Video Monitor Upgrade

Since day one, we couldn't possibly have lived without a video monitor.  They are seriously the best invention to hit the baby product market...EVER.  Especially for a control-freak like myself.  It just gives us the piece of mind that we need to ensure that Evelina is safe and sound in her crib/bed. In the early months it helped me check if she was still breathing or if she had escaped the swaddle, we caught her moving from lying to sitting via the video monitor for the first time, standing, trying to climb out of the crib and actually succeeding with a bang.  We would have never known these things to have happened with just sound alone. It has also come in very handy to determine if she is just whining or actually awake so we don't go it to get her if we really don't need to.  Seriously...the best invention!! 

Until a few weeks ago, we used the Summer Infant Day and Night Monitor. It has been adequate at meeting our needs but the volume control started malfunctioning months ago and with the impending arrival of Siby, we needed to think about investing in a monitor that could accommodate multiple cameras easily. 

After endless research (you know me), we decided on the Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 3.5" Color Screen. Babies R' Us had a great offer for one with 2 cameras which we couldn't pass up.  So far, we are loving it.  Some of our favorite features are: 

• The nice large screen
• The camera has the ability to pan around the room so if Evelina gets out of bed during the night, we can pan the camera and look to see where she is (aka, not in any trouble).  
• Adding the second camera was a breeze and is ready for Siby's arrival.  It can also hold up to 2 other cameras so if we ever wanted to put one in the playroom, we could.  
• It has a scan function that can rotate between cameras automatically.  This should come in handy once Siby arrives.  
• It displays the temperature in the room.  I LOVE this.   
• It has a two-way communication function, which has been invaluable for us.  I thought this would be totally useless, but the first time I used it, Evelina proceeded to do exactly what I said and was back to sleep in minutes.  We continue to use it when she wakes during the night and rarely have to get up to go into her room.  We think she is afraid of it, but not enough to cry or scream.  So until she starts defying the voice in the monitor, we will go with it. 
• It has a music function that you can set to play lullabies in the room, this may come in handy for Siby.

The only negative I see at this point is that the battery power isn't the best, especially if you have the camera on for an extended period.  I think this is common for most video monitors though.  

I clearly have issues or nothing better going on in my life if I'm this excited about a video baby monitor!! Oh well :-)

Music Recommendation :: Carnival Day

I am always on the hunt for fun children's music that Evelina, Chris and I can ALL enjoy.  When a friend of mine told me about Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys a few months ago, I thought I would pick up the CD to add to Evelina's collection.  We have not been disappointed by Carnival Day.  Evelina LOVES it and the tunes are so catchy and fun that Chris and I find ourselves singing (and dancing if you're me) certain tracks all day long.  It is one children's CD that I don't mind listening to over and over and over again, within reason.  I've downloaded the tracks to my iPod and Chris has the CD in his car so fun music is always available on car trips with the little one.  I definitely recommend this CD to all of my mama friends out there who read the blog.   

Oh, and Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkey are going to be in Natick in February, so we just may need to go!!  Evelina's first concert :-) 

Another one of my favorites You are my Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell.  Not as upbeat as Carnival Day but still great. 

Can't wait for warmer weather so Evelina can wear this adorable dress I just snagged from Zulilly.  I wish it came in my size, looks so comfy.  

PS:  I made a goal for myself that I wouldn't buy any books or clothes for Evelina this month.  I am failing.  Not miserably but I did pick up a few books on colors, a few Valentine's Day related tops (love GAP and Old Navy sales!!), in addition to this dress.  Pretty good for me.  Chris would disagree :-)

New Shoes

When Evelina graduates from the infant room at school and enters the young toddler room in early September, she will be required to wear shoes at all times.  Up until now, I have taken a good guess as to what her shoe size may be, purchasing cute little shoes for her to wear when out of the house. But, for the most part, I haven't cared much about function since she is still not yet a walker.  Although she was sooooooooo close this weekend!! Most of the time she continues to be barefoot since I've read it is better for their feet and helps them grip better on surfaces, etc. 

