Family Scripture Reading from the Pulpit!

Today our family gave a communion meditation together and then prayed for the bread and the cup together. I am so thankful that Caroline will grow up participating in the life of the church and knowing that she is an equal member in the body of Christ! 

We left our last church and moved to this one precisely for this reason. I was especially moved by the woman who told my daughter that she looked at home behind the pulpit and maybe she would be a preacher some day. Leaving a church full of people that we loved was so incredibly difficult but I know it was the right choice for us.

Caroline teaches the class a little about gender roles in Dallas.

Take Your Daughter to a Work Day - Conference Edition!

Last week my daughter attended her third meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Social Problems. My daughter is 28 months old. Her first conference was at 4 months. She's been to other conferences as well, 5 more to be exact. So, how do I do it? What's my secret? Friends and colleagues who are willing to take her for a walk around the hotel while I give my presentation. Yep, it's that simple. One year my in laws met us at the conference and watched her so that I could conference. One year my husband came. Often it's a student who watches her and on this last trip she sat in the front row and watched Daniel Tiger on the iPad while I presented.

Being a working Mom isn't easy but I like to think that as she sees me working and doing my job that it will encourage her and help her to aspire to be anything! 

Potty Training - Not for the Faint of Heart

For the past 6 months or so we have sporadically put Caroline on the toilet in the morning and right before bath and usually she would go. Well, school finished up and she seemed more interested in using the potty so we decided to just go for it. I pinned a lot of ideas and tips on Pinterest and then set out to potty train. The pin I kept seeing the most was a variation on "potty train your toddler in 3 days" theme. So, the basic idea is to give your kid lots of juice and salty snacks and let them run around naked and put them on the potty every 30 minutes. Give lots of rewards/praise when they make it to the potty. Okay, other than the juice and candy rewards I can handle that. We put her in underwear and asked every 30 minutes. In the first half of the day we went through 10 pair of underwear. I was exhausted and she was cranky and we all just wanted to get out of the house! I could see that the intense method was not working for us. We also couldn't stay housebound for 3 solid days.

So, we decided to try our own, go at her own pace method. I broke down and bought some disposable training pants (I thought about using cloth but I didn't want to make the investment). We put her in the training pants and ask every hour if she needs to go, when she says no we leave it at that and don't push.

After about 3 weeks we started to see her stay consistently dry so we tried underwear again with much better success. We are now working on her recognizing the need to go and telling us. 

We are still using training pants during sleep but I'd guess that she'll be nap trained by the time she goes back to school in 6 weeks!

The most valuable lesson I learned from this experience is that each child is unique and you can't force a child to potty!

How I Travel with a Baby

Sleeping in the taxi on the drive from the Denver airport to our downtown hotel.

Traveling with babies and toddlers can seem daunting. The first time I tried to travel with kids was back when I was a grad student and I took my two nephews from Kansas to California to visit my parents. My sister was being treated for breast cancer so I took her 3 year old and 8 month old out to California on my own! It was trying but I just powered through and did it. I think that experience gave me a lot of confidence when it came time to take my own baby on a flight. One of the problems that I had with my nephews was that they missed their mom, well, I wouldn't have that problem with my own child!

Anyway, the other day a friend asked me some questions on Facebook about traveling with her baby and so I thought I'd share my advice here for future reference. So, let's get to the advice!

First, do you need to buy a plane ticket for your baby? No, if they are under 2 years old then they don't need there own seat. However, a carseat is the safest place for a baby to ride and it will give you a place to put the child so that you can have both of your hands free. If you decide to have the baby sit on your lap you will need to have him/her added to your ticket so that it says "plus infant" on it. You can do that at check in/bag check. When flying try to nurse or give a bottle on takeoff and landing or use a pacifier, the sucking helps the ear pressure adjust.

Second, do I need to bring a carseat on the plane? Yes, if you purchased a ticket for the baby, no if they are going to sit in your lap. The airline allows you to check a car seat and stroller for free. I prefer to check these and not lug them through security. I have a bag for both my car seat and my stroller to protect them from rough baggage handlers. 

