Baby 2: Our Favorite Baby Products (0-4 Months)

Isaac is four months now and I thought I would do a quick recap of the products we are using this time around. 

Most of the things we own are from Jack (second kids get all hand-me-downs, #amiright). We had two showers for Jack (a family one and a work one) and many of those items continue to serve us well.

Isaac sleeps in the same Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Newborn Sleeper that Jack did. Though he has about outgrown it. We love it because it keeps his head elevated and it is great for traveling (and keeping in our bedroom). We will move him upstairs to his crib soon.

We still have the same Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag. Almost four years later, some of the mesh material is starting to rip on the travel diaper changing pad, but overall this has been a great bag for us. It's not too big and Daniel doesn't mind carrying it. I also use a striped bag I picked up at Target earlier this year. It is technically my purse, but is big enough to basic throw baby necessities in (diaper, wipes, changing pad and one change of clothes).

Our second-hand BOB Revolution stroller is still a favorite. This summer it came in handy for loading up gear to take to the pool. Since Jack is 3.5 and a good walker, we decided that we didn't really need a double stroller.

I no longer have the Baby Bjorn baby carrier – it really dug into my shoulders and I didn't like it once Jack was over 12 pounds, BUT I have really liked having an Ergo carrier that I am borrowing from a friend. It doesn't dig into my shoulders and since Isaac is already 20-ish pounds, it is a better fit. I wear Isaac a lot in the Ergo when we are running around. I really like that it keeps my hands free so that I can engage with Jack. Also, it is perfect for grocery shopping (Jack just stands on the cart).

Our baby gym is still a favorite with Isaac. I lay him on it in the mornings and he loves to grab at the mobile and kick at the hanging toys. We also use a baby rocker for naps and Isaac enjoys swatting at the hanging toys.

Plastic Bathtub with sling insert. This is a basic plastic tub we were given when Jack was born and we are still using it for Isaac. Isaac is almost too big for the sling, so I will be glad when he can sit up on his own without the sling.

We still use our Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair. In the reclined position (without the tray), Isaac can sit with us at the dinner table. Isaac is very social and cries if he gets left out. It won't be long until we are using it for giving Isaac food – we will be doing baby-led weaning again this time around.

Cloth Diapers – we are still using our cloth diapers. We had 30 that we used with Jack, and about 10 of them leak now. After 3.5 years we were just thankful that most of them are still good. We ordered 10 new diapers and are back to 30. This allows me to wash a load every other day.

Overall, we are still using most of the same products as we did for Jack. I did lose a box of Jack's 0-6 month clothes, so we had to hit up the consignment sales to supplement, but he is already wearing many of Jack's old clothes. Burp cloths get a lot of use and I'm glad we had a big stash from before.

Toys - at this stage Isaac is minimally interested in toys. But he really enjoys when we read books to Jack.

Things we are not currently using this time around:
Baby Monitor – we will use this once we move Isaac to his bedroom upstairs, but have used it minimally since Isaac sleeps in our room.

Sound Machine – we haven't used this at all.

Bibs – Isaac spits up a lot, but not quite as bad as Jack did. Once he starts drooling more, we may reconsider the bibs. It's a good thing we have a huge stack from 3 years ago!

Pacifiers – we have tried to give Isaac a paci, but he isn't interested. He likes to chew it but rarely sucks on it.

Isaac is Four Months Old

I am a day late in posting because we are at the beach. We are crossing off a major parenting milestone of taking a baby and preschooler on vacation. Vacationing with just Jack (and Sophie) has always been relatively easy. Vacationing with one more child in the mix may prove to be more trying. 

At four months old, Isaac weighs 19lbs, is 24.5 inches long and has a head circumference of 45.5cm. This puts him in the 100^th+ percentile for weight and head size and about 50^th percentile for length. So while he may not be tall, he is a big boy. Strangers that see him have told me they think he is at least 6 months.

I don’t know if Isaac will be a thumb sucker, but he has definitely found his thumb and fingers. He is more of a chewer. He won’t suck on a paci, but will chew it if we hold it for him. His hand seems to be of more interest to him though.

Along with his newfound discovery of his hands, he is grasping everything within reach. Including my hair (which is currently falling out by the handful – thank you hormones). He has several toys he will hang on to and really likes to play with his burp cloths. I have also caught him trying to grab food off of my plate if I happen to be holding him during dinner.

Isaac has become more awake over the course of the last month and enjoys swatting and kicking at the toys on his mobile. He still hasn’t rolled over, but can sit up assisted in my lap or a little chair we have for him. For having such a big head, he has very good head control.

