tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74647479142258910302024-03-13T08:11:32.826-07:00Permanently Discoeveryone's excited (and confused)bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-19886441389174881322015-09-16T15:46:00.001-07:002015-09-16T15:46:15.378-07:00Mollie Makes Issue 57 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzymEvr1GLDoQ-2OfdjG5VK10m2vn9ocXQKUxFT5Bt23syfJdjRiHVAkAzncl5e-y6eAiM3GhpvMx0833Oj9V_pWT7Ozy6-vAlFMQUg1_3z2TiW4aLUUlsvRvZEfgTCKJRx1HRzOzQY4/s1600/MM57_spread1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzymEvr1GLDoQ-2OfdjG5VK10m2vn9ocXQKUxFT5Bt23syfJdjRiHVAkAzncl5e-y6eAiM3GhpvMx0833Oj9V_pWT7Ozy6-vAlFMQUg1_3z2TiW4aLUUlsvRvZEfgTCKJRx1HRzOzQY4/s640/MM57_spread1.jpg" width="640" /></a>The fine folks at <a href="http://www.molliemakes.com/" target="_blank">Mollie Makes Magazine</a> (a great DIY mag produced across the pond) contacted me a few months ago asking me to write an article for them on how to update any ol' button-up shirt with a vintage-inspired scalloped collar (based on <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/04/diy-scalloped-peter-pan-collar-on.html" target="_blank">this original DIY that I had published</a>).<br />
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The article just hit newstands in issue 57, and I couldn't be more excited - I got a shoutout on the cover and a nice three page article in the magazine.<br />
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If you aren't in the UK, you can get the <a href="http://www.molliemakes.com/subscribe/" target="_blank">digital version of Mollie Makes</a> or find my original scalloped collar tutorial <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/04/diy-scalloped-peter-pan-collar-on.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Download the collar template <a href="http://www.molliemakes.com/downloads/mollie-makes-issue-57-templates/" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/kcbwsjb1uar1aae/scallop%20collar%20template.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here</a> to make your own! Let me know how it turns out. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-50833285949048700172015-07-23T00:13:00.002-07:002019-04-29T12:38:08.501-07:00What to Register For: The First Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've got a lot of friends with babies on the way, and decided to make this list of things to register for since I wished for something similar. If you aren't one of those first-time-baby people, you will probably find this post pretty tedious...(and I won't be offended if you stop reading right now).<br />
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When I started looking to make my baby registry, I was completely overwhelmed. I wasn't sure what I actually needed and what was just nice to have, or what to splurge on versus where to save my money. I even took a class on how to register properly, and sat there slack jawed for 3 hours while someone paraded out a million baby items that I didn't even know existed. After that I went home and made my registry, which still felt a little like a stab in the dark... but a slightly more educated stab.<br />
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After having my baby, I realized that what you end up actually needing surely varies no matter how much research you do ahead of time. There were things that I had assumed that I'd need that I never used, or that my baby just didn't like, so don't feel bad if you don't nail it the first time. You also can't feel too bad about things your baby only uses for a few months before outgrowing them, since some things you use will be extremely helpful but only for a very short amount of time.<br />
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So. I'm going to tell you what I ended up REALLY using. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably just buy the basics to begin with and hold off on some of the other items until the need actually arose. Believe it or not, you may not need every baby item every made (though retailers would have you believe differently) and I'd suggest staying as minimal as possible. This list also may come in handy for those of you trying to find the perfect baby shower gift.<br />
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First of all, everyone told me to sign up for <b><a href="http://amzn.to/1pmrFJC" target="_blank">Amazon Prime</a></b>, and I'm glad I did. Between the free two day shipping (which really comes in handy when you feel like you can't even leave the house to go shopping), and their free streaming movies/tv shows to watch while breastfeeding, I feel like that service paid for itself quickly.<br />
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I also made a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby" target="_blank">gift registry at Amazon</a>, because even if they don't sell an item on the site that you want, you can add your own outside links to your list and still have a single list (with photos!) to send to people who would like to give you a gift. Returns were easy, and they also make it simple to send out thank you notes when people purchase from your wish list. I use a lot of Amazon links* in my suggestions below, since it's just easy to shop in one spot, but you can obviously find this stuff in lots of different places.<br />
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Okay. On to the goods. Again - these are the items that I actually used, loved and would recommend:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7wWmrfnt1rh2pqj80RSTMwiUAtHhoCW3Z_tIuhFSuT3aQ4zsSziZZwokMlkUDaqviXjs8VL0aQu5ubXGgVFADVKWAOof4vlViuF8La0AWsxo0OM0y3KoITECd_2NP-P4aRzH7cvLe2W-/s1600/newborn+essentials+to+wear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7wWmrfnt1rh2pqj80RSTMwiUAtHhoCW3Z_tIuhFSuT3aQ4zsSziZZwokMlkUDaqviXjs8VL0aQu5ubXGgVFADVKWAOof4vlViuF8La0AWsxo0OM0y3KoITECd_2NP-P4aRzH7cvLe2W-/s1600/newborn+essentials+to+wear.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm not going to spend a ton of time in this section, because how you dress your babe is a matter or taste and season, etc. I will say that babies spit up on and grow out of things infuriatingly quickly, so I wouldn't spend a fortune on clothing, BUT it is still important to dress them in outfits that you like.<br />
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<b>Footed Onesies</b><br />
Confession - I pretty much didn't take my baby out of a one-piece jammie for the first three months of his life. I mean, he was sleeping all the time anyway, and really too small for clothing of any sort to look that cute on him. The one-piece was so practical and cozy. My faves ended up coming from <a href="https://www.jcrew.com/baby/shop_by_category.jsp?intcmp=baby7_shopcoveralls#%20" target="_blank">J.Crew</a> (though I don't see them on the site anymore) and <a href="http://amzn.to/1pmybQw" target="_blank">KickKee Pants</a>.<br />
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I do like zip-up-front jammies for quick dressing, but owned plenty of snap-fronts too. I steered clear of the ones that go over the head and only snap at the bottom, since Emerson hated having them pulled over his head. Whatever you end up going with, you'll just want easy access to that diaper.<br />
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We probably had about six-eight footie onesies that we cycled through for those first few months. </div>
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<b>Socks n' Shoes</b><br />
We did put Em in a variety of other onesie/stretchy pants outfits too, of course, but I didn't bother at all with shoes of any sort for the first three months. Some nice warm socks were all I ended up using. (I personally liked <a href="http://www.gap.com/products/baby-boy-socks.jsp" target="_blank">Gap's baby socks </a>since they seemed to stay on E's feet well).<br />
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At around 3 months, my favorite footwear was <a href="http://freshlypicked.com/" target="_blank">Freshly Picked Moccasins</a>. They are made of soft leather, and are easy to put on but seem to stay on better than socks. We bought E several pairs as he grew, and he wore them until he was actually walking (the soft sole is nice for a baby learning to walk) and once he was good at walking I transitioned him to shoes with soles. He wore them until size 3. (There are plenty of knock-off versions that are cheaper too)<br />
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<b>Clothes</b><br />
You'll probably end up with more clothing than you actually need for the first few months, because everyone does, but I'd recommend keeping it minimal if possible. 10 onesies and soft stretchy pants, maybe 2 sweaters and a hat or two. Save buying things like "scratch mitts" until you find you need em.<br />
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Favorite shops that I frequent: <a href="http://www.zara.com/Kids" target="_blank">Zara Kids</a>, <a href="http://www.hm.com/us/department/KIDS" target="_blank">H&M</a>, <a href="http://www.americanapparel.net/babies" target="_blank">American Apparel</a>, <a href="http://www.target.com/c/baby-newborn-clothing/-/N-564pl#?lnk=L1L2_baby_0705_0_HERO_25_5_2015|HERO|T:Template%20B-DVM|C:CMS&intc=2630051|null" target="_blank">Target</a>, <a href="http://www.gap.com/products/baby-clothes.jsp" target="_blank">Baby Gap</a>, <a href="http://www.carters.com/" target="_blank">Carter's</a>, <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Baby-0-3yrs-Clothing.html" target="_blank">Boden</a><br />
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Favorite splurge brands: <a href="http://shop.misha-and-puff.com/" target="_blank">Misha and Puff</a>, <a href="http://www.bobochoses.com/" target="_blank">Bobo Chooses</a>, <a href="https://www.tinycottons.com/" target="_blank">Tiny Cottons</a>, <a href="http://www.minirodini.com/" target="_blank">Mini Rodini</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn0u0JHEsKQE0J1ISBjQ7N2D3viXf_La627pLDrhOzLNyYkbp5czSoWJAMxBL3G-cLg0xekNVBiPst1BLncHGrGJqSLKgT5b-Nw-vaMYTcKIBlijtxoxy9AaT0F9ajqxWO3SqXZRS1LDL/s1600/newborn+essentials+feeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn0u0JHEsKQE0J1ISBjQ7N2D3viXf_La627pLDrhOzLNyYkbp5czSoWJAMxBL3G-cLg0xekNVBiPst1BLncHGrGJqSLKgT5b-Nw-vaMYTcKIBlijtxoxy9AaT0F9ajqxWO3SqXZRS1LDL/s1600/newborn+essentials+feeding.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I exclusively breastfed Emerson, so my recommendations are going to reflect that.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1pAeySx" target="_blank">Motherlove Nipple Cream</a><br />
I guess I had heard that breastfeeding might be terribly painful in the beginning, but it really doesn't sink in until you are sitting there dreading feeding your baby again and cringing as that little mouth opens wide because of the seemly never-ending soreness. I used this cream for the first six weeks and it was a life-saver.<br />
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(I also used these <a href="http://amzn.to/1hB22x1" target="_blank">Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads</a> for a little chilled relief, though nothing helped as well as the <a href="http://amzn.to/1tSLuIo" target="_blank">nipple cream</a> did)<br />