Since I check my stroller I use a baby carrier (Ergo brand) to carry the baby through the airport. I still use it now that she's nearly 2 years old although now she walks some as long as we aren't in too big of a hurry. You can actually leave the baby strapped to you when you go through security, they will just test your hands after you go through the metal detector.

What about taxis, busses, and subways? In all of my checking and researching I have found that taxis do not require a carseat although that totally freaks me out! If you know that you'll be in a car a lot then bring the carseat. If your baby is little enough to be in a bucket/infant carseat than just bring your stroller that the carseat clips into and it will save you time. Practice installing your carseat using the seatbelt. I use a city mini stroller and have an attachment that allows virtually all carseat brands to be used with it. I love my stroller! On public transit you can have the baby on your lap or leave them in the stroller. Again, having them strapped in a carseat is always safest even without being belted in. 

What about renting a car? Yes, you can rent a car seat. When you book the car online you choose additional features and it's usually $8-10 per day. They should have it for you at the rental place ready when you get there. However, it will be a toddler seat and probably a lower end one. If your child is particular then they may not want to sleep in the rented car seat. You also never know the history of the carseat and generally they don't come installed so you have to install it. I just prefer to bring my own since checking it is free and then I know how to install it and I know the baby won't hate it!

Do I need a stroller? I like to have a stroller. A lightweight, easy to fold stroller is ideal. If you do a lot of walking it will be great. It's also nice to just have somewhere to put the baby while shopping or eating. I do a combo of baby carrier and stroller to make stairs easier. I also like being able to put all of the stuff in the bottom of the stroller, quite handy for shopping. When navigating busses and subways I put the baby in the carrier before heading down into the subway or while I'm at the bus stop and that way I can just jump on.

My last tip is to keep in mind that you'll need to go slower and may not get to see as much and that's okay. Sightseeing with a baby has to be a little more relaxed. Take lots of snacks and drinks for baby and just try to enjoy yourself! Also, remember that in a pinch you can always buy something that you may have forgotten! 

Adventures in Teaching!

This past school year I have worked to make my teaching better. I've been increasingly frustrated by a lack of rigor and an increasing number of students who do not know how to take ownership of their learning. As a new teacher 10 years ago I was thankful to have students who just listened passively and didn't ask questions. Now I want and need them to think and be engaged. I'm no longer satisfied with students "earning" a passing grade. I want students to learn, I want them to retain knowledge and even change the way that they think about the world. It's a tall order but I don't think that it's a pipe dream. So, what am I doing to make this happen?

First, I did some experiments with a flipped class. In a flipped class students do lecture/content delivery online and then actually engage the material during class. I first flipped my statistics class. I found and created a bunch of tutorial videos and some online readings an then when students come to class we work on practice problems, work on analyzing data using the computer programs, do fun activities. Overall it went well and I enjoyed the flipped structure. I'm looking forward to doing it again this fall now that I have all of the content created.

The second thing that I've been working on is something called Specs Grading. Specifications grading or Specs is a way of grading that is intended to increase rigor and decrease work load. I read through a book by Dr. Linda Nilson and listened to this podcast where she describes the system: Linda Nilson - Specs Grading. After I read through her book and listened to her speak and then got a copy of a sociology syllabus that uses specs grading from a Facebook group I knew that I was ready. I'm going to be jumping in beginning Monday in my intro to sociology course.

Here is the description that I give in my syllabus:

"Evaluation

Adult-learning theory will be used to evaluate your performance in this class. Adult-learning theory tells us that adults learn better in a safe, flexible, and challenging environment. In order to provide an optimal environment for learning you will have a choice about which grade you will pursue in this course depending on your personal learning objectives.

Each grade is associated with a set of required assignments that you must complete in order to earn that grade. All assignments except quizzes will be graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. I will provide clear assignment specifications with examples of satisfactory work. Only assignments completed by the deadline will count toward your final grade. Research has shown that this kind of grading system provides a safe, flexible, and more rigorous learning environment than traditional points based systems.

