Baby Talk

Toddler Happenings

I swear there will come a day, very soon, when I can’t stop talking about the good the bad and the ugly of BOTH kids, but for now my darling toddler hands me enough laughs to keep me busy for days. She literally does too. Jackson is in a super cute stage. He is still an infant so to speak, and cannot do anything on his own. We are close to rolling over, holding his own bottle, and finding his feet. For now though, he is just full of giggles and smiles and loves to be snuggled. Sleeps like total shit but you can’t look good AND be good at things as well right? The kid can jump hard in his Jolly Jumper though, I will give him that.

Little Miss Hallie, well that is entirely different breed. She is so fun right now, that is for sure. On the verge of her full sentences almost making some sense, full of hugs and kisses, and such a Mama Drama. There are at least 14,000 reasons as to why she breaks down crying each day, not all of them warranted by any means. Takes after her momma though, slightly emotional. With all of this awesomeness comes some huge development milestones. Lets start with the big one. The big, messy, brown one. POTTY TRAINING. I can’t do it. I am lacking serious faith on this. I start out with amazing confidence and an hour later she is in the bath tub and I am day drinking. But if it’s white wine it doesn’t really count right? I mean it’s almost a clear liquid, like water. Everyone needs water.

Since today was one of those days where clearly Hallie’s clothes were made of lava and she had to have them completely off or she would be burnt to death, I thought it was a great opportunity to do some potty training. I can already hear the sanctimommies task-tisking that I should be all ready to go ‘all in’ or not at all. But whatever, thought we would roll with it. Hallie spent a full hour running around naked before it was all I could do to get some ‘training panties’ on her. Following that I found four puddles throughout the house and one very happy-to-be-almost-naked toddler sitting in her own poop. Into the bath we go (after of course hitting up the kitchen for before mentioned glass of ‘water’). For the sake of everyone involved here I probably won’t go into further detail but lets just say it involved me scooping things out of the tub. The results of the afternoon…. probably going to delay potty training a little bit longer. I know she is ready. Just ain’t so sure momma is.

Another dragon that appears to have reared it’s ugly head is the picky toddler tummy dragon. She was choosy before but Hallie’s eating habits have quickly become… well quite frustrating to say the least. If I made it or put ANY effort in whatsoever, you can bet your boots it’s on the floor. Or the wall. Or on me. I just thank my lucky stars that she is obsessed with store bought squeeze pouches. I can take a bit of comfort in the fact that she is eating something. It also helps that the child safety lock on her ‘snack drawer’ is busted and I will often walk into the kitchen stepping all over fruit snacks and goldfish crackers. At least she is eating.

I think my favourite part of our ‘challenges’ right now though are the conversations. Though they are muddled and completely confusing to me, they are sweet as pie. Just like that little devil of mine. It is total gibberish but I know exactly what she is trying to say. The expressions that come along with it are priceless too and always put a smile on my face. Usually fits of laughter too.

Cheers Mommas. Another Monday down, and this one for me, was for the books.

And Another Baby Makes Four!

Well the day finally came! A little bit early but on Monday, July 4th I started having contractions while marathon watching Season 5 of SUITS on Netflix. On Tuesday, July 5th at 1:35am, my baby boy came into the world! Very quickly and furiously might I add.

Full disclosure: I started writing this post on July 7th…. It is now the middle of AUGUST! The absence is a perfect way to show the chaos that ensued having two babies in the house. Sure, have another baby they said. It will be a piece of cake, your second time round, you will be full of confidence and life will be bliss. SAID NO ONE EVER THAT HAS TWO BABIES. I have to stress the baby factor too. Two kids, I am positive, is a complete shit show of it’s own. Babies are in their own realm of insanity. Especially when one is a newborn and cannot ANYTHING and relies on you for everything in this world, down to their breathing. The other is not even two, has entered the tantrum phase early, communicates in her own language, and is what I can only politely call a ‘very free spirit’. Bless that girl and I love her more than anything but she cannot be trusted. Turn your back for one second and she is dancing on cold cuts of salami in the kitchen, covered in chalk and filling up the garbage can with items out of your purse. It’s raining VISA and gift cards in my house whenever she gets her hands on it. One look at that devilish grin though and my heart melts. It’s a good thing I don’t care too much about my sanity because it went out the window long ago.

