Mila Recommends: Boon Spoon

So let me tell you about the Boon Spoon...

We discovered it at our Mommy's Group a few months ago, when we saw one of the moms using it for her daughter. It looked so practical that I had to get one for Mila. The way it works is the clear part at the spoon end detaches from the colored part of the handle and you fill it with baby food. There's a little hole that squirts the food out to the spoon area with just a squeeze. Really easy to use. The spoon has a little lid on it that keeps food from squirting out, which makes it portable. Love it!

Here are other reasons why I like it:

1.) You only need to carry one item for food instead of spoons and jars. Convenient.

2.) Squirts out food to the top of the spoon, so there's no food on the underside of the spoon that gets wiped on the chin of your baby... this means less mess.

3.) Instead of dipping and re-dipping her spoon in a jar, only the food on the spoon touches her mouth, so the food in the rest of the jar is not contaminated and can be saved for later. 

This is my new travel feeding utensil. Very handy!

The picture above is Mila and I having lunch at a restaurant with our Mommy's Group. It was Mila's first time in a restaurant high chair and the first time eating solids while out. It wasn't too hard. I didn't have a cover for the high chair, so I wiped it down and put a blankie on it. A cover is next on my list of things to buy. Or maybe a travel booster seat. A good high chair cover is hard to find (I want one that's fluffy, yet compact and that you can put it on with one hand). I haven't found one yet that meets my criteria. A booster seat is a possibility, but seems like she might be too big for the booster I thought I wanted, and the ones I think she could fit in, say 12 months and up... so we'll see. Once we decide, we'll see if Mila recommends it!

Baby This Week: 37 Weeks Old

One day you'll walk into your baby's room and find that little person standing up, grinning at you. Many 8-month-olds are strong enough to pull themselves onto their feet and stay there by holding on to you or a piece of furniture. A somewhat comical aspect of this wonderful development is that some babies know how to get up -- but not back down again. They will stand and stand as long as they can hold on, and finally either tumble down or cry to be "rescued."

Your baby's vision — previously about 20/40 at best — is now almost adult-like in its clarity and depth perception. Though your baby's short-range sight is still best, his long-range vision is good enough to recognize people and objects across a room. He may see a toy on the other side of the room and try to crawl toward it. His eyes are also probably close to their final color, although you may see subtle changes later.

The time-out is a time-honored discipline technique that parents of older children sometimes use to correct behavior by withholding positive attention. A mommy or daddy time-out is a way for you to change your own behavior — by decompressing.

Once your baby is mobile, keeping up can be an exhausting proposition. A self-enforced breather when you're feeling frustrated can help you stay on an even keel.

Put your baby in a play yard for short periods of time when you're feeling overwhelmed. This is also a good idea if persistent, unexplained crying in a healthy baby is getting to you — your baby will be safe while you collect yourself. If he's crying at night, compose yourself for a few minutes before going in to see what's the matter. Taking a few deep breaths or counting to ten before responding to a mishap are other ways you can maintain equilibrium on bad days. Also borrow a page from the newborn days: Once in a while, sleep when your baby sleeps. And of course, call on your partner to take over if you can — not just when the going gets tough, but at regular intervals.

- BabyCenter.com

Top teeth growing in fast!!

Proud Papa

Mila's 49er onsies finally arrived!!!! We've scoured the web looking for them -- since before she was born! -- and they'd always been out of stock. We finally found some and just in time for football season! Her daddy is so proud!! :)

Today they play New Orleans. GO NINERS!!!

Avocado Allergy Confirmed :(

So after our last encounter with Mila and avocados, there was a possibility she might be allergic, so we held off on giving her any more for a while. That was a month ago, and so we thought we'd give it another shot. With her reaction last time, we took her to the pediatrician but he didn't think was an allergy, he thought it was a virus. And to be honest, I was kinda hoping it might've been a virus too... allergy to avocado would be worse! But then we gave her avocado again a few days ago. Last time we gave her some Florida avocado (the big one) and this time we gave her a Hass avocado, (the small, darker one).We gave it to her on Thursday for dinner and she was fine. Last time, she didn't show a reaction until the second day, so I wasn't expecting much that first day. The next day, I gave it to her for lunch and I made sure to pay special attention to see if she'd have a reaction... And within an hour her cheeks were turning red and a full rash broke out all over her face, wherever the avocado touched. I even remember she got avocado on her hand and she rubbed her eye -- that turned red too!