Grade Criteria

Following are lists of assignments and criteria required to earn a specific grade in this class. You can find the specifications for each assignment posted on Canvas. Please note that failure to satisfactorily complete any of the requirements for a particular assignment will result in a grade of “unsatisfactory” on that assignment.

A grade of A indicates complete mastery of the four learning objectives. In order to obtain complete mastery on these objectives and earn an A you will need to:

1. 1.     Have no more than 1 unexcused absence during the 3 week summer session.
2. 2.     Earn an average of 80% on all online quizzes (open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the average if needed.
3. 3.     Complete 8 out of 10 of the sociology in the news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
4. 4.     Complete 8 out of 10 journal entries. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
5. 5.     Complete the movie reflection
6. 6.     Complete a mini literature review on a sociological topic that uses 3 academic, peer-reviewed, journal articles.

A grade of B indicates above average mastery of the four learning objectives. In order to obtain above average mastery on these objectives and earn a B you will need to:

1. 1.     Have no more than 1 unexcused absence during the 3 week summer session.
2. 2.     Earn an average of 80% on all online quizzes (open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the average if needed.
3. 3.     Complete 7 out of 10 of the sociology in the news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
4. 4.     Complete 7 out of 10 journal entries. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
5. 5.     Complete the movie reflection

A grade of C indicates average mastery of the four learning objectives. In order to obtain average mastery on these objectives and earn a C you will need to:

1. 1.     Have no more than 2 unexcused absences during the 3 week summer session.
2. 2.     Earn an average of 70% on all online quizzes (open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the average if needed.
3. 3.     Complete 5 out of 10 of the sociology in the news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
4. 4.     Complete 5 out of 10 journal entries. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.

A grade of D indicates below average mastery of the four learning objectives. In order to obtain below average mastery on these objectives and earn a D you will need to:

• 1.     Have no more than 3 unexcused absences during the 3 week summer session.
• 2.     Earn an average of 70% on all online quizzes (open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the average if needed.
• 3.     Complete 2 out of 10 of the sociology in the news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.
• 4.     Complete 2 out of 10 journal entries. You may complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.

A grade of F indicates that you did not meet any of the learning objectives for the course. Failure to meet the requirements for a D will earn an F in the course."

I'll update on the progress of the course once the three weeks are over. 

Merry Christmas!

It was a wonderful holiday season spent with family and friends. We are renewed and ready for a new year! 

We are so thankful for the birth of Christ and the salvation that his life, death, and resurrection has brought us. May we continue to grow in faith and love in the coming new year.

Thankful!

We spent Thanksgiving in Kansas which meant a long drive. It's been awhile since we've driven that far and I am proud to say that all three of us did really well. We enjoyed our time visiting my aunt and uncle while my husband worked. Here are some things I'm thankful for:

A loving husband!

A beautiful little girl who is healthy, happy, and full of feisty spirit!

Family all over the country who always make us feel at home when we visit.

A church family where we feel loved and are able to grow in our faith.

A Cloth Diaper Update

As I was putting the cloth diapers in the wash tonight I realized that it has been nearly 14 months since Caroline began wearing her cloth diapers. I remember how nervous I was when we made the decision to use cloth and how scary the whole washing process seemed to be. I was so confused about everything! Now, I hardly even notice the extra laundry or effort and laugh at my pregnant self and the concerns that I had that now seem so silly. Here are some of the concerns that I had and how we have handled them along with some of the hacks that we have used to make cloth more manageable.

First, I was so overwhelmed by all of the options! There are prefolds, and pockets and fitted, one size, and all in one, organic, hemp, cotton, microfiber, wool. The choices are dizzying. I'd like to be able to say that I really did my homework and was really well informed about diapers but really I just picked the ons that seemed to be the most like disposable, were reasonably priced, and made in the US. We went with the Bumgenius Freetime all-in-one diapers. These diapers are a single piece with nothing to stuff and are ready to go straight out of the drier. They are also one size which means you use the same set for the life of your diapering. They do take a long time to dry but my husband has never had a problem with them and it is way less intimidating for childcare workers. Even my college age babysitter is a fan. These are on the pricey side but they were totally worth it! I'm pretty glad that I stuck with one brand and style, simple is good. We also picked snaps over velcro for longevity. We had a few velcro and they were sort of a bust :(.

