Moving into Kid Territory

Ali is such a big girl these days! She walks (ok - runs) everywhere, feeds herself, and talks up a storm. The thing that surprises me the most is that she is such a great communicator. She asks for what she wants and most of the time I can understand what that is! 

Whether it's first thing in the morning and "up" out of her crib is her desire. Or it is breakfast time and today she wants "bah-nana" or "egg" or "go-gah" (yogert). She demands "down" or "wah-k" (walk) if she is being carried but would like to walk herself. And she often announces when she is in a dirty diaper and needs changed. 

She is in the parrotting stage big time so nearly anything that comes out of my mouth she will try to repeat. She has said "i-minu" (in a minute), "ah no" (I know), and "hol on" (hold on).

She loves her toys, especially her baby dolls (and some of my old baby dolls) and her stuffed animals and asks for them and goes to find them if necessary. She loves playing make-believe with them and she will feed them, change them, give them a paci, or hand them to me saying "up".

She also loves "Bob Bob stole" (Bob stroller) and "Ah-chie" the roomba floor cleaner and likes to talk about both of them anytime she sees them. One of her favorite words is "help" and she has no problem asking for it if there is something that she cannot get to. She still signs a lot too - most of the time along with her words - but it is still very helpful in clarifying what she needs and just plain cute in the times that I understand her speech fine.

She is quite a climber these days and will get off of almost anything by herself and has figured out she can climb onto the dining room chairs to climb onto the dining room table and get whatever she desires. She has started parent tot gymnastics classes at the gym I coach at and it is so fun to see her there.

She can work zippers, some snaps, and she is obsessed with buckles. The buckles on her high chair, and car seat are her favorite things! Fortunately she hasn't figured out unbuckling but loves to buckle them. She works on it going "click, click" until she succeeds or gets frustrated and asks for help.

My favorite thing right now is that she will come up and hug my legs (or Nana's or daddy's) and say "hug" and the other night she said "love you daddy" to Jesse before bed which melted my heart.

A Summary of Summer

Sorry for the terrible title and the lack of blogs but since summer is now officially over here's a rundown of our summer.

We started off summer witha road trip to Phoenix to meet Ali's new cousin Gavin. Jesse had to stay home and work but Nana came with us (actually we tagged along with her). It worked out really well - one of us drove and the other one satin back and entertained Ali and she was so good! It was WAY too hot in Phoenix at the endof June but it was so nice to be there to see Gavin in his first days!

We came home and celebrated the 4th of July with a hike and BBQ with friends.

We also took the opportunity to take Ali on her first camping trip. We were only about a half an hour from home but the great thing about where we live is that still put us in the mountains. Ali did great and loved being outdoors for 24 hours straight!

The following weekend we drove to Illinois for the White family reunion. We drove through the night this time and Ali did great again! Ali loved Jesse's cousin and everyone was so happy to meet her.

It was August before we knew it but things weren't slowing down! Lake's Gymnastics was in the Carnation Parade so Ali came along and rode in the wagon.

Every summer my grandparents make the drive from Indiana out of Colorado to visit and this year was no exception. We spend the last weekend of August in Fort Collins for the Mihelich Family reunion. Ali and Gavin were both stars and it was so fun to see everyone.

Ali is such a little person these days. She walks and climbs. She feeds herself and definitely has her own opinions about what she should be doing at any given moment. She still signs a lot and that has been such a help but she is quite a chatterbox these days too. I counted her words at 18 months and there were over 60! She also has a least as many signs (some doubling up with words and some signs that she doesn't have the word for yet). She loves being able to communicate her wants and needs but is definitely in toddler territory and gets very upset when I don't understand of when her wants/needs are not meet.

She loves animals but horses are probably her favorite right now. She's lucky Nana watches her once a week and takes her to see some of the horses that live close to us. She also loves heavy equipment. They were doing some work at the end of our street for a while and she was always so excited to go outside and watch them! It did make it very hard to get her into the car though.

Videos

I'm not good at posting stuff but here's a few video's of Ali.

This one is Jesse reading the book "Is Your Mama a Llama" before bed back in May and Ali signing the animals.

This one is more recent - I simply call it Ali's animal sounds. She has started doing a few more since then including "What's the Ali say?" (The answer is "Hi").

I have a toddler on my hands!

Almost 3 months since the last post . . . as it turns out I am not a very good blogger - however, I will still try :)

Ali is a full blown toddler these days. She walks and definitely likes to exert her own will. She talks and signs what she can't say (or I don't understand). She still loves mealtime and she loves books too. She will sit down on her own with a book and turn the pages and sign for the pictures - so cute! I signed her up for the summer reading program in the library to at the end of the summer she will get a free book!

