Developmental Milestones

After about 10 years in the workforce I have grown accustom to reaching goals, competing, and the pressure to perform. Being a stay-at-home mom has created a whole new set of challenges. Thanks to our society, there is a great deal of pressure for your child to be the first to reach a developmental milestone. I will admit that at the beginning I was slightly obsessed with when my daughter should be hitting the milestones and how she fared compared to her peers. After driving myself crazy, I finally realized that my daughter is going to develop at her own rate.

It is a good idea to know approximately when your child should be reaching certain developmental milestones in case there is a problem, but as I have learned these should only be used as guidelines. Here are some websites that provide information on developmental milestones:

http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/index.html
http://www.babycenter.com/baby-development
http://www.parents.com/baby/development/

My advice is to let your child develop at their own pace. Spend as much time playing with your child as possible and make everything a learning experience.

Gerber Coupons

About once a month Gerber sends me a packet in the mail that has coupons and information. The coupons are for formula, baby food, baby utensils/bowls, sippy cups, cereal, and more. They also send a great pamphlet geared toward my baby's age group that has information about nutrition, sample diets, and development. Click here if you would like to join their mailing list (just enter email address on right hand side and click "Sign Me Up").

Picky Eaters and Introducing Solids

My daughter started eating solids a couple weeks ago and so far we have fared well. She has eaten bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, and pears. We are continuing to introduce a new food every 3 days. When talking to moms of 6-12 months old, I have found that I am one of the lucky few. Many moms have terribly picky eaters and don't know what to do. I have also found that many moms are now taking their children to eating specialists.

Here are some tips that I have found helpful when introducing solids:

• If your baby is breastfed, start with foods that have a sweet taste to them (similar to breast milk) like bananas, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, etc.
• Mix the food with either formula or breast milk, which will give the food a familiar taste.
• Make the puree very thin to start with so it has a consistency similar to formula or breast milk and gradually thicken.
• Let your baby put his hands in the food and "feed" himself.
• Know which foods are appropriate to introduce to your child. Check out Wholesome Baby Food for introduction charts.
• I am a big fan of making your own baby food. Not only does it save money, but the food has a nice fresh taste for your baby. Check out my older post for more details.
• If your child doesn't appear to like a food, try it again. In fact keep trying. Some babies take 8-10 times to like a food.

If you are a parent of a toddler here are some great sites to help with your picky eaters:

http://www.parents.com/preschoolers/eating-nutrition/picky-eaters/

http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-handle-a-picky-eater_64302.bc

As always I welcome your comments and suggestions for how you have overcome a picky eater!

Baby Toys

In this day and age, there is so much pressure to have the newest and latest things. I was at a playdate today with my daughter and got to talking with the other moms about toys. I do not own a lot of toys for my daughter nor do I plan on buying many. It seems that many of the magazines and websites geared for children are always promoting the "best toys" for learning and development. In my opinion, it is time to get back to the basics. While there are some great toys out there that do aid development, a child can learn from something as simple as putting things in and taking things out of Tupperware containers.

Here are my ideas for savings money when it comes to buying toys:

• If you are going to buy a large toy (i.e. exersaucer, Jump-a-roo, etc.) try it from a friend first and make sure that your child likes it
• Buy only one or two large toys and supplement with smaller ones
• Instead of buying toys in stores, buy online. I have found that Amazon is usually cheaper than the chain stores.
• Buy toys used from sites like Craig's List or even better, borrow used toys from friends.
• Buy toys and clothes at thrift stores. Not only are they dirt cheap, but the money also usually goes to a good cause. (Thanks to the moms today for this idea)
• Lastly, don't spend loads of money buying toys. Let your child play with your Tupperware, pots and pans, remote controls, and spatulas. They will learn just as much from these things and you will save a ton of money (not to mention keep your house from getting cluttered).

Toot Toot TuTus

Do you have a little princess in your life? If you do, Toot Toot TuTus are perfect for you! Jessica Bennett is another one of my favorite moms that uses her talents to create great products for your little ones.

Jessica makes custom TuTus which are perfect for holidays and special occasions. They also make great gifts. Check out her website.

Just for our followers, Jessica is offering a $5.00 off coupon. When ordering, just mention that you are a follower of Being Mommy.