Since she is on the brink of walking (I am hoping and praying anyway!!) and I want her feet to continue to develop well, I thought that this would be the perfect time to buy her some flexible, supportive shoes, in the right size.  Grandpa, Evelina and I headed over to the children's shoe department at Nordstorm, got her little feet "professionally" measured by a shoe department expert (what a saint) and tried on a bunch of different options. We settled on a cute sequiny pair of Stride Rites and a purple pair of Tsukihoshi sneakers that are also machine washable.  She looks like such a big girl when she wears them, even though her tiny 4 - 4 1/2 foot is the size of most 9 month olds!! Now the only struggle?  Keeping them on, the girl loves ripping off Velcro. 

I Die

I seriously die when I look at Baby Gap's cute fall collection.  Honestly, do they have this in my size?  Thanks to Auntie KK, Evelina will be sporting this outfit when the new school year begins on September 6th and she transitions to a toddler room.  My goal for the next month? Not to go crazy on "back to school" purchases.  Chris The budget won't be thrilled with me. 

Mittens

I came across these mimiTENs mittens today on one of my favorites blogs, spearmint baby, and thought they were so adorable...and a GREAT idea!! The long cuff is ingenious.  It was hard enough to keep those little newborn mittens on Evelina after she was born to protect her face from her dagger nails. Now that she is actually aware of her hands, I can't imagine standard mittens are going to stay on her for to long.  I may have to snatch up a pair of these.  

Christmas is a Comin'

Christmas is just around the corner and will be here before we know it.  I am already overwhelmed with the thought of Christmas shopping.  I am hoping I can do a lot of online shopping this year but there are always things that require a trip to the crazy mall.  Hopefully having Friday's off will help me avoid the Rt. 9 parking lot traffic on route to the Natick Collection.  Here are a few things that I hope Santa brings this year:  

Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker - I plan to make as much of Lina's baby food as I can find time for so I think this will be useful (since you can steam veggies right in it and then puree), in addition to the immersion blender we already have.  Hopefully I will be able to freeze a bunch so these are a must (any color will do).   

Cooking for Baby - I'm not very creative when it comes to recipes and don't like just making them up on the fly so this should help with my baby food making initiative.

Child of Mine - Feeding with Love and Good Sense 

Splat Mat - I have a feeling this will come in handy once the introduction to solids begins in a month or so.  Plus, it is super cute.  

Embroidered Tote Bag - Red, Small, Regular for EMC 

Macro Lens and Tripod

Slippers - Size 9, Deep Violet 

A new wardrobe ala Anthropologie -  I am in a dilemma, my pants are too big in the tush and hip area but fit in the waist (although sometimes too lose) so if I go down a size, they would be too small.  This leads me to...

Time to work out (I think Chris has this on his wish list too)

A personal chef

A trip to Italy- Rome, Venice, and Florence will do.

A Few of My Favorite Things

We are starting to accumulate more and more baby stuff and I fear that baby items will begin to explode from each window after Evelina's first Christmas.  I am just as guilty as family when it comes to spoiling the child.  I come across so many cute toys, toys that look like they would be a blast, toys that would be perfect for when she is teething, toys that I think would help her learn, and the list goes on and on.  Don't even get me started on clothes, bibs and burp clothes.  I'm the one that needs a new wardrobe but I still go crazy for baby apparel, and with Winter approaching the cuteness that is baby hats is overwhelming.

This week we added the newest baby necessity to 19 BHL.  A high chair.  Someone doesn't really dig it much so photos will be coming soon. 
 

In any case, in the midst of all of our baby gear, there are a few things that I thank the high heavens for each day:   

  

Summer Infant Video Monitor - This has to be one of my favorite things.  It just give us so much piece of mind each time Evelina is sleeping in her crib. We can check on her as often as we like (perfect for my OCD fix) but don't have to disturb her by going into her nursery.  If she makes any peeps we can quickly turn on the monitor to see if she is awake or just transitioning between sleep cycles (I've actually learned a lot about how she sleeps just from eavesdropping on her so much!!).  Even when we have to let her cry it out on occasion, it is nice to see that she is safe and hasn't gotten herself into any trouble in her crib.  Once she starts rolling, sitting up and standing, this device will become even more valuable.    