So the new guy… Old man Jackson! Jackson Leo Hayward is his full name and my oh my, does it suit him. I don’t think he could have pulled off any of the modern and hip names that made the cut on our list. Jackson is modern but the ability to shorten it down to Jack, really depicts his traditional style. He is the oldest little baby I have ever seen and I just love that old man to pieces. He likes really warm baths, warm feet, being cuddled ALL THE TIME, and making strange noises all night long. Boy does his big sister love him too! There are kisses on the forehead every morning, and mama drama tries to help me all day long. Whether it’s getting a diaper (which translates to dumping a bin of diapers all over her room) or taking his dirty diaper to the diaper genie (I am really hoping they all go in there, and I don’t start finding soiled nappies in awkward places in my house!). I know she just means so well so it gets her off the hook of even the worst mishaps. Blame it on that smile! Honestly, it’s all new and every day a new tornado strikes itself right down in the middle of all that is calm. Till I know what the heck I am doing, there is always coffee and wine!

So to keep things fun and simple while I jump back in the blogging game, I felt it would be appropriate to do a little:

NINE TRUTHS AND A LIE!

1.) Every night that I go to bed I am completely terrified that THAT will be the night my sweet baby boy stops his ‘newborn sleeping’ (which is shitty already might I add) and then I will forever be awake. Deprived of precious sleep that I worked so hard to get back (which I never really got back).

2.) Every day with my darling daughter has been testing my patience. No one warns you about how understanding and patient a mother needs to be. Even when it seems that all you can do is lose your shit, you need to come down to that level and try and figure out what the hell they are trying to do/are freaking out about/screaming and crying about. It’s an even bigger mystery when they cannot talk and communicate to you yet and you end up playing charades with your bawling toddler in the meat department at Superstore, trying to identify what on earth she is trying to say or do.

3.) I know for certain the cashier at that same grocery overheard me call my toddler an asshole under my breathe as I picked up all of items off the floor that she had thrown out of the cart upon checking out.

4.) I may have hid from everyone in my house the other day with a glass of wine in my closet.

5.) I worry non-stop about everyone, even the dog, that they may be feeling left out or not loved enough.

6.) I have heated more food in the oven than I have cooked, but passed off the credit as my own of course.

7.) I am certain the word ‘NO’ has become a permanent part of my vocabulary and it’s actually bumming me out. I need to really think about WHY I am saying it in the first place and how I can redirect this crazy behaviour. Perhaps I need a good parenting book, but who the heck has time to read these days anyways?!

8.) I did not find a dried up chicken tender at the bottom of my purse.

9.) I do not wish every day was Bachelor in Paradise Day.

Can you spot the lie?

First picture as a couple!

My Old Man Jack! (Pants are from Target, Muslin Swaddle Blanket, Modern Burlap)

Girlfriend is CRAZYYYYY!

Just ‘Old Man-ing..’

The two that steal my heart, day in and day out.

(When did the toddler start to look like a GIANT!?)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Toddler Tummies

I remember when I used to think of being a mom and having babies, I had all sorts of hopes and dreams for the type of parent I would be. I like to pride myself in being a rather relaxed parent but there are things that I have always been strict about. Bedtimes. Lots of cuddles. Bath time and brushing teeth. After experiencing a newborn baby, an infant, a baby and now a toddler, I feel like I should send out a disclaimer that corrects many things I said PRE-parenting. The truth is, you just have no idea until you are in it. It’s survival of the fittest. If it works, you do it. My little girl was in total hysterics the other day because I took away the disgusting dirty Freezie that had been dropped in the grass seven times while she tried to eat it. She was so upset and it broke my heart so much that I handed it back to her. I have no idea if she played with it or simply ate it but that filthy blue popsicle was all that made her smile in that moment. Don’t even get me started with how happy she was ten minutes later when I am almost positive she ate a dragonfly! I am not saying she is the boss all the time and that the slightest tantrum will win her all battles. I am not saying that at all! I am fully admitting though that you need to pick your battles wisely. Some of them are not worth the tears. With all of that being said, I feel it is the perfect segway into the topic of food! Toddlers are picky as hell. If they like it today, tomorrow it will end up splattered across your face. Or all the way up your walls and all over your crisp, freshly washed white linen curtains. Toddlers also have the ‘chipmunk winter-food-storing-ability’ down to a science. This girl will chew up about fourteen baby carrots, hold them discreetly in her cheeks, and wait until about an hour later when you are cuddling on the sofa and spit them out all over you. What the logic behind this for her is I have absolutely no idea. She sure finds it funny though. As I fight my way through the darkness in identifying what foods will and will not work, I wanted to share a few tasty treat ideas that are a success in our home- this week anyways. I have probably jinxed it now!

