8 Months

Today the little man is 8 months. I actually took his photos on the day. He was not a happy camper, so I fed him after a few. Then he wanted to eat the pieces from the calendar and sit on it.
He still is weighing 10kg (22lb). I am *sort of* worried that I am not feeding him enough. I know that sounds crazy, but now that he eats more 'real' food and drinks less, I just don't know how much he should have. I could probably look it up, but I know he always eats everything I give him. This week we introduced yogurt and eggs. Both were a success, although he did prefer scrambled eggs to hard-boiled.
Today is about 20 degress (68) or possibly more! I just had to share that wonderful fact. I feel like I just wrote about what a dear Mateo was for playing for about an hour alone. It has all dramatically changed! Yes, he is still a dear, but I must be by him. He has a bad case of the separation anxiety. At home, I can't leave the room without him going hysterical. Sometimes if someone else is in the room he is ok.

Thankfully he is sleeping enough that I can get my stuff done when he is sleeping (if I am disciplined). He also went 3 nights without waking up for his pacifier! It was the first night in MONTHS I didn't get out of bed at night.

The little man is quite strong and I won't be surprised if he's an early walker, since he's been early with the rest.

7 months, came and went....

Chubsie turned 7 month 2 weeks ago...he weights just around 10 kilo, so 22 pounds.

Lil Update

Chilling after his bath last Saturday

I've told a few people what a nice month it has been! Mateo has been charming! We are now pretty much in a schedule and he has learned so many things the past few weeks.

The best of course is that he is sleeping wonderfully! Normally he goes to bed around 9, after we Skype grandma. Then he wakes up one time, but I put the pacifier in and he sleeps a few more hours. He wakes up between 8 and 9, normally from a dirty diaper.

He then eats, gets dressed, plays and after about an hour goes to sleep for another hour. He is up for 2 hours, then goes for a long nap. Again in the evenings he has a small nap.
Tuesday night bath

This month he learned to sit and crawl. So mommy has to watch him a lot more. We installed his 'big boy' car seat and use the 'big boy' stroller now.

He also has seemingly learned to wave, which is just adorable.

He can say, "nee, nee, nee" (no, no, no) and scream very well. But, anytime he is screaming, it just means he is tired.

I think he's had another little growth spurt. It seems everything I put on this past week that isn't 9m is too small. Time to sort again!

We are trying to wean him from the pacifier. Not totally, because I like those extra hours of sleep, but mainly in the day. He is doing ok so far. I don't plug it in anymore, only if he is screaming for some reason and just for a few minutes. He can have it to sleep.He did this himself! He takes apart his play tiles and somehow managed to crawl in this. I think it looks like a tutu.

6.5 month stats

Based on the data you submitted, your child falls into the following percentiles:

Length = between percentile 90 and 95 (72.2cm/28.43in)
Weight = between percentile 75 and 90 (9.190kg/20.26lb)
Head Circumference = between percentile 50 and 75(44.5cm/17.52in)

The doctor said he has trimmed down...he is no longer in the 95th percentile for his weight ;-)

6+ Months!

A few of my favorites from our little photo session today. This dude is getting so squirmy! I just have to tell the world that he slept 13 hours last night and went 9 hours between feedings!

Not Necessary/flops IMHO

Then we have those things that might sound like a great idea, but just don't cut it for ya (me!).

1. Diaper Genie - I throw my diapers in one of 3 trash cans and a few times a week empty them all. Maybe the genie is good for some, but I find it is just taking up space. Maybe as he eats more solids and has more stinky diapers and I want to hide the smell? Plus they are useless if you use cloth diapers, which I try to do a few days per week.

2. Wipe warmer - I just have to laugh that it even exists

3. Bumbo seat - I was sad about this one. I so wanted one and found one 2nd hand in the color I wanted, but it never worked for us. By the time he could hold his head up, his legs were too fat for it. Maybe I did something wrong, but my hubby said it looked like we were torturing him in it, so I passed it on to the neighbor. I hope it works for her, because I think it is so cute!

4. Dishwasher basket - It sounded brilliant, but I never used it. My silverware basket has a flap that closes. So much easier than storing this basket and remembering to use it.

5. Bottle brush - I know I primarily breastfeed, but when Mateo uses a bottle, we put it in the dishwasher, so why did I think this was necessary? Mine is still in the packaging.

6. Cloth nursing pads - A joke for me. Sure fire way to have wet everything.

7. Anti Stretch Mark creams - I never even tried because the doctor and what I read said that it all depends on your skin (Internally), what you do externally won't help. I think it's just a marketing scam.

8. Teething gel - The verdict is out for us. I didn't realize most of the time that Mateo was teething, so I didn't use the gel and when I did he complains.

9. The amount of nipple cream I have - I only needed it at the beginning and you only use little amounts. I have 2 full tubes + a 3/4 full one laying around.

10. Baby robe - Yes, it is adorable, but what baby needs a robe? Unless you use it as a towel. My baby normally is dried, then clothed. He doesn't 'lounge.'

11. Bath thermometer - in the beginning (like first 2 times) I used it to be sure, but now I can tell what feels good for the little guy.

12. Sterilizer - I almost feel guilty writing this, but I used mine faithfully in the beginning for the pump, pacifiers and bottles, but forgot about it when I went on vacation and discovered it in my pantry. I guess he survived :P You could always dip them in boiling water if needed.

13. Baby lotions/soap - I have who knows how many full bottles. They all have perfume in them and my son has sensative skin, so we only use a little bath oil and sometimes a little soap on his bottom. The most known brands are supposedly some of the worst. His lotion is one that the pharmacy made.

14. Shose - I LOVE little shoes, but they really are inconvenient. I'm afraid of Mateo losing one, so he rarely wears them. He doesn't need them to walk at this point, so what IS the point? Fashion and perhaps a little warmth. Plus I am obsessive that things match, so some don't match many outfits, so they are just sitting there.

15. Snap-in-back sleepers - I think I gave most of mine away. Maybe I'm not talented enough, but how do you get their legs/bottom conveniently out to change a diaper?

http://www.savvysugar.com/Unnecessary-Baby-Items-Waste-Money-19100626

I am on the same wave length as this woman! I only disagree on the changing table. Ours matches his armoir and crib, but is in the bathroom. I dress him there after his baths and it holds the diapers, wipes, plus our toilet paper and has baskets underneath for more storage.

For the high chair I agree and disagree. I did not want another piece of furniture to store, so I chose for a Stokke chair. It was a bit pricey, but I know they last forever. PLUS, it was on sale and we had a 100 euro gift certificate for that store. I bought the baby adaption pieces 2nd hand with gift money. So far it is working for us.

But, as in the title, this is all My Humble Opinion. I just have been reading many people's lists of what is necessary or not. We all have different babies and different needs.

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.