Things I have Learned this Week & Delilah's First Curl

It has ben a while since I posted about Delilah. She has finally gotten over the cold that she had, and then....the husband got it. We have been knee deep in Kleenex around here, and I have somehow avoided the cold. I am going to say that it was the Zicam and Cold Calm that really pulled through for me this time. These past couple of weeks you could catch Byron walking around with Kleenex, scaring Delilah every time he sneezed and blew his nose, me dissolving tablets in my mouth, trying not to drink anything for 15 minutes at a time, and Delilah walking around jibber jabbering about who knows what. 

I have learned a lot these past couple of weeks, and yes, I will be glad to share some them with you ;)

1. Having a sick baby is the worst. I will know for next time to stock up on movies I haven't gotten to see the past two years, maybe start a journal, and make enough food for dinner for a week. Trying to juggle cooking and a sick baby is like a circus, a very bad, I don't ever want to do it again circus.

2. Having a sick husband is equally, if not more horrible, than having a sick baby. I found myself loosing patience with Byron every time he asked me where the Afrin was. In the same place it was the last time you used it, nearly shaking the house down coughing, scaring our baby, and not putting it back where it is supposed to be in the first place. Next time, I will get all of the medicine he will need and put it in a basket, next to the bed, with a sign that reads "You can only talk to me about being sick if it is an absolute emergency. Everything you need is in this basket."

3. Giving Delilah a box of straws was the best thing I have ever done. She kept busy (and quiet) for 15 minutes. I had dinner almost completely done before the silence was interrupted by me cussing out the rice and Delilah getting her hand stuck in the cabinet. Straws. Do it.

4. Not to worry about the mess in the living room, caused by the baby tornado, the mess at the kitchen table, caused by baby Nolan Ryan (Yes, that is how out of date I am with my baseball reference), or the pile of clothes that needs to be put away, and spending just 30 minutes with my husband, made for a great night. 

5. A mom has no time to be sick. And thank goodness this cold graciously decided not to ruin my day.

6. A mom may never have a clean set of clothes one, despite all of her measures. Same applies with baby.

7. Sometimes, putting on Baby Einstein during the Shit Show hours, is ok and needed, to ensure mental soundness of the mother.

8. Yes, that is shit on my pinky finger, and no, it won't be the last time some bodily fluid lands on my body. Thank you Bath & Body Works for your wonderfully smelling soap. If you don't already, buy yourself some soap, they always have a deal going on and for a moment, just a small moment, when you are washing your hands, you will smell a lovely smell and you will take a nosevacation.

9. You have to eat! I have found myself this week not feeling very good and super run down. I realized that yesterday, I only had 1/2 a sandwich. Then it dawned on me, "Sarah, you are f*ing hungry. Pull it together."

10. Having a one year old it the funniest thing in the whole wide world. I love dinner time when we are all sitting together and Delilah quickly becomes the life of the party. She is so funny and this age is awesome. Tough. And nearly impossible at times. But awesome. And hilarious. Have I mentioned she is funny? Her laugh gets me every time, so sweet.

11. Shopping has never been more fun than now. I love shopping for her, even though sometimes I look around and think about all of the things I have not bought for myself. However, Delilah is the proud owner of katarina and I can not wait until it comes in the mail!

12. Deflection. I have been trying this when Delilah decides to freak out and scream when she can't do something she wants. It's been working great, but Im sure once she figures out what I'm doing, game over. But, until then, LOOK! Squirrel!

13. One nap is not all that bad! She is still transitioning and I never know if she is going to take one nap or two, but I have to say that I think Im going to like it! It is so much easier getting her down for one nap, and on those days that I once dreaded, when she takes only one, getting her to bed is a piece of cake. I probably just screwed up everything typing this, but it is something I am looking forward to now.

I love how she is starting to play so well by herself, she sat like his for a good 5 minutes. So proud of herself.

Loved. The. Straws.

Let's go Byebye!

And you better let me get there by myself. So independent!

I got this rocker out to give it away, she loves it! 

Im not sure you can see it, but if you look closely on the top of her head, you will see her very first curl! It took me about 345 tries to get a picture, so this is the best out of the bunch. But this is a very special day for my bubblehead (bald) baby!

;)

Have a great day everyone!

Diaper Bag

When I was pregnant and getting ready to have the baby in a week, we had a scheduled induction you can read about it here, my husband was going to surprise me with an overnight bag I have wanted forever. I first saw Trophy Queen at a ROT Rally and bought one of her wallets. It is vinyl and glitters, um yes please! I found out she made bags and some lucky moms actually use them for diaper bags. Years later, a week after we had Delilah, there was a knock and a package for me, my own Trophy Queen bag! Ahhhhhh!

He initially planned on it being my hospital bag, but she hand makes everything and the custom order took a little longer than he expected, no worries and totally worth the wait! My sister had given me a cute diaper bag that I have been using for a year now, but I have decided it is time to make the switch! I was using the Trophy Queen as an overnight bag but now I am using my old diaper bag for that and the Trophy Queen as the diaper bag. It has been working out great and I love it. There is enough space for anything and the pockets hold all of Delilah's odds and ends. We even have space to spare! 