These mini pizzas were delicious and a hit with those big and small. I picked up what I can only compare to Naan Bread from our local bakery, infused with spinach and herbs. Drizzled with tomato sauce, topped with prosciutto and mozzarella (some grated and fresh), and baked for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. I even like to grill the top a little bit to brown and bubble the mozza. Slice them up small for baby and serve as is for mom and dad. Bon appetit!

Hallie is slightly obsessed with Munchies Mix – the mix that has sun chips, cheetos, pretzels, etc. Not going to lie, I love them too. Instead of buying a bag of that though I bought a bag of each type of chip in it (more or less) and mixed it all together in a jumbo zip lock bag. I then divided up the mixture into these plastic mason jars. These plastic jars are the best! They store easily, stack, travel well to the park, I LOVE them!!! Very kid friendly too. Oh and husband friendly! Henry cannot open a bag of chips to save his life. We always end up with a long rip down the bag and stale chips, so this is a great solution for him too.

Homemade Guacamole is possibly my favourite snack ever. It may as well be a meal. Today in fact I ate a bowl of guac which consisted of at least three avocados. Good fats right? (Don’t care..) I follow a very simple gauc recipe. Perfectly ripe avocados, lime juice and lemon juice, chopped cilantro, fresh ground pepper and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I will add a few tablespoons of a really nice salsa just to excite things but trust me, it isn’t necessary! Nothing like fresh ingredients. It also helped that a certain little lady LOVED dipping her tortilla chips in it.

Until next week when she decides she hates all of the above mentioned snacks and we need to turn to Pinterest for new ideas. I don’t know if I have thick enough skin though. It slightly hurts my feelings when she hates my cooking or hard work & preparation haha!

It’s A…. BOY!

So much for my theory on having two girls in tutus! We had our ultrasound and appointment on Monday and got the big news that baby number two is a BOY! Of course we are so happy and excited! It was a bit of a shock to me, only because for so long I envisioned another little lady joining us. I am getting used to the idea of a little gentleman though. I am hoping with the warmer weather coming soon (fingers crossed!) that some cute boy outfits start presenting themselves in stores. Right now it’s a little lacking. It is probably better that way though, one can get carried away shopping for newborn baby clothes! I started going through Hallie’s clothes to sell consignment or give to goodwill. What an emotional process! I have definitely shed some tears over her tiny onesies and adorable outfits. It is hard to believe my little girl was once so small! Where does the time go?! I blame a lot of the tears on pregnancy hormones too. Hubby has allowed me to keep TWO storage bins worth of my favourite baby girl clothes – I think he just felt so bad when he saw me on the living room floor over tiny pink Minimocs. So I have kept all my faves for baby number three…… yes I just said that! But for now, eye on the prize. Little man is joining us in four months! How quickly did that time pass?! We have had some real sunny days lately so all I can seem to think about is summertime, baby boy’s due date and how much fun we are going to have as a family this summer. With Hallie, I spent so much time planning her room and making sure we were getting everything we need. This baby doesn’t even have a room yet I am not too worried. I know there are a couple things I want to upgrade or get for this time round with a newborn. I just know that even if I don’t have everything or his ‘space’ (no room of his own so he get s space in my room hah) isn’t ready, we will be fine. We will be overwhelmed and it will be crazy for a little while but really, we will all be fine. We will all be loved. There happens to be a lot of love in this house!

Just for fun, I thought it would be fun to share some highlights and lowlights of this current stage in my pregnancy. I am a little over five months pregnant so well into the second trimester.

Cravings: Granny Smith Apples, Strawberries (actually any berry will do), Pepsi – all the time! So bad for you I know. Eggs with avocado and fresh ground pepper. WINE. Not that I indulge. But as soon as it’s sunny, I am salivating over thoughts of a chardonnay. As soon as it’s nighttime and I am sitting down to dinner, OR completely overwhelmed by the day with my cray cray toddler, I can’t help but envision a large glass of red wine. Overall I am really quite hungry all the time with this baby. Now that all of the morning sickness has passed!