Ali also loves babies and baby dolls! She very excitedly says ("dede" for baby) and signs baby every time she sees a baby anywhere - in a book, on a container, a baby doll, or a real baby. I got her a little baby doll for her birthday which she loves but she recently discovered 2 of my old dolls that we keep in her room and she is obsessed with them! This is especially funny since they are both life size dolls - one is newborn sized and the other is 6 month old sized! To see Ali dragging Sally, the 6 month old size doll, around the house is hilarious!

Ali just started walking full time in the past week. Typical for her she was a very late walker but went from taking 5 - 10 steps about once an hour tops to walking more than crawling to walking almost full time in a week! She is very proud of her new skill and walks all over the house usually carrying something :)

Ali is also a very slow teether but she is now up to 6 - she has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom. Just like the other 4 she cut these 2 without a peep of protest (which I am very thankful for).

Ali is enjoying spending time with her nana this summer and we are looking forward to meeting cousin Gavin soon!

Sorry I am lazy so not adding any pics to this post but I am currently uploading new pictures to the shutterfly site so check them out there :)

1 Year Old!

It has been too long since I have posted but it has been a crazy couple of months! Ali crawling definitely complicates life but it is so fun to have her mobile :)

We had her 1st birthday party on her actual 1st birthday. We had a party at the house and had a great turnout! I made red velvet cupcakes and white cupcakes for the guests and I made Ali an applesauce spice cake with whipped cream/cream cheese frosting (it is amazing and my new favorite!). She LOVED her cake and we had a great time!

I cannot believe how grown up she is - it is so hard to believe she was a tiny helpless newborn only a year ago! These days she . . .

talks ("hi" is her favorite word but she also says "ba" for dog and ball, "nigh nigh" for night night and "num num" for food) and she has tons of signs!

lover her toys and books. Her favorite "game" is to pull all her toys and books out of their boxes.

loves bath time and soaks the whole bathroom with her splashing.

eats all sorts of different foods. Her favorites are probably pancakes, and bananas.

knows her bed time routine - we change her and put her in pajamas, we sit and read a book together (her favorite book is "Is Your Mama a Llama" - super cute book if you have never read it), then Jesse turns down the lights (she knows it is coming and stares at the light and usually signs light as soon as Jesse is done reading), she says "nigh nigh" to Jesse, then I nurse her, brush her teeth, and lay her down in her crib.

She has developed such a personality which is both fun and frustrating :) She definitely has an opinion about what she does and doesn't want to do and let's you know if what you are doing does not match her desires!

There are loads of pictures on Shutterfly including bunches from her party but here's a couple of my favorites from her birthday.

Quick Update

I am due for a real blog post but Ali has been busy so until I get the time for that here is a quick update:

Ali how has four teeth (two bottom and two top). She got one top tooth last Sunday and the other on her 11 month birthday Wednesday.

She learned to push herself from her tummy back to sitting position Wednesday.

She crawled today!

The video shows both the crawling and the pushing to sitting.

Baby Gear

I have several friends who are expecting so I wanted to share some of my opinions about baby gear. First, I think the book Baby Bargins by Denise and Alan Fields is a must have! I LOVE it and the majority of my buying decisions were from the advice in this book (on a side note there is a Bridal Bargins book as well that is also awesome!) Second biggest piece of advice - don't pay full price at Babies R Us - they have so many sales - just make sure you shop early so you know what you want and can buy it when it is on sale (or at least with a 20% off coupon).

Pregnancy

For my friends in the Denver area Belly Bliss in Cherry Creek is GREAT during pregnancy. They have awesome services (prenatal massage, prenatal chiropractic, etc) and they have classes as well (prenatal yoga and also post baby classes). Asana yoga studio (location in Golden and Arvada) also has great prenatal yoga classes. For after baby I love their Baby and Me yoga and I just went to a Willpower and Grace class that kicked my butt into gear!

Also, if you are hoping for a completely natural (ie drug free) delivery I think taking a Bradley childbirth class is a must! This is a much more in depth and useful class than you will get from a hospital or doctor's office but it is 12 weeks long so start early! We took one with Deb Sheets and really enjoyed it and the information was super helpful when I went into labor. Check out the Bradley method website to find classes. The book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer is also a great resource. It definitely encourages a drug free delivery and is full of great information about all of the labor and delivery medical interventions so regardless of whether or not you chose drugs you are fully informed about your options.

Furniture

We bought a Baby Cache crib and dresser from Babies R Us (recommendation straight out of Baby Bargins). I love them! Very solidly built, nice color, and the dresser drawer move very smoothly. My only complaint is that they scratch pretty easily but this doesn't hurt their functionality and I think they still look great. If we had shopped earlier I would have liked to consider Munire but these have to be ordered and will take 10 + weeks. Check Munire out at Guys and Dolls Furniture in Aurora.

