Bump Day: Baby things worth registering for or gifting

I've been a mom for seven months now.  I've learned a lot and know that I have a ton more to learn.

Colton - 7 Months

As Colton has gotten older, and busier, I've discovered a few things that are handy to have.  I wish I had thought to register for these things.  Lucky for my friends who are having babies in the near future they will more than likely receive a few of these goodies from  me.

Hand and Face Wipes | I use these ALL THE TIME!  They are especially handy to have when you are feeding them baby food in a public place and need to clean up their face and hands when they are done.

Grass | I love this for drying bottles, spoons, food bowls.

Diaper Pail Refills | I go through these more often that I thought I ever would.  If you see a diaper pail on a registry, buy these. You can never have too many and they don't outgrow them like diapers.

Baby Jumper | There will come a time when you need to contain your baby - even if it's just to run to the bathroom.  Colton is crawling now so to get him to stay in one place for more than a second is a pretty tall order.  A toy to "contain" him has been really helpful.  Plus this type of exercise toy really helped his overall strength.

Baby Spoons | I got baby spoons for my baby shower.  It was nice to already have some when Colton started eating - one less thing to have to run out and purchase.

Play Mat | Get a big play mat.  They work great as a carpet protector, until they start crawling. I wish I had asked for a big play mat.

A few more things to consider gifting or registering for:
Extra crib sheets & mattress protectors
Toys & books
Waterproof bibs
Baby Wipes

Things to try to avoid registering for or giving:
Clothes with snaps, especially pajamas. (These are a nightmare at night or if you have a busy child like mine.)
Lotion and body wash. There is a such thing as too much.  Colton will still be using all of the lotion and body wash we were given until he is 5 years old.

Bump day: an introduction to baby food

We recently introduced Colton to baby food.  Our doctor mentioned that for the first couple of weeks starting food was all about discovery.  So, why not let him play with his own spoon?!

Fortunately Colton loves food and is already starting to get full when he eats.  We always have a bottle on standby though.  We've also progressed to the highchair!

Here are a few things I've learned in these first few weeks of introducing baby food:

- I feed him when he's hungry.  If he's not hungry, he wont eat.

- I avoid feeding him when he's getting tired.  If he's tired, he wont eat.

- I try to feed him between 5-7:00pm to keep some consistency.

- If we are in a new place, he doesn't eat that well because there is SO much to look at.

- If he still wants more food after he's eaten what I made, I make more.

- I always follow up with a bottle, just in case.

- I've tried a fruit and a vegetable. He likes them better than rice cereal so I always start with the cereal since that's probably still easiest on his little belly.

The most important thing our doctor told me as we started him on food was that baby food was not his primary source of nutrition at this point, his formula still is.  Over the past week or so we've started to make the transition more baby food and less bottle during his early evening feeding time.

As a first-time mom, the thought of starting him on baby food was a little scary because I had no idea what I was doing but it's actually REALLY fun!

4 things I am (surprisingly) better at as a mom

Sometimes I surprise myself.

I heard plenty of pre-mommy-hood stories about how... 

"you will never have time" 

"your house will be a disaster"

"your going to have spit-up on you wherever you go"

"you'll never sleep"

"your life is over"

This scared me and I was convinced that I was going to fall apart as human-being.

Then I remembered how good my mom was at holding it all together, getting everything done, and looking like a million bucks every time she left the house.  I began to pray that those traits, somehow, had made it into my DNA.  Some did. (Thank you God!)

I've found there are four things that I am surprisingly better at now that I'm a mom...

Washing dishes. I hate doing dishes. Since Colton came along there are never dirty dishes in our sink anymore. I wash bottles once a day and since the sink is already full of hot, soapy water I was dirty dishes too.

Picking up the house. We don't have a big house so a little clutter (baby stuff) basically makes our house look like it's a disaster. I pick up the house once a day and sweep/dust/vacuum our floors regularly.  I never had a messy house, I just make more of an effort now. (p.s. That's just my camera bag on the table in the picture...)