Because we picked an easy to use diaper that is one size we are able to get by on just 18 diapers which means they don't take up much space and they really weren't that expensive.

With just 18 diapers we do laundry at least every other day but mostly we just throw them in at night after we put her down but before we go to bed. With that said, she does wear a disposable at night. I just didn't want to deal with the possibility of leaks. I'm okay with buying 30 diapers each month. I was freaked out by the washing process. Each washing machine is different and so I wasn't sure what I would need to do in my machine. Well, it's not that complicated. I probably over wash my diapers but better over than under! We do a full cold cycle on gentle with an extra rinse and then I add a scoop of the Bumgenius soap (I have also tried Rock 'n' Green and it was fine) switch the water to hot and do another full cycle on gentle with an extra rinse. When it's sunny outside I hang them to dry and the sun bleaches them out. When it's not nice we throw them in the drier on low heat for two full cycles, they take awhile to dry because they are all in one. When I start to see stains I can bleach them but I don't do that too often, maybe every 4 months or so.

What about the poo? Well, it's not as terrible as I thought. When she was tiny it was easy, no rinse was even required since she was breastfed. After that we got a diaper sprayer to attach to our toilet and really she usually poops first thing in the morning while she is still wearing the disposable. The only gross part is when she poops at daycare and it sits for a few hours before getting rinsed but that's not very often.

What about leaks? Yes, on occasion we will get some wetness. Usually this is my fault for not being more diligent in changing her. The diapers don't get the squishy wet feel that disposables do so I go by the clock and change her every 2-3 hours. If I go past 3 hours I'm sure to get a little over saturation but it's not too bad, just a little damp between the legs and I always have an extra outfit with me anyway.

Would I do cloth again? Absolutely! I love never running out of diapers. We did use disposable at daycare for the first few months because our laundry exploded and I was trying to get back to work full time. I had also bought some not so great diapers that didn't work for overnights so we had to use them up. We do use disposable for overnight trips or if I know I'm going to be somewhere with little access to a changing table and I know it's going to be more than 3 hours I'll put her in a disposable just to be safe.

One interesting problem that we encountered was the "fluffy butt"! Caroline can't wear little jeans or non-stretchy pants because of the size of her rear in her cloth diapers. She does have an outfit or two that we wear a disposable with because it's just so cute and would never fit over the cloth. Onesie extenders were also a lifesaver in the early days, it's easier now that she mostly wears shirts and pants.

I guess that about sums up our cloth diapering journey!

What My Kid is Eating

Now that Caroline is back in school we are back to packing school lunches. So, what do you pack for a 15 month old to eat when the traditional crackers, cookies, bread, and peanut butter are off the table? Well, my paleo baby has a quite varied diet but all of her lunches have a few things in common. I always pack a protein, a veggie, a fruit, and a snack item. Here are some examples of her favorite foods:

Sliced black olives, she can nearly eat an entire can of these! I buy the ones with no additives.
Grapes, quartered
Raisins
Green beans, she likes the mushy canned variety
Frozen peas, put in her lunch frozen and they thaw by the time lunch comes around
Broccoli
Chicken
Ground beef
Hard boiled eggs

A lot of times she'll have whatever protein we had for dinner the night before and then a mix of the other items. Whatever she has leftover when I pick her up she snacks on during the walk home from school.

Going Barefoot

I've always been a fan of flip flops and sandals but when I started running I began to wear really clunky and cushioned running shoes which led to wearing super supportive work shoes and feet that would ache at the end of the day. After spending much of April, May and June wearing flip flops and sandals again I decided to keep up the nearly barefoot life and ordered some Merrell shoes and I am loving them! Earlier this month I went all in and got my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes!

I am loving it so far although my legs definitely get tired quicker. My students do comment on my Five Fingers but mostly in a "hey, those are cool" way. I like it so much that I donated many of my old shoes. I did keep a newer pair of sneakers and my higher quality dress shoes. I'm on the hunt for some cold weather dress shoes that are minimalist for winter but I'm not in much of a hurry!