The rash was only on her face though. (Last time it was on her face as well, but then got all over her body.) She didn't seem to be bothered by it, so we waited to see how it continued. We thought to take her to the pediatrician on Saturday, but, surprisingly, it was much better when she woke up. Still a bit red, but definitely improved. It seems like it's just a topical allergic reaction. Thankfully, it's nothing worse, but sadly, it looks like avocados are not in Mila's future... at least not for a while! Bummer!!! :(

Baby Class

Mila and I signed up for a Baby Gym Class this semester. SO FUN!!!

I LOOOOOVE this face!!! :)

Mila Recommends: Little Playzone

Finally!!! With Mila on the verge of walking, the Baby Jail Condo couldn't have arrived any sooner! It's called the Little Playzone and it's awesome!!! Keeps her safe and entertained, as well as keeps me from having to chase her down every two seconds. I love the colors and the little activity wall... makes it look less like a cage and more like a play area. It's lightweight but sturdy and we put it together easily. I really like that both Jorge and I can go in and visit comfortably! We bought 2 Little Playzones  (one would be too small) but left out 2 of the panels, so it can actually be a bit bigger than this.

The best thing about it is that Mila seems to really like it!

Baby This Week: 36 Weeks Old

... And they're off! The stages of crawling usually go something like this: from a sitting position to all fours, to rocking back and forth, to finally pushing off with the knees -- and then starting to move forward (or back). But there are plenty of variations on this progression. Many babies never crawl. Others develop a crawling style that looks more like soldiers bellying through the underbrush or monkeys poised on fingertips and tiptoes.

Your baby's now exploring objects by shaking them, banging them, dropping them, and throwing them before falling back on the tried-and-true method of gumming them. The idea that you do something to an object is beginning to emerge (using a comb to tidy her hair), so an activity center with lots of things your baby can bang, poke, twist, squeeze, shake, drop, and open will fascinate her.

Your baby will also be fascinated with toys that have specific functions, such as phones. If she can't hold it up to her ear herself, do it for her and pretend to have a conversation. Over the next few months, she'll start to use objects for their intended purposes — brushing her hair, drinking from a cup, and babbling on her play phone.

Watch for her to start pointing or looking at the correct picture when you name an object — especially if it's something familiar (such as eyes, nose, or mouth) or beloved (like a dog or a rubber ducky).

Also, at this stage, your baby likes to see things fall down, get picked up (by you, of course), and then get thrown down again. She's not trying to drive you mad. She just finds the spectacle interesting and naturally wants to see it again and again.

- BabyCenter.com

Mila Recommends: Family Tree by Gab Atelier

My wonderful friend Gaby, who is also a graphic artist, made the most beautiful gift for Mila. I loved it so much, it made me teary-eyed! It's sooo amazing!!! It's a gorgeous design of Mila's family tree! I can't wait to frame it!

Gaby also has other designs of family trees on her website where you can purchase your own customized tree. Highly recommend!

First Niners Game!

As we are a 49er family, today we celebrated Mila's first Niner's Game! Today they play against the Seattle Seahawks. GO NINERS!!!

Home Made Baby Food

I've been making Mila home made baby food since she started eating solids. It's easy: I just get a bag of frozen organic peas, for example, and then I boil it for about 10 minutes or so. Then I put the peas with a bit of the water it was boiled in into a small food processor and blend until it's puréed and creamy. Then I strain it and separate it into portions and freeze it.

Peas!

I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but it's really not that bad and I really enjoy doing it! Some foods are harder to make than others though - for example, carrots are hard to purée! They always come out kinda gritty. And I have no desire to make apples or pears; the peeling of the fruit and coring them just adds more work. So far, I've made peas, carrots, sweet potato, banana and avocado. Super easy and nutritious! If we do buy baby food, we buy the Earth's Best Organic brand and we'll get applesauce, pears, carrots and we just got squash too -- although she still hasn't tried it yet. I have no idea how to make squash. If she likes it, I'll see if I figure it out.

First Steps!

Mila has been trying to take those first steps -- eeek!! She can balance herself pretty good when she's standing, and then she'll try to take one step and then plop down. She's so cute!! Then she'll get up and try again. That's my girl!

Top Teeth!