Feeling: Good! Again, now that the grossness of the 1st trimester has subsided, I am feeling quite good. Some daily exercise and stretching has proven to be a key factor in feeling good but so far that has been pretty easy to achieve chasing Hallie around. Oh and lots of water! I have been drinking a TON of water and I believe that is playing a huge part.

Daily Challenges: Sleep. Pregnancy insomnia seems to settle in every few days. Which is the worst when you are exhausted. I seem to wake up at three in the morning and think about EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN! It’s not necessarily worry or stress but that hamster sure is running on his treadmill at the worst possible moments. How I long to sleep. All the time. I guess I will when the kids are like 18 years old.

Skin/Hair/Nails/Etc. : All women that I know have had exceptional luck during their pregnancies with hair growth. I am not in that circle of the lucky ones. My hair does not grow. In fact since my first baby, my hair seems to have thinned drastically at the sides. Hellion postpartum hair loss, lovely to meet you. You can piss off anytime! Nails seem to be doing okay. Skin is doing AMAZING! Though I do not thank pregnancy for that – I thank my daily regimen from Rodan + Fields with the weekly microdermabrasion facial for that. Oh and my eye cream! The results have been amazing so far and I have only been using the products since Christmas. LOVE! Thank goodness I sell it and get a good discount. So overall, looking like a glowing pregnant woman I suppose. Chubby middle and all! The downfall is this time round, I really have to make an effort to dress nice and not wear leggings EVERYDAY. With Hallie, I was managing a store, Anthropologie, and looking stylish was mandatory on a daily basis. Now I am working as a mom and there is no one here to raise an eye brow if I am still in my pjs at noon. I do try to dress up for most of the week. Not saying the ‘mom bun’ doesn’t present itself almost daily! Can’t win em’ all.

Looking Forward To: More baby kicks! He has really started moving in there and each time I feel kicks I get a huge smile on my face. I am also SO EXCITED for sunshine and warmer weather. I have some very cute dresses that will show off this bump perfectly but I am gonna need that warmer weather to wear them. Not to mention a bit of a tan!

Next week I am excited to share some Friday Favourites that will be entirely tailored to baby boys so be sure to check back. Have a wonderful weekend with your loved ones and don’t forget to count those blessings. XO

IT’S A BOY!

We are early but we broke out the Easter Decor!

An Early Christmas Present

It has been pretty hard to keep this secret but the Hubs and I decided to make a little public announcement today. We are having a second baby! All of my posts prior to this where I vaguely mentioned not feeling well and exhaustion, well now the secret as to why is out. Holy mother morning sickness! This pregnancy is completely different to when I was preggers with Hallie. Achy bones, total exhaustion and not to mention being a very sick girl throughout most of the day. I have no idea why they call it morning sickness as it seems to rear it’s ugly head at any time, including the middle of the night. But OTHER than all of those pesky little annoyances, we are so excited that another little baby will be joining our family. Baby number two is due in July of 2016 which makes me 3 months along on Christmas next week. We will be finding out the sex come February (I think) and though I am pretty eager to have another perfect little girl, Hubby has his heart set on a boy. Of course we will be over the moon happy with whatever the outcome is, boy or girl, I just have so many cute girl clothes to reuse. I also don’t know where exactly we are going to put this tiny bundle of joy, who comes with all of the large bulky baby items you use with newborns, as our house is on the tiny side and we are already splitting at the seams. I am going to put that out of mind for now though because there isn’t a darn thing I can do about it yet. I guess I will start to worry about space and organization in late spring.
So now begins the agonizing of how on earth I will cope with two babies under two. Hallie, already being the free spirit that she is, will no doubt keep blossoming into more and more of an energetic little dear. I wonder if her sibling will share her wild personality traits or if he/she will be more on the chill side. Either way, the two of them will have me running around non-stop. Thank goodness it will be summertime and we can spend most of the waking hours outdoors. Bring on summer! I have been so ill that I do not even miss alcoholic beverages but as the warmer months creep up, I will be parched thinking about icy cold beers and cocktails that I am missing out on! So many things to think about between now and then too. Most of all I need to take a step back and soak up the moments. Even the sick ones. Pregnancy only lasts for a short time and I intend to enjoy it! Well at least enjoy using the preggo card to get extra relaxation time on the sofa, should it ever present itself hah. Not to mention all of the yummy treats this time of year! Turkey AND ham on Christmas next week? You bet. Cookie exchange? Sign my pregnant ass up. Tis the season!