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<b>Breastfeeding Pillow </b><br />
I love my <a href="http://amzn.to/1rjiHPi" target="_blank">Boppy</a>! It is a perfect, versatile pillow to prop your baby on while you breastfeed. Again, this is one of those things that I ended up using every day, multiple times a day. I liked it better than the Breast Friend because its a little more comfy, and I used it later on to help prop him on the floor, etc. I got a <a href="http://amzn.to/1pmBTd9" target="_blank">boppy pillow</a> and a <a href="http://amzn.to/1tSIM5C" target="_blank">cover</a>.<br />
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<b>Nursing Cover </b><br />
Okay. I wasn't sold on this item at first. I figured that rather than add one more thing to my bag of crap to carry around, I could just use an extra swaddle blanket or burp cloth to get the job done. I'm sure that would have worked, but the number of times I ended up breastfeeding on the go made me repeatedly grateful for a cover with a neck strap and a stiff wire opening at the neck. Emerson preferred a little breathing room, and it makes it so much easier to look under the cover while feeding and adjust things as needed. Mine also is very compact, and washes easily.<br />
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I bought a <a href="http://www.target.com/p/organickidz-baby-and-me-harmony-silver-exclusive-double-rimmed-nursing-cover/-/A-14327653?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=14327653&CPNG=Baby&kpid=14327653&LID=9pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14327653&kpid=14327653&gclid=CjwKEAjwt_isBRDuisOm1dTQqGISJAAfRrEABh1pd_5NQSQ4w2RJiGVJp7kGcrkjzwjnH0PNpMg6oBoCmsDw_wcB" target="_blank">organicKidz </a>brand cover, but similar ones come under lots of different (mostly tacky) names: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O6NSQNU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O6NSQNU&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=VOVAPVACXT2VJRE4">Hooter Hiders</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00O6NSQNU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUBNZC8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BUBNZC8&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=LP6J4EELDTMNUZC6">Udder Covers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BUBNZC8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://amzn.to/1k6gstA" target="_blank">boppy</a>, etc.<br />
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I know a lot of people swear by the stretchy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fawn-Foster-Multi-Use-Stretchy-Shopping/dp/B07DSQX65V/ref=asc_df_B07DSQX65V/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312132074117&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12155906975276263788&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031945&hvtargid=pla-614402647901&th=1" target="_blank">2-in-1 feeding cover</a> that doubles as a carseat cover. I never had one but lots of people I know do, and it seems like a really smart multi-purpose cover. (lots of different brands at lots of different price points on these)<br />
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<b>Breast Pump</b> (I've got the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuEU57" target="_blank">Medela Freestyle</a>)<br />
Em was solely breastfed, and even though I was around most of the time, having a breast pump so that I could leave him and a bottle with other people on occasion was a lifesaver. I haven't used any other breast pumps, but I really love the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuEU57" target="_blank">Medela Freestyle</a>. It is compact (unlike some of those pumps that take up an entire backpack) so it is convenient for moms on the go, and comes in a discreet purse with cold carrying case for easy transport. The pump is still noisy, but at least it's small and lightweight.<br />
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I also like the <a href="http://amzn.to/1Mdd7GL" target="_blank">handsfree bustier</a>, for multi-tasking purposes, and personally do best with the <a href="http://amzn.to/1MddyAU" target="_blank">rigid breastshields</a> (like the ones that come with the pump) instead of the soft shields that you can also purchase. Make sure your breastshields are the right size, otherwise it may make pumping more difficult.<br />
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And, for storage, they make great <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00028XJNA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00028XJNA&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=WXJU6LBO2FWVZOKL">ziplock bags</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00028XJNA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for the fridge/freezer that are easy to label and measure the amount of milk inside.<br />
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<b>Bottles</b><br />
Initially I registered for a ton of different types of bottles, because babies all need a million bottles, right? Every cartoon baby I've ever seen is constantly sucking on bottle. And then...I ended up just used a few <a href="http://amzn.to/1KdTqMF" target="_blank">Medela bottles</a> that fit with my breast pump, and Emerson always liked them just fine. I could pump, throw the bottle in the fridge, and then stick a nipple and cover on it when I needed to grab one to go. I probably had 6 of those and that's all I needed.<br />
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If you are planning on doing more bottle feeding than I did, I still would probably advise you to not go overboard on buying bottles initially. Maybe get one or two different kinds to try out, or a starter set, and then buy more once you figure out what baby actually likes and have a better sense of how many bottles you'll really need.<br />
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<b>Bottle Cleaner</b><br />
You'll want a <a href="http://amzn.to/1LEQ1bw" target="_blank">bottle brush</a>, even if you don't use that many bottles, because they are the only way to get those bottles really scrubbed out in your sink.<br />
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And, I feel like everyone gets one of those plastic <a href="http://amzn.to/1LEQt9C" target="_blank">grass drying racks</a> for the counter to help your bottles drain and dry properly after being washed out in the sink. I had one, but only used it minimally because we didn't use bottles that often. I'd probably get the <a href="http://amzn.to/1RSQY5e" target="_blank">smaller version</a> if I were to do it again, for limited counter space and the fact that we didn't have a million bottles to wash at any given time. This would probably be in the category of "nice to have" instead of "necessary" because your dish drying rack would also be just fine.<br />
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If you've got a dishwasher and plan to use a lot of bottles, I'd recommend a <a href="http://amzn.to/1KlGLdt" target="_blank">dishwasher basket </a>to hold all the nipples and other small parts that will fly around in the dishwasher if placed in solo.<br />
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<b>Burp cloths</b><br />
You can use pretty much any rag to soak up all the drool and baby spit-up that is sure to escape your baby's mouth. Em has been a non-stop spitter since day one, and I've loved the <a href="http://amzn.to/1KdTFYj" target="_blank">Cloud B Spill cloths</a> and the slightly larger <a href="http://amzn.to/1gHkGtr" target="_blank">giggle Baby Better Basics</a> Burp Cloths because they are simple, absorbent and soft. I've got one or the other in every purse I carry and every room of the house.<br />
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<b>Nursing bras/tanks</b><br />
For the first few weeks after Emerson was born, I lived in a nursing tank and stretch pants. I'd recommend two or three nursing tank tops, and then a few nursing bras.<br />
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I haven't tried all of em, but for super practical no-nonsense nursing tanks and bras, I like <a href="http://amzn.to/1MibPex" target="_blank">Cake Lingerie</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1KdTLiH" target="_blank">Bravado Body Silk Nursing Bras</a>.<br />
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And, for something cute and not just down-to-business, <a href="http://amzn.to/1LvyFxM" target="_blank">Elle Macpherson</a> has some really great stylish nursing bras that I'm a fan of.<br />
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<ahem><b>Rocking Chair</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>I'm putting this in the feeding category because I'm not sure where else to stick it. A rocking chair this was one of those items that I wasn't sold on since it takes up such a large amount of real estate in our tiny apartment, but I have spent more time in that rocker than on any other piece of furniture and I love it. We bought an awesome big, soft, padded vintage 60s rocker from an estate sale, and it sits in E's room by his bed. I nursed him in that chair several times a day for a year, and we still rock him to sleep at night and for naps, and sit in it while we read. It has been so, so great. I'd highly recommend a rocking chair if you've got space. </ahem><br />
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They make a lot of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QJT7QT4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00QJT7QT4&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=2VGNUW2LBD77R6JZ">pretty rockers and gliders</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00QJT7QT4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
out there, but I'd make comfort your #1 priority when purchasing. I also would put this in the "okay to splurge on" category based on how much and how long we've been using ours.<br />
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<ahem><b>High Chair</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>You won't need one of these until at least 6 months in, and what you end up getting is totally a matter of space and preference. I</ahem><ahem> bought a <a href="http://www.ovobymicuna.com/" target="_blank">freestanding high chair from Micuna </a>that I thought looked pretty and have loved it because it fits in with our space really well. I splurged on this item and am not sorry one bit, because of the daily use it gets and the presence that it has in our apartment. </ahem><br />
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If space is more of a commodity, we also own a more portable version by <a href="http://amzn.to/1fUxmNi" target="_blank">Inglesina</a> that hooks directly onto any table, and stores well. And, my parents have a no-nonsense <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CSAWJPO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00CSAWJPO&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=OFWX7K4K2QOJNM2M">Fisher-Price Booster Seat</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00CSAWJPO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> that they pull out for us when we visit that is plastic and easy to clean and attaches to any regular chair. <br />
