Thursday, May 31, 2012

Must-haves for news moms

Having an eight month old daughter, I have become very familiar with baby products over the past year and a half. Here's a list I composed of some of the best and most useful baby products I've come across.

1. Bumbo infant seat.
My daughter started using this when she was about 4 months old and starting to sit up with support. The chair provides full support for your baby's back so as long as they can support their head and neck on their own, this is a great way for them to practice sitting up and to feel like they are grown-up! And I know that there has been some controversy on the safety of these seats but if you WATCH your baby (like you're supposed to unless they are safely contained in a crib or playpen) then nothing bad will happen. Don't put it on raised surfaces, don't leave them alone, take them out when they get fussy, be a parent and it is fine to use this chair.













2. Boppy nursing pillow.
Not just for nursing! My daughter napped on this, practiced sitting up in it, and had tummy time in it. Not to mention, it is a GREAT nursing pillow! There are all different sorts of covers available for these and we have used ours countless times.











3. Graco infant travel system.
 We have been using this travel system since Sofi was born. It comes with a stroller, car seat, and car seat base. The car seat easily fits into the stroller when the baby is newborn so that your baby faces you and can be comfortably reclined. Sofi just recently out-grew the car seat but the stroller is going to last a really long time! Oh, also the straps in the stroller separate so, if your baby falls asleep on your walk you don't have to bother them slipping their arms through the straps. You just unbuckle and grab them out of there!












4. Halo Sleep Sack
Sofi loved this as a newborn! She wasn't so much a fan of the swaddles but the sleep sack provided the snuggness of a swaddle while allowing her to wiggle around inside of it. And her arms were free, which she really enjoyed. The only thing is, you can't use them in strollers. But we never had much of a problem with that.











5. Raz-berry infant teeth
Sofi is a pacifier using baby so this teether is really great for her. It is shaped like a pacifier but has teething bumps on it and is more durable to stand up to chewing. You can also stick it in the fridge or freezer to  make it cold to help soothe the baby's gums. The sides and handle of this teether are also chewable and she plays with it and chews it. It is really nice to have a hands-free teether so that she can still play with other toys while soothing her gums. I read some reviews on-line of parents with babies who did not use pacifiers but their babies still loved these!








I will post some more products later because trust me, I have more!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sofi's Photo Shoot

Sofi had a small photo shoot with me the other day. Just for practice with lighting and everything. I wish I had a nice, smooth backdrop but oh well. Here are my favorites.




I threw in the last one because her face is so silly!

Monday, May 21, 2012

New Camera!

Last week, I got my Olympus SZ-12 in the mail! It's fantastic! So much better than my 8 year old Kodak easy share!
Here are some of my favorite photographs so far.



Monday, March 26, 2012

Tied Baby Quilt

Finished this quilt last Friday for Sofi! I used three fat quarters and a partial fat quarter.
 
Here's the backing. I used this cute elephant flannel that I picked up at the fabric store!

Sofi loves it!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Project To Do list and Sofi update!

Here is a list of the projects that I want to do throughout this next year. Not all of them are crafts, but the majority are.

  • Finish Sofi's Onezie quilt. (By 9/10/12)
  • Finish Great-Grandma's quilt project. It's a really nice on-point nine-patch quilt that she put together as a quilting kit for my sister and I ended up taking it over. Will post pictures later!
  • Set up sewing room. (ASAP once I get back home)
  • Mend blue Easter dress.
  • Mend Matt's orange shirt.
  • Make Camille's elephant.
  • Make Sofi some skirts. (She has a bunch of really cute tights that she hasn't gotten a chance to wear yet!)
  • Do something with old clothes (I am really wanting to re-purpose my old clothes into something. aybe some new clothes!)
On a completely different Subject, look who's started eating!



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sewing projects, as of lately.

Here's some completed (and not so completed) sewing projects that I have been working on lately. Mostly for my senior project, but also just for fun.


A couple of patches of a quilt that I am working on for Sofi, made from her old onezies.

A bag that I made out of an old skirt and head scarf. I need to either reinforce the straps or create a stronger shoulder strap because right now, it can't carry much weight.

A stuffed elephant that I made for my older sister, Michelle. He's supposed to be the first doctor from Doctor Who. But he still needs his tailcoat!
You can find the pattern for this cute little elephant here:
http://www.heatherbaileystore.com/product-p/mp004-eo.htm

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Generations Meet

So, the daily blog thing obviously hasn't been working out. At this point, I'm hoping for at least twice a week! Here's Sofia being held by her Great Grandpa for the first time.