But Why?

Poor me. While I'm starting to collect cool friends with kids, I mostly still am surrounded by those who haven't (yet) spawned. And when you politely (again) decline a shot of Tequila, you're lame. But why? They whine. Because I have to wake up at 4am. But why? Because I have a toddler. But why? Because babies like to rise early. But why are you leaving so early? (11pm). Because like I said, I have to be alert and playful at 4am, or maybe 6-7am. But why? Because like I said... @#$%! See, adults without kids are really a lot like toddlers.

Introducing Myself

Hello Conscious Mamas. I'm Libby, and I'm the Midwest mom. My daughter, the irrepressible Miss Scarlett is 2 and a half [today, as a matter of fact] and we are expecting our second in about 5 weeks. I can give you any advice you care to hear about subsequent pregnancies [including exactly how long it took me to remember the word 'subsequent' with pregnancy brain] and tell you exactly how important kegel exercises are. Trust me. Important.

My philosophy is thus: I have been making a conscious effort since the birth of Miss Scarlett to do our families part to offset all the brightly colored plastic that has made its way into our lives. We are in no way perfect, but we believe in recycling, cutting out as many chemicals as possible, and shaking our heads in disbelief anytime the Corn Counsel puts a commercial on trying to convince people that High Fructose Corn Syrup is really okily dokily when used in moderation!

Since I don't actually have much to contribute right now [see aforementioned pregnancy brain], I thought I'd share one of my favorite websites. http://www.wireandtwine.com/ Check our their kids Smart tees! The alphabet is printed upside down on the hem, with the corresponding letters highlighted. Love it!

Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, I do have to tell you that today I went and picked out my minivan. Hypocrisy, thy name is automatic sliding doors. But when staring down the tunnel of lugging a pumpkin seat and a two year old, you quickly decide that you can step up your environmental impact in other ways. See? Not perfect.

On choosing clothing

Hi all!  This is my first post on this blog- my name is emeraldwednesday and I have a 3 1/2 month old son.  I'm so glad to be able to contribute and hope that I can be helpful to someone once in a while.

So the other day I was thinking about baby clothing and how much what I look for has changed since I was pregnant and buying the first little newborn outfits.  As a mom in the trenches, I have a completely different perspective and list of requirements versus when I was a starry-eyed expectant lady.  I still want cute duds for my little dude, but practicality trumps all- and before, I didn't know what really *was* practical.

As you get to know me, you'll find that I'm all about the bulleted list.  (Probably too much time either in science or in corporate life; not sure which.)  Anyway, without further verbiage, here's my list of what I've found about baby clothing.  Some findings may be obvious, others not.

• The "month" sizing means little to nothing.  Every manufacturer has its own ideas of how big, say, a three month old should be.  Right now my DS is wearing 3-6 months in Old Navy and "just one year" (by Carters), 6 months in regular Carters, 3 months in Baby Gap, and 6-9 months in Circo (the Target brand).  As you can see, you can't even depend on two divisions of the same company to get it the same.  The "pound" guidelines are much more helpful.

• Regarding one piece sleep and plays- snaps, especially snaps that go down both legs rather than just one, are much better than zippers that go down one leg.  You don't have to practically undress the baby for a diaper change, or put baby's leg into contortions to get it in and out of the sleeper.  Zippers can also ride up into the baby's face if you wear them in an upright position.  All that said, I prefer one piece outfits to separates in the beginning- fast, no matching to worry about or pants to remove for diaper changes!

• Never buy anything where the only closure is down the back!

• I find "envelope" or overlap necklines easier to deal with than ones with snaps.  They open wider.

• Bodysuits (the onesie type thing) don't ride up the way Tshirts do when you pick up the baby.  

• I needed many more changes of clothing than I expected to.  Babies tend to spit up and diapers can leak.  I had visions of going with quality over quantity with clothing, but unless I wanted to use crazy amounts of energy, water, and time doing laundry constantly, that wasn't going to work.  I hit sales now, and am thinking of buying used if possible, for both budgetary and environmental reasons.  There are buy/sell/trade shops around for baby clothes; this may be an option.

• "Baby legs" (legwarmer things) are an awesome alternative to pants that don't have to be removed for diaper changes.  There are tons on etsy!

• You can get "garment extenders" for snap-crotch shirts to get a little more use out of them.  I also hear that you can get something to attach to Tshirts to sort of convert them into bodysuits, but I haven't checked into that yet!
  

That's all I can remember for now.  Anyone have anything to add?  I'm sure I can use more advice on this from people who have more experience/older kids.  :-)

Potty Talk

Miss M's new favorite word (aside from "Papa") is "poo-poos". She also likes to say "pee-pee", but "poo-poos" is, by far, the most popular. Along with saying these words, she has a new fascination with all things bathroom related. This is adorable when she's trying to wash her own hands, brush her own teeth, or was her own face... However, she's really into what it is I'm doing. I find us having to stand over the toilet, as it's flushing, waving and saying, "byyeee!". So, this got me thinking, maybe she would like her own little throne to sit on.

There are many, many potties out there. Some that sing, some that don't do a thing, and everything in between. Although this is just a seat for the bathroom, NOT a serious attempt at real-deal potty training, it would be great to get one that will work when the time is right. I plan to start the hunt soon. Any good recommendations (whether you actually used it, intend to use it, or wished you had used it)? Also, any good potty tips or stories? I love potty stories.