the case of the missing teeth.

two weeks after finn's first signs of "teething" we still don't have ANY teeth.

not even the slightest.

this boy is still as toothless as the day he came.

i'm pretty sure he wasn't teething at all and just caught a little virus that hung around for a week.

i've heard the low fever, cranky, drooly, restless signs of teething can also be signs of a bug, so since finner is still nothin' but gums, my guess is it was a bug.

billy and i both got teeth really late so finn will probably get them late too.

teeth or no teeth, i'm just glad i have my regular little man back.

somebody's feeling a lot better!

giant stickers.

i've always wanted to try those big adhesive wall art applique's (giant stickers) and finally got the opportunity when billy's mom gave me one last night.

she found it on sale at kohl's, and right away billy and i were super excited to try it out.

ok, mostly i.

so i had big plans for this tree sticker on a wall in the front guest bedroom, but the picture on the outside of the box is somewhat deceiving... i thought it was going to be about six feet tall.

i opened it up and discovered it's about two feet tall.  maybe.

i was kinda bummed at first, but then i remembered a picture frame had broken in the hall bathroom and i needed something new for in there, so that's where it went.

 these pictures are edited, but in real life you can't really see the clear adhesive background at all.  it looks more like this:

i really like the way it turned out, and it was really easy to stick and unstick a couple times to get it straight.  the tree is one big piece, and all the birds and the two extra branches were separate, so i had some fun with it.

this is like decorating for preschoolers.  

they're easy, they're not permanent, they look cool, and really, who doesn't love giant stickers?

here's a quick view from the hall:

so much fun!

adventures in baby food making.

i thought i would write a little update on how solid foods have been going with finn the past month and a half!

you might remember that i started out making my own brown rice cereal.

i did this for a little bit, but i eventually switched to earth's best organic whole grain rice cereal, seen here:

i couldn't quite get my own brown rice ground up fine enough. it was really thick. this rice cereal is really inexpensive (around $2), lasts forever (we're still on the same box), and is really easy to make.

i mix finn's rice cereal with pumped breast milk, or you could mix it with formula if that's what you use.  also, thanks to a great tip from another mom (hi michelle!) i always mix a few spoonfuls of organic applesauce in it as well.  i just buy a big jar of regular organic applesauce (not any special "baby" kind) and use that.  it sweetens the cereal naturally and finn is much more fond of it that way.

i also like this cereal from earth's best and use it very often:

but if there is any gluten intolerance in your family i would stick with rice!  finn really likes this cereal though!

i introduced new foods every few days with finn.  i started out buying little jars of the earth's best organic stage 1 baby food and then once finn tried it (and i got a good look at the consistency) i started making my own baby food with the foods i know he liked.

here's what i found out:

carrots are super easy to make your own.  you can use peeled whole carrots or the baby carrots.  just put them in a pot with a little water and boil the heck out of em.  really overcook them.  then i put them in a food processor (this one- love it!) with a little water until i get the desired consistency.  finn loves carrots and they save really well!  (i just used washed baby jars from the food i tried with him first to save the baby food i made myself).

bananas are also really easy to make yourself.  i add pumped milk to them in the food processor.  the thing about bananas is they don't save very well, they turn brown.  this is the same with most fruit.  if you want to get fancy you can add citric acid or a lot of lemon juice, but with fruits i have just been serving them immediately.  another thing that i discovered is that if you're mixing foods with breastmilk, the breastmilk breaks down the fruit/cereal/whathaveyou over time.  if you put your baby food mixture it in the fridge semi-thick and take it out the next day, it will be really watery.  so it's better not to store your homemade baby food with breastmilk in it.  either serve it immediately or add it later.  it took us a while to figure that one out!

peas are very easy to make as well, but the pain in the butt part is the hulls.  when you buy jarred peas (which finn LOVES) i think they remove the hulls, or the outer part of the pea.  it's just the creamy whipped insides of the pea.  when you make your own peas, it's a pain to remove the hulls.  i don't do it.  i just puree the whole pea.  but the hulls are hard to break down and don't grind up as fine so they are kind of chunky.  i also heard they are harder to digest, but finn hasn't had a problem with them.  i will say that the canned peas have a much nicer consistency.

potatoes are something we recently tried (baby yellow ones) that i boiled with carrots, removed the skins and pureed.  they turn out so smooth and creamy with just a little water in the food processor!  finn really loved them.  i added carrots with them for a little extra nutrients.

avocadoes are a recent try as well.  i pureed half an avocado a little baby oatmeal, applesauce, breastmilk and a little banana.  finn really liked it.  i know avocado is really nutritious and it was super easy and had a nice consistency.

finn has also tried cantaloupe that i threw in the food processor and he liked that as well.  things like pears, sweet potatoes and squash he has had canned but i haven't made myself.

one thing that i found during these food trials is that bananas and the iron-fortified rice cereal both made finn constipated.  i bought a couple little jars of earth's best organic prunes and mix a few spoonfuls of that in with his cereal or whatever he's eating if he's a little backed up, and it really does the trick!  keep that one in your pocket!