Like his big brother, he is a happy spitter. I get spit up on constantly. Whenever this happens, I tend to jokingly (sarcastically?) say “Thank you for the present.” Jack is very confused by my statements of gratitude. I don’t know how to explain to my 3.5 year old that sometimes I joke to keep from crying.

Isaac has the sweetest little grin. Though often that grin proceeds a big spit up. While nursing, he will look up at me with his big blue eyes, grin really big and then upchuck. The other day Daniel was holding him and he grinned and I told Daniel he was about to spew. I'm not sure if Daniel believed me until Isaac proved me right and spit up everywhere. At least I am pretty in tune with when this will happen and can typically catch most of it with a burp cloth.

Over the course of the last month Isaac will snuggle up close to my face and give me a nice open-mouth kiss on the cheek. I'm not sure what his intent is, but it is pretty funny.

Our littlest guy has been babbling a ton over the last month. There are several times a day that he really gets going. One of the best parts of our day is when we put Jack to bed. As we read our bed time stories and sing songs and pray with Jack, Isaac talks up a storm. It is almost like he is trying to talk over us. The song "If You're Happy and You Know It" really gets him grinning as well as talking. It is such a sweet time to spend as a family every day.

Isaac is currently sleeping 6-8 hours at night. Right now he will (thankfully) go back to sleep after his 5:30am feeding so I am getting some rest. I still feel like a bit of a zombie in the mornings, but the longer stretches at night are a much needed change for me.

We continue to be enamored with our little guy. Our Pediatrician says we can start him on solids now... I'm not so sure. I think we will still hold out for the six month mark since he is growing so steadily from nursing.

*As with Jack, I will be posting monthly updates of Isaac on a quilt (inherited from my Grandma), next to a yellow Tonka truck (a toy from Daniel's childhood). 
Isaac at One Month  |  Isaac at Two Months  |  Isaac at Three Months

A Look Back: 
Jack at One Month  |  Jack at Two Months  |  Jack at Three Months   |   Jack at Four Months
(We used a quilt from Daniel's family for the Jack photos, along wit the Tonka truck from Daniel's childhood).

Flowers, Because We Love You

When I was in college I lived in an all-girls dorm. One custom of where I lived was that on special occasions (especially Valentine's Day) the front desks in the dorm lobbies would be overflowing with special deliveries of flowers from girls' boyfriends.

Every special holiday I would trudge by the front desk of my dorm, head down, trying to ignore what I knew wouldn't be there for me. I didn't have a boyfriend for most of my college experience and when Daniel and I started dating, he didn't realize that a show of flowers (at the lobby desk) might be important to me. To be fair, I never told him.

After we were married, one of my aunts told me that one secret to a happy marriage was to let your spouse know your expectations upfront. If flowers or presents are important, you need to communicate that (beforehand). In truth, I don't really care about flowers or gifts – maybe I conditioned myself to not care all of those years ago. In fact, Daniel and I have always had a no gift policy (though I have asked him to give me flowers for special occasions).

Ironically, all of these years later, I finally have a boy in my life who loves to give me flowers just because. Don’t get me wrong, Daniel gives me flowers at special times throughout the year and he is the one that told Jack that they should buy flowers for me because they love me, but Jack loves to give me flowers all of the time regardless of whether or not there is a special occasion to celebrate.

The first time, Jack helped Daniel pick out flowers for me for Easter this year. It was a sweet surprise. He was very excited to tell me that they bought me flowers because they love me. The second time, he picked out flowers with his Nana’s help to give to me when I came home from the hospital with Isaac. Then more recently, while grocery shopping with me he insisted that he pick out flowers for me.

I really do love these little gifts of flowers. Even better are the flowers (weeds) that he picks from our yard. He insists on filling a vase with water and putting the vase on the counter. He is so proud of this accomplishment and it makes my heart feel like it will explode. 

So I didn’t get flowers in the lobby while in college, but I have a husband of almost 13 years who loves me and listens to my request for flowers throughout the year. And on top of that, I have a little boy who loves to give me flowers just because his daddy told him that is one way they can show that they love me.

Life Lessons from Wilderness Trek

Twenty-three years ago I climbed Mt. Elbert in Colorado.

View from top of Mt. Elbert, summer 1992

It's kind of weird that I now have enough life experiences to state that something occurred twenty-plus years ago.

View of valley while hiking up Mt. Sherman, summer of 1994

Anyway, that particular trip was my first true backpacking experience, but certainly not the last. I have written about Wilderness Trek before, and it truly was one of the most influential experiences of my life.