You can customize these bags however you want, she has a list os swatches on her website, but get ready, I was never able to choose what I wanted. I am really glad Byron went with the Seafoam green, its perfect. And, yes, that is cheetah print on the inside ;)

On a normal day, this is what we have in the diaper bag:

1. Changing Pad: I am using the one from my original bag.

2. Extra set of clothes : I am on the market for a wet bag, I will update this as soon as I find one to my liking.

3. "Fuzz" Blanket - This is not pictured, but we do not go anywhere without Delilah's fuzz, she is currently napping, but it always lays on top of the bag.

4. Wallets: Yes, I have 2, one is a wristlet I can quickly take out if need be, it has all my essentials, and I have one for insurance cards, coupons, things I do not use on a regular basis.

5. Wipes: I have the generic Pampers case, but I have had my eye on this.

6. Diapers: I usually have about 5 and now that it is summer, I have 1 swim diaper, too. You never know!

7. Teething/Chew Toy: We have this and this.

8. Diaper Rash Cream, Lotion, Sun Screen, and my handy dandy Triple Nipple Cream

9. Hand Sanitizer

10. Lip Balm: this is my favorite.

11. Tide to Go pen

12. Alcohol Wipes: When we eat out I always wipe the corner of the table Delilah is going to eat on, I don't even mess with a plate and I always forget the table covers.

13. Disposable Bibs

14. Sippy Cup: We are in Texas and it is hot, so I always have a zippy cup with water. The Nuby straw cups are my favorite, no lid, minimal parts, and they do not leak. We have 3. Win. I also label everything with one of Delilah's name labels, just in case ;)

15. Boogie Wipes: These things are great!

16. Ibuprofen: Sometimes you get headaches and it is good to be prepared.

17. First Aid Kit: You never know, this is what we have.

18. Extra Blanket: We were caught in a down pour one day, sans umbrella, and we put the blanket over our heads and ran to the car! If you have extra aden + anais blankets laying around, they are perfect. 

And that is it! Our diaper bag!

Favorite Things: Thirty One Tote

To say this tote holds a lot is an understatement. I got this bag as a gift from my sister-in-law. It was something that I would never had bought myself, but is now something I can not live without. It is not a bag we use daily, but when we do use it, it is loved!

This is our go to travel bag. It holds all of Delilah's diapers, wipes, ointments, toiletries, food, eating supplies, her noise machine, tow truck, and her crib. Kidding about the last two, but seriously, it holds a lot!

For people who travel a lot, this is a must have item. If a spill or leak happens, you just wipe it away with one of the 1000 wipes it fits ;)

This tote is going to see a ton of beach, lake, and river trips in it's future!

There is an insert that fits in the holes in the straps, however I have not been able to find it online. I am sure if I new someone who sold Thirty One, I would be able to find it. Maybe. Other than having difficulty finding the accessories, this bag is a keeper.

The Thirty One Organizing Utility Tote is one of our Favorite Things!

Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: Itzy Ritzy

I am a sucker for anything baby related. Being a mom has put a new spin on shopping. I consider it a hobby, therapeutic if you will, my husband might call it obsessive. In any case, I love finding new products and I love it even more when they work out!

My favorite store is The Natural Baby Company and Austin is lucky enough to have one. If you are a momma and live in the Austin area, you should check it out! If you are shopping for a friend who is about to have a baby, you should check it out! I try my hardest to find my way into that store at least once every couple of months. Their products are thoughtful, interesting, and have purpose. They also keep up with the latest items. If you can't tell, I love that store! On one of our many trips there, I walked away with a cute little snack bag. At the time Delilah was only 4 months old, so we could say it was a little bit of an impulse buy. Regardless, I have now bought two more of the Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens bags, because we use them so much! 

I fell in love with the colors of the Urban Jungle print. I later found the Urban Jungle pink print, but it was too late! I already had the matching set. I still love the colors even though it doesn't scream "girl".

When I bought the "Everything" bag, Delilah was pretty young, but lucky for me, was starting to eat solids. And I quickly became a little obsessed with all of the food pouch choices. And wouldn't you believe, a pouch, a spoon, and a bib, fit perfectly into one of these bags! Anytime we would leave the house, I would put Delilah's food into the bag and off we went!

I still use the bigger bags for her food, only I use tiny tupperware to put leftovers in. Once, she started having a snack time, I decided I wanted needed a smaller bag. They are perfect for the yogurt melts and puffs that she loves to eat!

(On a side note, not sure how it happened, but Delilah has preferred the Happy Baby brand of food, one day I noticed that I was buying everything Happy Baby. I find that very interesting and is also one of our Favorite Things.)

The bags were also, at a time, a lifesaver for when Delilah was having a meltdown in the car. I would hand her a closed Snack Happens bag and she would stare at the print, shake the bag, and manipulate the zipper. She is figuring out that the zipper opens the bag, so I have had to come up with another distractor. 

The best part of these bags is clean up. I will turn the bag inside out and clean with a little soap and water (while I'm doing the dishes for the night), and lay it out to dry. Simple as that! If the outside gets dirty, I just throw it in the washer and dryer. 

The Itzy Ritzy bag is one of our favorite things!

 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.