Being more timely. I have my dad's genes when it comes to timeliness. I always think I can "just do one more thing."  That's changed. When I have to go, I (99% of the time) stop what I'm doing and leave.

Getting fully ready first thing in the morning. Pre-Colton days I used to wait to shower on my home office days and weekends until after I went to the gym.  Then I would only dry my hair. Now, most mornings (not all) I get fully ready (hair, make up, etc...). I think it's about feeling human and confident for me. Plus, I never know how my day is going to go anymore.

Who would have thought I'd be better at these things?? Definitely not my husband.  Probably not my mom either...

Don't worry, there have been things I've gotten worse at too.  I'll save that post for another time. :)

Ocotober Citrus Lane Box Review

I'm a sucker for monthly subscriptions that send a box in the mail.  I'm also a sucker for my baby so when I came across the sponsored post for Citrus Lane in my Facebook feed I took a look and decided on a 3-month subscription to give it a try!

Citrus Lane finds new kids products for ages newborn through 5.  Each month you get a box with 4 or more items that relate to your child's age. Sorta like Birchbox for kids.

I opted for a 3-month subscription at a price of $24/month.  I did save 50% on my first box with the code SAVEHALF.

Here is what I got:

Bake N Shake Donut Rattle by North American Bear Co. I like it. It's soft and squeaks but doesn't rattle.  Maybe we got one that was faulty. Colton isn't overly interested in it yet, but it's hard for him to get his hands around.  The set of 6 is sold for $30.

Cage Bell from Hohner Kids. Colton is just starting to get into toys that make noise.  He likes toys that play music more than rattles.  This one is light weight and easy for him to get hand around to hold and shake.  It retails for $7.50. 

Where Do I Live Soft Book by Tiny Love. This book is awesome! By far our favorite item.  It is such a fun, creative, activity book. It's soft, makes a crinkly noise, is full of bright colors and things to grab and touch.  Plus, like it's description says, it's good for tummy time. It comes with a $14.99 price tag. Worth it!

Calendula Baby Care from Weleda. We haven't used the samples yet.  I'll probably throw them in the diaper bag and use them sometime.

Colton really enjoyed the book!

Then he got tired...

So, was it worth it?  In terms of money spent, the three products alone add up to around $27.50 - that doesn't include shipping.  I definitely got my money's worth! And, we got some good things which leaves me looking forward to next month.

If you want to know more, here is the Citrus Lane Facebook page.

Bump Day: Meet our sweet baby boy

Happy Bump Day! You  may have noticed that I haven't updated by blog in a few weeks.  That's because this little man has occupied my time and I'm not going to complain. :) 

Our beautiful and perfect blessing, Colton, was born June 21 - 16 days early! I had a hunch he would be early but I didn't think he'd arrive more than two weeks early.

When my husband woke up on Saturday June 21 I was looking straight at him and said, "Today we are going to have a baby!" By 5:22pm the most handsome baby we had ever seen was born and we fell in love instantly and deeply.  He is absolutely perfect.

Adam is thrilled to have a boy and I couldn't imagine having it any other way. Although, the doctors had us thinking we were having a girl based on the baby's heart rate, hair and his eye lashes prior to being pronounced a boy. 

Here are a few pictures from his first couple of weeks.

 Adam is probably the most proud dad I know and this melts my heart.  

Colton still has all of his hair, has gained nearly a pound since he was born, and lets us sleep 6-7 hours a night. Overall, he is a really good baby. :)

I just love his eyelashes...

Bump Day: 4 things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy

Photo courtesy of Julie Lueth Photography - check out and like her Facebook page!

In approximately 3 1/2 weeks our baby is supposed to arrive - eeekkk!  There is a lot of emotion in saying that - excitement, panic, love, doubt... you name it, this expecting mother feels it!  

I think we are pretty well ready - or as ready as we can be.  Adam and I  are both pretty easy-going (more Adam than me) so we will take it one day at a time.  

I used to be pretty scared of labor but now I'm just ready - a million women have survived, I trust I will too!  Plus, there are a few things I am looking forward to post-pregnancy.