Life With A One Year Old

We are now in the ‘life with a one year old’ stage. It’s an exciting time, that is also nerve racking and exhausting and though life is speeding by at a mile a minute, I am loving every moment. We got over the chaos of a trip back to Vancouver for the birthday party and all of the unpacking that went with it. This week has been filled with busy ‘mommy and me’ dates to Mother Goose at the library, crisp Fall walks along the river, trying to get errands done, and a bit of housework here and there. Amidst all the usual day to day activities, I am in awe of how much baby development has occured. It really was just last week that Hallie was taking her very first steps in an uncoordinated fashion. Over the course of two days she has been cruisin all over the house. A bit wobbly here and there of course but man can that girl get around! Speech has really sped up as well. Before we were getting a lot of ma-ma-ma-ma and da-da-da-da and for a good week or so, everything was ‘baby’. Now she is spitting out long convoluted sentences that are jam-packed full of baby words. I know that it’s only a matter of time before her sounds make actual words! I pray to God that her first word isn’t f#ck! With the baseball playoffs on in our house full-time and a husband who gets very INTO the game, I would not be a bit surprised if it was her first word. I have gently been reminding him to curb his language so that we can prevent this. Two other areas where we seem to have leaped bounds are eating and sleeping. My girl is a picky eater. She takes after her father and seems to have this thing with texture. If it’s slimy then there is a good chance it’s taking a flying leap off of the highchair tray and into the dog’s mouth. How obliging of her. But the last few days she has been quite the hungry hippo and taking down whatever comes her way. My doctor jokingly said that Hallie could be the kid at daycare who shares all of her snacks. Her size indicates she could miss a few meals! Bless her… and her thighs! Sleeping has been good as well; though I don’t like to say it too loudly or even think about it as I fear doing this will jinx everything. Lets just say I feel slightly rested and that is a win in any momma’s book.

So that was a recap about all of the good. With the good always comes the bad my friends! TANTRUMS! WTF. I thought tantrums came when your child could communicate. Apparently they happen because they can’t. It could be closing a door so that she can’t get into the bathroom and play with the toilet bowl water. It could be trying to sneakily hide my brand new iPhone 6 so that she can’t slobber all over it like my last phone and destroy it. It could be time for stroller or her carseat, and god forbid a strap-in harness keep this girl down. She will let the whole world know vocally that she is not down with whatever I am doing. I am learning, episode by loud episode, not to let it get to me and to carry on with the task at hand. But holy crap, girlfriend needs to settle down. Oh and then there is the teeth. How many teeth can naturally be cut at once, I wonder. Even my doctor was like ‘whoa that is quite a few teeth at once for her age!’. Every baby teethes in their own way and every parent ‘parents’ in their own way. We are advocates of the amber necklace and occasional use of baby Advil and Oragel when things get very bad. Many parents, some that I know as friends or family even, are against medicine for babies and it is totally cool, for them. We are a bit wussy in this house with pain though so that is the solution that has been working for us. I also know these days are numbered so I am not too worried!

That about sums up where we are at these days in the life of ‘One’. I am quickly learning that every single day is full of new challenges, new defeats and of course, new accomplishments. This crazy world of parenting just keeps going and flipping each day sideways and all we can do is hope we are doing a decent enough job that keeps our babies happy (and alive!). Time to enjoy a Saturday night because who knows what Sunday will bring. =)

