A few months back, a package arrived from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Inside was the Infant CPR Anytime kit which including a CPR practice baby whose chest actually rises and falls when you give mouth to mouth correctly, a step by step DVD, and lots of visual aids on how to administer CPR and other life saving techniques on an infant. Of all the baby items that arrive at our house for review, this one made Brent the most excited, as he was a emergency first responder back in high school and has a strong interest in the medical field.
We watched the video and practiced on the doll and honestly, it’s got me feeling a whole lot more confident in myself when it comes to handling emergency situations with a newborn. But what we didn’t anticipate was the usefulness of “Practice Baby”, as we’ve now taken to calling the doll.
Practice baby has been buckled and unbuckled into our new car seat. Practice baby has honed our cloth diapering skills. Practice baby has been swaddled and unswaddled more times than we can count. This week we also watched “The Happiest Baby on The Block” - and learned some really interesting techniques for calming a crying baby. (In the photo of Brent above- we were goofing off with Practice baby and trying out some of the techniques including swaddling and sushing)
We love the Infant CPR Anytime Kit because it makes us feel more prepared as new parents - and we REALLY love Practice Baby for letting us try out all of our newly acquired parenting skills.
Finding time to squeeze in a work out has always been difficult with the life we lead - so I was on the hunt for a pre-natal workout I could do in the privacy of my own home. I tried several videos focused on yoga, dance, and cardio/toning - and the Summer Saunders Prenatal Workout was far and away my favorite. (Click the link to read Amazon reviews of other women who have been happy with this program)
It’s not cheesy like some of the videos I tried - and I really felt a difference in my body after each session. The best part is that the video is tailored so that there is a specific workout for each trimester of your pregnancy, so you’re doing the exercises that are best for you whatever stage you may be in.
It does require a workout band for some of the exercises, but no other equipment is required save for a few pillows and a chair.
I highly recommend this DVD for those of you who still want to work out, but don’t have the time to hit up the gym!
M
* Note: I was sent this video by the maker to review, however I am only highlighting this one because it was my favorite of all the ones I tried.
Early in our pregnancies, Natasha mentioned her desire to use a cloth diapering service and my reaction was somewhere along the lines of “Why in the world would you do that?” (Note: She gave me a similar reaction when I told her I wanted to try a natural birth) - but my curiosity was piqued so I started doing some research online.
First things first - disposable diapers take up to 15% of space in our landfills, use 37% more water to make than cloth diapers require to wash, and consume 70% more energy in production and disposal than cloth diapers. (info via) The environmental impacts are significant.
Secondly, disposable diapers cost you $1200- $3000 more for the same amount of use vs. cloth - and if you reuse cloth diapers for a second child, the savings increases even more.
While cloth diapers don’t neccesarily work for every parent’s situation (note: alot of daycares will not agree to use cloth diapers) in our case, we have the ideal situation to give them a go.
I recently read a post on Pacing the Panic Room about another couple who are utilizing cloth diapers from Fuzzibunz on their newborn baby daughter and have been thrilled with the experience. After reading more on home-wash cloth diapers and watching youtube tutorials on just how easy they are to utilize, I was convinced that this was the right choice for us too.
I love the bright colors, the adjustable sizes, and the positive effects on babies (no more diaper rash!) and on the environment. I also welcome your thoughts and experiences with cloth diapers - have you tried them? What worked? What didn’t?
It’s only been in the past month that I’ve really begun to find belly supporting garments necessary. I’m really pleased with the maternity intimate apparel from Amon Maternity. Their pregnancy belly band has helped immensely with my lower bach aches and although it’s not made for this purpose, it’s worked double duty for me as a substitute to a bella band to keep those jeans I can no longer button in place.
Additionally, the boyshort skivvies are perfect under yoga pants, offer great support and no panty lines!. They wash and dry very well and just feel so good on - I’ve become a BIG fan of the line and already have my eyes on the bodyshapers once Evie arrives and I’m ready to find my waistline again!
P.S. White perusing their website today, I came across their Get Comforable Blog which offers a lot of great advice and info for new and soon-to-be moms.
Raise your hand if you have a meemaw or a baba. Maybe a grammy or pops?
Me? I’ve got a granddaddy, a papa, and two grandmas.
I’m guessing that an older cousin or someone in my family had to have settled on these monikers sometime before I existed - and now, with Brent and I bringing the first grandchild on either side into the world - our parents have already began to discuss what exactly this new little grandson should call them.
I picked up the The New Grandparents Name Book to help give us some ideas. My mama has been leaning towards MiMi since day one but my father and Brent’s parents have yet to settle on what their new grandson will call them.
Similar to a baby names book - this little book has just about every variation of grandparent names available. (It claims to have 700+ names) We’ve really laughed out loud over some of the suggestions:
For a grandma who likes a cold one: BeerMa
For a generously sized grandma - MaxiMa
For a tuba playing grandfather- UmPaPa
If there is a crazy grandparent name out there - this book has it and many clever, cultural, and unique suggestions too.
We’ve got months to go before our little one finds himself in the arms of a grandparent with a clever name - but in the meantime, we plan to utilize this tool to toss around all sorts of ideas.
Brent was flipping through and found his favorite for our fathers: Grambo! (The scary thing is that I think they would both totally go for something like that)
Last night I had a conversation with a friend about all the crazy afflictions I’ve encountered since becoming pregnant and the list is many - insomnia, nose bleeds, and absurdly frequent potty breaks just to name a few.
It’s no wonder that with all of the uncomfortable symptoms that accompany pregnancy that there are numerous products and services available to pamper a pregnant women. Such small joys are neccesary to keep you from feeling like you’re losing your mind!
I got my hands on a pregnancy care kit from The Spoiled Mama recently and most happily went to town giving myself some much needed TLC. I started in the shower with the Mojito Mama sugar scrub (which is the closest I’ve gotten to a cocktail in months!) and I loved the invigorating minty smell. The scrub left my skin so soft and moisturized afterwards that I only need a little of their Chamomile-Neroli scented body creme.
Of all their 100% natural and vegan products, the one that I’m obsessed with is their Cocoa and Shea Tummy Butter. It took every bit of restraint I had not to taste the stuff! It smells lightly of oranges and cocoa and the emollient cream did wonders on my ever growing belly.
It was so rich and moisturizing that I found myself using it on my cuticles and the bottom of my heels too. I couldn’t stop sniffing my hands afterwards, the stuff just smells SO good.
I was really pleased with all of the products I tried and plan to bookmark their site as a go to for great baby shower gifts as they offer a full range of pre and post pregnancy and baby skin care items.
I’m one hundred percent new at this whole “baby” business. Our house is a baby-proofing nightmare, one of my dogs is afraid of children and I still don’t know the difference between a binky and a boppy.
As of my very first post, I am 17 weeks pregnant. I’ve started to read some from the huge pile of baby books that i’ve amassed, but this is going to be a learn-as-you-go experience for me and my husband.
So welcome! I encourage you to share this site with other new and expecting mothers out there. Hopefully some of my experiences will benefit others navigating their way through the sea of baby consumerism.
P.S. I’d like to make a personal apology to my husband for not using his suggested name of “A Womb With A View” for this dandy little blog. Even though I nixed it, it still gave me a big belly laugh for a full 5 minutes.
My husband and I are a couple of 20 somethings, living 3000 miles away from our family and learning the ropes of parenthood on our own in the great city of San Francisco.
It didn’t take long to discover there are thousands and thousands of products out there targeted at expectant mothers and new babies. The Ga Ga Report is my personal take on the good, the bad, and the ugly of baby products.