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<ahem><br /></ahem><ahem><b>Baby Food</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>Once Emerson started in on solids, I made all of his baby food. It wasn't difficult, and I liked knowing how fresh everything was that he was eating. There are lots of fancy storage containers and recipe books and blending machines out there that are branded for baby food preparation, but if you've got a blender/food processor and the internet to look up recipes on, you already have what you need. </ahem><br />
<ahem><br /></ahem>
<ahem>I did find that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FNIZQ6W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FNIZQ6W&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=DVLHHYQO4XDXSXX2">re-useable squeeze pouches</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FNIZQ6W" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A475DRO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00A475DRO&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=VTS37H2SIZS5HQMX">Boon Food Dispensing Spoon</a> were awesome for packing homemade food on the go. </ahem><br />
<ahem><br /></ahem>
<ahem><br /></ahem>
<ahem><b>Cups n Bowls</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>Once he was old enough to start feeding himself I found these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JOT2RO?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000JOT2RO&linkCode=xm2&tag=permanently00-20" target="_blank">Munchkin Stay Put Bowls</a> to be handy since they suction to the table, and these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WHR6CU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006WHR6CU&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=SD3HDNPX6FDE64LM">Click Lock Sippy Cups</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B006WHR6CU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
to be indispensable. We got special baby spoons at one point, but E ended up liking the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10091764/" target="_blank">small version of normal spoons</a> from ikea best. </ahem><br />
<ahem><br /></ahem>
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<ahem><b>Bibs</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>There are a million cute bibs out there, but I got over having to stick the fabric ones in the washing machine after every meal reaaaaaaal quick. Enter the best bib ever invented: the <a href="http://amzn.to/1I9OIjz" target="_blank">Baby Bjorn bib</a>. It is durable, easy to toss in the sink or the dishwasher after every meal, and has a neat trough to catch food. This is also the gift I give at every baby shower since I find it so useful that I believe everyone should own one. </ahem><br />
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<ahem><b>Storage</b></ahem><br />
<ahem>I got a bunch of these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Tot-Blocks-Storage-Containers/dp/B079KCVWJF/ref=asc_df_B079KCVWJF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312126077698&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6929380589451319313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031945&hvtargid=pla-553647361387&th=1" target="_blank">Oxo food storage containers</a> (in both sizes, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Tot-Blocks-Storage-Containers/dp/B079KCVWJF/ref=asc_df_B079KCVWJF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312126077698&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6929380589451319313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031945&hvtargid=pla-553647361387&th=1" target="_blank">small</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079K4S4GM/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?pd_rd_i=B079K4S4GM&pd_rd_w=oUGZb&pf_rd_p=46cdcfa7-b302-4268-b799-8f7d8cb5008b&pd_rd_wg=KrtPS&pf_rd_r=NTJF3QGB4F155A0SZ6AG&pd_rd_r=a402c32d-6ab5-11e9-81c3-e19ee3aed6a0&th=1" target="_blank">large</a>) and they have been super helpful, even after the puree stage passes. When you're doing soft foods they are great for storing homemade squished veggies, and now I pack all sorts of small things like fruits and other snacks inside of them and throw them into the backpack on the go. </ahem><br />
<ahem><br /></ahem>
<ahem><br /></ahem>
<ahem><br /></ahem>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89fYhRKUZO3J5VCwl9p_c7VXsUoCDU9zJITCauPpq5ecsQSIMeAdwPEXtfeOVAaxtoaHcpFfrRcsZHIKybSNvJ1h_DP2BgmiCQifhdKJ3hytUC30-72PJ4UioQF-gzQfIGY02gk6HJQ8J/s1600/newborn+essentials+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89fYhRKUZO3J5VCwl9p_c7VXsUoCDU9zJITCauPpq5ecsQSIMeAdwPEXtfeOVAaxtoaHcpFfrRcsZHIKybSNvJ1h_DP2BgmiCQifhdKJ3hytUC30-72PJ4UioQF-gzQfIGY02gk6HJQ8J/s1600/newborn+essentials+sleeping.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<b><u>Sleeping (or NOT Sleeping, depending on the baby, amiright?) :</u></b><br />
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We started off with Emerson sleeping in our room with us for the first month or two before we transitioned him into his own room/crib. It was easier to attend to his needs all night long with him right there next to us, but we always knew we didn't want him there forever. Everyone has their own ideas/preferences and timeframes for that kind of thing, obviously, so this list may not be applicable to everyone.<br />
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<i>Assuming you want a temporary bassinet sleeping solution for the first few weeks:</i><br />
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<b>Temporary Foldable Bassinet </b><br />
We bought a <a href="http://amzn.to/1pAhtuk" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank">BRICA Fold N' Go Travel Bassinet</a>. Since we knew we were going to have Emerson sleeping in our room for a short time, we got this small, temporary foldable bassinet that was very portable and put-away-able. It was great on the floor by our bed for the first month or two, as well as for traveling with him when he was small, and it stores pretty easily.<br />
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<i>This is assuming you want a crib for your babe:</i><br />
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<b>Crib</b><br />
There are so many cute ones out there. We got the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuGc04" target="_blank">Caravan Crib from Kalon Studios</a>, which was a bit of a splurge, but I love it and the fact that it converts into a toddler bed. It is sturdy, made in the USA, and is just really well designed. There are less expensive ones that I also liked the look of, like the <a href="http://amzn.to/1MdeZiU" target="_blank">Babyletto 3-in-1 series</a>.<br />
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<b>Crib Mattress</b><br />
We bought the <a href="http://amzn.to/1pmDtvt" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank">Naturepedic Organic Cotton Classic Lightweight Crib Mattress</a>. This was one thing I felt pretty strongly about splurging on, since my babe was (hopefully) going to spend so much time with his face pressed against it while he slept. Because of strict flammability precautions and other standards, mattresses often are treated with different chemicals that I wasn't comfortable putting my baby around. These mattresses are as non-toxic as you can buy, and are so clean that they even meet food safety standards (like, you could eat off them if you wanted to).<br />
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We bought the <a href="http://amzn.to/1tSLeZX" target="_blank">lightweight version</a> instead of the one with springs, because there isn't a difference in comfort or durability, but it is waaaaay easier to lift up to change the sheets.<br />
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You'll also want two <a href="http://amzn.to/1tSL58F" target="_blank">fitted crib pads</a> (one as a back-up in case of emergency sheet changing).<br />
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<b>Fitted Crib Sheet</b><br />
My mom made me a few fun crib sheets in colors to match Em's bedroom (thanks mom!), but my faves for the store-bought kind are made by <a href="http://amzn.to/1lT5F2K" target="_blank">Dwell</a>. The patterns/colors are great, quality is high, and they wash well. You'll want at least two sheets for easy changing if there is an accident in there.<br />
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<b>Swaddles</b><br />
First, if you haven't already, watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088Y6C0W?ref_=imdbref_tt_wbr_aiv&tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_aiv-20" target="_blank">The Happiest Baby on the Block</a>.<br />
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Then, buy a swaddle.<br />
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There are lots of swaddles out there that are basically big pieces of cloth to wrap your baby in to help them feel secure and stop their startle reflex from waking them up. <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ke3ng7" target="_blank">Aden and Anais make a million lightweight muslin versions</a>, which are great, but we actually ended up using a version with velcro arm restraints quite a bit as well since it was easier to wrap him good and tight (like the <u><a href="http://amzn.to/1fUyXTe" target="_blank">Halo Sack</a></u> or the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuHxUG" target="_blank">Miracle Blanket</a>.)<br />
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Emerson even managed to fight his way out of these around two months, and started sleeping fine without being swaddled, but it was a lifesaver in the beginning. And, once they can start rolling over, you shouldn't be restraining their arms anymore, so the amount of time you'll be able to use these is limited. No need to get a million of em - one or two is probably sufficient, especially since not every baby takes to them.<br />
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<b>Sleep Sack</b><br />
Once we quit swaddling Emerson, we put him in a sleep sack. I like it better than a blanket since he can't kick it off but it still keeps him cozy at night. And, putting on his sleep sack has become part of his bedtime routine, so that he knows it's time to go to sleep when we pull it out.<br />
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I LOVE the <a href="http://amzn.to/1LvC1Rl" target="_blank">Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Sleeping Bag</a> (its nice and thick and cozy, like a little sleeping bag) though the <a href="http://amzn.to/1gHmliu" target="_blank">Aden and Anais muslin sack</a> is a good lightweight version for those of you with hot summer nights. We bought one in medium and one in large, and Emerson still sleeps in it at almost 2 years old.<br />
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My sister swears by the <a href="https://zipadeezip.com/" target="_blank">Zippadee-Zip</a> as a transition between swaddle and sleep sack. Apparently it still helps control the sleep startle reflex, but allows for rolling over.<br />
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<b>Baby Monitor</b><br />
