was brought home Cole has always slept in his room in his crib.  However, I know a lot of new parents want baby in their room.  I think this is a great buy and could be used in this way instead of buying a bassinet.  Where a baby will soon outgrow the bassinet, this can grow with baby and is perfectly safe for baby to sleep in.  For more info and to see Graco's other products, go to www.gracobaby.com

Last but not least: The Fashionable But Useful Diaper Bag
I am absolutely in love with my Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper bag and clutch.  I have the boxy backpack which can be worn as either a messenger bag or a backpack.  Petunia offers a glazed finish which makes the bag easy to clean with a wet cloth.  Its big enough to fit all the necessities and then some!  Plus, they come in the most beautiful patterns and offer moms a stylish option to the traditional diaper bag.  Certainly worth every penny!  The clutch is great for quick errands where a full diaper bag is not necessary.  I have a picture of mine in the post about my baby shower.  For a better look, visit www.petuniapicklebottom.com

That's it for now.  Feel free to comment and share your own products and ideas!