Toot Toot TuTus is also giving away a custom 2 color TuTu for one of our lucky followers. Drwaing will be held through October 15th. To be entered into the drawing you can do one of the following: Please leave one comment per entry.

1. Visit Jessica's website http://toottoottutus.blogspot.com/ and comment about your favorite design.
2. Become a follower of Being Mommy (if you are already a follower, leave a comment)
3. Grab my button (if you already have it, leave a comment with your blog's URL)
4. Have a friend become a follower (leave the name of your friend in the comment)
5. Become a Facebook fan of Being Mommy (if you are already a fan, leave me a comment.
   

Check out our other current giveaway.

Angela Hitt: Jewelry Designs For the Fashion Savvy and Bows!

This is our first official "Being Mommy" giveaway! Angela Hitt is a mom who is putting her talent to good use. She makes fun, creative, and affordable bows for the daughter, niece, or granddaughter in your life. That's not all...she also makes beautiful and fashionable jewelry for women and little girls. All of the products on her site would make great presents and it is never too early to start buying presents for Christmas.

Angela is graciously giving away a free hair bow to one of our lucky followers. Being entered into the drawing is easy. You may enter into the drawing by doing the following:

Please leave one comment per entry.

1. Visit Angela's website: http://angelahitt.com/ and comment about your favorite bow.
   
2. Become a follower of Being Mommy (leave a comment to tell me if you already follow)


3. Grab my button (leave a comment if you already have my button on your blog and your blog's URL)
   
4. Have a friend become a follower (leave the name of your friend in the comment)

I will accept entries until October 10th and a winner will be randomly selected on October 11th.

Fun Activities

I subscribe to several magazines and I am always finding great ideas for activities. The problem is that my 6 month old is definitely not ready to use scissors, glue or glitter. I don't want to keep the magazines for 5 years so I bought a 3 ring binder, page protectors, and dividers. I now tear the articles out the magazines, put them in page protectors, and organize them according to age group. As my daughter gets older, I will now have an organized book of activities for her to do!

Please share any great activities that you do with your children!

Bonding With Daddy

My husband took the first 2 weeks off after I gave birth to spend time with our new baby. I know that I am the luckiest woman alive because my husband insited on changing almost every single diaper those first couple of weeks. You might be wondering "why in the world would he want to change all those diapers?" and rightfully so. The answer is that this gave him a chance to bond with our new bundle of joy. Since I was breastfeeding, it was hard for him to find time to bond with her, so diaper changing time became daddy daughter time.

I believe that having your child's father bond with him/her is VERY important. For one, your child won't cry every time daddy takes her out of your arms. Additionally, a dad's involvement is important in a child's development. Children need the play time that only dads seem to be able to provide. There are many different ways that your significant other can bond with your child and it is your job to encourage this bonding time.

It seems that women (for the most part) seem to transition into motherhood much better than men transition into fatherhood. Many men struggle with becoming daddy. Luckily there are many websites dedicated to helping men with this challenging time (now you just need to get your man to swallow his ego and admit that he needs...gasp...help). Check out these resources on becoming a dad:
http://www.greatdad.com/
www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/362_757.asp
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/father.html

And these sites on bonding:
http://life.familyeducation.com/bonding/fathers/50557.html
http://fatherhood.about.com/od/newdadresources/a/dad_bonding.htm

Moms-don't forget that your significant other may not be able to do things as well as you, but you need to let him do it anyway (I have to practice this one)!

Breastfeeding

I have now been breastfeeding my daughter for 6 months. I feel this is a great accomplishment, especially considering it has not always been easy. I have had a few friends lately who have struggled with nursing their newborns. While the first few weeks are the hardest, there are several problems that can arise during the following months. I encourage all new mothers to breastfeed because the benefits to your child are great:

• Protects against infections/illness/allergies-your milk can transfer immunities to your baby
• Lower chance of SIDS
• According to studies enhances intelligence and development
• Better health later in life, including better dental health and a lower chance of cancer and diabetes

Most of us would do anything for our babies and this (in my opinion) is one of the best things you can do. In addition, the best result for you as the mom is getting back into your old clothes. Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day! You can take these steps to ensure you get the best experience:

• Read, read, read-I prepared myself by reading every piece of advice I could find. This way I knew what to expect from the beginning.
  