finn's go-to meal is normally baby cereal (rice or oatmeal) mixed with breastmilk and applesauce.  that is what i feed him most often.  probably one meal a day.  for a second meal i'll give him carrots or bananas or potatoes or whatever i've made and have on hand.  he normally just gets two meals a day, but sometimes three.  i learned that since he is still young so it's more about getting a taste for new things and developing his palate than it is filling him up completely (that's what i'm for!) :)  this is a great article.  i think i've referenced that before.

so starting solids with finn has been really fun, and making some of it myself has been really fun and cost effective as well.  i don't know much about what he can try in a few weeks when he turns six months, and i don't know much about finger foods, etc.  is it nine months when you start giving them finger foods?  i would love some feedback on later feeding stages and options!  thanks guys! xoxo

my thoughts on a plethora of baby slings.

we have tried soooo many different baby carrying devices since finn has been born.

i know "wearing" your baby might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has worked for me because i'm always trying to do a million things and it frees up my hands.  i also like being close to finn, and he likes being held, so it's a good solution for us all around.

here is my rundown on the bazillion baby carriers (okay five) that we've been through:

when finn was very little we first had "the sleepy wrap".

i think he is maybe a week old in these! aww!

so, the sleepy wrap is soft and flexible, but it didn't work out for us so well.
finn never loved it, and billy and i could never figure out how to put it on by ourselves.
i either had to put it on billy, or he had to put it on me, and inevitably one of us would get tangled in it and frustrated before we finally figured it out and put the baby in it.
i know a lot of people who love the sleepy wrap, and i know if you do get the hang of it it can be very versatile.  believe me, i watched about 20 youtube videos on different ways to tie the darn thing, but no dice.  i really think it was way too much fabric for my petite frame.

i also tried the moby wrap, which is essentially exactly the same as the sleepy wrap, but it's less stretchy.  i still had the same problems with it as the sleepy wrap though.

here are some pictures of me unsuccessfully trying to wear a much bigger finn in this thing:

how awkward does that look!?

as a side note- if any of you out there in mommyland would like my sleepy wrap or moby wrap, please let me know.  i will gladly send one to you! they are dark green and black, respectively.  we may have used them three times.

next i tried the balboa baby sling.  i really liked this sling and i still use it.
when finn was very small he slept in it like a little cocoon.

i wore him like this a lot when i was eating and that inevitably led to lots of spaghetti sauce on my sling.

it came out.

now that finn is bigger i wear it on my hip and finn's butt sits in it and it works as a hip sling.  i don't have a picture of me using it as that, but it's very easy because the sling is so lightweight and portable.  i can literally throw it in my purse and if i don't want to mess with pulling out the stroller to run into the grocery store i just stick finn on my hip in this sling.  it's not good for long term carrying (especially if your hip is boney) and he can't fall asleep on my hip, so while i like it for short trips i was still looking for something else.

so next we got a baby bjorn.

the baby bjorn was really handy the first few months and finn LOVED it.

it was perfect when he was small, and he always fell asleep in it so we could do anything with him!  we went out to eat all the time with him in this thing and were guaranteed an uninterrupted meal.

as finn got bigger, wearing him in the baby bjorn got harder and harder on my back.
i also learned that finn liked to be worn facing out in the baby bjorn, and this threw off my back even more.

so i started researching a bigger baby carrier option.

while i was doing my research i came across the ergo baby carrier.

it looked like it would be a whole lot easier on my back, and was built for older and bigger babies, so i thought... great!

but right off the bat i noticed that in all of the pictures on the website, none of the babies were facing out.  i thought hmmm, i wonder if you can wear your baby facing out with the ergo!  i have to have an outfacing carrier because finn loves it so much!

i looked a little closer and found that with the ergo you can wear your baby on the front facing in, on your hip, or on your back.  but not facing out.  and then i came across this and found out why. 
it basically says that you should never wear your baby facing out because he can't turn away from stimulus and is constantly getting bombarded.  it also said that healthy sleep is really difficult for a baby worn facing out because he is so overstimulated.

WHAT!

first i felt like a total jerk.  here i thought finn was having a grand old time looking at everything around him when really his head was about to explode.
next i thought, oh man!  maybe this is why finn isn't sleeping well!
the night we went to the fair, for example, was finn's worst night ever.  he was restless and barely slept at all.  it totally made sense that he was completely overstimulated because i was wearing him facing out at a flippin' carnival full of lights and people!  poor baby!

so i ordered the ergo carrier and in the interim i only wore finn facing in in his baby bjorn.  the difference was huge.  he immediately started sleeping better and seemed more secure.

another side note- if any of my expectant friends or friends with new babies would like to borrow our baby bjorn now that finn has outgrown it, i will gladly send it your way!  just let me know! 

finally, our last baby carrying device ever arrived!  the ergo!
as soon as i put it on i felt like finn weighed half as much.  it seriously saved my back.
finn absolutely loves it too.  he likes to be in it awake or asleep.
i have only ever worn him on the front in it, but i'm looking forward to trying it on my back and hip.

it's a little bulkier than the other carriers i have, but it's worth it for the extra back support.
it also has this super handy little cloth flap that you can pull over your baby's head once he falls asleep to block light.  example:

i flippin' love this thing.
(those little brown fabric cuffs on the straps are optional "sucking pads" if your little one likes to chew the straps.  much easier to throw those in the wash than washing the whole carrier.)