Who Needs To Nap When There Are Cookies

Ah Mondays…. I remember that in every professional position that I have ever had, Mondays are always one for the books. It’s hard to shake off the weekend and get your head back in the game. Now I find that being a mom, it is no different. Mondays are hit or miss. Sometimes they rock, sometimes they are disguised as satin himself in the form of my darling little girl. This Monday my friends, was one of those days. Of course by DAY, I mean it all started at three am. I think we were awake from three until six and that also included momma attempting to sleep on the nursery floor for a good hour. There was no pain, no hunger and no wet diapers, just a whole lot of playtime dance party fun. For one. Eventually at daybreak we both drifted off to sleep, HARD. My sweet husband woke up with her somewhere around eight and I continued to sleep until ten. Bless his heart. We somehow managed to make it on time to our Tiny Tunes sing along at the library at ten thirty when the insane behaviour continued. Rather than adhere to the rules of sitting in a circle and happily sing Incy Wincy Spider, my little angel preferred to scramble around the room, steal other baby’s toys and hide shoes. If I wasn’t so tired it would have been comical but this momma was slightly sleep deprived! I digress…. We arrive home only to discover that nap time is not in the cards for the day – someone is opting out of nap time. Instead a giant sh#t occured – one of those ones where you reach over to discover ONE LAST WIPE on hand. I refasten the mess so that I can run to the other room and grab reinforcements. Upon my return I find my sweet little girl with her hand firmly jammed in the side of her diaper, twirling her poop in a sleepy daze. I can’t help but think this situation really could have been avoided. Once all cleaned up, the only thing I feel like doing is making cookies. Gooey chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. So that is what we did. I made cookies and Hallie made a giant mess of toys in my kitchen. On the plus side, I discovered a fantastic recipe! Rather than talk about yumminess in the same area as poop though, I will include a post and pictures next for the next time you have one of those ‘Mondays’ and need a cookie break. Cheers to the week ahead friends!

Some cuteness to redeem herself…..

Fall Fashion For Baby Girl

As much as I love Fall fashion for me, baby Fall fashion right now is simply too cute to resist. From cute leggings to parkas, I may very well blow an entire pay cheque on the little kiddo. I just ordered these Carhartt Overalls for Hallie which will be PERFECT for playing in the yard over the next few months. Now that we live in Kamloops we will need to get used to chilly Okanagan weather. It was blue skies and sunshine yesterday morning but also zero degrees! I love the cool weather as long as you are dressed for it and it’s not raining. Won’t miss you, West Coast Drizzle!

So here are my top picks for little girl Fall Fashion. Seriously, who can resist a little knitted fox hat?

H&M Kids/Baby has some serious cuteness going on. Click here to see their entire Fall collection. My personal favourites included the parka (LOVE!!!!!!!) and the dresses. The pinafore style dresses are perfect for topping a onesie and leggings in the colder months. Babies get to layer too.

Shoes are always tricky with chubby baby feet and when the little ones are learning to walk, you want something with a bit of stability yet still a soft sole. These Joe Fresh Ballerina Flats are perfect for where Hallie is at right now in terms of her walking development. They are also cute to boot!

Zara Baby clothes are so fashionable, they put parts of my own wardrobe to shame. I love all of the knitted items they are carrying right now and the matching fox hat and mittens are irresistible. Seriously, do they come in my size? Not to mention some caramel leather Mary Janes..

Lastly, our Baby Gap favorite. I swear between myself and Grandma, Hallie has owned this sweater in every size so far since was born. If it has built-in ears on the hood, we have it.

I would love to hear your favourite Fall and Winter necessities too!

Nine Month Favourites For Baby

Nine months was such a fun time with my baby. There is so much happening in a baby’s development at this age. We were still enjoying the fruits of a hot summer when Hallie was nine months old so fortunately, we spent most of this age outdoors. So much time outdoors helped in two ways. Hallie was motoring around crawling, and also trying to walk so being outside doing both of these things allowed her to explore and feel things like grass and dirt, pretty exciting stuff for a kid! All of this time in the fresh air also helped with tiring my energetic babe out. Nine months old was actually a great time for sleep (now enter 11 months where she has no idea what the heck sleep is, nor does she wish to try it out). Below are my favourite items that I found most valuable at this age.