I am very happy with our crib mattress as well - also recommended by Baby Bargins. It is the Colgate "Classica I". They are hard to find but are available in the Denver area at Baby World and Big Kids II. This is a very nice, firm, lightweight foam mattress at a great price. For crib sheets I think the Clouds and Stars QuickZip sheet can't be beat. I attached an ultimate crib sheet (from Babies R US) to the top zipper sheet and I have only a single piece to zip on and off for sheet changes - so easy!

Again as Baby Bargins suggests Dutalier is the only way to go for a Glider rocker - love ours (it is actually in our living room as I love it so much I wanted to be able to use it all the time). I actually like the one Babies R Us carries the best - it is a little wider than the other ones we looked at (and you don't have to order it way ahead of time).

Car Seat

LOVE our Chicco (BB and Consumer Reports recommended) - great seat and good to 30 lbs (although a lot of babies are too tall before reaching 30 lbs). The seat and extra bases are a bit more expensive than other brands but I love how easily it installs (easier than the Graco). The main drawback to the 30 lb limit seats is that they are heavier but the longer usage is worth it.

I debated skipping the infant seat entirely (and starting with a convertible which are often good from 5 - 50 lbs or more) but I am glad we went with the infant seat. First, it is super nice to be able to leave the baby in the seat when you are running in somewhere. I didn't think I would want to leave my baby in the seat (and I didn't as much as most people) but it was (and still is) very nice to have that option! At this point the seat with Ali in it is almost prohibitively heavy and awkward for me but I will still do it occasionally when Ali is fussy (therefore difficult to get into the seat and buckled in) and I just need to run in somewhere for one thing. Second, having an extra base (instead of an extra seat) is so nice! The extra base just sits in the house for Jesse, or grandma, or the nanny.

Gear

We have a bouncy seat (Fisher Price RainForest Bouncer - BB recommended), swing (Graco), Pack and Play (Graco Bombay), a floor gym (Tiny Love Gymini - BB recommended) and a jumperoo (Fisher Price Precious Plant - khaki sands from Target). I really like our jumperoo colors - not as visually stimulating than some of the others but blends in with the living room much better :). It sounds like a lot but we actually got so much use out of all of them and she wan't the right age for all of them at the same time (she has outgrown wanted to use the swing and bouncer but still uses the floor gym occasionally and the jumperoo is still a lifesaver when she is angry on the floor but I need to get stuff done). She slept in the bassinet part of the pack and play in our room until she was 6 months old and we recently took the pack and play on an overnight trip to the mountains for her to sleep in. The play yard is also nice to have now that she is more mobile when she is awake and I need to shower. If I had to buy another pack and play I think I would go with an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper. I really like that you can attach it to your bed with one side down (for easier nighttime nursing) and it is good to higher weight limits (we had Ali in the bassinet portion of the pack and play beyond the recommended weight limits) but I think the Graco pack and play worked out well.

We also have a Bumbo seat that I got on Craigslist (great place to buy these as there is really nothing to break and they are super easy to wash). Super nice to have before Ali was big enough to sit on her own and makes a great travel "high chair" for car trips.

For our high chair we purchased a Graco Blossom 4 in 1 from Babies R Us which was not discussed in BB but we really like anyway :) We have only used the high chair portion at this point but it also comes with a booster seat (which the high chair seat part can snap onto so that you can use a normal chair as a "high chair") and the seat snaps off the high chair base for create a "youth chair". This is a pretty sturdy chair and I like all the options.

We still bath Ali in an infant and toddler tub on the bathroom counter. It is the Summer Infant Soothing Spa and Shower. The tub is nothing special and I think there are better infant hammocks out there but the thing I really like about this tub is the shower part. This is a separate piece that you fill with water that has basically a tiny handheld shower attachment. This is super nice and makes rinsing the baby SO much easier!

We have a the Sony baby monitor recommended by BB - great price and works well too! Once we moved Ali out of our room I wanted a video monitor. I borrowed one for a while then decided the way to go is a wireless webcam - cheaper, better quality, and useful after you don't need it for the baby! We got a Foscam and can view the feed over our wireless network on the computer or our phones! There is even the option to set it up so you can view it over the internet! It was easy to setup, does pan, tilt, and zoom, and has a better picture than a baby video monitor!

Carriers

I think baby wearing is great and I love the closeness! I have several different carriers and love them all for different reasons.

Ring Sling - loved this when Ali was teeny tiny. So easy to get her in and out and I felt like she was nice and secure. Loved the tail of the ring sling to shade her walking outside.

Moby wrap - love the versatility! SO many different carries you can do with a wrap. It can be a little daunting at first but once you get the hang of putting it on it isn't too bad (although I always put it on at home to avoid dragging it across the ground outside.

