WOODEN TEETHER

Anyone that knows us knows the that we love wooden toys! Why is this? Well the answer is simple - wood is far better than plastic in my opinion! 

If you have a teething baby like me you would know that everything, I mean "everything" your baby touches will most likely end up in her mouth! Whether it be the dust/grass/dirt on the floor, the hair she pulled from atop your head or the dog's fur, or even her own cousin's little hands or face - she will find a way to put it in her mouth. So when Little Sapling Toys gave us this California teether to try out, it became our new favorite on-the-go toy! The fact that it has a hole in the center big enough for little babies to grab makes it easier for not only them, but you as well! When we take it out and about I can easily use a secure-a-toy strap to attach it to the carseat/stroller/shopping cart so that we don't lose it. I would highly recommend these teethers! Go check out all the awesome products over at Little Sapling Toys and follow us on Instagram for your chance to win something awesome from their shop! 

Stay tuned to learn the differences on "wood" vs "plastic" toys and why we love Little Sapling Toys aside from their awesome teether toys! 

PLAYING

Most days I love just playing with my baby girl - whether it be helping her along as she tries to stand, reading her favorite books (over and over again),  rattling/shaking/tapping/pushing around all her toys, or just being plain silly by doing mini airplanes and having tickle--me-Huntley-fests. But then there are those moments... I'm not talking about those moments when you just want to get away. No, I'm just talking about those moments when you need to get something done and you just want her to sit and play by herself (next to you), or have her be entertained in her jumper/baby walker (next to you) - so that you can finally get to make/prep TiedinTwine headband orders, check/respond to emails, pay/file bills & other important mail things that are now cluttering the countertops, or do the dishes, or laundry, or mopping, or scrubbing the toilet, or dusting, or any other household chore for that matter... However, I know this is just a phase and I am very lucky to have one great happy bouncy baby who may sometimes struggle when I'm not there, but otherwise is already so well-behaved. Huntley is newly a six month baby, and although she seems more advanced/taller/bigger she is still an infant that needs my constant attention, love and affection. I always have to remind myself that I am needed and enjoy being needed, it won't always be like this and she won't always be a baby.  So for now, I will wait 'til everyone is asleep to tidy up the house, even if that means I only sleep for an average of five hours so that I may straighten up the house, fold/iron laundry, wash the dishes, etc., etc. all in preparation for another day of play with my baby girl! 

FIVE DAYS OLD

Here I am playing catch-up on all our parenting endeavors and I didn't even share with you our "first" newborn photos, shot by a talented photographer friend of mine Nila Rose. Nila also shot our "gender reveal" photos from my previous post. 

Huntley was only 5 days old during this shoot and almost 9 lbs (she was 8.11 lbs when she was born). 

IT'S A GIRL!

When I was about 13-14 weeks pregnant Tanner and I decided that we would try to find out the sex of our baby, I know this is a bit early, but both of our sisters were able to find out the sex of their babies during this time so we thought we'd give it a try. We went to one of those peak-a-boo imaging centers at the mall and we were so excited anticipating the sex of our baby!

But before I tell you the story, I must add, we both had gut feelings that I had a little girl in my belly... but were told numerous times that we were having a boy from family members to random strangers because of how I was carrying or whatnot - so we were very prepared to here - it's a boy!

We get into the imaging center at the mall and after 15 minutes of circling my belly, we learn... that the tech was only 80% positive that it was a girl, because baby was very shy and kept covering all her private parts from the ultrasound machine. Now 80% was not enough of a solid answer for us and left us questioning the whole experience... we both went home wondering whether this 80% actually meant we were actually having a girl and instead of being excited, we were both left confused. 

By the 15th week I had found myself buying all girl stuff and felt pretty solid about us having a girl. At this point I was counting on having a girl going into the imaging center this second time, until we got there and baby was still covering her private parts. I spent 30 minutes in the room doing yoga, jumping jacks, dancing for my husband and tech, only to find out that the tech was still not 100% certain....at that point Tanner and I just called it - baby has to be a girl!

I think about all the gender reveal parties, ideas (balloons coming out of boxes, cutting into cakes, etc.) and sometimes regret not doing those things, but in the end I'm glad that I experienced the moment with just my husband. I don't know if I could've gotten over the shock with people around us.

Here I leave you with our photos we took (when we had an 80% idea that we were having a girl)... the fact that we shot these photos just proves how solid we were about having a girl. (first photo shows my baby blanket and my husband's)

FIRST FATHER'S DAY

Yesterday was my Tanner's first Father's Day! We started the morning with a quick bite to eat and headed to the beach - I got him surf lessons as his gift! He's always wanted to learn to surf and even bought himself a surfboard and had tried it out a few times, but I thought it would be best if he learned the fundamentals first. It was three hours out in the sun and for an hour of it Huntley slept under an umbrella loving the ocean breeze - she's a big fan of the beach!

BABY WEARING

I've always been a fan of baby wearing, even before baby girl's arrival! I've always liked the thought of being close to your baby (physically)while out and about, and I really do believe that it's probably one of the most comforting/comfortable natural things that a parent and baby can experience with each other. 

I read all the reviews on the different types and brands of baby carriers when I was pregnant so I knew exactly which ones I'd wanted to invest in.

Here are my thoughts on the baby carriers I have tried out so far:

(1) Moby - I had seen so many people use these and many mommies and daddies raved about them, but from my experience I have found the Moby to be quite difficult... this may just be me though and I haven't given it much of a chance since the "one" time I tried it out when H was only a newborn. I think we were both frustrated with it and I quickly handed it off to a friend of mine. (She however made it look easy!)

(2) K'tan - This was a lifesaver for me when H was just born! It has the same feel as the wrap carriers like the Moby, but might be considered the wraparound sling for dummies! I say this only because I found myself challenged with the long piece of fabric of the Moby and found the K'tan to be super easy to use! I carried around my one and half week baby through Disneyland and the resort quickly, safely and securely. This was an excellent sling during the earlier months, but my girl got to be so heavy my back couldn't handle it anymore. And so we go onto...

(3) Ergo - By far my favorite baby carrier! The Ergo is a soft structure carrier and is the most comfortable of all the carriers I've tried. I even purchased the extra zippered pouch, despite the pocket and zippered pouch already built in. I love that I can easily slide a sleeping baby in from carseat to carrier and she still feels comfortable while doing so. This is the perfect travel carrier since you can easily put it on and take it off with two simple belted clips! By far the best buy for us, so we even bought two!

(4) Rockin' Baby Sling - I recently borrowed this from my sister, since I've always wanted a ring sling. I thought I'd try it out before I invested in a ring sling for myself (maybe the Sakura Bloom). So far, we've only used it once and while H loved it, I have still to gather the strength to carry her out and about in it for hours on end, she is after all 19/20lb? I do however, like H, love the closeness I feel with her in the sling. Honestly she feels like a newborn in it with her little head popping out! I'll have to try it out a little more before I write and updated review.

And so I leave you with that for now. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to update you on more baby wearing products in the future!