Our little Sugar Plum at 5.5 months!
Miss Ava is now sampling lots of solid foods, sleeping through the whole night (on occasions not every single night) and still teething like crazy! Were waiting for that first little one to pop up!
We made our first trip up to LA with Ava last week. It was a success but definitely took some planning! Tackling a 45 minute drive up and 45 minutes back with a baby and dodging traffic was quite the adventure. We hit up our usual spots and added a new one to the list! I definitely think the hubby was more excited to shop than Ava! Check out his grin!
It has been so exciting using our Babycook and making Avas baby food. By making I mean cutting it up and pressing puree. It doesnt get any easier than that lol. For veggies you just steam them in there first and then puree. Eventually the recipes will be a little more creative but for now were just introducing stage 1 foods. Sweet potatoes, bananas and avocados have all been a HIT with her!
*Side note stage 1 foods = stage 1 poops! Oh my, can’t wait to see what stage 2 and 3 foods have in store for us!!
This little grin truly brightens our whole day!!
It cracks me up when I’m scrolling the camera left to right to try to find her and BAM she’s staring right at me! hahah
So excited to be in a big girl cart at Traders!
All Right Mamas….
Any recommendations on Umbrella (cheap) Strollers? Do you use them just for travel? Also any pain relievers for the teething?! Were are using the baby tylenol by little tummies and the taste is awful! Her face looks like she took a shot of tequila when we have to give it to her! We will also be traveling in a couple months and i’m already anxious because she has a difficult time putting her self to sleep while out! She only likes to nap in her crib, car seat and SOMETIMES a stroller as long as its moving! Im planning on nursing her but that doesnt always do the trick. This child doesnt want to miss a thing during the day! Any and all tips are welcome!
I also have a post coming this weekend on our Current Favorite Baby Products!
How blessed you are! She's absolutely sweet. 🙂
Eat Cake
Thank you Manda!
Your baby girl is too cute for words!! It's to the point where I want to have a baby after looking at her.
http://tenytalk.blogspot.com/
awww thanks Teny
I've never had the umbrella kind. We just bring our jog stroller still, also use the Baby Bjorn for outtings. My 8 month old is happy as long as she can see whats going on too.
I also use baby Tylenol. Teething tablets never seemed to work for my girlies. Where did you purchase the baby food maker?
If you click on the set it will take you to both baby food makers! We bought ours from Williams & Sonoma
Awww she is sooo cute!!! Her little smile is so sweet 🙂
Your daughter is so adorable. Time flies so quickly, I still remember going on your blog and finding out you were expecting baby bean. Too cute. For umbrella strollers I used the Mcclaren Volo and the Chicco liteway stroller. Both of them worked very well. My daughters are only 14 months apart and I purchased the combi umbrella double stroller and it worked great. They have a single one too and it must be easy to maneuver as well. I think they are all in the same price range which is about 150. Even when I used umbrella strollers, I needed that bottom basket to carry toys and blankets and all of these options have that.
For teething I used Boiron Camilia Teething Relief. Also if you freeze cold washcloths and let her bite, that seems to soothe their gums. I bought endless amounts of teething toys and my girls were not interested. Your daughter sounds just like my first born. She would not put herself to sleep when we were out at all. She wanted to see everything. She was and is a very active and alert child. By the time she was 11 months old, she was walking and taking 2 thirty minute naps. They are so much work but the best thing in the world. By the looks of your pics and stories, you and your hubby are doing a wonderful job and your baby is one lucky little girl!
thank you so much and for the tips! I'm def looking into the maclaren bc all you mamas are recommending it! xo
Your daughter is too cute for words. Do you wear anything on your lips or it that natural lip color(4th pic)?
thanks love! I'm actually just wearing Mac Oak lipliner and chapstick
McClaren strollers are wonderful! So easy open and close. I can do it with one arm while carrying my 2 1/2 year old in the other. I've heard amber necklaces are great for teething, very soothing.
think this is the one I'm leaning towards since all you mamas recommend it!
Miss Ava is a cutie! I give my little one Camilia for teething. I like it because it's homeopathic. When he gets a little older I think I will get him an amber necklace – I heard it works wonders. My baby doesn't nap well while out either. Usually I wear him in the Ergo with the sleep hoodie on and he would fall asleep within 10 minutes! The Ergo is magic! The only thing is that he wakes up when I sit down.
yes i keep hearing about this amber teething ring too so i think i may have to jump on that bandwagon too!
So glad to hear about Ergo!!
I've found Camilia Teething to be quite good on my little guy…It's a homeopathic medicine and works great! As far as traveling- Been there…So stressful- bring lots of toys & treats- by then she'll be able to eat cheerios & such and that can keep her busy…Good luck…
http://www.pinmet.com/
Definitely a good call with the toys and treats! Im going to stock up! thank you!