Miracle Blanket - What else can I say other than this truly is a miracle.  For a baby houdini like Evelina, this has been a savior.  We were able to use the super swaddle technique in early weeks but once Evelina bypassed the 10lb mark and grew more in length, the Miracle Blanket really became the star.  In fact, it works so well that we have a 5 month old swaddle addict on our hands who gets very mad if she gets put down for a nap/sleep unswaddled.   

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer - These days, I would forget my head if it wasn't attached so this has been a god send. It the early days I could easily keep track of when I last fed Evelina, how long she had been napping/sleeping and even how long since I had last pumped.  I found a fancy Droid app but at least with this timer Chris could keep updated as well.  She is on a schedule now but even so, this is still helpful and used everyday in our house (OCD again).   

Pump In-Style Advanced - For an exclusively pumping mama like myself, I couldn't live without this.  Although I would have preferred to actually breastfeed, Lina had other ideas, so I am just thankful that this pump has allowed me to keep up my supply for 5+ months, works quickly and isn't too much of a pain to lug around. And, considering the amount of time I've pump, I'm surprised the motor hasn't started smoking yet!!

Nuk Pacifiers - As soon as we made the decision, for my sanity, that I would exclusively pump and not breastfeed Evelina, the Lactation-Consultant-recommended Soothies went out the window and were replaced with these lovely binkies.  Evelina much prefers them and if she goes to bed with one, it will still be happily in her mouth for hours (as can be viewed by the video monitor). They work perfectly during car trips when she is unhappy in the car seat or to lull her back to sleep during nighttime wake-ups. Even though I am at a point where I would rather her not need a pacifier, these have been faboo. 

Exercise Ball - I had no idea that bouncing on an exercise ball was a baby soothing technique until the first mom and baby class I attended.  As soon as Lina started to fuss, I took my position on the ball and voila, a happy, quiet baby. Ever since that day, the ball has been a fixture in our living room and works at soothing our sweet daughter about 99% of the time.  I must have really bounced a lot while she was in utero because she is addicted to the ball just as much as being swaddled.  The only downside is that it can sometimes be a struggle when we aren't near the ball and she needs to be soothed.  I am hoping one day soon I will actually be able to use the ball for exercise instead of just bouncing a baby :-) 

Zip-Up Sleepers/Footed One Pieces - Dealing with all of the snaps of traditional sleepers can be quite annoying with a baby with ants in her pants (especially for Papa), and I can imagine that once Lina is no longer swaddled at night, we won't be wanting to fuss with snaps in the event of night time diaper changes.  In comes the zip-up sleepers/footed one pieces.  My faves are from The Children's Place, Baby Gap and Gymboree (hint hint for any one shopping for Evelina out there).  

Angel Dear Blankie - Evelina just loves blankies and this one is at the top of the list.  It is soooo soft and the perfect size for a lovie.  She snuggles with it in her car seat and during naps (when we are successful with one arm out of the swaddle).  It is very cute.  I know "they" say no blankets/stuffed animals/pilows/etc. in the crib for safety reasons but we may have to bend the rules for this blankie. 

Bibs - 'Nough said from this mama of a spitter. And it certainly helps that such cute prints exist thanks to many an Etsy seller.  

Aden and Anais Burp Clothes - See bibs.  Plus, the muslin is nice and soft, the patterns are adorable, they are nice and absorbent, and they fit nicely over the shoulder since they contour around the neck.  They can even be used as bibs which I just realized this week...yeah, I'm slow sometimes.    

Maybe I should write a post about what we DON'T use!! Ha!! If we have another babe, I will seriously be an expert. 

Holy Cuteness

Seriously, how precious is this one-piece sleeper?  I would totally scoop this up for Lina if it wasn't a ridiculous $68. 