These are my soft star shoes, Caroline has a pair of their moccasins.

A Whole New Year

One of the great things about being an academic is the opportunity to begin anew each semester and particularly each new school year. August brings with it stress over the changes of the curriculum and uncertainties about the students but there is also a sense of excitement that fills a college campus. After four sleepy months the buildings and grounds come alive again with eager faces. I'm looking forward to a fresh start, a routine, and mostly just seeing some of my favorite young people back on campus.

For our family this will be my first full year working and being a mom as I was blessed to get to work part time last fall. We have our childcare arrangements in place but I'm still a little anxious about the nap schedule and just daycare in general. I'm anxious about some new teaching strategies that I'll be using and how that's going to work out. 

More than anything though I am ready for this new adventure!

Baby + Hotel = No Sleep

I love to travel and explore new places. Over the past year travel has included a few extra pieces of luggage and an adorable companion. As much as I love having my travel buddy with me and I've figured out the logistics of packing and checking luggage there is one aspect of travel with a baby that I still haven't gotten used to. Hotel rooms are not built for a baby's schedule! Taking a baby to a hotel poses tons of challenges. First there is the crib issue. If we are driving I'll bring our own portable crib along but when we fly I rely on the hotel crib. Hotel cribs are hit and miss, most hotels do have them but you never know what condition it's going to be in or if you'll even get a sheet for the bed. My baby does not do well with this and ends up crying more and sleeping less when we are on the road.

Second, say that I don't want to go to bed at 7 pm when I put the baby down, where do I go in a hotel room? Invariably I end up sitting in the bathroom for a few hours reading until I'm tired. I've gotten better and gathering up what I'll need before bedtime and making sure I have food and drink on hand but just the same I'm spending a portion of my vacation hanging out in the bathroom.

Third, how are you supposed to handle crying? At home we only go to get the baby if she cries for more than a few minutes but in a hotel, as a courtesy to other guests, I try to respond to crying much quicker. This sets up a bad system where she just wants to be held and cries more often and finally I give up and she sleeps in my bed while I try to rest. Related to this is the fact that she knows we are in the same room as her so she wants to be as close to us as possible. This isn't a problem at home, just a hotel. 

So, what do we do? Book a suite? I wish we had that much diosable income! I don't have any grand answers but I sure hope that things get a little better as she grows because hyper is a lot of the world left for us to discover!

Tales from My Garmin Vivofit

For my birthday this year my wonderful husband bought me a Garmin Vivofit. I had been using an old school pedometer for a few weeks until I lost it. I set a goal of 8000 steps per day as a realistic goal. I've been using it for about 2 months now and I'm learning some interesting things about myself, my sleep, and my activity levels. Here are some of the charts that summarize my progress:

For the month of July I was doing pretty good until we went on vacation! A lot of those big days were teaching days where I walked around the class a lot. In July we also regularly took Caroline on walks for her naps.

In August we were still on vacation and then we had transitioned Caroline to napping in her crib so we weren't going on nearly as many walks. It's also been so hot out that going for walks hasn't been much fun. It's good to know my habits, I'm working hard to increase that number and move my goal to 10,000 steps per day by mid September.

My new toy also tracks my movement as I sleep. The spikes are usually when I hear Caroline on the baby monitor and check on her. Sometimes I forget to wake it up in the morning so I get a big peak at the end. I'm shooting for 8 hours asleep and we're doing pretty good. This particular day wasn't great, Caroline was getting a tooth and has just been getting up way to early!

This night I went to bed late but slept pretty soundly! 

Overall I'm really happy with my gadget, it also functions as a watch so that's been helpful and also makes me more likely to wear it.

A Travel Inspired First Birthday!

About 7 months ago I was snuggling my tiny baby, and as she lay sleeping in my arm I was perusing Pinterest and started thinking about that baby's first birthday when it hit me. Her birthday should be travel themed, especially considering all of the travel that she has done in her first year! Our little lady has been to 10 states in the first year and I am looking forward to the day when I get to take her in to get a passport and take her abroad. 

