Naptime Blog

When I was a little kid in the 1970s, we lived in a teeny tiny town. There were only several hundred people in our community. It was a different time and place and we’d
run and play outside from morning until night. We’d ride our bikes to elementary school a couple of blocks away from our home (these were country blocks… about 10 of them would make up a city block these days). Our parents worried more about us falling out of a tree or wrecking our bikes than about us getting abducted by a stranger.
These days that’s not the case anymore. Parents have become hyper-vigilant (and rightfully so) about keeping an eye on their children when they are outside. It’s sad
in a way that the world has to be like that. These days, many activities are indoors (gymnastics, dance, karate) and I wonder if children sometimes miss out on some
of the things I experienced as a child… roly polys in the yard, climbing trees, riding bikes on winding trails and experiencing that carefree childhood. Of course, I was
a good bit older than my children are when I was allowed to run and play freely.

This past weekend, I watched my two children and their very different personalities emerge. We went in the backyard and the boys played and played. My three year old
spent most of his time in the sandbox, scooping up sand and raining it on his head. He enjoyed running his small fingers through the dirt, rolling his cars over sand mountains
and giggling at his brother. My two year old ran constantly. He ran from one side of the yard to the other side of the yard. He ran up slides and slid down slides. He dug his
hands in the mud and squealed past me as I tried to catch him. He would stop only long enough to take a few long drinks of the ice water I had prepared for him. He picked up
bugs and giggled at the hopping frogs. He chased the dogs and grabbed onto their tails.

He enjoyed being a boy, being free (as free as you can be in a fenced in backyard).

It was bliss (for all involved).

Shannon
Potamus Prefers

http://www.potamusprefers.com/

I am trying something new with Tristan. He has not been sleeping well, so I did some research and decided to put a twin mattress on the floor in his nursery. A gate is across the hallway so he can only get to my bedroom. His nursery and my bedroom are 100% childproof so I know he is safe if he gets up at night. Plus I am a super light sleeper. It seems to be working out.

Another reason I decided to try this was I have been studying the Montessori way of learning. They believe:  “A bed should be one which the baby can get in and out of on his own as soon as he is ready to crawl. The first choice is an adult twin bed mattress on the floor. Besides being an aid to development, this arrangement does a lot to prevent the common problem of crying because of boredom or exhaustion. It helps to think of this as a whole-room playpen with a baby gate at the doorway and to examine every nook and cranny for interest and safety. If the newborn is going to share a room with parents or siblings we can still provide a large, safe, and interesting environment. Eventually he will explore the whole room with a gate at the door and then gradually move out into the baby-proofed and baby-interesting remainder of the house. These are the beginning stages of independence, concentration, movement, self-esteem, decision-making, and balanced, healthful development of body, mind, and spirit.”

I am so excited to see how this works long term. So far he wakes up and comes and gets me. Maybe one day he will decide to explore and play.

Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com

I searched high & low for the best convertible car seat for Jayce. He is 10 months and close to 25 lbs. His little legs have been hanging over that infant carrier for a few months now

There are many brands on the market today for convertible car seats. Many names that have been around for years; and a few new kids on the block as well.

I really wanted to get a lot of bang for my $buck$! I polled other moms, researched online reviews and window wished for awhile before I found the perfect one for us.

I was eyeballing the Alpha-Omega Elite for awhile. But, I was not ready to dish out $200 for it. Well, once I got a really good review from another mom whose son was not much older than Jayce, I was sold!!

The 15% off coupon from Babies R Us didn’t hurt either.

Here is my BIG boy in his new car seat!

~Shanta

We have officially out grown the safety first bath seat we have. It says when the baby can stand up to stop using. Well Tristan has been standing and trying to walk for about a month, but I guess he never thought to stand in the tub until the other night. So for now he sits on a bear sponge and has a little bit of water to sit in. Here is a video of why we can no longer use it. Please ignore the background talk, my husband didn’t realize I was taping and was trying to get me to be more forceful with my saying no. I am not sure when a baby gets the concept of NO, so I try to be gentle when saying it. I stopped the video right as he stood up since I was worried about him falling out.

Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com
www.everydayoatescooking.blogspot.com

The time has come to purchase a new car seat. I wanted to cry. The infant one we had was only up to 22 pounds. After spending hours, okay days, researching them online, one thing I noticed was the price among all other safety specs. Those convertible car seats can get pretty pricey! I saw a few around the $350 range (ouch!) Surely you can find a great safe one for less…. right??? After reading reviews, we finally decided on the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite, which was originally about $160 at BrU on sale for $119. And how great, this one goes from rear facing, to forward facing, to a booster seat up to 100 pounds. That in itself seemed like a good deal. Even better when the cashier, bless her heart, pulled out a 15% off coupon for us to use. The remaining balance was helped out with my grandfather’s gift then pleasantly surprised when my mother in law paid the rest. She is the best!

 She stayed with us for about 4 days, left today, and is always welcomed here at any time. I am happy to say that I am a fan of my in-laws, haha. I hear A LOT of stories about how some families just don’t get along and its sad to hear, but I am very lucky. I am always glad when Shaughn gets visits from his family who are spread throughout the country and he seems to like it too. Shaughn is getting more and more vocalized and realizing how high in pitch his voice will go. He will just go on and on babbling, like he is telling you about his day or what he dreamt about during nap time. I sit there and agree with him and encourage to tell me more, and boy does he. One day those will be full words and sentences, and though it will be great when that day comes, I know I will cry because it will be another milestone showing just how fast my little man is growing.

-Krystle