Little Tykes Swing – This swing is awesome! It was the first thing I did in our new home when we arrived. Located the perfect tree in the backyard and hung this bad boy up. Pro: We can swing whenever we want. My favourite time is after dinner/before bed, while the weather is still nice. Con: It really takes away from the excitement of going to the baby swings at the park. I guess when Hallie is walking we will be able to do more at the local playgrounds and that excitement will return.
Footless Sleepers – I have an exceptionally long baby and even if I buy two sizes too big, sleepers seem to run a little short on her long legs. Footless I have quickly learned it the way to go. I am obsessed with Hanna Anderson sleepers, especially the festive ones for Halloween. Cannot wait to get my hands on some Christmas themed ones!
V-Tech Sit-To-Stand Learning Walker – Like I said, my sweet girl is trying her hardest to get going on the whole walking thing. This walker allows her to do just that, she loves it. She surprises herself quite a bit when she really gets moving on it too!
Baby Oragel – This one speaks for it self. We cut two teeth in the nine month period and this baby was a life saver, for everyone involved.
Babies R Us Snack Cups – These are reusable and are actually great quality! I am still using them. Perfect for some goldfish on the go or when we head out to the park to have lunch. Also perfect for today’s current eating habit: When Hallie refuses to finish her food and I need to pop it into the fridge in hopes of serving it for the next meal!
Baby Bjourn Potty – I know. It’s too early. But there is nothing wrong with getting her used to it. We ‘use’ the potty after meals and she has christened it four times now. I know that the road of potty training is a long one but maybe we can get a head start.
Coleman Cooler – Like I said before, we were spending a lot of time outside at this age. I bought a larger cooler to take on our park adventures because I still had to keep milk and lunch cool from the heat. This one in particular was a favourite – Go Steelers!
Vichy Sunscreen for Infants – There are a lot of opinions about sunscreen for babies. I found Vichy to not only be great for her but also for me.
Sun Shade – I bought this sun shade and it is perfect for the beach and park. It is even relatively simple for one person to set up on their own. Saved us on many hot and sunny days!

What are your favourite products to use at this age? I will be adding this post to the full list of favourites located here and continuing with ten, eleven and twelve months very soon. I can’t believe it has almost been a full year!

Eight Month Favourites For Baby

Okay, finally we have favourites for eight months of age! I will also add this one to the previous monthly favourites post located here.
Eight months, to me anyways, was all about cleaning up haha! Hallie was crawling everywhere, getting into everything, and pretty much always a hot mess. I quickly realized my sweet and precious baby girl was turning into a kid. I think this really starts to come into effect when food is introduced. For a while there, she as hiding animal crackers in her diaper. Have fun finding a soggy, sucked on mess of a cracker down there after a long hot sweaty afternoon. Delicious I know! Al this mess leads me to my favourite items for eight months.

Boon Frog – This froggy is too cute for words, and serves a functional purpose. He hides all of those bath toys that seem to take over the tub. When the whole family is using one tub, like we are now, his storage abilities are what momma’s dreams are made of. Thanks froggy!
Whale Bath Mat – I picked up this bath mat at West Coast Kids. I love the big whale! I kind of wish I had bought the Boon Whale storage instead of the frog now but that is okay. This mat is perfect for baby to sit on in the tub at this age, and keeps them from slip sliding all over the place. It is easy to scrub down too.
Honest Company Body Wash, Shampoo and Laundry Detergent – Jessica Alba created this company called The Honest Company and it is VERY well known to mommas. Check out all of the products here. I picked up these items at West Coast Kids as well, simply because I had heard so many great things about the products and decided it was time to try them out. So far, we are liking them! I am not sure I would order any online as I have heard it can get tricky and expensive. If I can find it locally in store though, I am more than happy to try out a new product. Plus the smell is delicious so that doesn’t hurt!
Boogie Wipes – There really is a wipe for everything. These wipes are for the boogers! I don’t think I need to go into any further detail on this one.
Floral Cap with Ears – I love this hat. I pick it up at Joe Fresh however with summer coming to an end, it is sold out. I loved the little ears though and was perfect for shade from the sun. For whatever reason as well, it was difficult for Hallie to rip off her head like most of the other hats we own. Mom win!
Minimocs – I think I have mentioned these shoes in just about every post since I have own a pair. That is because they are the BEST! They are the one and only’s for us haha. As a crawler, they were perfect for Hallie. I think they will be great for walking too. Most importantly, they are one of the few shoes I can get on her adorably chubby and wide little feet! Poor kid. Some shoes are just hopeless but I have no problem in blowing all of my money on Minimocs! Picking colors is the only part I have a tough time with… If you do not own a pair, get your sh!t together and go buy like seven of them.
Up next we have nine month favourites so be sure to check back soon!

Time With Tiffany

Motherhood, Lifestyle & Design