Seeing what our baby looks like. It is so crazy to think that we are going to meet this little human-being that we created for the first time.  Will the baby be a boy or a girl?  Who will the baby look like?  What color hair and eyes?  So many little things I'm curious out?

Expanding my wardrobe. I am pretty tired of my maternity clothes, although I've been creative enough to mix and match some new outfits and accessories with what I have on hand.  Even though I know this reward wont come immediately, I'm still looking forward to shopping my closet before too long!

Being active again. Pregnancy hasn't stopped me, but it has slowed me down. I still go to the gym 3 times a week but not for nearly as long as I'd like.  I really am excited to walk the same speed as my husband out to the barn, and take our dog, Axe, for a walk again.  I think she misses our walks!

Having a drink. Summer time calls for drinks on our front porch and I'm so ready to have a beer with my husband at the end of the day. (Or my mixed drink of choice - Kinky and diet 7up)

I know, some of these seem to be selfish things but I do believe that it's ok to do something for yourself once in awhile - it's who we are and what we love.  While sometimes these things need to be done in moderation or adjusted, we should never have to give it all up, right?

What did you look forward to post-pregnancy?

Bump Day: What I'm packing in my hospital bag

I hate packing.  If you are a regular Design Your Dwelling reader I know that you're note surprised.

My current baby-prep task is packing my hospital bag.  So far I have piles of things scattered between our bedroom and the baby's nursery - now they just need to get packed in a bag.

Of course I've never had a baby before, nor have I ever in my lifetime been in a hospital, which makes this task just a little tough.  However, with a little bit of research, I think I'm off to a good start.  Besides, if I don't have everything I should only be there for a little over 24 hours (right?) and we don't live too far away so I can always send my husband to get it for me. Someone's got to take care of the dog, after all. :)

Here is a glimpse of what I'm packing for me, dad, and the baby.

Things for Mom

Pajamas. I'm going with one size larger than I normally wear. I want to be comfortable and know that there will still be some extra "cushion" after the baby is born.  Plus, if I end up having a C-section, a little more room around the mid-section is an ok thing.

Briefs. AKA - grannie panties.  Yep, I found this as a suggestion and I'm gonna take it!  Again, I'm going with one-size larger than I normally wear.

Nursing tank and/or nursing bra.

Going home clothes. I bought myself a new shirt that I've had my eye on at Target so that I have something to look forward to.  I'm also, more than likely, going to be wearing maternity shorts or crop pants home. Again - it's the cushion and comfort thing.

Yoga pants.

Toiletries. Shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, lotion, body wash, contacts and solution, etc... I know that I'm going to want to feel like a human again. 

Make up. I'm sure we'll have a few visitors.  Again, this goes with the human experience.  At the very least, I'll have mascara with me. 

Lanolin or lotion too use for your sore nipples if you are going to nurse. Another good suggestion I came across. 

Things For Dad

Adam did his own research and came up with the following list.

Shorts. Not sure if these are the type of shorts he was considering but the give a good representation of "shorts."

Toothbrush. He can share toothpaste with me. 

Ipad. I included this in his packing list.  I'd hate for him to get bored during the process. :)

Things For Baby.

Babies don't need much - at least that's what I'm told so I'm going with it!

Receiving or Swaddle Blanket.

Going home outfit.

Hats. Since you can't necessarily always tell if the baby is a boy or girl in pictures, hats to help indicate this is helpful - especially if we post pictures online.  

Onsie.

Socks.

Infant Pacifier.

Bottle. Just in case you start bottle feeding in the hospital it will be helpful to have a type of bottle you might use with you. 

Gadgets

Phone.

Chargers

Books

Journal

Magazines

Camera

Necessities

Insurance Cards

Identification/driver's license

Cash

Car Seat. Apparently they wont let you out of the hospital without this properly installed.

Other Things

Nursing pillow

Snacks

Pillow. Put a patterned or colored pillow case on it so that it doesn't get kept by the nurses or hospital.

Blanket. Dad might appreciate this. Or, like my husband says, "we are paying enough to be there, they should be able to afford an extra blanket for me to use..."  Agreed!