For teething – I was living in England when my babies were going through the teething stage – and all the mommy boards recommended Teetha – it's homeopathic (gentle & natural – no worries about choking as you do with Bonjela) – it's MAGIC:
http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-gb/uk/our-brands/nelsons-teetha/teetha/
I would bring boxes back for my friends in the US & Canada…you only need to apply a little of the powder lightly to your baby's gums – and they stop fussing!
It's a bit hard to get in N. America, but there are apparently some reputable online pharmacies that sell them.
thanks so much for the suggestion! Ill have to see if i can find some here! xo
Favorite umbrella stroller http://www.target.com/p/jeep-wrangler-all-weather-umbrella-stroller-hype/-/A-14050159?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C14050159&CPNG=baby&ci_sku=14050159&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw= Used mostly for quick trips and traveling by air. Have you tried baby orajel?
Oh my goodness!!! LOVE that mama and baby pic! Ava's smile is SO sweet!!
For teething we were told not to give Olivia any baby tylenol or anything but we just felt SO bad so we gave her a little! We used Little Tummies tylenol for Liv the berry flavor and she LOVED it. She would just suck it down! haha
She also loves the frozen teethers/rings. Her favorite is one I bought from Babies R Us for like $1.99!! (similar to these…http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12409795)
Also, we never tried these but I have heard teething tablets and these http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12758307
Good Luck!! We are teething again and it is AWFUL!! 🙁
yes the one you recommended we tried a couple days ago and were such a hit!!!
Haha. I love that picture of her staring at the camera. As far as umbrella strollers I only recently bought one off a friend and Layla is already 16 months. I felt like she was too small for one before one year. I use it now for quick little trips into stores.
We use his city mini jogger for everything since it's so small and lightweight. For teething you can use a bootie/sock (unused or washed of course) and dip the end of it in water, freeze it, and then you have a teething cloth that you can hold and your fingers not go numb. If you're on the go, pacifier or any toy really. My little one is 9.5 months and no teeth, although I say he's been teething since 3 months 🙂 Traveling with a baby at this age is hard since they want to keep busy so much, but things I've found helpful are: mesh eaters with fruit inside, puffs, toys, books. The mesh eaters were awesome just make sure she has a bib on 🙂 HTH.
yes i feel like Ava has been teething since she was 3 months as well but each month progressively gets worse so i think they may pop up soon!
What a cutie!!
Umbrella strollers some good ones are maclaren, Mia moda, Uppa vista umbrella
I was told by my sister who is a nurse that oragel isn't good for babies anymore ? So I'm sure going with a homeopathic one is the way to go!
I had a question? What was your eating/ workout routine while being pregnant ?! You looked/ look amazing! Did u count calories ? Or just eat healthy!!
I'm expecting my 4th and want to really be on the healthier side ( eating , working out ) with this one. I did good with my last pregnancies as far as working out but I didn't eat as healthy
Hi love i definitely didn't go nut when I was pregnant. I just tried to eat well the majority of the time but also indulged and listened to my body when it craved something. As far as working out you can look up my updates under the baby section but for the most part i did cardio a couple times a week as well as some scaled back strength training up until I was about 7.5 mnths. After that I got a really bad cold and took forever to get better so I just started walking and taking it easy after that. Congrats to you on your 4th pregnancy your a rock star!!!
My daughter absolutely hates the Little Tummies Tylenol too!! Your description of the taste as being like a shot of tequila was spot on. We have found that our little one actually likes the taste of just the generic Walgreens brand (it's usually Cherry or Grape flavored). She likes it so much she always wants to suck on the little dropper afterward.
Happy 5.5 months to your little cutie!
so glad mine wasn't the only one who hated it! ill def look into the generic Walgreens one!
I hear the maclaren stroller is the best. I would place her in one at the store and push her around for at least 15 minutes (while you shop) before you decide. I know a lady who went through 5 strollers before settling on the maclaren stroller. she travels with it as well (even to thailand and India!).
Also for teething, Amber bracelets and or Necklaces are a big hit right now. its natural and very homeopathic.
where did you get your stroller cover and which monitor are you using?
good luck! Anna
http://scaifebabywatch.blogspot.com/
im leaning towards that one bc all you mamas keep recommending it! thanks love
The Hyland's teething tablets r a staple in this house. I put a cpl in a tsp of water & I swear instantly helps. Also use baby oragel on the really bad days. Trying to limit the Tylenol but def thinking about giving it to Jase b4 6month shots. Heard they r brutal & he wasn't having the last set he got :/
thanks so much jennifer had my hubby pick those tablets up toady!!