Hiking up Mt. Sherman, summer of 1994
 

At the ripe age of twelve-and-a-half, I was exposed to grandeur beyond my comprehension and the principle that when life is difficult, it is always best to reach out and encourage, or help someone else.

Mt. Antero, summer of 1996

On Wilderness Trek every person carries not only their own essentials for a five-day trek into the wilderness, but also various items for the crew you are assigned to. Everyone is carrying weight beyond what you might think you can endure (35-50 lbs), and regardless of your fitness level, it is a tough trip. Obviously the more fit you are, the easier it is, but it isn't easy. 

Rapelling on the Mt. Antero trip, summer 1996

The thing that made the experience of climbing a mountain more bearable (besides the amazing views) was to try to motivate someone else who was struggling to keep moving.

My sister, Angela, and I on the Mt. Antero trip, summer 1996

When I could dig down deep and encourage another to keep plodding along, one foot in front of the other, it allowed me to forget my own difficult journey. If I could take a moment to encourage others to look up from staring at the ground and breathe in the beauty that we were all enveloped in, it allowed me to take in the moment myself.

 On the trail. Mt. Antero, summer 1996

Last week I was reminded of that principle. I was in a funk, in the midst of my very own pity party, focused on myself and some of my own frustrations. It was all I could think about as I drove to the Y for a midday pick-me-up.

 On the trail. Mt. Antero, summer 1996

Working out helped to lift my spirits and clear my mind. I felt less alone as I let the endorphins take away my frustrations. But it was after my workout that I was reminded of this lesson from my youth. 

Summit Day, Mt. Antero, summer 1996

As I spoke with a friend, I learned that another mom with a newborn was walking through a difficult valley right now. The cliff notes of the situation broke my heart and I felt ashamed of my pity party.

My sister on our "summit". We had to turn around before the actual 

summit because a storm was moving in. Mt. Antero, summer 1996

At that moment I shifted gears because I really believe that when we slow down, and move our focus from ourselves to how we can support others, it changes us for the better. It makes us better humans.

The girls on our "summit" as a storm moved in. Mt. Antero, summer 1996

I learned so much from Wilderness Trek, and even 23 years later I find that I am still applying those lessons to my life.

 Angela and I on our "summit" as a storm moved in. Mt. Antero, summer 1996

This is just one of the many lessons and experiences I had on Wilderness Trek. Those trips had a profound impact on me and I hope that someday my boys can have similar experiences.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 
Philippians 2:4  
...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.
Luke 10:27

Chattanooga Duck Tours

We are lucky to live in a tourist town. While most of the time we stick to local activities, sometimes it is nice to play tourist and learn a little more about the city we live in.

This past week a Groupon popped up for the Chattanooga Duck Tours and we decided to go with some of our friends.

Jack was very excited because as he said, it was his first time riding a bus AND riding on a boat. Not to mention that this vehicle was BOTH. (He may have forgotten, but he has been on a boat before here and here).

This excursion lasts about an hour but was enjoyable for all of us (well, Isaac didn't really care). Jack loved being on the water and all of the kids were given an opportunity to drive the boat.

When Jack got back in his seat with me, he proudly told me that he was a captain now.

I really enjoyed the history of Chattanooga that our captain shared with us. We learned that the Indian word "Chattanooga" meant "Rock Point." Literally where two mountains point at each other across the Tennessee River. 

We learned about how the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge was saved and how the downtown area was restored from 100+factories to what it is today. 

We discovered that the river used to routinely flood and that the city had to be raised because streets had been flooded up to the 3rd floor of buildings.

We learned about how Maclellan Island was purchased by the Maclellan family and used to raise cows (until a flood swept many of the cows away).

And how the carousel at Coolidge Park was given to the original artist, Bud Ellis, who is a master wood carver who continues to carve carousel animals at his studio, Horsing Around.

Our captain also told us his top recommendations for things to do in Chattanooga:

1. The Bluffs View Bed and Breakfast which is expensive, but if you don't have time or money to do this, go to Tony's Pasta Shop & Trattoria and Rembrandts Coffee (both of these are favorites of ours).
2. Maclellan's Island – free but you have to have a way to get yourself there. Either kayak, paddle board or boat.
3. Coolidge Park – the fountain and carousel are a local favorite.

The Captain also let us know that the Hunter Museum of Art is open for FREE to families on the first Sunday of every month. We will have to check it out some time. We learned so much more that I can't even remember, but it was all fascinating.

Overall it was a fun and informative trip and we hope to go back when Daniel has time to go, maybe when Isaac is old enough to enjoy the experience as well.