Our apartment is so tiny that we never bothered to use a baby monitor, since I can hear when E is awake from pretty much anywhere in the house. BUT, we've got some friends that love the <a href="http://amzn.to/1JgzQRi" target="_blank">DropCam</a>, and I'll admit that I like watching their baby sleep from their night vision video feed that they can check from their phone (or any device/computer). <br />
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<b>White Noise Machine </b><br />
We don't use our noise machine every time he sleeps, but it is definitely handy to have some nice rhythmic sounds to really soothe Em when we need it.<br />
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Initially we got a <a href="http://amzn.to/1gHmyCg" target="_blank">Sleep Sheep,</a> which is cute and cuddly to sit in the crib, but has only a few sounds (including one weird whale one), the volume doesn't go very high, and there is no option to keep the sound going forever. It worked with Em when he was pretty little, but we only used it for a few months.<br />
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I downloaded a white noise app on my phone so that I'd have permanent shushing material with me wherever I went in a pinch. (I use the<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sound-sleeper-calming-soothing/id507967709?mt=8" target="_blank"> Sound Sleeper app</a> and love it for the sleep tracking, the variety of sounds appropriate for kids of different ages, and other functionality). If I had to do it again, I'd probably just go with an app on my phone/iPad rather than an in-crib noise machine if you've got an extra device around the house that can be left in the room. We still use white noise when we have people over to the house and don't want him to be disturbed, or on nights he seems particularly wound up.<br />
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My sister says that the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQUjMtQRUbg" target="_blank">mp3 "baby got colic"</a> was the best thing she ever downloaded for her baby. I'd recommend having something like this on your phone for moments of need when you're out and about. Stick the phone playing white noise close to a crying baby, and it is kind of like magic.<br />
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<b>Baby Swing/Chair</b><br />
Sometimes you just gotta put that baby down. For the first few months, before Emerson was moving around much, he basically lived in his <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuIi07" target="_blank">Rock N Play Sleeper</a>. It was perfect and portable so we could take it wherever we were in the house, and he could nap there or just watch me as I was in the kitchen or on the couch. It also gently rocks, which is nice.<br />
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They make all sorts of different versions of swings and rockers that vibrate or have mobiles attached, but we just had a basic chair and loved it. It had a small footprint and folded nicely when not in use. Again, this was something we used every day... for about three months.<br />
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<b>Baby Play Gym</b><br />
For the first few months, especially when you're working on tummy time, it is nice to have a mat for your baby to lay on and look up at. We went with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DWALTI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002DWALTI&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=5ILOZTJ7PK2ZK7GZ">Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002DWALTI" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> because it folds up for storage when we aren't using it. E had outgrown it already by around 6 months, though.<br />
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<b>Diapers</b><br />
I won't go into too much advice diaper-wise, because we have a <a href="http://www.tinytots.com/" target="_blank">diaper service with cloth/compostable options</a> that we've used and loved, and I feel like the discussion on cloth diapers could be an extensive one. If you are in the Bay Area, I'd recommend them - they are only a little bit more expensive than disposable diapers, but keep alllll those dirty diapers out of landfills. We loved the Bummis Velcro covers when we were doing cloth diapering. And we currently use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GLSBH7K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GLSBH7K&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=ASVJXGILVIBWC46U">Naty brand diapers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00GLSBH7K" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for our compostable diaper service.<br />
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<b>Wipes</b><br />
I'm weird about wipes. I feel like some of them leave a gross soapy film behind, and some of them smell too strong to me and some of them give E a rash, so I swear by the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZ9AZUK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BZ9AZUK&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=OJ62DHZD7JV3DW67">Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Wipes</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BZ9AZUK" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Totally a preference thing.<br />
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<b>Changing Table</b><br />
I will say that I'm glad I have a changing table. I wasn't going to get one at first, thinking I could just use a pad that I could move around the house and change him on the bed or on a couch or wherever I was. You end up changing so many diapers, though, that it is nice to have one place that you have all the stuff you need, with the diaper pail close by. If you have room and don't mind the idea of a giant table in your house dedicated to poop, I'd recommend it. We just got a cheap <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10197572/" target="_blank">Ikea</a> table that has been great.<br />
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<b>Changing Pad and Covers</b><br />
We got our changing pad and covers from the same company that makes the mattress pad (<a href="http://amzn.to/1gHmZfQ" target="_blank">Naturepedic</a>) and I'm a big fan. The pad is a little long for our changing table (but we make it fit), so check the measurements to make sure it will sit okay on whatever table you choose. I'd also recommend getting <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KSPFC6" target="_blank">two changing pad covers</a> to rotate between.<br />
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My sister doesn't have an official changing table, and instead uses a low dresser and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KSW970Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KSW970Y&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=GZMJDLEVLTQKNZDV">Keekaroo Peanut Pad</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KSW970Y" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
that sticks to the dresser top and doesn't need a pad cover. She loves it, and it is squishy and nice for the baby to lay on.<br />
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<b>Diaper Pail </b><br />
I don't have a ton of experience with all the different diaper pail types out there, but the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SuIuMC" target="_blank">Diaper Dekor </a>has been good for us so far. I like this system because they have a long continuous bag that you tie off when you need to throw your diapers out, so it is potentially less wasteful than throwing a half empty bag away. The odor control is pretty good when you use their normal scented bags. <br />
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The only bummer is how expensive all the <a href="http://amzn.to/1GtlB5p" target="_blank">refill bags</a> are, but I think you run into the same problem with any of these fancy cans unless you buy one that fits regular trash bags. <br />
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<b>Bath Tub</b><br />
I think plenty of people get by with just a sink when babies are young, but I am glad we had a dedicated tiny tub. We used a rather bulky <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067EH7/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000067EH7&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=BJEWWYZ5DHLR6C74">plastic tub with infant insert</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000067EH7" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> until Emerson could sit in the bathtub by himself, though we had an extra bathroom that it could hang out in most of the time so it wasn't a big deal. If you're tight on space, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VLXIS4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005VLXIS4&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=W2G3ZDE6SWFJ4BP3">Boon Collapsible Tub</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005VLXIS4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
is one my sister loves because she can hang it in the bathroom out of the way when it isn't in use. This is another thing you'll only need for a few months before they grow out of it.<br />
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<b>Shampoo, Body Wash, etc</b><br />
Burts Bees makes great smelling natural baby products. I love their <a href="http://amzn.to/1MdhJwL" target="_blank">Shampoo/Body Wash</a> (and like the 21 ouncer with the pump since you can get soap out one-handed since you'll need to keep one hand on baby while he's in the tub).<br />
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I also love <a href="http://amzn.to/1Km8OXt" target="_blank">Burt's Bees lotion</a>, or a baby oil gel if E's skin gets really dry.<br />
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For diaper rashes my fave is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001190D5Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001190D5Q&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=AYQ4BO3OKVWQXSIP">Boudreaux's Butt Paste</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001190D5Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and good ol' <a href="http://amzn.to/1TSJKf8" target="_blank">Desitin</a> if it gets really bad. I don't recommend the Burt's Bees diaper cream.<br />
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And, despite what I saw on TV all the time, I've never used baby powder. I still don't really know what I'm supposed to use that for.<br />
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<b>Hooded Bath Towel</b><br />
You can obviously use whatever towel you want on your baby, but we got a hooded one for E and use it every day. We have one from <a href="http://amzn.to/1TSJxIU" target="_blank">Dwell</a> that we love because it matches the decor in E's room and is really soft and well made, but there are <a href="http://amzn.to/1JgzfPQ" target="_blank">lots of cute options out there</a>. <br />
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<b>Nail Clippers</b><br />
Baby nails grow faaaaaast. Or at least it seems like they do, since they scratch themselves all the time. We got this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CN0V7Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003CN0V7Y&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=JR37TM3KY7EFVZQK">fancy electric nail file</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003CN0V7Y" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
