Momma Loves: Nail Clippers

Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers.  I found these when my first was just a few months old, and I think they have been the one "must have" item I have shared with other new mothers.  I have two (one upstairs, one downstairs), and have probably bought 6 or 7 others as baby shower gifts.

Nail Clippers? Really?  Why so great?

Check it: They light up.  It's a standard infant sized nail clipper, housed inside a nice, chunky, easy-to-grip housing, which contains a non-replaceable (unfortunately) power supply and 2 tiny LCD lights.  The lights on are either side of the clipper edge, making it easier to see those tiny little nails you are clipping, and the larger housing making it easier to keep the clippers stable.

And when those tiny little fingers get bigger, the LCD lights become fascinating to look at.

And when those small fingers become bigger still, they might like to press the button that turns the lights off and on... which, if you can continue to focus, keeps a wiggly toddler entertained long enough to cut 10 finger nails.

Momma Loves: Baby Food

Every mom finds a few things that she decides she just LOVES.   Some people swear by certain pieces of gear or clothing brands or gadgets.  I've got a few of these (of course I do!), and I'm going to share them with you.

First up: Baby Food.  I have two favorite brands.
Earth's Best and  Happy Baby.

Today, I'm going to tell you what I love about Happy Baby.

First, the Puffs.

The Greens Puffs, there in the middle.  These are my fave.  The Other Brands also sell puffs (easily melting, great for babies learning how to grab and put food in their mouths), but they're all fruit based, with the exception of Sweet Potatoes.  But the Greens Puffs?  Spinach, Kale... in baby food? And they actually taste really good.  Just lightly sweetened. I could probably polish off a container myself, and my 2 year old loves them just as much as the 8 month old.  Granted,said 2 year old loved them when she was a baby, too.

Next, the baby food pouches.  Oh, I love these.

They come in these amazingly clever fruit and veggie and Salba combinations:

• Green beans, pears & peas
• Sweet potato, apple, carrots & cinnamon
• Banana, mango & peach
• Apple & butternut squash
• Banana, peach, prunes & coconut
• Spinach, mango, & pear

And my green-veggie averse 8 month old will down them rapidly!  Spinach? Yep, he ate it. There's another version (not listed above) that was Blueberries, Beets and Bananas.  He loved those too!  And my 2 year old, totally jealous.  She wants them too!

And, the best part?  When you're at a restaurant and would like to actually eat your meal before it gets cold... you can twist on one of these screw-on spoons from Boon, and feed your baby with one hand while you take a bite or two with the other.  I buy a few of these exclusively for outings, but they're sort of the best way for my little guy to get some green stuff.   I can mix peas and pears together at home, but for him, it's just not the same.

Pop A Squat

I believe in educating myself in areas that interest me or have direct impact on me.  Tell me that I don't need to be concerned about something I think is important, I'll spend half an hour searching for information to back up my position, just for my own satisfaction

To that end, early in my pregnancy with my first, I determined I would like to educate myself about birth. The process, the procedures, the risks and benefits of various approaches.  I read a ton, talked to like-minded and non-like minded people. I collected birth stories.  I read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. I took Lamaze classes and prepared myself for a husband-coached child birth that may or may not include induction, labor augmentation, intervention and pain relief... with the goal being to do as much of it on my own as possible to keep my risks of complications lower.  My greatest fear was c-section.

I had that "natural" birth, if you will. Antibiotics, yes. Induction, augmentation or pain meds, no. I was extremely pleased and naturally euphoric following the birth of my daughter.

With my son, he turned breech on my due date, and I was forced to get the c-section I was so afraid of.  I was devastated, but took some time to grieve and moved on.  He was healthy, I managed surgery well. We're all good, and now I've had both experiences, and found that there are some good things and bad things for both of them.  If I had my choice though.. I'd go with my first birth experience every time. Every. Time.

That said... If you are a woman not currently expecting or recently post-partum, it is my opinion that someone else's position on their anticipated birth method is, quite simply, none of your business.  I make the exception of the expecting/recently delivered mommas because it seems like so many mothers in that position are really interested in talking with others about their opinions and/or recent experiences, as it helps one mentally prepare for the marathon task ahead... or process the life-changing experience they just had. 

In any case, it is not your job to judge that person's choice.

So when your granola co-worker tells you that she's not planning on laboring on the bed, and hopes to deliver in more of a squatting position because it's better for everyone and can reduce the chance of tearing...
that is not an invitation to you (mother of teenagers who had them by c-section and never really experienced labor) to derisively call said co-worker "Pop-a-Squat."   Otherwise maybe we'll have to call you "Slice-a-delivery."  And that's not cool either.

So Many Things

I have another blog.  That blog is filled with photos and hundreds of little stories about my kids.  I love that blog, and it serves as a way to keep the relatives updated and a baby book for a working mother.

But sometimes I feel the need to blog about motherhood, working and life in general.  I think about products I want to talk about, experiences I've had as a woman and a parent. As it turns out, there are so many things I would like to say. So.  Here We Go.