We've got top teeth!!!!! No wonder I've been feeling pinching while she's nursing! ACK!

Baby This Week: 35 Weeks Old

Your baby is starting to grasp what it means when someone can no longer be seen, the result of a growing understanding of what's called object permanence. An exciting demonstration of this comes the first time your baby tries to imitate a goodbye wave by twisting a wrist or flapping a hand. Not all 8-month-olds can wave bye-bye, but it's a fun new feat to anticipate. It takes a certain amount of fine-motor coordination to wave in the style of the Queen (or Mom and Dad).

Your baby may be creeping (pushing himself around on his belly), crawling, or moving about by bottom shuffling — scooting around on her posterior using a hand behind her and a foot in front of her to propel himself.

Creeping is your baby's first method of getting around efficiently on her own. Usually, she'll first learn to pull himself with her hands and then get up on her hands and knees. Then she'll figure out how to move forward and backward by pushing off with her knees. (A "combat crawl" is a variation in which one leg is the pusher and the opposite arm the lead puller.)

 All of these variations on crawling strengthen the muscles that will soon enable her to walk. Whichever mode of mobility your baby's using, it's fascinating to see how he solves the problem of getting around.

Your baby may be able to pull himself up to a standing position while holding on to furniture. In fact, if you stand your baby next to the sofa, she may be able to hold herself up, although she may be hanging on for dear life.

At this stage some parents put their children in baby walkers, but that's not a good idea. Walkers are unsafe: Your baby can use a walker as a stepladder to reach things he couldn't normally get to, such as a hot stove or bottle of bleach. What's more, they discourage floor play, which helps her learn to walk by giving her opportunities to crawl, pull up, and cruise while holding on to furniture — all activities that lead to walking.

Your baby's newfound mobility means that he's now entering the land of bumps and falls. These are an inevitable part of childhood, and although your heart may occasionally skip a beat or two, try to enjoy watching your baby explore his surroundings and discover his limits.

Restraining your innate desire to protect your baby allows her to grow and learn for herself. However, do make every effort to make your home baby-safe. A good way to do this is to get down to her level to find the possible danger zones. Secure fragile objects so they won't topple, for example, and keep rickety furniture in rooms that don't get much baby traffic.

Now's a good time to move drapery and blind cords out of reach, pad sharp coffee-table corners, install toilet-seat locks, relocate hazardous houseplants to higher ground, lock away poisonous cleaning supplies and medications, cover electric outlets, and secure safety gates at the top and bottom of each staircase.

-BabyCenter.com

Sunday Morning with Mila

Didn't know a bowl and spoon could be so much fun, didya?

Mila is 8 Months!

Dear Mila,

Eight months already?! Where do I begin? You have grown so much!

The biggest change this month is how much you're standing! I think you'll be walking by the end of the month! I can't believe it! You stand so well and when you do it, you're so proud of yourself -- you move your little hands and wrists -- so cute! It looks like you're screwing in two lightbulbs really fast! Haha! You stand in your crib and your playpen all the time now. We even had to move the video monitor because you would stand and knock it over! But we're so proud of how well you're standing. :) You are even already trying to take small steps with assistance and you're a pro at furniture surfing, LOL! And when you're not standing/attempting to stand, you are crawling EVERYWHERE. I can hardly contain you. You just want to explore it all: the sofa, the bookshelf, the dining room chairs... I'm constantly chasing you down and bringing you back to the playmat. But you'll have none it of it - you just go back to trying to go where you're not supposed to. We're looking for a baby gate for you now... we need to keep you safe!

You're eating more solids now too. You're such a big girl! Foods you've tried include: banana, rice cereal, peas, carrots, avocado, prunes, applesauce, pears and sweet potato. You loved rice cereal, avocado and sweet potato from the start, you've grown to like banana, peas and pears, but prunes and carrots are a big NO! The jury's still out on applesauce.

You nurse all day, but at lunch you eat about two tablespoons of solids and then you nurse some more. We try to add a bit more each week, but at the same time we try not to go too fast since it seems to get you a bit constipated. :/ I know, I know, I'm sharing too much info... but you don't mind, right? :)

Along with eating, you're also biting! Ugh...it's awful. You don't do it too often, but when you do -- WOWEEEE it hurts! I think you might even be teething again, but not sure.