that is gentle on baby nails that I liked. (It ran out of batteries pretty quickly, though, and was really only good for the first few months so this definitely fits in the splurgie-and-not-totally-necessary category).<br />
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Also splurgie but a little more useful are the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006B65PC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0006B65PC&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=YJ3T3P2EUILLMO5W">Rubis Baby Nail Scissors</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0006B65PC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
we got for E when he got a little older. These are still what we use now, so they are probably a little more bang for your buck.<br />
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To be honest, I'm sure you could get away with just regular ol <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001579YRM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001579YRM&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=EI2IXJPXJ5JTFQ5L">Baby Nail Clippers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001579YRM" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
, but we drew blood with a pair once and it has scarred me a little.<br />
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<b>Pacifier and Clip</b><br />
Emerson didn't love pacifiers, so I used them minimally, but I was glad to have the ones with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057EEC3A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0057EEC3A&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=MXME4AHJ7YLUQFEW">snap on protective cover</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0057EEC3A" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
while they were rolling around in my bag and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K1LT900/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00K1LT900&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=OPMSS6BAWLASPHOK">clip</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00K1LT900" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
so they wouldn't fall far when he spit them out.<br />
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And, like every baby in the world, he loved chewing on his <a href="http://amzn.to/1GtnhMf" target="_blank">Sophie giraffe</a> while teething.<br />
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<b>First Aid</b><br />
There are definitely some first-aid type items that are good to have on hand. A <a href="http://amzn.to/1gHo4EF" target="_blank">digital thermometer</a> is important. And, we used our <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ke6K6B" target="_blank">Nose Frida</a> quite a bit for stuffy noses in the first year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pcrZTFtBiDMBn3_VPCN8WeHVg_QqAbg1vD2RKZysPecgFZEGRjbvtzkDDX24woBxghDhE0w-cexn7_-X82y7XAImOqp7NB2heuuJ5v3MK9e3cUojEcArElw-cxQik10Y5viXWiIJX7H4/s1600/newborn+essentials+carriers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pcrZTFtBiDMBn3_VPCN8WeHVg_QqAbg1vD2RKZysPecgFZEGRjbvtzkDDX24woBxghDhE0w-cexn7_-X82y7XAImOqp7NB2heuuJ5v3MK9e3cUojEcArElw-cxQik10Y5viXWiIJX7H4/s1600/newborn+essentials+carriers.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I feel like there is no way around buying multiple strollers, multiple car seats, multiple carriers, etc. over the course of your baby's life since they are always growing out of everything. Strollers in particular seem to be designed for every specific need and it feels impossible to find one that does everything. Jogging strollers are different than portable strollers are different than convertible strollers, etc. I swear stroller shopping was the most overwhelming of all my baby shopping. I went to a Babies R' Us and tested a few out in person before committing, and that helped. <sigh></sigh><br />
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<b>Stroller/Carseat Travel System</b><br />
Okay. So first you should know that it is common to purchase a stroller/carseat "travel system" for newborns. The awesome thing about these is that the car seat can click directly into your stroller, so that you don't have to take your baby out of their seat every time you get them out of the car. This is helpful since they are always napping for those first few months, and .<br />
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We bought the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GSNFG84/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GSNFG84&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=T373GQIQTNSST4Q4">Britax B-Agile and B-Safe Travel System</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00GSNFG84" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I liked it because the stroller was easy to maneuver, the bassinet was easy to carry and transition from car to stroller, and could be strapped easily into other cars without the heavy duty car seat base. And, the stroller was very easy to collapse for travel and storage (though I warn you that it is kind of wide and folds like a taco, so it seemed to still take up a large amount of space even when folded). Also, the stroller could be used for a toddler once the baby outgrew his infant bassinet, so it seemed like a good bang for the buck. We used both for about a year, though, and despite best intentions to use the stroller for longer we ended up getting a different stroller a few months after discontinuing use of the infant car seat.<br />
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<b>Umbrella Stroller</b><br />
We used the Britax convertible stroller for awhile once Emerson grew out of his carseat, but it wasn't as compact as I wanted it to be for walking around san francisco and for traveling. I ended up retiring that one and purchasing a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B98DU9U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00B98DU9U&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=TXKZXAFUGKXGJGSR">Maclaren Triumph Umbrella Stroller</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00B98DU9U" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for my every day use because it folds up so easily and fits in the car well, and has a little recline to the seat for when E naps in the stroller.<br />
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<b>Baby Carrier</b><br />
I'm a HUGE fan of baby wearing when babies are young. I chose it over using the stroller whenever possible. I know a lot of people swear by their Moby wraps or similar products (you know the ones - they look like a million yards of fabric that moms magically tie around themselves to secure their babies). We had one that we used on occasion when Emerson was first born, and I did like how snug he felt against me, but I found that my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S1T7S4I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00S1T7S4I&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=YJRZPBRT6763VEWG">Ergobaby Carrier</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00S1T7S4I" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
was what I ended up using most often (with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S1T7S4I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00S1T7S4I&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=YJRZPBRT6763VEWG">Infant Insert</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00S1T7S4I" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
when the baby is tiny). It was difficult to get the baby back into the wrap for me if it ever loosened on-the-go, and Derek liked the carrier with straps more than the wrap, so that's what we used the most. Plus, you can wear your baby several different ways depending on what is most comfortable, there is a built-in sunshade for a little privacy over their head, and a tiny pocket that I always had a binkie stashed in.<br />
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Emerson doesn't like riding in this any more, so we probably got a good year and a half use out of ours, but I used it almost daily. Definitely worth the money.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz3n6cu8C76IFEehU-vGkZVlOJRH4U7pPh9tR62pXKb_nQX16QjSVJ5UYFk3xJ_eLYhIQsYHoPOfDQ9JfwRGNYYUfk2Nlgx1zSjsy3ADs0Bk8BgYE_bNLZapmhGFTuSpeepW_3rWiW8gJ/s1600/newborn_on+the+go2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz3n6cu8C76IFEehU-vGkZVlOJRH4U7pPh9tR62pXKb_nQX16QjSVJ5UYFk3xJ_eLYhIQsYHoPOfDQ9JfwRGNYYUfk2Nlgx1zSjsy3ADs0Bk8BgYE_bNLZapmhGFTuSpeepW_3rWiW8gJ/s640/newborn_on+the+go2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Baby Bag</b><br />
Confession: I bought two really nice, expensive designer diaper bags that I was super excited to stuff with baby items. The problem - Derek didn't love carrying these things that looked like purses, and when it came down to it, I didn't love carrying them either because they sat on one shoulder but had so much junk in them that it was difficult to balance while also carrying a baby around and hurt my shoulder. But, you really want a bag dedicated to hauling baby stuff. Pretty quickly I transitioned into just using a backpack and have been a million times happier. Choose a <a href="http://amzn.to/1KdWl8b" target="_blank">stylish backpack</a> option and you won't even feel tooooo much like you're giving up on life.<br />
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Pro-tip: carrying a baby bag around everywhere also made me quit carrying a big purse, so instead I switched to a small crossbody bag with removable strap that is easy to throw into a diaper bag to consolidate space, or over my shoulder if I'm handing the diaper bag off to someone else. It was easier than transferring my wallet and keys and phone and everything to and from the diaper bag all the time.<br />
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<b>Portable Diaper Pad</b><br />
You'll want something to put your poopy baby on while you're changing them out and about. I carry one like this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B7XUVOE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00B7XUVOE&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=RR4ME4FAMGNJCFRN">Skip Hop Changing Station</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00B7XUVOE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and I use it pretty much every time I leave the house. <br />
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<b>Park Blanket</b><br />
I didn't think I needed one of these, since we already had a big blanket we used for picnics, but my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033OG86K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0033OG86K&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=HNQGC6UQVULQJ5KS">JJ Cole Collections Blanket</a> turned into one of the things I use most. It is a compact, foldable blanket made of a nice thick water resistant material with a handy shoulder strap. Its a great size for two adults and a kid or two. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0033OG86K" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />We take it to the park, beach, etc and its super handy and easy to clean. It folds roughly into the size of a medium sized shoulder bag/<br />
