A Few of My Favorite {Baby} Things

With so many friends and family members who have either just had babies or are preparing for some new additions, I've been thinking about some of my most favorite baby products. Here are some of the real hits around our house:

Bosom Baby Pillow. I had no idea what this was until my good friend Tara, who

is a labor and delivery nurse, called me up and said, "if you've registered for a boppy, take it off your registry... I'm sending you something so much better." The Bosom baby is angled just perfectly for nursing or feeding your baby a bottle. It's also great for tummy time and I even slept with it between my knees during the last few weeks of my pregnancy with Crewe.

Rockin' Baby Sling/Pouch.  This sling is to a mom what a bluetooth headset is to your phone. It lets you hold your baby AND get stuff done at the same time. Both Cal and

Crewe loved to be in this sling and when they didn't seem to want to settle, it would take just a minute in the sling to calm them down. Chris even resorted to wearing it a few times just because it calmed the baby. Ask him about answering the door one time while he was wearing my bright pink and black flowered sling!

Bumbo. My boys always wanted to sit up and see the world from that perspective before they were physically able to sit. The bumbo is the perfect solution for the aspiring sitter. The plastic tray that you can attach is also great. I also use the bumbo as a stepping

stone to the high chair and feed Crewe all three of his meals there every day.

Bumkins Bibs. I LOVE these bibs. The fabric is so great -- it wipes off easily or you can throw it in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry! The pocket is just the perfect size and my boys seem to fill it up regularly. The "lab coat" version works well for bigger kids.

Boon High Chair. There are two things I absolutely love about this high chair. 1) it's on wheels and is easily moved to anywhere in our house. 2) the tray gones on/comes off with one hand, which is very nice when you have a reluctant kid in the other hand. Another nice thing about it is that you can adjust the height, take off the tray and push it right up to the table or the counter top.

Medela Steam Clean Bags. Time is especially precious when you have a new

baby and these bags are major time savers. No boiling pacifiers and nipples on the stove or waiting for them to finish in the dishwasher. Just three minutes in the microwave and you have clean pumping parts, pacifiers, bottles, etc.

Baby gear has sure come a long way since the break-through invention of disposable diapers. I know my mom would have loved to have had these products!

Valentine's Day

This year we got to celebrate Valentine's Day with my mom. We have been so lucky to have her come and visit so many times since the boys were born. As usual, Grammy arrived with some holiday goodies in her suitcase. She brought all of the fixings for valentine cupcakes, including tons of fun toppings. 

Cal and Grammy made and decorated cupcakes in the morning. In the afternoon Calahan delivered a plate of the cupcakes and a homemade valentine to his darling friend next door, Merit. Seriously, is 21 months too young to have a crush? He LOVES to see Merit. He calls her on his toy cell phone and asks to go to her house constantly!

On Valentine's Night, Grammy stayed with the boys so that Chris and I could go out (Thank you, Mom!). We met up with our friends, the Smiths, and went to dinner and to see the play, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!" It's hard to say the title of the play without laughing and we did a lot of laughing throughout the evening.

25 Random Things About Me

My friend Melissa tagged me on facebook to write 25 random facts about myself. So, here you have it - 25 things that you may have never wanted to know about me. :+)

1. I can't stand hot dogs and I once turned down $100 to eat a hot dog off a street vendor in Manhattan. Hello, have you ever read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair?
2. My toe nails are never without polish. Fire engine red is usually my color of choice, but sometimes I mix it up with a hot pink.
3. I speak Spanish with an Argentine accent. As a missionary in Chile, most of my companions were from Argentina and they taught me to speak “south American.” I’m trying to learn “Mexican” here in AZ.
4. I hate leftovers. As a kid, clean-out-the-fridge night was my least favorite night of the week. Unfortunately, my love for leftovers has not increased with my age.
5. My favorite chore is ironing. There’s just something really satisfying about getting the wrinkles out of something. I love a crisp white shirt. I iron my boys’ clothes. Crazy, but true.
6. Hawaiian Papaya is one of my most favorite treats. With a little freshly squeezed lime, it’s the perfect way to start the day.
7. I get a delivery from Amazon.com at least once a week. The prime membership is worth every penny. With their free two-day shipping, I have no idea how they make any money one me. I purchase everything from diapers and my kids’ vitamins to Halloween costumes and books.
8. My athletic ability is lacking or just severely underdeveloped. After taking a beginning tennis class a few years ago, I was told that I needed to repeat the course. Embarrassing. Really embarrassing.
9. BYU was the only college I applied to (good thing I got in!). Go cougs!
10. I take along my own mini-down comforter when I travel. Chris refers to it affectionately as my “purple blankee.” Kate, if you’re reading this, “purple blankee” is the blanket you gave me for my birthday 8 years ago. Thanks!
11. The first car I ever owned was a used baby blue Geo Prism. Yep, you guessed it, a hatchback. Got it my junior year at BYU. I thought it was cool because it had a car phone (purchased it from a telecom company).
12. The only thing Chris and I will NOT share is an order of French Fries – get your own, darling, he says!
13. I love making lists. Now, if I could just figure out how to accomplish all of those things on my to do lists.
14. I have never broken a bone in my body. Knock on wood. However, I did lose one of my permanent front teeth when I was just 8 years old.
15. I always check to see if the latch is pulled all the way on a hotel room door when I step outside to leave a room service tray. On a business trip a few years ago, I got locked out of my room wearing only a towel (My luggage didn't make it and my only pair of clothes were drying in the shower).
16. It took two years for my in-laws to learn my name.
17. I hate feet. The only adult feet I have intentionally ever touched are my husband’s. When I was growing up, my siblings would sometimes call a “foot attack” and they would all put their feet on me. So mean!
18. I want to learn how to take good photos.
19. I’m fascinated with American History. I can’t learn enough about our founding fathers, their challenges, wisdom and inspiration.
20. I’m terrified of snakes. Short, long, rattles, no rattles – they all scare me. I just can’t understand why anyone would have a snake as a pet.
21. I’m a night owl, but I wish I were a morning person. Morning people just seem to get so much more done.
22. Eating a good meal outside on a nice day is one of my favorite things to do.
23. I received the “shy award” in kindergarten. By nature, I’m more of an introvert, but I have learned to become somewhat of an extrovert.
24. My great-grandmother and I were good friends. Grandma Howell didn’t pass away until I was 25 so we got a lot of good time in. A long time from now, when I’m a grandma, I want to be just like her.
25. I watch American Idol. I became a fan shortly after Calahan was born. Chris and I didn’t get out much those first few weeks and American Idol became a Tuesday and Wednesday night staple that has lasted.

If you'd like to play along, please post 25 random tidbits about yourself!