Gifts for nurses that help take care of the baby and you. I haven't decided on this yet.  I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Things to Have On-Hand at Home

Maxi Pads. A couple of blogs have suggested the Always Overnight, heavy flow maxi pads.  That's what I went with.  Regardless, makes sure to grab all of the extras from the hospital that you can!

Nursing pads.

Milk storage bags.

Diapers & Wipes.

Ok friends - what am I missing??!!  Leave your comments below!

Also a HUGE shout out to Carolina Charm.  Her blog post on packing her hospital bag was detailed and awesome!!  

Cheap & easy framing solution

I am still working away at getting Baby K's nursery pulled together and Saturday I was feeling, not only creative, but also motivated.  That can be a dangerous combination for me and scary for my husband because he never knows what he might be coming home too...

I had been thinking of adding just a couple more simple prints to the nursery but didn't make it to Target before the weekend (my closest Target is ~60 miles away,  poor me huh?) to get frames.  So what's a girl to do?  Improvise! I came up with this cheap and easy framing solution and I really like how it turned out!  All it took was a few supplies that I already had on hand!

Here is what you need:

Frame mat

Pick any size you want, since I already had an 8x10 frame on the same wall, I opted for 5x7 prints, plus this is what I had on hand.  These are dirt cheap, maybe a $1-2 depending on where you shop.  You can always use an old mat frame too.

Push Pins

These work as your "nail." I feel better about using these pins than I do pounding nails into my walls... I happened to have clear push pins (bulletin board pins) on hand so that's what I used. You can get creative here since there are so many great colors, and styles!

Binder Clips

I used small/medium size binder clips that were silver.  I also had light blue on hand but since I'm going for gender neutral I opted for silver.  So many awesome colors of binder clips out there too!

Art

There are so many awesome bloggers out there who offer FREE art for you to print. Just do a quick search on Pinterest.  There are also a lot of great Etsy shops that offer inexpensive printable downloads.  I purchased my two prints from a Sandy Hook fundraiser awhile back that Brickyard Buffalo was hosting.  Out of respect for the fundraiser and sellers, I'm not able to share them with you.

Here is what you do:

1. Pick out your artwork.

2. Laminate it (optional).  I did laminate mine so as temperatures changed, the paper wouldn't curl or do anything funny. 

3. Center it in the mat and secure it with tape.

4. Stick the push pin in the wall.

5. Hang the mat on the push pin using the binder clip.

Ta Daa!!  See SUPER simple.

For a sneak peek of our nursery, go here. 

In case you're curious what a pregnant lady looks like taking pictures, or wears to church on a hot day, here's a quick 35-week selfie for you!

Bump Day: Make your own mobile + a sneak peek of baby K's nursery

 

If I have learned one thing in the past year, between getting married and getting ready to have a baby, it's that if you label something as "wedding" or "baby" you can automatically charge more because people will pay it.  (Yes, I've been one of these people in some cases...) Since I'm quickly realizing how expensive this baby thing is, I'm attempting be more resourceful and use my creativity. This do-it-yourself nursery mobile was so easy to make and only cost a few cents.  All it took was a little bit of time, patience,and a trip to the craft store.  Who doesn't love to make a trip to the craft store (ok, maybe my husband, he prefers to wait in the car...)

Here's the super simple how-to!

Supplies: Two sizes of circle punches, a cross-stitch hoop, assorted construction and scrapbook paper, string, and double sided tape.

I actually changed plans part of the way through this project.  Instead of punching holes in the circles, I decided to use double-sided table to hold the string between two circle cut-outs.

First, cut out your circles.  Since mine were going to be double-sided, with the string in between, I cut out 12 of each color. 

Next, lay out your pattern.  I did 3 large circles at the top, and four little circles at the bottom with the very last circle being some pretty scrap book paper. 

Then, I cut a long string and laid it down the center of the seven circles.

Now, using the double-sided tape, tape the string to the center of the circle.  This actually gets a little bit frustrating so keep in mind that it doesn't have to look pretty... 