A little Baby Orajel should help with the teething pain! She's so adorable 🙂 http://www.styleoyster.blogspot.com
we've tried the orajel but doesnt seem to work for her ;(
I have been using gripe water. You can get it anywhere, little remedies makes it as well if you like that brand. I got mine from a whole foods store. It's natural, if you don't feel comfortable giving your little one Tylenol all the time. Hope this helps! : )
huge fan of the gripe water..good to know it helps with that too!
Loveee her!!!! She is smiling so hard in the pic of the two of you, so cute!!! You can see from pics that she already has so much personality. Looking forward to the baby products post! xo
she totally have so much personality now!!
*has
Any cheap umbrella stroller will do- as long as you're not looking for a cup holder or anything fancy like that:) I got mine from Target – cute brown and magenta flowers, like 20 bucks I think.
Teething tablets always worked for my kids- however, of course nothing is long term. They look like teeny tiny baby aspirin and they basically just melt on their tongue- again, Target (I think you have to ask the pharmacist for them from what I remember, but no Rx). Teething really sucks, but nursing and feeding them those fruit nets that you can put squished fruit and ice cubes in works about the best. It won't last long I promise:)
That night time camera shot is HI-LAR-IOUS. I remember those days, you just want to go in there and squeeze and hug them when they look at you thru the camera with those sweet bug eyes!!
thanks Jennifer! I just pick up the teething tablets and started using that mesh teether last weeK! It seems to help for sure! xoox
I second the maclaren! I love ours! It is so easy and light weight but you can still adjust the recline.
thanks super helpful! Sounds like a lot of you really like the maclaren!!
I love my Chicco c6 umbrella stroller! I have a cute pattern too 🙂 My little guy didn't like the little tummies brand tylenol either…we use the PediaSure infant brand in the cherry or bubble gum flavors
oh good to know ill def check out the pediasure!
can't believe how big your little one is getting — so cute! glad your enjoying motherhood! xo
http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/
I know its going by way to quickly!
I don't even have a child & I always find myself reading your entire baby posts. LOL! She is so adorable!
Lacy
MakeupbyLacy.com
lol love that Lacy! Too cute xo
Ava is such a doll! Her smile brightens up my day too!
awww thanks Noelle!
I have used the Chicco Liteway stroller with both my babies and it travels great! The canopy is nice and long so there isn't sun in their face and it even lays totally flat (I'll admit I have used it for a quick diaper change as well, pretty handy!) the colors aren't cheesy and we like how it feels sturdy but still easy to carry.
When traveling I would recommend a gate check stroller bag because no one is ever as gentle as you'd like them to be and the stroller could also get pretty dirty. Worth the extra minute to fold it up and tuck in a bag before they put it under the plane.
Advice for plane rides is NEW TOYS. Try a new one each hour of the ride. My little ones always liked the books that had the different textures to feel too. Good luck!
thanks for the tip love! Def will be stocking up on NEW toys for the trip!!
My son is very picky on pain relievers and what works for his is the CVS brand like Ibprofen,it comes in a Berry flavor and he takes it much easier, and it even comes dye free, HUGE bonus!
http://cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-Infants-Ibuprofen-Oral-Suspension-Berry-Flavor?skuId=252796
As for Umbrella strollers we LOVE the Chicco umbrella stroller it folds us nicely and is still cozy for our son!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JHH1VK/ref=asc_df_B005JHH1VK2174118?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B005JHH1VK&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1670000529941787617&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=
Just a few reccomendations we found that our lil one loved!
this is perfect Audrey I'm going to pick up the CVS brand today!!
She's so darn cute! I love how proud your hubby looks. Awww, this is very inspiring 🙂
thank you Lily that is so kind! xo
Your daughter is a cutie pie. All of your baby posts make me have baby on the brain. She is absolutely adorable. Is it possible for you to do a daily makeup post? I just think you look positively radiant and it always looks like you have nothing on. Can you share your makeup breakdown for the 4th pic? Thanks, love your blog
thanks so much love Ill def do a post on this asap! I have a few new products I've been LOVING lately!