(look at mumpeg chowing on some corn in the background! haha!)

finn REALLY loves being in this.  i feel like it's a great way to introduce him into new or busy environments.  it's kind of a safe way for him to securely experience new things.  it's worked out really well for us!  if he is fussy or just wants to be held and i need to get dinner ready or my arms are getting tired from carrying him around, the ergo is perfect.  i feel like it gives me freedom while allowing me to be close to little man, and it's not permanently paralyzing my back. win!


so this concludes my thoughts on the plethora of baby slings that i've tried:
sleepy and moby wraps: great idea but not for me.
balboa baby sling: awesome as a sleepy carrier when baby is little and great as a hip sling when baby is older.
baby bjorn: i would say great for a baby up to around 16 or 17 pounds. we loved it until month 5.
ergo baby carrier: awesome all around for an older and bigger baby. (although they do have an infant insert! we just haven't tried that!)

hopefully someone out there can benefit from my adventures in babywearing and find the carrier that works for you!

xoxo

jem

when i was little i had a jem barbie doll.

'member her?

 

i pretty much thought she was the cat's pajamas.

my particular jem doll boasted only one earring.

this was intentional, of course.

one very large star earring.

that jem, she really was a trendsetter.

anywho, today was a particularly exhausting day at home... finn is still "teething" which should be called "the miserable week of drooly cranky sleeplessness that still hasn't resulted in an actual tooth."  maybe it's a virus?  i don't know, whatever it is, those stupid teeth haven't made much headway and i.am.tired.

so once i finally got him down for a nap and did some chores, on accident i took ten million pictures of myself making weird faces and wearing only one earring.

no, i don't know why.

mostly because i'm tired and i wish i was jem, okay?

help! this mascara is weighing down my left lid.

look! a ufo!

what would jem think?

this is the face i bet jem makes when she thinks

the verdict? jem did it better.

but i'll wear the earring long enough for billy to come home and laugh at me.

highland orchards.

i love highland orchards.
it's the best in the fall when you can pick pumpkins and apples and drink hot cider and eat apple cider donuts.
but it's good any time of year, really.

we went today with the intention of picking peaches, but it was drizzly when we got there and some of the employees told us there were a lot of prickers and bees in the fields, so i just snatched some up that were already picked inside the market.

my friend steph was up visiting with her precious little ones and they had plenty of fun on the tot lot, eating hot dogs and ice cream, and feeding the goats, and didn't seem too disappointed about missing the peach picking.

here are a few pictures from the day:

finn really loved the goats.
he also really loved jackson and isla and was so busy trying to keep up with what they were doing that he refused to eat or sleep all afternoon, and thus ended up a very unhappy, overtired little fellow.

it's always a bummer when your little one has an "off" day, especially when you're visiting with friends, but hey it happens to the best of us and that's what big girl drinks are for at the end of the day, am i right?

we really had a great, fun day overall though.
the little man is asleep now, dreaming of goats and jackson's cool pirate sword, i'm sure.
i'm going to look up peach cobbler recipes and enjoy the quiet! :)
(after finn i said i wanted a zillion babies, but man, having three around all day can really wear you out!)

tree gazing.

or, laying on a blanket in the yard.

a favorite activity on a friday eve...

kickin' it.

somebody wore his chuck taylor high tops today for the very first time!

he's either fascinated by them or trying to figure out how to take them off.  

haven't figured out which yet!

but they sure do look cute!

cheers!

billy and i have been watching "cheers" on netflix!

for those of you youngsters, "cheers" was a tv show.  kind of the original "friends".
come on, kids.

i was too young for cheers... i attributed the theme song with my bedtime as a child.
cheers music? everybody knows your name? kiss your dad it's time for bed.

billy got to watch it because he was a little bit older.
but we thought it would be fun to watch from start to finish.

we just finished the first season.

it's a funny show.  not like today's comedy funny, but funny in it's own right.
i think it's worth it to watch it just for the sweet 80's fashion and hair.
but it's also a televison classic, so i'm glad to have it under my belt.

my favorite thing about it has to be the drink ordering.  everyone either orders "beer" (not specified) or something totally random, like sherry or an old fashioned.  wheh? 

we try to watch an episode every night on the computer while we're snuggled up in bed.
i'd say we watch one successfully about 30% of the time. 

most nights, while i'm pulling up netflix, this happens:

is it a fair trade off for this?

it's a toss up.

haha just kidding. (look at that hair!)