You are also showing to be the most curious little girl... everything that is not a toy is what you want to play with. If you have 20 toys in front of you and you see the camera, or the remote, or the phone, or even my shoes -- THAT is what you want. You want everything you can't have! You have to grab everything and it goes straight to your mouth. Honestly, it drives me a bit crazy! I'm can't take my eyes off you for a second!

Here's the perfect example... you have a ton of toys in front of you, but what you want to chew on is the strap from the stroller. I've given up trying to get you to play with your toys... if you want the strap, you can have it. And while you're at it, go ahead, put your feet up and make yourself comfortable. Nice life! LOL!

You new favorite thing to do is that you love to swat at everything, so any spinning toy is your new thing. You have an alphabet wheel that we call "The Wheel of Fortune" that you love to spin and spin and then you stare at it.... and then you slowly lean in and put your tongue on the spinning wheel - HILARIOUS! I've been trying to catch you on camera doing it, but you don't do it very often and when you do, I don't have the camera handy. But it cracks me up!

You're also discovering mirrors. I'm not sure if you realize that you're looking at yourself, but I do see that you look at me in the mirror and then you look back at me and laugh... as if to wonder, "If Mommy is over there... how is Mommy over here?" Haha! And you have a bunch of toys that have mirrors on them and you love to look at yourself and then put your tongue on the mirror. So funny!

And in case I haven't mentioned it or you haven't noticed in your pictures, your tongue is always out. Always. It's permanently out. I love it, although it means you slobber all over me all day long. Daddy likes to call them kisses. At night time during your bedtime routine, Daddy will read you your mirror book and on one page there's a frog or a mouse or a sun, and on the facing page there is a mirror. Whenever he turns the mirror to you so you can see yourself, you lean in with your tongue out and put your face up to the mirror, and "kiss" the mirror. You do this for every page, every night!! It's soooooooooooooo cute! I die laughing every time I watch you do this. :)

And speaking of sleep, you nap so much better now! You do an awesome 1-2 hour nap in the morning, an hour nap in the afternoon, and then a half hour in the early evening. (Just the last few months, you would only do three 30-minute naps! What a difference!) I'm usually nursing you by 10pm and then you'll nurse to sleep or I'll rock you to sleep and you're in bed by 10:30pm. You wake up 2 times, sometimes 3 times a night. But your day routine is sooo much better than it has been. I'm able to get so much done in the mornings! Yay! Slowly but surely!

Now, onto things that are not so cute... (which aren't too many because you really make almost anything cute!) your separation anxiety is clear now. I can barely run to the bathroom without you protesting! You're not so easily passed on to other people and you always want me to hold you. It's so sweet, but at the same time it's exhausting when I can barely take a shower or make some dinner! When Daddy's home though, he does a great job of keeping you entertained, so I usually wait to do things after he's home or while you're taking a nap.

You're also very wriggly. You squirm during all diaper changes. So much so, that I'm actually using the belt from the changing pad to strap you in. And to think I scoffed at it when we bought it: "Who actually uses that?" I thought. Now I understand! If you're not strapped in, you will literally attempt to crawl away from me in the middle of a diaper change - diaper or no diaper! And poopoo or no poopoo!!! ACK!

So that's what was going on in your 8th month. Now we're onto the 9th... I honestly can't believe how big you've gotten in such a short amount of time. It seems like yesterday you were just born and now we're just a few months away from... your first birthday! Eeek! I'm already starting to think of what fun things we can do, because -- I hate to say it: I know it will be here before we know it! 

I love you my chunky little monkey Milaroni Macaroni!

Your Mommy

Study on High C-Section Rate

So interesting. The LA Times had a story on a study of the high C-section rates in this country:

"Cesarean deliveries have doubled since 1996 and now account for one-third of all births in the United States. A new study suggests that a big dose of patience on the part of women and their healthcare providers during delivery might help to lower the rate substantially..."  Read the rest of the article here.

Reflections of Motherhood

So beautiful! For this video, moms were asked moms if they could go back to before their first baby, what would they tell themselves. These are their answers.

Silly Girl

Mila is sooo funny! I put her in the Pack in Play (little baby corral) while I shower and get ready and this is what she does:

She stands up in the Pack N Play and presses her face up against the mesh side of it and makes the funniest faces as she tries to get her teeth in it! It's sooo funny! Such a silly girl! Here's a clip: