My Must Haves

When starting out with a baby, you are overwhelmed with THINGS. How do you know what is necessary and what's not? Thankfully I received 99% of my stuff, so I did not really invest in anything. I already started putting things away. While doing so I was thinking of what I have used the most and what is a 'must' for me.

1. Chicco Stroller System. I have one from 10 years ago, so it is not as sleek as what is on the market now, but I LOVE it. I used the bassinet tons and still use the 'wheels' and car seat all the time. My dream for the next one is to get a car seat base. SOOO convenient.

2. Carseat blanket Mine was from Germany, so it was a little different, but this is the closest I found, because it has the HOOD. My hood had elastic up top, so he was able to use it for quite a while. My bottom part was sewed, but this blanket would last even longer than mine did.

3. Rain/Wind covers I had one of these for the car seat, bassinet and now I have one for his stroller. I feel much less guilty dragging him around with this. He is never cold and it protects him from the elements.

4. Mobile We borrowed a Tiny Love Mobile from my SIL. It was one of the first toys that Mateo could focus on. He could easily watch it for an hour. It was a life saver. Unfortunately we had to take it off the playpen, because he kept grabbing it. We still have this one on the end of his crib and it is a good distraction when mommy is trying to get ready.

5. Monitor Now I call it a baby phone, because in Dutch it is a babyfone. We have only recently begun using it, but it is great. I can work/rest more at ease. Before Mateo slept more soundly, but now he wakes up much easier with footsteps, squeaky doors, so this way I don't have to check on him. We tried a different monitor, but it the frequency was messed up. We are very happy with this one.

6. Bomber Hat Mateo's auntie bought him this wonderful hat at Old Navy. Not only is it ADORABLE, but so practical. I MUST have one for later. It is not stretchy, so it is not always adjusting or falling in his eyes. It is fuzzy lined, so warm AND it covers the ears. PLUS it has velcro instead of ties. Much easier to deal with.

7. Baby Sleeping Bags I thought these were so funny when I first saw them. Great idea! The idea is that you don't have to worry about your baby being cold or suffocating under blankets. You can see they sell many varieties. Some 'grow' with the kid, some are thin, others have detachable sleeves. I know it makes it look like my baby boy is wearing a dress, but who cares?

8. Nursing Cover Yes, I know it looks like an apron and I admit that I don't use mine as much as I used to, but in the beginning it was great when trying to figure out how to stay covered, balance the baby, adjust your shirt. I still always use it at church (or when I'm in an unfamiliar setting) to save myself from a potential embarrasing situation.

9. Tights Go ahead, laugh. Yes, my SON wears tights. I know that is hilarious to some, but in cold countries it is normal. Why should only little girls be warm? Especially when the little guys move all over and their pants creep up. Those poor, bare, cold legs. I also have major issues finding which socks fit and stay on, so tights are just so much better for now.

10. Playmat AKA Babysitter I had no idea how much I would love this thing. I put Mateo maybe when he was 2 months on it and got no reaction. But the change was amazing when we got back in November. He LOVED it and plays on it every day still. We have al lkinds of things hanging from it, but now he is noticing the mirrow and figuring out how to make music. I'm so glad we received it and did not have to pay that price!

11. Bounce chair We have used this since the first week. I love the handles. I can drag the baby around to where I am, feed him in it and sometimes he gets to sit ON the table with us at meals.

12. Everything Pillow I nearly forgot to add this! I used my 'sausage' to sleep when I was pregnant, for nursing, to prop the baby up for photos, for sleeping when he was congested and now as a block on the side of the bed so he won't roll off.

13. Backpack Diaper Bag I have such a simple one, but I love it. It was probably meant for a toddler or something, but after trying to juggle my bag, the baby and who knows what else, I discovered this bag buried under a pile of "stuff I probably won't use." It is so much easier (and better for your back I'm sure!) to have a backpack instead of a normal diaper bag, but I do have a few of those for when I change my mind or need more space.

14. Electric Pump If you are going to be pumping alot I would say that this is probably worth the money. I was scared to try pumping because people told me it hurt. I never had any pain! This pump cost me $0. Cool, huh? And it was brand new! It works great and I had all the bottles that attach for free from someone I worked for. At the 2nd hand store I found a few boxes with lots of spare parts including the handy storage bags.

15. Body suits I wish all baby shirts were made with snaps. I get crazy always seeing Mateo's onsies peaking out. I LOVE the few that I have like this. I'm hoping to find more 2nd hand.

Sick Baby

I think I wrote last time about the 'worst night ever.' Saturday (again!) was an even WORSER (if that's a word) night. Thankfully I felt better though on Sunday than last Sunday. Mateo went to to the doctor last Wednesday and received some drops for a slight form of bronchitus.

He was supposed to be feeling better by Friday. From Thursday (which just so happened to be the day hubby went away), Mateo slept no more than 2 hours, except for 1 nap. That made a rough weekend for mommy! Everything only seemed to get worse, so we went back to the doctor on Monday and got loaded up with goodies. Antibiotics, inhailer, painkiller, salve for his chest and I borrowed a steamer from my SIL. Nothing worked instantly, but I am happy to say that today he is doing much better. Finally! These photos are from Wednesday. He was starting to perk up and he actually slept! 18 hours (with feedings and diapers inbetween)!