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My friend has an even more compact version she uses from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T0QZ9S8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00T0QZ9S8&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=BVFLW7BDVXPJJBMZ">Alite</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00T0QZ9S8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
- it isn't as padded as ours (more like a thin sheet of water-resistant material) but takes up much less room when rolled up.<br />
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And, if you're feeling fancy, my friends rave about <a href="http://letsplayground.com/" target="_blank">these leather play mats</a>. No shoulder strap, but portable and chic and supposedly easy to clean.<br />
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<b>Travel Crib</b><br />
Most hotels have portable cribs that they will wheel into your room for free if you ask, but we've still found plenty of uses for our portable travel crib. We bought the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IM8G038/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00IM8G038&linkCode=as2&tag=permanently00-20&linkId=Y5WACT7LLI2I4WW5">BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=permanently00-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IM8G038" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and it has treated us well. Compact. Lightweight. Easy to set up and take down. Two thumbs up (and maybe more if I had more hands). I've also seen the <a href="https://www.guavafamily.com/products/lotus-portable-crib?gclid=CjwKCAjwwZrmBRA7EiwA4iMzBO9uQ-7zfVZYyfPPmleY6oxIYciAQu8hGi9LOXuFvCcHKzTgMqTQFBoCz5EQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Lotus Travel crib</a> as well, and have friends that love it since it folds up a little more squarely/compactly.<br />
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<b>Car Seats</b><br />
I already mentioned that we bought a travel system for our infant car seat, which included an infant car seat. The car seat portion was the <a href="http://amzn.to/1SthJbt" target="_blank">Britax B Safe</a>, and it served us well for the first year.<br />
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When we upgraded to a toddler seat, we went with the <a href="http://amzn.to/1Lh09bL" target="_blank">Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible</a> seat because of the ease of installing and the high safety ratings. We've been happy with it so far. It is, however, the heaviest car seat known to man and a pain to travel on an airplane with (but I think that may be true for all toddler car seats). At about 18 months we started traveling with the <a href="https://www.immigoseat.com/" target="_blank">IMMIGO </a>instead and it is the best portable carseat ever.<br />
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<b>Car Mirror</b><br />
I thought this was a silly accessory for mom's that miss looking at their kids faces while they are driving. Then I became a mom that missed looking at her kid's face while she was driving AND realized it is actually handy to be able to keep an eye on that rascal while he was in the backseat, so ours has become indispensable. We have the <a href="http://amzn.to/1LsTtWv" target="_blank">Britax Backseat mirror</a> which is nice because it rotates easily to get a good angle.<br />
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There you go! That's all I know! And honestly, everyone's babies are different, so you'll probably make an entirely different list after your first, but maybe this will be helpful in some ways.<br />
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My last bit of advice, is - don't be afraid of the hand-me-down. I got so many generous things passed along to me. It made it easy to try out a variety of brands and styles without buying them all myself, and was really appreciated when it felt like you needed to buy a million things.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*Amazon affiliate links used in this post. Don't be mad. I really do love all the items I list here. </i></span></div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-10811886924620695382014-07-26T00:06:00.001-07:002014-07-26T22:03:57.589-07:00Our Little Piggy Bank<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ A tiny shiny UFO moving through Emerson's intestines //</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Emerson is at the age where he is putting <i>everything</i> in his mouth. Initially I was proud of him for having such a wide palate - "he even eats spinach without even blinking" I'd brag - but then I realized that he'll chew on a mouthful of sand with the same enthusiasm that he devours the real food I give him, and I stopped feeling quite as proud.<br />
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Last week, he thought he'd show off his hand-to-mouth skills, and he put a penny in his mouth. After a little struggle (as I panicked and he choked) he swallowed it. And looked pretty proud of himself.<br />
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I immediately called our pediatrician, and spoke with a nurse who told us the worry with swallowing a penny was that it might get stuck in the esophagus or in the lungs. She recommended that we take Em to an emergency room and get an x-ray to make sure that the penny was in the safety zone (the stomach or intestines). Sure enough, an x-ray showed a big ol penny making its way through our tiny baby.<br />
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We have been on the lookout for the penny on, ahem, the other side of things, but haven't seen any sign of it. Until we do, Derek calls him our little piggy bank...and I keep grabbing things out of his mouth before he swallows them. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-40303685650275278152014-06-16T21:00:00.000-07:002014-06-17T01:56:01.937-07:00Too Squirmy For Tradition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've got a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/onemorejuju/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> account. I know that parents have all sorts of cute ways to document their baby's growth every month. I vowed to start all sorts of cute traditions as well.<br />
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At one month old, I plopped Emerson down on a blanket, placed a weird stuffed squirrel next to him for size comparison, and took a million pics of him by his "one month" sign while he laid on his back and cooed:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGb_ylJ_63qpZRzXuEH9TwoSpb0OHeUj5h63F7kL4IYkXbbdM8gt_4-7Sw18QJYF0AIO7_21qSVhxsuHKz8_IkEdGGmQ147mMiHbqidVB2o09-Mh3_garjrlinazgloFSeGEYZL85CQMn/s1600/One+Month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGb_ylJ_63qpZRzXuEH9TwoSpb0OHeUj5h63F7kL4IYkXbbdM8gt_4-7Sw18QJYF0AIO7_21qSVhxsuHKz8_IkEdGGmQ147mMiHbqidVB2o09-Mh3_garjrlinazgloFSeGEYZL85CQMn/s1600/One+Month.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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And...I faithfully documented his growth in a similar style every month.<br />
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At six months, I was able to grab <i>maybe</i> two decent pictures before the boy flipped over and crawled away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsSqmFTH3niNQzZefWXom2tY_ypV84hGnZKDpbN6qk1bpmVEMaBb9-GMvOopUsNqRqCMpk7pb8M1ez30cvh2sdoYQCObuhESa5G-8tjAUCJpvD4jlatylIzk5xOhyaagZylYacGXiAwEg/s1600/Six+Month+Squirms+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsSqmFTH3niNQzZefWXom2tY_ypV84hGnZKDpbN6qk1bpmVEMaBb9-GMvOopUsNqRqCMpk7pb8M1ez30cvh2sdoYQCObuhESa5G-8tjAUCJpvD4jlatylIzk5xOhyaagZylYacGXiAwEg/s1600/Six+Month+Squirms+2.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdkyNmXmDNVtRYqkYN1qSvmrJ6xS1DqljiK86TXW4I_62ISMHIav8sQ2jM_UvMN0mM9kJv3bQ6P4YT80s5aSs4d5InluxcYv2eHyKI2h2L_EPWdh-xzVcdmGXwGKZJ8xYGqFzn-EgOxd-/s1600/Six+Month+Squirms+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdkyNmXmDNVtRYqkYN1qSvmrJ6xS1DqljiK86TXW4I_62ISMHIav8sQ2jM_UvMN0mM9kJv3bQ6P4YT80s5aSs4d5InluxcYv2eHyKI2h2L_EPWdh-xzVcdmGXwGKZJ8xYGqFzn-EgOxd-/s1600/Six+Month+Squirms+3.jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
He turned 7 months today and I couldn't get him to sit still for even one picture. He immediately tore his paper in half and ate part of it while scooting away from me as fast as he could go.<br />
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All our photos from here on out are probably going to be a blur. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-75801169732195672502014-06-04T08:00:00.000-07:002014-06-04T00:28:00.139-07:00Dentally Precocious<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdUSPIALymETJuOZMlUav22J5sFXkjsGUo3H8SkwcrfE2ZozsV1YAGXI3ETGspD92SFZuIsCFarKx6RKE1O9joaSzjjjPWi9vUob_YHEvyZUZpH-FD5ZRK92Eq43z7kEc1xAH3gZzRvbA/s1600/six+teeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdUSPIALymETJuOZMlUav22J5sFXkjsGUo3H8SkwcrfE2ZozsV1YAGXI3ETGspD92SFZuIsCFarKx6RKE1O9joaSzjjjPWi9vUob_YHEvyZUZpH-FD5ZRK92Eq43z7kEc1xAH3gZzRvbA/s1600/six+teeth.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ Six teeth in six months //</td></tr>
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Poor Emerson broke his first teeth at four months; his two chompers on the bottom showed up out of nowhere. Everyone that stuck their fingers inside what you'd expect be a safe little 4 month old mouth got a razor sharp surprise. Those bottom teeth were followed by two top teeth last month, and just this week his excessive drooling indicated that two more teeth were already pushing their way through the top of his gums. There is something about those gappy pearly whites appearing every time he smiles instead of a gummy grin that makes me feel like my baby is just growing up way too fast.<br />
<br />
Besides being a harbinger of his fleeting youth, the teeth also strike a little fear into me, since we're still breastfeeding. I am hoping to teach Emerson as best I can to use the power of his teeth for good, and not evil.</div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-18213894924789710272014-06-03T23:34:00.001-07:002014-06-03T23:34:41.864-07:00Walk The Commute 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEabeYwaavSjqB2tlcf-zTiySXCkpXQ0u8i5Wiai74jeH-Dt68Xi_NxsCqYWEOhLrwU-3fxTvf8nLLTzFEVJUYCLwRwJCw4R9rbBH244wCPYWKMQys_o113DH_mKXhdu85uGQsmsO8uCD6/s1600/Commute+Toss+Halfway.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEabeYwaavSjqB2tlcf-zTiySXCkpXQ0u8i5Wiai74jeH-Dt68Xi_NxsCqYWEOhLrwU-3fxTvf8nLLTzFEVJUYCLwRwJCw4R9rbBH244wCPYWKMQys_o113DH_mKXhdu85uGQsmsO8uCD6/s1600/Commute+Toss+Halfway.png" height="640" width="594" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ I know you're supposed to crop the photo to just get the logo and your face instead of the entire backdrop, but I liked the whole scene //</td></tr>