I "Heart" You

I finally had to breakdown and purchase a body pillow since my legs and back weren't feeling the greatest at night. Although I am not thrilled that it hogs the bed and makes it more difficult to get in and out of bed, it does have its perks, such as:

• I wake up less during the night which means fewer bathroom visits
• It is super comfy as a pillow for my head as well
• It gives the sensation of spooning with Chris even if he isn't in the bed

And the best perk....coming home from work to a cute body pillow heart design. Awwww...

Fun Day!!

Yesterday my mom came down for a visit to tag along to my 28-week appointment. She was excited to meet one of the midwives I’ve been seeing, ask questions and check-in on Cashina with me (I was excited to have her there too). It was a fun day filled with yummy lunch and a positive appointment all capped off with baby girl clothes shopping…I think we could have bought the entire store but we tried to restrain ourselves.

I can’t believe it is already that time when I need to start going in every 2 weeks instead of once a month. This is really happening!! In less then 3 months I am going to be a “mommy” and Chris a papa.

I gained 5 more pounds since my last appointment which puts me up 18 pounds. If I were to take a guess, I would think by delivery day, I will have gained about 30 pounds. A little more then I had planned but still in healthy range. We will have to see.

Cashina had a nice heartbeat in the 140-150 range and she was head down (let’s hope she stays that way!!) and facing right. My mom got to feel for her as well and she thinks she is an average size baby which is good news. I just think it is amazing that they (my midwife and my mom) were able to tell her position just by feeling my belly externally. That is a talent.

It was a great day and I was glad to spend it with my “mommy” and baby. I think it will be even more fun once Cashina is here in the flesh…..not much longer now!!

On Order

After lots of shopping, website hopping, room planning, and looking at fabric swatches we finally ordered the last piece of nursery furniture over the weekend. Considering how much I research things, you'd think I would have looked for our glider online BEFORE placing an order with a store....we could have saved about $300 but alas, there is no turning back. Lesson learned.

The furniture won't start getting delivered until May but I am antsy and don't want to wait (me not want to wait? now that's a stretch!!)!! The nursery still needs to be painted so we are hoping it will be completed by the time the first piece arrives.

We choose a light green fabric (not the one pictured) for the chair with a pink swirly piping. I'm a little uncertain about the green and hope it doesn't clash with the blue wall color but my dream of yellow fabric wasn't an option and Chris wasn't a big fan of any of the pink fabrics or of buying a different chair and having it reupholstered.

I am excited to see how it all comes together. Did I mention I'm getting antsy?

The Best Auntie

What could be better then coming home from work on a snowy day to a package addressed to Baby Cashina? What was inside the package!! The cutest blankets, bibs, hats, outfits, boppy pillow.... Cashina has the BEST Auntie and she is already getting spoiled. We love Auntie K and know that Cashina will too, without a doubt. Not because of all of the "things" but because she will be adored and loved to pieces by her.

Nursery Inspiration

Even before we knew Cashina was a girl I scoured the internet looking for nursery inspiration for both a boy, girl or just gender neutral. I came across this nursery on the ohdeedoh blog and fell in love with the blue walls and yellow bedding. I think the color combination works so well together as it is feminine while not being too over-the-top girlie. I haven’t had much success finding similar bedding unless we decide to spend crazy money but did find a cute, reasonably priced, option with pinks, yellows, greens and blues. I’m not sure if the blue walls in the inspiration room will really complement the bedding but we shall see once we buy some samples and start painting test patches.

I also just love the “Hooray” banner and think it is such a good idea to put coordinating fabrics in hoops for art. Seeing pictures of finished nurseries makes me eager to start putting Cashina’s together. It is exciting to envisioning her in it, sleeping peacefully (let's hope!!), being rocked in the glider, being read too or playing. Can’t wait!!

