Birthday gift suggestions

19 May 2008 | 18:22 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Clothes - For daycare she has to wear pants so tshirt/onzie and pants or capri pants outfits are perfect. She also needs jammies but the jammies have to be light weight 100% cotton because she gets very warm when sleeping. She is currently in size 6-9 months so I would go for 12 month or higher sizes. We also really need baby shoes, she has to wear shoes all the time in the next daycare class she wears size 3 shoes and they have to be fairly soft soled but preferrably something she could walk around in with the ground being wet not the kind that are canvas or fabric bottomed.

Toys - Any age old appropriate toy is fine and most toys have an age marked on them. We are especially fond of development type toys like wood blocks and things like that. She is very fond of really soft stuffed animals which we call lovies and tends to be dragging one of them around the house.

Practical gifts -

1. Inflatable bed rail - http://www.target.com/BedBugz-Inflatable-Bedrail-Light-Blue/dp/B000KYJ2E6/qid=1211249258/ref=br_1_5/602-9101188-0080654?ie=UTF8&node=13768661&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=13768661&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=2

2. Baby Bjorn Toilet Training Seat - http://www.target.com/BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Toilet-Trainer-White-Red/dp/B000056J76/qid=1211249379/ref=br_1_9/602-9101188-0080654?ie=UTF8&node=256482011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

Her toddler room is going to be decorated with bugs so anything that goes with that theme is great. I have seen these great giant leaf bed canopies at ikea and anything like that to help decorate her toddler room would be great.

Christmas suggestions

1 December 2007 | 11:40 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Several people have asked for suggestions in regards to christmas gifts for Zoe and so here is a little list that I hope is helpful.

Toys - If you are interested in getting Zoe a toy for xmas please make sure that it is an age appropriate item. Major retailers have searches where you can reduce the search based on age and most toys show an age limit on packaging. Please be careful of toy recalls but most stores pull those items or post information about them. We are looking to get a stationary activity center, like the circle walkers we had when we were a kid, but now they don’t allow the kids to move around in them but it helps with standing and walking.

Clothes - Zoe needs clothing for daycare which is shirt/onzie and pant outfits in sizes above 3 months (she is currently fitting comfortable in size 3 month). We also need more plastic bibs for her solid food eating. Socks are also a good idea although we are rather partial to the gap socks and the socks that look like maryjane shoes as those seem to be the only ones that actually stay on her feet.

Eating - Zoe is starting solid foods so eating related items would be appreciated. We need no spill sippy cups, the utensils and dishes they sell for baby food items. We are currently planning to make our own baby food so will be needing the icecube trays with lids.

Bathing - She has just started to get into taking baths so bath toys, bath spout cover and we saw these great looking tub guard pad things in our One Step Ahead catalog that would be so awesome.

Safety - Also we are working on baby proofing our house and need all the normal safety gear to do that.

6 Months Old

1 December 2007 | 11:18 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Zoe is a half a year old and just had her 6 month wellness checkup with the doctor. She is doing amazingly well and pretty far advanced in her mobility development. She is crawling, sitting on her own, trying to walk around and can pull herself up to a standing position when all she is really supposed to be able to do at this point is to be able to barely sit up on her own.

She has been okayed to start the process of solid food eating and next week she is going to start with oats then barley then on to the the yellow vegetables towards the end of december. We are going out today to go pick up a little chair for her to sit in for eating for her 6 month birthday present. Plus get some sippy cups.

We are supposed to start her on a multivitamin the doctor suggested and we are looking into trying some other kinds of formulas due to her frequency of spitting up. Otherwise she is doing wonderfully and is staying on her same growth curve and is perfectly healthy.

We have just finished adding photos to the month 5 gallery and will be starting month 6 in about a week or so when we have more pictures to upload off of the camera we update the gallery regularly. Trying to get organized for the holidays and get our xmas shopping and things done so we can enjoy the holiday gatherings coming up. They will be much more difficult with a Zoe bug in tow so this year will be fairly challenging I am sure.

First Laugh & First Real Feeding

21 November 2007 | 9:36 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Zoe officially laughed for the first time last night. It wasn’t a whole bunch of laughter but I was zerberting her on her tummy and she started to laugh, then I called Andy over and did it again and she laughed some more. We kept doing it but she only laughed those first couple of times.

Also last night we tried feeding her from a bowl for the first real time. We have tried a couple other times previously but she wasn’t really into it and she didn’t really eat anything but she actually ate pretty well. We took pictures and will get them into the gallery sometime soon. The whole time she was eating she seemed to be more interested in her bib and putting that in her mouth then the actual food so hopefully that will get better after a few more times doing it. The pictures are so cute!

Pumpking Picking Adventure

16 October 2007 | 7:25 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Check out photos from our pumpkin picking adventure, Zoe had lots of fun, even though her mom was slightly abusing her and laid her in every pile of pumpkins she could find! We picked out a pumpkins and took lots of photos and went on a hay ride. It was so much fun!

Pumpkin Picking Gallery: http://www.janked.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=7938

Week 17

19 September 2007 | 17:25 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Teething

Your baby’s first teeth will begin pushing out sometime between 4 and 6 months. Some babies aren’t bothered a bit by incoming teeth, while others seem very uncomfortable. Common signs of teething include crankiness, drooling, red or inflamed gums, a rash around the mouth from drooling, waking more often at night, and fussiness around meals.

Your baby will also probably have an urge to chew and bite down on things, which is the best way to reduce the pain of teething and help the tooth break through. Rubbery toys and teething rings are ideal, especially if you put them in the freezer for a while first so that the cold toy will numb your baby’s sore gum. A wet washcloth twisted and left in the freezer for ten minutes also works well. (Don’t give your baby a frozen washcloth, or other very cold objects, as they are too cold for his delicate skin.) Once your baby has a few teeth, clean them twice a day with an infant-sized toothbrush run under the faucet, but skip the toothpaste until your baby is old enough to learn to spit it out.