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Last weekend marked the fourth anniversary of <a href="http://walkthecommute.com/" target="_blank">The Commute</a>: the 24 hour, 52 mile walking event from San Jose to San Francisco that Derek organizes every year. I am usually a lot more involved in the event, either as a participant or at least a behind-the-scenes volunteer, but this year that baby distracted me from really doing either one. Instead, Emerson and I met everyone down at the halfway point to cheer on the brave souls that had already walked 26 miles and had another grueling 26 to go.<br />
<br />
I'd like to think, much like<a href="http://dogtime.com/puppy-room-to-help-stressed-out-college-students.html" target="_blank"> puppy therapy at colleges</a> during finals, a smiling baby waiting for you at the midway point might make you forget for a second that you have a blister on your foot the size of his giant head.<br />
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Huge congrats to the determined walkers that made it all the way this year! I'm always impressed with the fortitude I see on those streets, and love that Derek has helped start this movement. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-4709806430903139242014-05-28T23:20:00.001-07:002014-05-30T06:57:29.539-07:00Sideways Sleeper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU9X0uO8rIANMqPu8RK37im7_Ffg4fzJvv7lElzDcM7FUdjM5EyHciEb1VMktsY6szrpzNkb9ybZLFe0DCK6kGM_ESM_Yolpz2VSMvzQW8a46s7cc8S6siVQwiXUTxH5r4_faZu8XrEy5/s1600/sideways+sleeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU9X0uO8rIANMqPu8RK37im7_Ffg4fzJvv7lElzDcM7FUdjM5EyHciEb1VMktsY6szrpzNkb9ybZLFe0DCK6kGM_ESM_Yolpz2VSMvzQW8a46s7cc8S6siVQwiXUTxH5r4_faZu8XrEy5/s1600/sideways+sleeper.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ proving already that I'm not the boss of him //</td></tr>
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<br />
As soon as Emerson started rolling over on his own, I noticed that when I put him down in his crib he immediately turned onto his side to go to sleep. All these months we've been dutifully putting him to sleep on his back, but the second that he has a say in the matter, he chooses to sleep on his side.<br />
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I think watching this happen was one of the first glimpses I've had into seeing this little being as a person that has preferences and makes his own decisions. It has to feel so liberating for him to start gaining control over his little body more and more and to feel like he's the boss of things.<br />
<br /></div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-11217326387384578932014-05-28T23:17:00.000-07:002014-05-28T23:17:45.353-07:00New Baby Smell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SaGX_lLzNt4sJrro8dMZY_F3iuQYMMeONqMCX1hnO-czz3Y6H3Jp6TTfb7y5ig3RypV3JHSxxlMzchs1Nn5A57ZG-1FwAP3VjiMLGQzCFQ-4VuNsmwMrizJnJHgfoSXBA8hXl4lhms4V/s1600/Spits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SaGX_lLzNt4sJrro8dMZY_F3iuQYMMeONqMCX1hnO-czz3Y6H3Jp6TTfb7y5ig3RypV3JHSxxlMzchs1Nn5A57ZG-1FwAP3VjiMLGQzCFQ-4VuNsmwMrizJnJHgfoSXBA8hXl4lhms4V/s1600/Spits.jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">// For as much as he proclaims to like milk, he sure spits a lot of it back up \\</td></tr>
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I cringe every time anyone leans in to Emerson's neck and takes a deeeeeeep whif, expecting the scent of baby powder and a thousand angel kisses and ready to proclaim how much they love "new baby smell," because technically Emerson smells faintly of regurgitated milk most of the time.<br />
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Yeah. I wonder why. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-63434794121624762572014-05-27T11:34:00.001-07:002014-05-27T11:34:36.041-07:00The Loch Ness Diaper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3IjqFXu9TJTms9voUTpnODIXhdSuLKHCO4ASSmtF3wgUNRC6uyVEFl5_QXzH-pR7LjqEVW_UflRF_ady850f1fleyh4MGW6IokvdNISfoD5u77uP2z7yVo3gjBoxiZMhfoVG9nbWahSh/s1600/diaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3IjqFXu9TJTms9voUTpnODIXhdSuLKHCO4ASSmtF3wgUNRC6uyVEFl5_QXzH-pR7LjqEVW_UflRF_ady850f1fleyh4MGW6IokvdNISfoD5u77uP2z7yVo3gjBoxiZMhfoVG9nbWahSh/s1600/diaper.jpg" height="518" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
We've just started feeding E solids in the last month or so, and he loves them. He eats everything from sweet applesauce to green peas with the same enthusiastic gusto that ends up leaving most of the food on the area surrounding his mouth and dripping down his chin.<br />
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The one downfall to this newfound love for food is what it has done to his diapers. It has turned his mild little breastfed dirty diapers into mega, super smelly, 10-wipe-required, squish-out-the-side-outfit-ruining diapers that I live in fear of having to change outside of the safe confines of our apartment.<br />
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So far, I'm the only one who witnessed one of these new terrifying diapers. Derek says that they are like the Loch Ness Monster; he's heard the tales, but despite doing his fair share of diaper changing, has yet to experience one of the mega poops himself.<br />
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I'm a believer, and know that one of these days, upon opening E's diaper, he'll be one too.<br />
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bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-20067751997852691332014-05-22T23:18:00.000-07:002014-05-22T23:18:14.622-07:00Welcome Baby: Baby Face<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfy4EDnXeDPUvo_Nl5PUD6jzAq94lHNMVg9EhkzPZEuloJwcjuzzWN3-inxPSGk2ID9AibXce7ahYmxxWOSAMUu9aFlR_apANGGlIwa0UohZcr0TexGqywcmU-og2MQo8F8WeKR0QoYYU/s1600/derek+v+em.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfy4EDnXeDPUvo_Nl5PUD6jzAq94lHNMVg9EhkzPZEuloJwcjuzzWN3-inxPSGk2ID9AibXce7ahYmxxWOSAMUu9aFlR_apANGGlIwa0UohZcr0TexGqywcmU-og2MQo8F8WeKR0QoYYU/s1600/derek+v+em.jpg" height="450" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa0_IPjmIWxM3InsrAjWmhVDM513RLLeFikOssP6nVnpMfnuN9_C5-zcybc26FLuNQC2Wx7OtNC13h_PSdK_zJFu0xg5ZBE810h6L4NQDXBPTI8NkXFwQKG7dqdOPlB3aUS6KBA2X8d8c/s1600/bex+v+em.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa0_IPjmIWxM3InsrAjWmhVDM513RLLeFikOssP6nVnpMfnuN9_C5-zcybc26FLuNQC2Wx7OtNC13h_PSdK_zJFu0xg5ZBE810h6L4NQDXBPTI8NkXFwQKG7dqdOPlB3aUS6KBA2X8d8c/s1600/bex+v+em.jpg" height="306" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ Hard to know whose double chin and giant balding head he inherited //</td></tr>
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When I was pregnant I would sit and wonder what our little baby's face was going to look like, and what features he might inherit from Derek and I. It is amazing to see the same tiny face that appeared on day one evolving as he gets older, but always recognizable as his own little face. <br />
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I'm still not 100% sure who he looks like most. I see flashes of both of us depending on what face he is making. Sadly, it looks like I might have given him my giant feet instead of my dimples, and Derek's mom doesn't have that plaid vest anymore, so he doesn't inherit that either.</div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-69693835174164275532014-05-21T23:00:00.002-07:002014-05-21T23:01:49.187-07:00Welcome Baby: What's in a Name<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEonh6PovvXJnzS73OioXES0jr6_uI4LnrPlgI4N-FVGzDXk3YBmkYanq_hm_UGFNe3J7bbeg-Mu33_CqNfyQkCUgTg41aue6sIJCdIWBZofA_rlhbn6Sg57jjWsVDId2TNwKht6OOSPxK/s1600/Emerson+Going+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEonh6PovvXJnzS73OioXES0jr6_uI4LnrPlgI4N-FVGzDXk3YBmkYanq_hm_UGFNe3J7bbeg-Mu33_CqNfyQkCUgTg41aue6sIJCdIWBZofA_rlhbn6Sg57jjWsVDId2TNwKht6OOSPxK/s1600/Emerson+Going+Home.jpg" height="506" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">\\ Our newly named baby headed home in his new car seat and hospital hat //</span><br />
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Trying to come up with a suitable name might have been the hardest part about having a baby.<br />
<br />
We were supposed to be leaving the hospital in the next twenty minutes, and we still hadn't finalized the name. I was sitting there on the adjustable bed, giant plastic water cup in hand, waiting for the wheelchair to be rolled in, and Derek and I stared at eachother with big eyes, knowing a decision needed to be made but not being sure how to make it.<br />
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The woman from the records department had been...<i>persistent</i> in checking in with us every few hours (that's a nice way of saying that she'd been harassing us) to see if we were ready to fill out our paperwork, and we'd started avoiding her phone calls since we were sick of telling her that we needed a little more time. She surprised us by poking her head in the door, and in a voice that was too bright to actually be cheerful, asked us if we were trying to sneak out of the hospital without giving her our decision. We assured her that we weren't planning on it, but that we still were having trouble committing to a name. She gave us a look, reminded us where her office was, and told us that it was much easier on everyone if we could just get our paperwork in before we left.<br />
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I made Derek fill out the papers and take them upstairs to her. It felt a little like the harried last minute of an exam, where you decide to fill in the rest of the scan-tron bubbles at random since it is better to guess and have written something rather than just leave the space blank.<br />
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The thing is, it wasn't as if we hadn't discussed names beforehand. Derek and I kept a spreadsheet full of possible baby names that we bandied about for months, but hadn't come to any final decisions.<br />
<br />
We talked about family names. We made lists of names that had a tie to San Francisco. We talked about names that were meaningful to us in some way, and names that had the right number of syllables, and names that just sounded good and names that we hated. We imagined ourselves yelling the name across a playground. We imagined our boy having to introduce himself to his friends. We imagined his name printed on business cards some day. We imagined saying his name along with the names of future siblings to come. We imagined possible nicknames. Through it all, we came up with lots of names that we liked, but it was a lot of pressure trying to figure out which name was the right one to actually give this baby for the rest of his life.<br />
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Finally, the name that we kept coming back to:<br />
<br />
<b>Emerson Bixby Wright.</b><br />
<br />
The name <b>Emerson</b> is just a name we liked. And, though the name doesn't necessarily come from Ralph Waldo, he is associated with liberal thinking, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Reliance" target="_blank">self-reliance</a> and a love of nature, which are all things I wish for in humans.<br />
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<b>Bixby</b> comes from a beautiful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixby_Bridge" target="_blank">bridge down in Big Sur</a> that we had crossed over during one of our valentine excursions a few years ago. It is a fine piece of engineering, which Derek obviously appreciates, and the name stuck with me after that trip.<br />