• Seek out help. There are several organizations such as La Leche League that provide support for breastfeeding moms. Most hospitals also offer a support group. Don't be afraid to attend one of these events. It is always nice to know their are moms just like you!


• Be prepared with all the necessary equipment. Buy a good breast pump. Buy a few good nursing bras. Buy some nursing blouses if you choose.


• Meet with a lactation specialist in the hospital. If your hospital doesn't offer one, meet with one right after you leave the hospital. It was strange to have someone messing with my boobs, but it really did help.


• Find friends that are breastfeeding. Talk about your problems and concerns with them.

Here are some great sites that provide more information:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/

http://www.llli.com/

Feel free to post any comments about what challenges you have had or other tips you would like to share!

Another Diaper Savings-Costco

If you are a member of Costco, look in their coupon mailer for a $5 off coupon for the Kirkland brand diapers. You never know about store brand diapers, but I have used this brand and think they work great.

Great Offer-Diapers.com

Diapers.com has a great offer this week...extra large cases of Pampers Cruisers, Pampers Swaddlers, or Huggies Snug & Dry for $39.99. Plus receive $5.00 off if it is your first order.

That is as many as 228 diapers for only $34.99! Best of all they deliver the diapers right to your door in as little as 2 days.

http://www.diapers.com/

Diapers.com also has a great refer a friend offer. If you refer a friend they will receive $10 off their 1st order and you will receive $1 off every time they order!

Sleep! (or lack of)

Ah...the days of getting a full night sleep. I am afraid these days are over. I now understand why my grandma still gets up every morning at 5 A.M. despite the fact that her children have been gone for years. Having a child definitely changes your mindset about sleep. I now find myself getting up early just to take a shower. If I don't take a shower at 6 A.M. it is usually 3 in the afternoon before I get around to taking one! The time that Haley sleeps is the best time for me to get things done. Even right now I am blogging, eating breakfast, doing my make-up, and watching the Today show. The question is: how do you get your child to sleep?

One of the greatest challenges of being a new mom has been trying to figure out how to get Haley to sleep. Everyone seems to have advice about how to get your child to sleep, but what I have found is that every baby is different. There are several methods that have been proven effective. Check out these websites for advice on different methods:

www.babycenter.com/baby-sleep-problems-solutions
www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

Here are the things that I have found effective (remember what works for one parent may not work for another):

• Create a bedtime routine (i.e. bath, book, song, bed)
• Create an nap routine. This should be different from your bedtime routine.
• Create an environment conducive to sleep (I purchased a sound machine to block out outside noises and to use as a cue to sleep)
• Be willing to try different things. What works for your child will most likely change over time.
• If you find something that works don't be afraid to use it. For example, if your child likes to nap in the swing, let him sleep in the swing. It won't hurt!
• Ask your partner for help. On days that I can't manage to get Haley to sleep, I give her to my husband and of course she seems to fall right to sleep. It also provides good bonding time for your partner.

Feel free to leave some comments about what has worked for you!

Great Giveaway...Flirty Aprons

Check out my friend Sarah's blog for a chance to win a Flirty Apron. Here is the link:

http://sarahbrownsfavoritethings.blogspot.com/

Flirty Aprons makes fun, fashionable aprons for men and women!

Homemade Baby Food

After checking out the prices for baby food at the grocery store, I have decided to make my own. I know that many of you may not have the time or desire to make baby food, but if you are interested I have found a site that is very helpful.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

This site charts when you should start different foods and gives directions and recipes for making the food. To make your own baby food there are just a few basics you need to get started:

1. Food processor or baby mill (I purchased a Black & Decker food processor for about $30 at Walmart)
2. Ice Cube Trays
3. Freezer Storage Bags

The best thing about making baby food is that you can make it up to a month ahead of time, freeze, and then thaw as needed. I have started looking through the weekly grocery ads to find when the fresh fruits/veggies are on sale. I cook the foods as recommended, mash or puree, and divide into ice cube trays to freeze. After frozen you can put the cubes in freezer bags. That's it! It really is simple and is a very cost effective way to feed your baby.