We moved him into his own room on Tuesday. So far this seems to be working. We planned to wait, but after those sleepless nights, we needed some distance. I dropped a feeding last night and the little man survived! So if we can go on one feeding in the night for a bit, then drop IT, I'll be a more rested mommy. We do get up to give him his pacifier when he wakes up crying. It buys us (I should say me) a few more hours of sleep.

Videos

I'm pretty sure I also said I would never put videos of my kid up, but, hey, I think these 2 are pretty adorable. The second is about a week or 2 ago (when he wasn't sick!) and the other is from last night.

6 months ago...

I was told that they were getting the delivery room ready. An hour later our (then) little Mateo joined us and made us a little family.

Where has time gone? 6 months sounds so old, but thankfully he is still a precious baby who looks often like an angel.

I wanted to have him a half birthday party, but did not really think about it until Friday. Maybe I'll still come up with something.

Mateo is a SUPER happy, smiley baby. And that is not just a biased mama saying it. Everyone says it. I am so thankful! He is a pleasure to be around and is always making us smile with his smiles.

He's a big boy. The last time I weighed him he was right at 20 lbs. He wears size 9m-1year. His BIG accomplishment (LOL) is that he has 8 teeth. They just keep coming! I think this helps his learning to eat big-boy food. He seems to enjoy the sweeter stuff more than broccoli or grean beans. Go figure.

His hair is starting to come in and I think it makes his head look like a skunk. He has a line down his head of where it is growing.

He has beautiful brown eyes with equally gorgeous eyelashes. Right now his face is pretty scratch-free. Yay! I think we figured out how to deal with his eczema and to keep his nails SHORT.

I am amazed at how much he can now 'play.' I set up his foam tiles with toys and a play mat and he is very content to play there. He reaches for all the toys and does a series of rolls, scoots and turns to get what he wants. He knows how to pull his vibrating toy and to hit others to make music. Right now he is fascinated with his hands. It is so funny to watch him watch them. Any fabric makes him happy. I give him his burp rag or my scarf and he twirls it around, rubs it on his face, EATS it. *as I'm typing he is next to me with his shirt*

His sleeping habits should probably not be written today. It was another rough night, but thankfully not as rough as Saturday night, which I deamed the most annoying night of his life. He was awake 6x between midnight and 7. It is frustrating because I know he CAN sleep through. He did on both trips and a few nights here. Hopefully by 7 months we'll have something more positive to write about this topic.

What do I eat?

I am pretty sure I swore I would never put a video of my child eating, but whatever. This humble pie I can swallow. I know my family likes to see what is happening in the little guy's life and food is a bit part of it! And that is also why I have a separate baby blog, for those not interested in these little details of life.

After being up 5x in one night, I was ready to try anything, so I had a few samples of baby food, so I gave him carrots and that night he slept through! Since then we are convinced that even a little bit of 'solid' food is helping him sleep better. He can go anywhere from 5-10 hours without a feeding. Yes, oh, yes!

Why do I start with carrots and not cereal? Because that is what they do here. I never thought a thing about it and it worked, so I'm happy. I have now added apples and bananas. I bought pears to introduce this week, but mostly he has veggies.

http://www.babycenter.com/404_which-should-i-introduce-to-my-baby-first-vegetables-or-frui_1417817.bc

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-true-that-its-best-to-introduce-babies-to-vegetables-f_10323719.bc

I plan to make my own baby food. So far what I have made is acceptable to Mateo. I use my Beaba Babycook (on loan from my SIL) and steam up those veggies or fruit, then blend them and put them in ice cube trays, then store the cubes in a container.

Bumbo Disaapointment

I had heard great reviews about the Bumbo chair, so I wanted to try it out. I was happy that I found it 2nd hand (in my choice color, turquoise) for only 15 euros, instead of buying it new for 50. I later saw it for 10 euros WITH the table, anywho...

I was excited for it and had some adorable photos of my little man it in the first time he tried it, but his neck was not strong enough. By the time his neck was strong enough, he was too big for it. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but I had to really squish his legs in to get him in and he just did not seem comfortable. I decided it is probably because he is pretty big for his age, that it did not work out for us.

Anyone else have experience with this? Here is my favorite picture of him in it :) Maybe it was worth buying just for the photo?

5 months-here and gone

Someone had their month-day when we were on vacation. Thankfully I had his outfit with (2nd to the last time he wore it *sniff*) and I forgot his friend in Washington, so mom brought it out with her. If I remember correctly he had 4 teeth when this photo was taken (now he has 7!) He weighed 9 kilos and was 70 cm when we got back, so that equals 19.84 lbs and 27.56 in.

As you can see, Mateo gave himself a nasty owie. Auntie, Grandma and Great-Grandma were babysitting him and he majorly scratched himself in his sleep. It took about a week to heal, but he has no scar!

The beginning of December Mateo had his first try of 'real' food and it was a success! He slept through for the first time in Belgium that day. Progress! He slept really well the 2nd America trip as well, which his mommy and daddy were very thankful for.

Mateo makes us smile all the time. He is a ham and thinks everything is funny. Of course we like to interpret his actions to show had 'advanced' he is :P We are sure we can hear him saying words. He can roll over now and is learning how to sit up. He really can play now, which is nice, but we definatly have to keep an eye on him. No more leaving him on the bed or couch.