Show Me the Puggy

You know how much we love Pugs, especially Violet, so it would be a sin if Cashina didn’t start her first years of life loving Pugs too and what better way then with Pug inspired clothing. Cafepress has the cutest little Pug onesies and bibs so I think I may need to invest at some point in all of the cuteness. Now we just have to hope and pray that Violet, with all of her craziness, will be able to remain part of the Ciano family. We just don’t think it would be the same without her and I have a feeling that Cashina is wondering who in the heck I hold everyday who punches my stomach with her paws, who I’m talking puppy talk to, what the purple diney toy is, what exactly is “business”, and where the strange barking noise is coming from. For all we know, Cashina may know how to sit and stay as soon as she is born!!

So Cute!!

My mom and I did some shopping and browsing for Cashina over the weekend and couldn't resist the cuteness of these Mary Jane sock booties. How cute are they?!?! I figured I would use the opportunity to take some close-up shots as practice with the faboo camera Chris got me for Christmas (I need to make sure I am a pro before the little bambina arrives). If I would have taken the same picture with my old digital, I think it would have been a big blur. It will be so fun to put the booties on Cashina with the perfect outfit.

First "Big" Purchase

After much hesitation, research, reading parent reviews and feedback on forums, I finally pulled the trigger and made our first “big” purchase…..a car seat for Cashina!! I felt a little strange buying something so soon but got over it when I found the exact model we were looking for at a great price. It certainly pays to scour the internet for deals and not settle for Babies ‘R’ Us.

Of course, our decision didn’t come without many questions. Should we go with Graco (since everyone I know has one) or Chicco (with the highest safety rating)? 22lb, 30lb or 32lb weight limit? Is it really important to be able to put the car set onto the front of a shopping cart or in a high chair at a restaurant? When it came down to it, the most important factor to consider had to be safety and since Chicco received the highest safety rating from Consumer Reports we thought it would be worth it, even with some of the cons, to keep our little one safe.

So what if we can’t put the car seat in the front of a shopping cart or on a high chair? It is most definitely not very safe and I would like to avoid visions of top heavy carts toppling or someone bumping the high chair!! When the car seat gets to heavy to lift it and Cashina, we will just have to pick her up. A part of me believes she won’t mind anyway.

One of the best features of the car seat (other than everything I’ve read about it says it is super easy to install), the fabric. It is fun and graphic and not too girlie so I hope that Cashina likes it too. I also think it will coordinate with both of our car’s black interior perfectly…I know, I know…the things I think about are maddening.

Ahhhh...I Love My New Bed

As Chris and I watched Violet pushing the sides of her bed out we thought it was time to upgrade her from a full size to a king size. After getting beyond her intense sniffing session of the new bed, she now loves it. She can play in it, sprall out and just enjoy.

New Kid on the Block

When the house was being built, the original kitchen design had a center island instead of a breakfast bar. We decided to forgo the island since it seemed to take up a lot of space in the kitchen and because we wanted to spare any guests sitting at the island from being hit in the back by the basement door…so we had the breakfast bar installed instead. We love the breakfast bar and eat almost every meal there, it was the perfect choice.

As I started to cook in the kitchen and Chris watched me glide across the floor from one end to the other, we came to the decision that a butcher block island would be a great addition to the space and help add some character as well. As much as we loved the ballroom dance floor, it wasn’t very practical for preparing meals.

So now we have the best of both worlds, a faboo breakfast bar and an island for chopping and preparing (although, I am afraid to chop directly on it so have been using cutting boards…I know, I am crazy). And who knew that butcher blocks could be made out of cherry wood? It matches our cabinetry perfectly!! I still need to figure out what to put on the bottom shelf and maybe a nice bowl with fruit on top would be nice but I will figure it out.

We are still stumped at what to do with the smaller dance floor between the kitchen and the living room so for now it is the perfect space for impromptu “Dancing with the Stars” reenactments.

Long Awaited Delivery

Back in October, Chris and I found a bed frame we loved (I loved!) and placed an order. Little did we know it would take 10-12 weeks for delivery. I guess it makes sense as it is upholstered but either way, by the time it arrived last week I was ready to start sleeping more then one foot off the floor. Chris rather enjoyed rolling out of bed from the floor but I think having the bed frame is much more luxurious and the room is really coming along. Next up, the dreaded hanging of mirrors and artwork….eeek…