Once you have your string taped on, lay the second circle on top of the first to hide to string.  The double-sided tape will hold just fine. 

\

Finally, hang each strand of circles from your cross-stitch hoop and space them evenly around it. 

To hang the mobile I cut 3 extra strings and tied them in a loop at the top.  Since the mobile is really light weight I hung it from the ceiling with a clear push pin. 

Ta-Daa!!

Growing up, the things I remember most are the things my mom and dad made for me and I hope to do the same for our kids.

Here are two more versions of a DIY mobile:

Young House Love

Cape 27 Blog

Since I'm sure you are curious here is a sneak peek of our nursery.  There are still a few finishing touches left to go and then I'll give you an official tour!

Bump Day: Forming Healthy Habits Before Baby

My due date is exactly two months from today.  Hard to believe that time is flying by so quickly!

I am confident that every first-time mom does her best to prepare for a baby despite the fact that all of her friends tell her that you will never be prepared.  I definitely believe this is true so I'm not getting caught up into the idea of being 100% prepared.  In fact, I know I wont be considering I have a long list of "things I'd like to accomplish pre-baby."  Instead I'm focusing on getting the baby's room ready, finishing our home renovation, and forming healthy habits that will hopefully make life a little easier after the baby arrives.  I recently heard during a training session I attended that it takes approximately 17 consecutive days to form a habit.  Easy, right?!

Here are the healthy habits that I am really working on committing to:

One | Committing to a schedule
Don't get your undies in a bunch here and jump to the comment form telling me that you'll never stay on schedule with a new baby. I already know that. What I mean is that when I say I going to shut down my computer and head home from work for the day, I'm going to do it.  I have a terribly bad habit of finishing "just one more thing" or running errands after work and saying that I will head for home by 6:00 and leaving the store by 6:00.  I'm practicing this now knowing that I will have a little one and a husband who will probably need me at the end of the day.

Two | Drinking more water
I'm reading more about baby care, breast feeding, and general health of the new mom.  This has encouraged me to drink more water.  I'm not used to drinking water until I'm thirsty - however, according to what I've been reading, drinking when you thirsty is a little too late.  Instead, it's important to stay hydrated throughout the entire day.  And, unfortunately soda doesn't count. :(

Three | Eating Healthy
The idea of baby weight hanging around kinda freaks me out even though I know it is inevitable and I will have to be patient with my body.  However, I'm working on eating healthier right now - focusing on more fruits and vegetables as snacks along with whole grain crackers and that sort of thing.  I'm also focused on eating meals more regularly than letting snacks fill me up. I've nearly set all chips and candy aside. (I really like chips, and candy.  Have I ever mentioned that?!) However, I do give in to a little bit of processed sugar each day. Hitting the scale as a first stop at the Dr.'s office is zero fun these days so if I'm going to gain weight, I want it to be healthy weight for me and the baby!

Four | Getting Up Early
Lately, when I'm awake, I'm awake and ready to go for the day.  Strange considering I used to be able to easily sleep in until 7:30/8:00am.  I've actually started setting my alarm for 5:20 on weekdays.  Crawling out of bed at this time is still a little hard but I may as well practice getting up early for an alarm considering a baby will do the same thing with more urgency!  No sense in being lazy.

Five | Staying Active
I don't sit well.  I never have.  Lately I've had to take a few more breaks and tell myself it's ok to breathe heavier after going up the stairs.  Regardless, I'm not allowing myself to become lazy - I still go to the gym, pick up around the house, do my best at making supper every night, play fetch with the dog, and help my husband on the farm with things that I can.

Ultimately I am making a commitment to be healthy for my family.  My parents made this commitment to me and my sisters, and my husband has done the same.  For that lesson, and gift, I am thankful.

What healthy habits did you form pre-baby?

Bump Day: Baby K's gender neutral nursery design (+an e-design discount!)

We aren't finding out our baby's gender and dang that makes decorating complicated especially when a clear vision for each gender comes to mind.  However, I think I've finally settled on a plan (that will probably be updated once we find out if it's "he" or "she" in July).  So while my sweet husband has been assembly baby furniture, I've been pulling together the design plan!