Andee, Maclaren strollers are the best quality and they are very smooth to push around….I have two boys and we tried other options to save money, but eventually the cheap ones broke and we were back to maclaren. they are pricy but you will save money as one will last you till she is 4. xxxx good luck!
vicky
thanks so much Victoria a few of you moms have recommended the Maclaren so I'm going to look for one this week! xo
The diaper changing when they switch foods is seriously funny. Not fun, but funny. haha I love her little outfits. She's still so cute and sweet. I would carry a small cooler with teething rings/frozen washcloths for my daughter and it always helped, also Hyland’s Teething Tablets.
yes this diaper changing is quite comical now! Im definitely going to try the frozen cloth! thank you
She always looks so beautiful.
thanks so much lovely!!
just started follow a couple weeks ago…darling little girl! I have a 20 month old that is a MOVER…so the umbrella stroller is perfect for keeping him in one place during quick runs to the store or out/about…I spent about $30 @ BRU..not the cheepest but not the spendy. But if I did it again I would spend alittle more and get one of the Chico ones that reclines..I think they are around $80? My little guy will fall asleep in it but then his head flops everywhere. 🙁 Take care! -DCW
THANKS so much for following and for the recommendation! xo
Looove the Summer Infant monitor – I have the same kind! I've been told the Hyland's teething tablets work wonders. I haven't had to use them just yet, but I have them in my diaper bag just in case! I'm excited to start making Lucas' baby food soon too, so thanks for the tip on the food processors!
For your upcoming travel, I learned a lot when we flew with our baby for the first time. Check out my blog post on it if you have a chance: https://jayandjamielynn.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/up-up-and-away/
Ava is getting more gorgeous with every new pic you post! And P.S. Happy first birthday with a baby! 😉 She truly is the best give you can have, right?!
I just bought they Hyland teething tablets and they def seem to work better than the Camila drops. I have also bookmarked your post so THANK YOU so much in advance for that!!! xo
i love how our wee ones are the same age…i am wondering about all these things too!! i am going to buy the cart cover this week and i'm thinking about making my own baby food so that baby beaba looks FANTASTIC–thanks lady
right back you love! Love hearing what little CC is loving as well! Def check out this shopping cart cover…no complaints with it! xo
Andee- she is wonderful. I have followed your blog through the pregnancy, birth and now everything. My little man is 2 months behind Ava so I always find your posts helpful. Plus I love all your fashion and nutrition posts as well. I don't usually comment but I wanted to ask you- I am breastfeeding and I am going to have to start night weening next month. What is your experience and what worked with Ava after your doctor told you to stop night feediings? I have read baby wise, lull-a-baby and I am now reading healthy sleep habits healthy child. I know each child is different but I was just wondering what worked for you.
Cheers- Lisa
Hi Lisa
I read the lulla baby and baby wise (and have yet to start healthy sleep habits healthy child) Moving Ava from the co sleeper to the nursery was a must once we wanted to start weaning her. Babywise was super helpful in getting ava on a schedule. (we weren't as strict with the feedings as baby wise emphasizes) During the say if my baby was crying bc she was hungry we fed her. I tried as best I could to get her to go at least 2.5 hours which was usually do able but pushing her to three hours was rare. Now she seems to be getting there. As for night time it was a ROUGH week but we saw progress pretty quickly with the CIO method. Thankfully i had my hubbys support which stopped me from running in there to pick her up. If I felt like she was really unsettled I would go in (like the lulla baby sleep plan) and calm her down as best I could without picking her up. Now she fusses for a few mins (sometimes not at all) and puts herself to sleep. Like I said the first week was so hard but SOOOO worth it for us that we did. After the first week she went from two feedings to one feeding and now occasionally sleeps the entire night! She goes down at 7 so if she wakes at 5 I go in and feed her (since its been 10hrs! then put her back down to sleep which she will usually then sleep till 7 730ish) Hope this was helpful and GOOD LUCK!
Thanks Andee. Mj has been in his room/crib for about 6weeks now and that has gone well so far. He goes down easily at 7 but still wakes up around 1-2 then again around 4-5, then he is up for the day around 7:30. I knows I need to do the CIO but both my husband and I feel so bad when he cries. :-(. We are having our bedroom painted this week so we will be sleeping one floor below in the house so maybe I will try it then and just have the monitor on with no sound. I know that once I get past this part it will make him self southe more so I need to do it. One last question. I have not found a diaper bag I like and I was trying to decide between a lv never full or the Marc Jacobs you have. I want something I can also use as a purse so I don't have to carry 2 bags. Any thoughts?
Thank you for your response and all your great posts.
Cheers-Lisa
Trust me the stages of poo only get more gross. Haha!
For an umbrella stroller, I absolutely LOVE the Uppababy G-Luxe. It's super light, has a huge sun shade and decent basket underneath for storage, folds easily, has a strap for carrying it on your shoulder when folded, reclines all the way, comes in cute colors and is Uppababy so the customer service is fantastic! Your blog is super amazing, I just found it and am loving reading all your baby rec's! (I have a 27 month old and an 11 week old — soooo fun!!)
Ahh! We just had our gender reveal last night and I am stoked to have found out we are having a girl too…I was avid on your blog already but now going back to read it again with all your girl tips and ideas! 🙂 So adorable, she is gorgeous!
http://bpbun.blogspot.com/