Solid food

Babies often begin to show an interest in solid food around the time their teeth come. If your baby is gaining weight well, however, there’s no need to rush to add solid food to his diet. Sometime between 4 and 6 months of age, you’ll know he’s ready to try a little baby cereal or strained fruit or vegetable when he opens his mouth while you are eating or watches you closely as you eat. Even so, his first taste of rice cereal may be promptly spit out. If the second and third cause less of a reaction, he may be learning to like the taste, and is ready for meals in addition to breastmilk or formula. After you’ve added cereals to your baby’s daily meals, try a teaspoon of strained vegetables; squash is often well received. Mashed fruits-applesauce and bananas with no added sugar-come next, followed by strained meats, if you plan to have meat in your baby’s diet.

Update

19 September 2007 | 17:23 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Sorry for the lack of posting, been busy with Zoe bug.

The last month and a half have gone as well as can be expected. We are still struggling with sleeping thru the night but we are getting into a routine and has been getting easier. We have had a couple nights where she actually slept all the way thru the night, but it seems like we pay for it the next night as she wakes up a lot more then normal.

She seems to be developing everything very rapidly, she tries to talk and is so close to actually saying a word. And at the same time she has been trying so hard to crawl and to stand and to balance. She scoots around really well but can’t manage to pick her upper body up with her butt and actually crawl. She will get there soon I am pretty sure.

She has been up to a lot of exciting things, visits with grandma’s and grandpa’s, and even great grandparents, going to parks, riding around in her nifty stroller. Going to daycare which seems to be going splendidly and just doing all the normal baby things.

There are alot of great photos of all the latest happenings in the picture gallery.

Stuff we are looking forward to:

We have our next dr appt on the 28th it’s her 4th month appointment and she will get ianother set of immunizations. We are expecting that she will start teething any time now and we are hoping to start feeding her the grain cereals after our appt on the 28th.

Birthstones And Their Meanings

5 August 2007 | 15:06 | Uncategorized | No Comments

May

Traditional Gem(s): Emerald

Modern Gem(s): Emerald

Emerald Gemstone meaning

The emerald is the sacred stone of the goddess Venus. It was thought to preserve love. The emerald has long been the symbol of hope. It is considered by many to be the stone of prophecy. For some the emerald acts as a tranquilizer for a troubled mind. The emerald is said to bring the wearer reason and wisdom. The strongest time for the powers of the emerald is said to be spring.

Lucky for love, give your lover an emerald to stay faithful.

In several cultures the emerald was the symbol for fertilizing rain. In the Christian faith it is the symbol of faith and hope.

Healing properties of Emerald

Emerald can help heal the physical heart as well as love. Emerald will help backaches when worn on the index finger of the left hand. A healer can use the ring while the patient lies on his stomach. The healer would hold the ring about 2 inches above the backbone and slowly make small circles up and down the spine. The power of the Emerald is highest at the full moon.

Some cultures thought the emerald would heal any disease of the eye. The emerald would be placed in a container of water overnight and the water would be poured on the eyes the next day.

Emerald is a stone of great harmony, wisdom and love. Giving your lover an Emerald will bring the lover closer if the giver’s motives are pure love. The Emerald can be a bridge between 2 people. The Emerald vibrates with love.

Birth Month Flower

5 August 2007 | 13:45 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Month	Flower	Color	Meaning

May

Lily of the Valley

Yellow, Red and Green

Sweetness; Humility; Return of Happiness / Fertility; Hope

May Birth Flower

May birth flower is the lily of the valley. The lily of the valley has the flower meaning of humility, chastity, sweetness and purity. The delicate white blossoms of the lily of the valley bloom snugly between the broad leaves. This May birth flower is a wonderfully fragrant and beautiful plant. The alternate May birth flower is the lily of any variety.

Lily of the valley is a native of Europe. It has a flower meaning of the return of happiness. This May birth flower is used often in bridal arrangements for the sweet perfume. Lily of the valley can be grown is sun or shade and is a beautifully fragrant groundcover. Lily of the Valley has also been used in heral medicine as a poison antidote, for the heart and epilepsy. It is a favorite flower among brides and party planners as it is a wonderfully elegant flower. Lily of the valley is one of the most delicate and beautiful of the lily family.

According to legend, the lily of the valley came into being from Eve’s tears after she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The May birth flower is also called “the ladder to heaven” due to its bell shaped flowers hanging down from the stem. The lily of the valley is also known as “fairy ladders” in Ireland. The lily of the valley is known for its delicate white flowers and light fragrance. It is the may flower on May Day on the European continent especially in France. The lily of the valley is poisonous. The only poisonings recorded have occurred when the water from a vase of lily of the valley flowers was drunk. The specific name for lily of the valley is majalis which means “that which belongs to May”.

What Your Birth Month Says About You?

5 August 2007 | 13:42 | Uncategorized | No Comments

MAY

Stubborn and hard-hearted
Strong-willed and highly motivated
Sharp thoughts
Easily angered
Attracts others and loves attention
Deep feelings
Beautiful physically and mentally
Firm standpoint
Easily influenced
Needs no motivation
Easily consoled
Systematic (left brain)
Loves to dream
Strong clairvoyance
Understanding
Sickness usually in the ear and neck
Good imagination
Good debating skills
Good physical
Weak breathing
Loves literature and the arts
Loves travelling
Dislike being at home
Restless
Hardworking
High spirited
Spendthrift