9 months have gone by since I made a human and successfully expelled her from my body.
She has been out as long as she was in.
Why does life have to suck so hard? Why is time a thing? Clara getting older is basically the pits. I mean, what’s next? Walking? Driving a car? College? Binge watching Fleabag with me?
So far, we are doing pretty good. Exhibit A: Everyone is still alive. Exhibit B: Everyone is pretty darn happy.
Here are the things that have been helpful along the way!
Clara has always done well in some kind of sleep sack. We used this one during the warmer summer months and it worked perfectly for us. The ones from SwaddleDesigns are great quality, super soft and always feature some kind of zipper cover. This one is in the Bella pattern.
This style from SwaddleDesigns is part of their Cozy collection in the Color Puff Circle style, the color is Very Berry. We used this one on colder days or when we had the AC up really high.
2. Activity Table/Cube
Clara is absolutely gaga (haha get it, she’s a baby) over these little activity centers. At first, I would sit behind her so she was propped up, as she played with the toys on the side. Then, she could sit up on her own and could navigate around it by crawling. Now, she is full-on pulling herself up and playing with the components on the top. As you can see in the pic, homegirl is a fan. We paid $10 for this one on Offer Up, but it is the brand B Toys from Target and can be found here brand new.
Our neighbors gave us this little number recently, which she can easily pull herself up to and whack all the buttons. It has a bunch of different “modes” like learning, music, spanish, etc. Mostly we just love the funny songs it plays and yes, I have them all memorized. Similar versions can be found here.
*Yes she has a bruise on her forehead. She was playing with the door hinge and lost her balance. Subsequently, I cried and debated hitting my own head on the door hinge as self-punishment.
I know the words “egg powder” are not the most appetizing, but this stuff is pretty awesome. Around a certain point, (according to our pediatrician) some babies need to start trying foods that they might develop a common allergy to. Usually eggs and nuts. We had previously tried to feed her tiny bits of actual cooked egg and she was NOT having it. Lil Mixins makes it easy to introduce these foods into a babies diet by turning them into a powder. In addition to the egg powder, they also do a peanut and tree nut powder. We have done both the egg and peanut, by mixing in one scoop with literally anything. We have tried it with oatmeal, rice cereal and peas and Clara has gobbled it all down. She is not the best eater at this point, so I am happy that we are able to get these foods into her without much of a fight.
4. Wooden Blocks and Cardboard Boxes
Yep, she is a typical baby who also just enjoys the simple things. We have a small pile of wooden blocks too and she loves to hold one in each hand and bang them together or on any surface. She also likes it when we make a little block tower so she can knock it over. Mind boggling I know.
5. Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel
So, right. It’s baby wash. Nothing ground-breaking here but I just LOVE the way it smells.
And that is all! Please leave a comment below if you have recommendations for the following products: baby shoes (like the soft-soled moccasin kind), or LONG baby pants. I have a tall baby.
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