My overall goal was to create a space that was gender neutral, but could be updated to reflect the baby's gender while sourcing items that we can continue to use as the baby gets older or I could use somewhere else in the house. 

My parents were SO nice to give us this crib as a baby shower gift. I love the modern design and two-tone wood. The only thing that I didn't look at before picking it out was how tall it stood. That being said, if you like this crib just know that it is fairly low to the ground. I still love it! :)

The dresser took me awhile to decide on - I knew I wanted a dresser from the Ikea HEMNES collection because I liked the style but had a hard time deciding on the size.  After consulting with my husband we decided that the smaller 3-drawer dresser was our best option because it allowed for the most options to arrange the room and would fit better than a larger dresser once the baby grows up and moves out of a crib and into a real bed. (Did I mention to you that we live in an old farmhouse? Rooms were made small back in the day.)

Since we opted for the smaller dresser I got this storage cart from Ikea to hold diapers, lotion, and various other baby things that I have yet to learn about. 

The rocker may or may not make it's way into the room. It's a little spendy but if I could have everything I want, I'd like a rocker like this one. 

There are a lot of cute mobiles out there but I plan to DIY mine since I found a style that I like.  If it turns out, I'll do my best to offer up the instructions to you all.

A few things I've loved forever and have always pictured in a baby's room are the giraffe and elephant prints, the Be Brave print, and the Grow sign. Why not be surrounded by things you love?!

I also found a few things along the way that I couldn't resist: the swaddle blanket, the changing pad cover, crib sheet and the rug.

If you want to follow Baby K's Nursery Pinterest board, do so here. 

And, because I had fun pulling my nursery together and have all sorts of ideas stored inside my mind how about a discount on nursery and children's bedroom e-designs?!  

Click here for more e-design details.

MEET MY SPONSOR: RISE ABOVE LIFE, April Bernd

Take time to stop over and meet April - she has such an awesome mission behind her blog in offering a place for anyone to come join together in overcoming life's difficulties.  Thanks April, for being a Design Your Dwelling Sponsor!

I am a photographer and graphic designer and so I was able to make my own art to hang around my home to remind me to be positive and be strong. Family and friends would always comment on my images and wanted one for their own homes.  I never realized how many other people were facing different challenges ranging from a miscarriage, a chronically ill son and a divorce to addiction, depression and severe food allergies. Although we were all struggling with different issues, the need for hope was still the same. 

Rise Above Life art is about putting your heart into art. We help to make personalized designs that are meaningful to you, not cookie cutter and generic. Our mission is to provide a way to put your love into a frame and help families grow closer.  We offer  our designs as both physical prints and digital downloads that you print at home. Readers can try out a free digital download printable when you sign up for our email list at www.riseabovelife.com

Weekend shopping list for baby K's nursery

Yesterday my sweet husband got the crib put together which now has me motivated to get the entire room decorated.  It's about time considering we are only about 10 weeks away from having a baby.  Yes, 10 weeks sounds like a long time but I have a feeling it will go quick.

We aren't finding out if we are having a boy or girl so deciding how to decorate the room has become a little bit of a challenge but there are a few items I have on my shopping list that will work perfectly in a gender-neutral nursery!

1 / 2 / 3

Unfortunately we don't have an Ikea in Iowa but I am headed to Minnesota, where there is an Ikea, to visit one of my best friends who just had her baby!

While furniture from Ikea has the tendency to a little on the "cheap" side, it will work perfect for a baby and future toddler room.  If something gets damaged due to wear and tear (or a very "busy" child) we wont feel so bad having to throw it away and upgrade in the future. 

Plus, I know my husband can't wait to assemble more furniture... Honey, this is only the beginning... 

Bump Day: Why pregnant ladies do what they do

This week we hit the 28-week mark, also known as the start of the third trimester! Eeek!  Seriously - how did we get here so fast?!  Adam and I have a lot that needs to get done including finishing up our house, assembling a crib, and figuring out how in the world car seats work... Oh yeah and we need to fit spring field work into the mix!