I pinned all sorts of ideas on Pinterest and then remembered that my brother-in-law collects maps so I sent an e-mail to the family asking for old maps and atlases. At Christmas we collected them and brought them home. All of the decorations, except for the globe beach balls are up cycled! I feel like such a hipster ;)

Anyway, here are some pictures and explanations of everything.

This is our dining area which was the main decorated area of the house. I made bunting with the maps, hung some of the beach balls from the curtain rod and used more maps to make the garland hanging from the chandelier. The table cloth is a bunch of maps taped together. 

On the walls I have hung her monthly pictures matted on more maps.

The food was inspired by the places that make Caroline who she is. Here is what we had and it's significance:

• California fresh fruit and veggies (where Mom is from)
• Pennsylvania pretzels (where Dad was born & went to college)
• Oregon Tillamook cheese (where Mom went to college)
• Indiana popcorn (where Mom & Dad met)
• Ohio Skyline chili dip (where Dad is from)
• Texas sweet tea (where baby was born)

And of course, there were cupcakes with map wrappers and toppers! The wrappers were the only part that I didn't feel was worth the effort, which is why the front plate doesn't have them.

We hung more globes in the living room. Our walls just happen to match the green on the globes!

The wreath on the front door was made of map circles. There was also a sign in the yard made of two maps with the same saying. Sadly Dad threw it away before I could take a picture.

Our bar was decorated with more globes sitting on vases.

We had bunting hanging over these two openings with pictures of baby on the ledge. You can also see a bit of the world map in the kitchen which is where we did the big cake smash! It was tons of fun and not very expensive considering that all of the decorations were made of things on hand. The only expenses were the beach balls ($20 for all 12 and they were the party favors) and food which we bought way too much of!

Thoughts on a Year of Motherhood

It is difficult to explain just how fast and yet slow this past year has gone. There were days that felt so long, nights that seemed to never end, and yet somehow a year after becoming a mother I find myself wondering where my chubby little baby went? She's now a toddling little girl and if it weren't for her lack of hair she would barely look like a baby anymore.

This year has been the best year of my life. It has been one of the most challenging years, one of the most satisfying years and by far the year where I grew the most and learned more about love than I ever thought possible.

I am so thankful for the blessing of this little life and look forward to watching her continue to grow and learn.

Adventures in Paleo Baking

My baby is turning 1 in just a few weeks and so I wanted to try to make her a paleo birthday cake. I've had good success with banana and blueberry muffins so I decided to try a strawberry muffin with coconut cream frosting. 

I started with this recipe for blueberry muffins and substituted chunks of fresh strawberry for the blueberries:

http://livinghealthywithchocolate.com/desserts/paleo-blueberry-muffin-grain-free-gluten-free-low-carb-997/

For the frosting I mixed the solid cream from the top of the can of coconut milk with some honey and vanilla.

Overall they were pretty tasty but there are a few things that I will change for my next attempt, first use almond flour instead of meal to give a better texture, these had the texture of a corn muffin. Second, I'd like to try a cinnamon apple flavor as the strawberry flavor just didn't come through. Third, I would put less vanilla (perhaps none) in the frosting.

Caroline had fun smashing it but wasn't so into eating it. She's not used to super sweet foods or baked goods. It was pretty fun to watch her explore though.

Why I'm not Running

On our recent trip to California I had a moment while driving in our old neighborhood where I realized that I wanted to run. I wanted to run in my old neighborhood, up and down the hills, on safe sidewalks, on trails just out my front door. I don't want to run the same boring 2 mile loop around my college campus in Texas. I think I've lost my desire to run not because I don't want to run but because I haven't been inspired to run. Running in Texas (at least my part of Texas) is a chore.

Running where we lived in California was an adventure, yes, sometimes it became monotonous but I had a running group and it was a social activity that I did on Saturdays. On Mondays I had a set route but I ran it with a good friend. In California running was a hobby. In Texas running is for exercise, not nearly as much fun!