Ergo - This is my favorite of the three now! Works from newborn (with infant insert) up to 40 lbs! Can do front carry, hip carry, or back carry. This is a great carrier and supports the baby in an ergonomic sitting position. Nice padded shoulder straps and waist belt for mom (or dad). There is a Beco carrier that is pretty similar but it has a second piece inside so you can take the carrier off with the baby in it. Same carries as Ergo (but no hip carry) and comes with an infant insert.

Feeding

We make our own baby food (with the exception of the cerials which I buy Earth's Best brand) and it is totally worth it! That way I know exactly what she is getting and I can thin the foods with breast milk rather than water. I bought the Beaba Babycook and I love it! So nice to be able to steam and puree in a single container! Also wonderful that it stops steaming on its own so I can start steaming food and get distracted by something else without worrying about the food being overdone. The food processor part of this appliance is designed well for pureeing (we have a small food processor as well and I think trying to puree baby food in this would make a huge mess!). I like the silicone Beaba containers for freezing baby food as well - nice big size and the food comes out so easy.

I have the Medela freestyle pump. I love that is is battery powered so I don't need an outlet and I like the soft shields but I think it has more pieces to wash than the other Medela pumps and washing it drives me crazy!

Diapers

Cloth all the way :) Better for baby, better for the environment, better for the wallet . . . easy choice for me! I love gdiapers with a prefold instead of the flushable insert (although those are great too) and GroVia is another of my favs. I could go on and on but here is a quick overview:

I have a bunch of different types and I know everyone seems to have a different opinion about what is best.

There are several types which I will define first and give a few pros and cons. I think greenmountaindiapers.com is a great resourse for cloth diapering info.

Prefold - This is old school cloth diaperss- just a rectangle of material. Needs a water proof cover to go with it. These are the cheapest (as little as $1 per diaper) and they wash and dry super well. However, you have to put on a diaper and a cover (you can pin or snappi the diaper first then put on the cover or you can fold the diaper and put it in the cover. Prefold will need to be washed each time baby is changed but cover can usually be reused several times.

Fitted - similar to a prefold but diaper is sewn into a diaper shape and often has snaps or velco - this type also needs a cover. These are more expensive than a prefold but do not need to be pinned or snappied

Covers - lots of different types and brands. I really like the Thirsties brand and a good wool cover (breathable) is a must!

Pocket - two piece diaper that you "stuff" prior to putting on baby so then functions like an all-in-one. Washes and dries more easily than all-in-one and can be more adaptable for one-size. More expensive and whole diaper must be washed every time. BumGenius is the most well known brand of these probably. I have some Rumparooz brand that I like pretty well but stuffing them kind of annoys me and I don't like washing the whole thing everytime.

All-in-one - only one piece. Can take a long time to dry and whole diaper must be washed everytime. Super easy to use - no stuffing, or pinning - just put on (like a disposable).

One-size - you can find one size pockets, all-in-ones, and covers (for prefold/fitteds). This means there are snaps on the front that allow the same diaper to fit the baby from about 10 lbs on (most are too big for the first month or so). Decreases the cost a lot since you only need one set (or two if you buy newborn size) of diapers instead of 3 - 4.

Hybrid/all-in-two - There are two diapers that don't fit any of the other catergories - g-diapers, and GroVia. These both have a cover than can be reused and an absorbent part that is washed everytime. The G-diaper is 3 pieces (cover, liner, diaper) and the GroVia is 2 (cover and diaper). These both also have biodegradable inserts that can be purchased instead of using cloth.

Photos

With a new baby comes lots of photos - I love Picaboo X for photobooks. Completely customizable (but with lots of great predone layouts and backgrounds too). We also just did a photo session with Angie from More Sugar Than Spice Photography and loved her! She did a great job and her prices are awesome!

Nursing Clothing

Cannot live without my Bravado nursing tanks - there are lots of colors to choose from and the fit is great! You can order them from diapers.com or from mommygear.com. This is by far my favorite nursing tank brand and I wish I had bought some while I was still pregnant.

Other

For iphone or ipod touch owners I love the Total Baby app to track feedings, diapers, baths, sleep, milestones, growth and anything else you want to track!

I love Dropps laundry detergent - works great for cloth diapers but great for everything and SO easy! They are little packets that you just through in with the laundry - no big bottle to store and no measuring!

Merry Christmas!

We had a great holiday season. Ali attended her first ugly sweater/onesie party. I made the onesie for her really quickly right before the party but I thought it turned out pretty well . . . for an ugly onesie :)

Here is Ali with her new stocking from Gigi by the Christmas tree right after we got it set up. She loved the tree - liked to touch it and thought the lights were the best!

Here is Ali by the tree in her Christmas dress after Christmas eve service.

Christmas pictures (Ali with her stocking, Ali opening her first present - she tried to chew it open, Ali with a new toy, Ali the center of attention with another new toy, and Ali in her Christmas bib from nana)