After being pregnant for 28 weeks I've learned a few things including why pregnant ladies do the things they do like walk funny and touch their stomach.  Yes, prior to being pregnant I just didn't understand these things and found them to be just a little strange.

Here are your answers explained!

Why pregnant ladies walk funny:

This is because our lower back hurts like crazy!  I didn't realize that your spine shifts to help your body find it's new "center of gravity."  This has caused me some serious lower back pain.  After a day on my feet, at the gym or trying to do too much I start to walk funny to avoid back pain.

Why pregnant ladies touch their stomachs:  

I found this super obnoxious until I found myself doing this.  It's because by the time you are 26 weeks along the baby moves constantly and sometimes it's uncomfortable, especially when they get a foot or hand up underneath your rib cage.  By putting your hand on your stomach you can sometimes get the baby to stop moving or get their foot out from under your ribs.

Now you know...  If you have other quirks to explain, let us know what they are by leaving a comment below!

Bump Day: Finding daycare

Our baby isn't due until July but nearly everyone asks - "Have you found daycare yet?!" Of course this question comes right after, "How are you feeling?" (By the way, I'm fine. Thanks.)

It wasn't until talking with a few neighbors that I realized the urgency of finding a daycare - I guess they fill up fast.  Which I can believe since nearly everyone who is of age to have a baby seems to be having a baby... anyone else notice this?!  This light a fire under me to figure out what our daycare plan was going to be.  Again, I've never been a parent so I had to lean on a few friends to help point me in the right direction.

First and foremost, this takes some serious coordinating with your partner in crime - for me, my husband.  He works within minutes of where we live while I work 1 hour and 10 minutes away, 3 days a week (2 days at home).  However, in the spring and fall, he spends long hours farming.  Our first question was - where do we look for daycare - near where I work or near our home.  We decided that near our home was the best option since I work from home 2 days/week and he is only minutes away and has the ability to be flexible.  I'm thankful he is willing to take the lead on this aspect of parenting.

We also had to decide if we wanted our baby to be in a daycare center or an in-home daycare.  We chose in-home daycare since our options are somewhat limited, living in rural Iowa.

Since we live in a small town, our friends and neighbors were more than helpful with suggestions of local daycare providers - everyone knows everyone around here so word of mouth is great for advertising and reference-checking.

Figuring out what questions to ask is where I needed help... thanks to a few good friends and a couple of websites I figured out which questions were most important for us.  That's the key, decide what's important to you as a parent.  As most of you know, everyone has an opinion.

Here are the questions I asked:

Do you have an opening? (If not, no need to go any further)
How long have you been doing daycare?
Are you registered?
How many kids are at your daycare?
What are the ages of the other kids?
Are there any other infants?
How you let the other kids interact with an infant?
What is your daily schedule with the kids?
Do you do any learning and development activities? (Important for when they are older)
Do you offer parents a daily report for their child?
What are your hours? Are you flexible? (Important since I work over an hour away and Adam is busy farming in the fall and spring.)
What is your holiday schedule?
What is your policy for sick days?  For you? For our child?
How do you notify families of sick days?
What are your expectations of parents?
What is your pricing structure?
What's included in the price? (food, baby wipes, diapers, formula??)
How and when do you like to be paid?

While these questions were really important to us, the best advice we were given was to Trust Your Gut. We did and are pretty excited about the daycare provider we found.

What other advice would you recommend for finding daycare? Weigh in with your thoughts below in the comments!!

Bump Day: Tips for creating a baby registry

Happy Bump Day! (Get it?! "bump day" like "hump day"??) 

I'm considering a new regular series as this new life adventure unfolds... quickly... and calling it "bump day." Now, I need to preface this by saying that I am not a pro.  In fact, if there is a book called "Parenting for Dummies" I'd probably read it.  (Is there a book like this?!) However, my dear friends have guaranteed me that my "mothering instincts" will kick in.  I've begun to pray for this nightly.