I'm not sure what this means for my future running endeavors or if there will be any. I do know that I don't want to train and run a race in Texas. For now I'll walk and do my best to be healthy overall and maybe I'll be able to run/walk a race in a more scenic location next year!

10,000 Steps a Day is Hard!

I've been slacking in the walking department lately. Since the baby no longer naps in her stroller and instead wants to be held while she naps it's meant more time sitting around and less time walking. Well, one of the fitness bloggers that I read gave a challenge to reach 100 thousand steps in 7 days.

I found a pedometer laying around our house and decided to give it a shot. The first day I managed a whopping 3884 and that was with making an effort to walk around my classroom during the final exam period.

In a seven day time span I only managed to get 10,000 steps on one day and that was a day when we took a 3 mile walk with the baby!

On the day that we were in California Adventure I walked about 12,000 steps which still isn't enough to get to 100,000 in a week.

I'm glad that I attempted the challenge and dug out the old pedometer as it gave me more motivation to get moving. I hope to get to a point where getting 10,000 steps per day and possibly even 100,000 steps per week is normal!

Taking A Baby to Disneyland

I got back last week from Southern California and while I was there I took my 10 month old to Disneyland and California Adventure. My Mom, sister and 4-year-old nephew were with us and we had a blast. I wanted to share some tips and helpful hints for hitting the parks with a baby and toddler!

First, set your expectations really low. You probably won't go on many rides, you won't see a whole lot or stay the entire day but that doesn't mean you won't have fun! My only goal was to be there and maybe go on the Dumbo ride. That's it, no agenda, no expectations. 

Second, try to score a deal on tickets to avoid the sense that you have to so everything to get your money's worth. My sister lives in SoCal and found tickets at the local grocery store that were basically 2 days for the price of one. It helped me feel like we weren't wasting money and I didn't feel pressured to go on as many rides or do as much stuff.

Third, take advantage of the baby care centers in each park! It was so nice to have a place to go and nurse and relax and unwind when you are hot and kids are getting cranky. They have any baby item you could possibly need along with all of the facilities and conveniences of home. The cast members in there were also pretty darn awesome.

Fourth, take a stroller and a carrier if you have a small one that doesn't walk or stand. The stroller is great but you can't take it in line with you and some of the lines can be a little long to do while just holding your kid. I liked having my Ergo and being able to stand in line without killing my back. It was also nice to have to go inside restaurants and stores where a stroller is a bit cumbersome. Also, take a wallet that can easily be pulled out of the diaper bag/stroller so that you can take it with you on the ride and don't accidentally leave it on the stroller for someone to walk away with.

Fifth, don't expect your child to love the characters! They can be a bit scary for a small child. Test out how your baby/toddler will do from a distance and if the line is short try to get a picture with a character but definitely don't wait in the 4 hour long line to see Elsa and Anna from Frozen!

Sixth, on super hot days bring swimsuits or a change of clothes and head over to Bug's Land and the little splash pad there. There are also things like the Aladdin Show and the Turtle Talk with Crush at California Adventure. Also, anywhere that sells soda in a cup (fountain drinks) will give you free cups of ice water so save your $ and stop buying bottled. If you bring a water bottle you can refill it with filtered water in the baby care area.

I'm sure that I'm forgetting lots of things but mostly, don't be afraid to take your baby to Disneyland! Relax, have fun and just go with the flow.

Best Baby Gear

Back when I was pregnant I used to devour blogposts about baby gear, especially those top 10 type lists. So, I thought I'd record my top baby gear items. These are things that I would definitely use again and have recommended to others. I have not even come close to trying all of the gadgets out there and often times see new products that have come out in the last year and get a little envious that it wasn't available when I was pregnant. However, I still stand by these picks and think that these are all reasonably priced items that have made our life easier. So without further ado...

1. Ergo baby carrier (and infant insert) 

I've used this since week 1 and am so thankful to have it! It is great to use when grocery shopping before baby can sit in the basket since you should never prop your car seat up on the top of the cart. I use it at the airport to be hands free through security (you get to leave baby in it). I used to wear her in it while I was cleaning or standing at my computer working while she napped. 

I also have a ring sling that's okay but the Ergo is far easier to use and I feel much more secure using it.

2. City Mini stroller (with car seat attachment)

We started out with a big jogging stroller (that I still love) and a free Graco travel system stroller. The Graco was great because I could use it with the car seat and it had lots of storage space but it was huge and hard to push one handed. I was thinking about getting a smaller travel stroller like a Chicco or Maclaren style. As luck would have it My local baby store was closing out their City Minis and someone offered to get it for us as a gift. I LOVE it! 

We also got the car seat adapter so it has functioned as a travel system. It folds one handed, pushes like a dream with amazing steering. The seat reclines nearly flat and the canopy is huge which make it perfect for naps. 

If I had a do-over I would get the GT model with rubber tires and skip the jogging stroller since we really just walk anyway.

3. Bumgenius All-in-One diapers

We have some pocket diapers as well but these are my favorite. Snaps are superior to hook and loop, FYI. I am still happy with our decision to primarily cloth diaper and I think these have helped. The husband really likes them too. As an added bonus I match the diaper to her church dress instead of putting bloomers on her :)

4. Sillybillyz bibs

This is fairly new but I love them, best bibs ever! They are terry cloth but also have a waterproof lining so water doesn't soak through. They have a pocket to catch the crumbs and the neckline prevents any food from sneaking under it.  They are plastic snap closure so baby can't pull them off and they don't get tangled up with other clothes in the was like hook and loop do. Totally worth the money.

5. Bebe Pod (like a Bumbo but better)

I was iffy on the whole Bumbo thing, I thought it was silly and wouldn't be used for that long. When I found the Bebe Pod version I put it on my registry and thought, why not? We got if and use it still at 10 months!

Ours has straps to attach it to a chair to make it a booster seat which we used so that she could sit at the table with us before she started eating. However what we mostly use it for is totally against the warning sticker. We have it on our bathroom counter and she sits in it and talks to me while I get ready in the morning. Please rest assured that I stand right behind her the whole time, I would NEVER leave her up there alone! Anyway, she loves it and so do I, it has made our morning routine go so much more smoothly!

6. California Baby bath/body products

I'm from California, I like to use natural products, I'm a bit of a hippie and that is why I love these! I've tried Burt's Bees and BabyGanics but I like California baby the best. We use the baby wash, nighttime lotion and sunscreen mostly and I've been really happy with the smell and cleanliness they offer. I also love that there are no crazy chemicals. It's not cheap but it's worth it.

7. Medela Pump in Style (with hands free bra)

My health insurance covered the Medela Swing or a portion of this pump but it was totally worth it to pay the extra for the double. It's a great reliable pump and I love that it's so easy to get replacement parts at Target or WalNart. I have extra flanges and horns so that I can rotate and am not washing all the time. I also have the hands free bra, totally worth it! I treat a pump break as a time to get on FaceBook or catch up on my blogs and the bra lets me do that. I also find that I can pump more when I'm relaxed and not watching the milk. This is a must have if you plan to breastfeed!

8. Baby swing

Life changing! That's what the swing was. In the first 6 months Caroline needed motion to fall asleep (she actually still does!) for naps. We borrowed a swing and it saved my sanity! I'm not sure is get the same model again as it was huge and took up a lot of space. If we ever have a second I might splurge on a 4Moms MommaRoo!

9. Rock n Play sleeper 

I debated about including this one. I absolutely loved it but it was so hard to transition from this to the crib that I'm hesitant. For babies with reflux it truly is awesome and I loved that it fit in my suitcase but outgrowing it was rough!

10. Car seat and stroller bags 

I don't know that I've seen these on any other top lists bus as someone who has taken her infant to 7 states and will complete 8 round trip flights by the time that infant turns one they deserve some love on my list.

11. Summer Infant Video Baby Monitor

We have a split floor plan in our house, that means that the master bedroom is on the opposite side of the house from the other rooms. The video monitor has been a lifesaver. It allows us to hear Caroline but it also allows us to see if she really needs us or if she's just making noise. I'm so glad that we have it!