On April 5 my mom and sisters are hosting a baby shower.  This means I have to register for things that (I think) the baby will need. I tell you what, as a first time mom, this is intimidating.  A wedding registry - easy-peasy, I know what I want and how to take care of myself.  A baby registry - eeekkk!! 

Fortunately I called on a couple of my best friends to lend me a hand.  Cynthia, God bless her, agreed to go to Babies 'R' Us with me.  Walking into this baby store had to be like a guy walking into a women's clothing store!  I was so intimated that I considered calling off our shopping date.  

Then, I told the girls (yes girls, I doubt they have kids) that I would like to create a registry.  Their first question was, "Is this your first baby?"  "Ummmm... yea..." 15 minutes and 20 questions later (that I didn't know the answers to) I had the registry gun in hand.  

Long story short: I survived and now have a registry - actually two of them.   

I learned a few things along the way.  Here are my tips for first-time moms for creating a registry.

Babies Don't Need Much

This is what my friends have told me which has helped me stress less about creating the perfect registry.  They need a place to sleep, a few changes of clothes, diapers, and food. And of course lots of love.

Use Online Resources

I did a few online searches for pre-made registries and new mom survival guides.  This helped immensely. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Bump

Baby Center

New Mom's Survival Kit

Skip the Clothes, Blankets, and Toys

Apparently everyone gets you these things. Understandably so - they are affordable and irresistible. I did register for a couple of things, at least that way people can begin to understand my "baby style."

Don't Over-Register for Items

My friend, Katie, had this great suggestion. She told me that you don't know your baby's preferences yet on things like bottles and passifiers.  Just put a couple of items or brands on your registry just to try.  If the baby doesn't like them, your not out much.

Go With A Pro

Take the advice of your friends with kids.  Take a "pro-mom" to register with you - they know their stuff and have experience with it!  I also gave my Target registry username and password to my friend, Katie, to log into my account and add things that she knew would be beneficial to have. (She has successfully raised 4 awesome boys!) Then I could easily edit the list and add a few things here and there. 

I hope these tips were helpful.  What would you add?!  Please share with other readers - I am definitely open to your thoughts and advice!!

By the way... while registering I discovered why people find out if they are having a boy or girl.  It's A LOT easier to register because everything is either "boy" or "girl." We aren't finding out...

It's A Girl!

GOT YA!! For some of you, I bet you had to read this post because the title completely caught you by suprise and you had to figure out what was going on!  No, I did not and am not planning to have a baby.  Maybe someday, but not any time soon...

However, our good friends in northern Iowa just had their first baby, a girl, named Riley Jo.  And, because I love giving gifts you better believe we mailed them one right away.  I am pretty proud to say that I actually made the majority of their gift (if you count items and not $$ because we did give them a Target gift card.) Some of you might think I am crazy for spending time on this stuff because it is SO MUCH easier to go out and buy something but that's definitely not as fun when you want to give a unique or personalized gift.

Here is what I made.  It's not much (that's why they got a gift card) but it was fun! :)

I love making greeting cards!  I do a lot of rubber stamping and use a lot of Stampin' Up products.  Making cards is something I do to relax.  Not to mention it saves quite a bit of money when you consider buying $3.59 greeting cards these days - Ridiculous!  Even though I love making greeting cards my boyfriend, Adam, said I can't make a living do that...

I also do a little bit of sewing- mostly straight lines yet - so I made a burp cloth.   If you can thread a sewing machine you can make one of these.  Just pick out some cute material, sew the material right sides together and then turn it right side out and stitch up the opening.  Very Easy!

This was my favorite part of the gift!  I picked up a cute jar a Hobby Lobby, (usually 50% off every other week), tied a ribbon around it and used my rubber stamps to jazz it up.  You can't see it very well but I filled it with those cheap, plastic, little girl barrets that I found at Target.  It would be cute filled with diaper pins or candy if you wanted to give something simple as a birthday gift. 

Personalized gifts are fun and pretty easy as long as you are willing to put a little more time into them.  If you don't like taking the time to make gifts or don't feel very creative, let me know, I would be happy to make personalized gifts for you to give.

Happy Crafting!!