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Of course, like any good parents of the 21st century, we googled our possible names before committing to them. Just in case.<br />
<br />
When googling "Emerson Wright" one thing that pops up is <a href="http://youtu.be/EIlsBYdBT2Y" target="_blank">this amazing video </a>by a kid that looks to be about 11. Apparently he is THE expert on vlogs, comedies, and gaming, but the thing that really put him over the edge into awesome is his glasses that look just like mine and Derek's...except, of course, that his are actually 3-D glasses stolen from the movie theater with the lenses popped out.<br />
<br />
The most notable "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0084646/" target="_blank">Emerson Bixby</a>" to be googled is a writer/producer who allegedly wrote and starred in a campy low-budget zombie flick in 1986 that no one can find a copy of.<br />
<br />
We felt satisfied.<br />
<br />
On our way out, we got cold feet and called the records woman to ask her not to turn our paperwork in until the following Friday, just to give us an extra few days to change our minds if we needed to. I could almost hear her rolling her eyes over the phone.<br />
<br />
In the end, I'm not sure why we stressed about it as much as we did. For the most part, we don't even call Emerson by his real name yet. If he goes by what I actually call him, he's going to grow up thinking his name is "bun bun", "bub", "milk mouth" or "little sad sad." </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-87870581676882410982014-05-07T23:53:00.000-07:002014-05-07T23:53:48.017-07:00Welcome Baby: A Birth Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know this is a bit belated, but I wanted to finally share my first baby's birth story:<br />
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<br />
<br />
My duedate came and went, and that baby was still cozy and riding high. I should have known that 11/12/13 was too good of a birthday to hope for.<br />
<br />
I had no major contractions, even after having my membranes stripped, but I'd been trying to stay as active as possible. Derek and I took long lumbering walks to pick up paint chips and buy groceries. We ate spicy Thai food that made my nose run. We walked around feeling like something major could happen at any minute, but the unknowingness of it made it feel a little like we had all the time in the world.<br />
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Two days later, on Thursday night/Friday morning, I rolled over in bed and felt a warm gush of liquid. In the haze of just waking up I thought that I had accidentally peed the bed. I groggily stood up, only to find that the liquid just kept gushing - there was no mistaking this as a bout of incontinence. My water had definitely broken. </div>
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Despite all the movies I had seen to indicate otherwise, I did not feel the immediate need to get in cab, shrieking all the way to the hospital. In fact, had my doctors not told me to call them in this situation, the whole thing felt so uneventful that I probably would have just headed back to bed for a few more hours of sleep. Instead I woke Derek up and dutifully called the hospital to let them know that my water had broken, and they asked me to come in. </div>
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I was suddenly glad that Derek had convinced me to pack a hospital bag, although it felt almost too easy. I picked the bag up and was ready to go, just like that? Baby time? It felt very strange, and I kept walking around the bedroom trying to figure out if I was forgetting anything. We tossed the carseat into the car and headed to the hospital, walking the quiet halls we'd toured just a few weeks earlier and giggling nervously. </div>
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<div>
Once the nurses determined that my water had, indeed, broken, they sent me off to my delivery room to get an IV put in and rest for a few more hours. I woke up Friday morning refreshed and feeling good (which obviously meant my contractions hadn't really started yet; a fact that became increasingly obvious on the nurses and doctor's faces as they monitored my progress throughout the morning). </div>
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Finally, since the risk of infection increases the longer one's water has broken without delivering, the doctors got quite insistent about doing something to get this baby-having-party started. Frustrated that we were being encouraged to induce labor, which I was hoping to avoid, I tried a few last times to kickstart my contractions. Balls were bounced on. Halls were walked. Stepping stools were used for mini stair climbing exercises. Nothing helped. </div>
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We decided to start with some Misoprostol, which did start some contractions, but not effectively enough for my doctor's liking. Late in the afternoon on Friday I finally consented to start on Pitocin. </div>
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THEN I started to feel those contractions. Still, I managed to eat a pleasant dinner with Derek and chat with the nurses. We played quiet music, which I didn't think I was going to want but ended up grateful for (I think I made Derek subscribe to some sort of Enya/yoga music channel) and it provided a calming distraction.</div>
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By 3am on Saturday morning, I wasn't smiling quite as much. I was sitting on my big blue bouncy ball, propped with my head against the bed trying to work my way through the contractions, but my body was having a hard time relaxing. I'd anticipate the pain of the contraction, and my entire body would tense up and seemed to hold onto the pain. No thoughts of relaxation or deep breathing seemed to help me let go of it, and the cycle seemed endless. First I received a shot of morphine, and though that did help, I eventually found myself calling for an epidural. THAT was a blessed relief, and I immediately went to sleep and was able to rest for a few hours. </div>
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Saturday morning I woke up refreshed, albeit with legs that were mostly numb. I sipped my broth and nibbled my jello, and watched the doctors keep cranking up my levels of Pitocin until around noon, when the doctors watching the beeping monitors told me it was time to start pushing. </div>
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There was quite the fanfare. I pushed. And pushed. The doctors cheered me on. Derek helped hold my legs. We made progress.</div>
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After several hours of pushing, however, the enthusiasm of the crowd was waning and I was getting pretty tired. There was also worry about potential for preeclampsia and the baby's blood pressure.<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"> </span>Finally the doctors told me that this baby wasn't budging, and that they recommended a vacuum-assisted birth in which I would have three tries to get that baby out before needing an immediate c-section. I automatically balked at this proposal. I really, really wanted to avoid the dreaded c-section, especially since I felt so close to being able to do it on my own...but finally decided that if that baby didn't come out with a vacuum assist, then he probably wasn't going to be coming out on his own any time soon anyway. <br />
<br />
Everyone immediately suited up and wheeled me into the OR. There was a different energy in there. Things felt more dire. I already was so tired, but felt the mounting pressure of knowing that this was when it all really counted. I knew that this was my last shot, and that it wasn't guaranteed...especially after we got started and the vacuum popped off the baby's head after the first attempt. The doctor fell backwards almost comically while still holding the little plunger, spraying everyone around her with drops of blood in the process. I was surprised at how hard they were pulling on their end, and that the baby was still refusing to budge. We made it through the second round of pushing, but still no baby. I was trying hard not to give up already, but the situation was feeling hopeless.<br />
<br />
I am glad I didn't feel the part where they gave me an episiotomy during the last push. All I know is that I felt the most amazing sensation as that little baby finally made his way out of my stomach and into the world. They let Derek cut the cord, and got the baby to give a good cry before bringing him over and placing him on my chest. I remember: Tears. Smiles. Relief. And a weird sensation of having finally experienced this thing and meeting this tiny being that I'd been anticipating for so long.<br />
<br />
So, here he is, world:<br />
<br />
Emerson Bixby Wright.<br />
Weighing in at 9lbs 4oz, with a surprisingly well-shaped head, given the circumstances.<br />
<br />
I love him more than anything.<br />
<br />
++++<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I am forever grateful for both Aubrey Trinnaman and <a href="http://yesterdayamomentlater.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Robyn Kessler</a> for being there with their cameras to share this experience with us. Aubrey brought a sleeping bag and flowers and speakers and rallied for an entire day while we waited on this baby to come. Robyn, 8 months pregnant herself, showed up with an hour's notice after Aubrey got called away for a prior commitment, and was the one that ended up being there for the actual birth. Not only was she a supportive and encouraging friend during the delivery, she captured so much of the experience that I didn't fully remember and from an angle I could never have seen. I will love her forever for being able to remind me what a squish face that baby of mine had upon entering this world. The photos in this blog post are all hers, and you can see her own beautiful post about the experience <a href="http://yesterdayamomentlater.blogspot.com/2014/02/emmersons-birth.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
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bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-20257640983746636682013-11-13T22:35:00.001-08:002013-11-13T22:35:18.092-08:00re: Late<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoZ6VNp8AolMagUrb0uM08qxlOPa_RsiKdykZpHX1wRB3g04Yne_7OyJyqu_SCNIoAFMwG9b7R0AEOb4LDGQEusFCX18n18Q6foUy4tvdr2l__aVwDYwEX3eGDh4wTwqbPSKFCXrCAJbg/s1600/40plus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoZ6VNp8AolMagUrb0uM08qxlOPa_RsiKdykZpHX1wRB3g04Yne_7OyJyqu_SCNIoAFMwG9b7R0AEOb4LDGQEusFCX18n18Q6foUy4tvdr2l__aVwDYwEX3eGDh4wTwqbPSKFCXrCAJbg/s640/40plus1.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ taking long walks can help bring on labor... so i took a long walk to the jcrew 40% off sale //</td></tr>
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<br />
Well. We've officially moved past the 40 week mark into baby overtime.<br />
<br />
Sadly, it looks like in addition to inheriting his parents bad eyesight <span style="font-size: x-small;">(this is still speculation, of course)</span> the boy has acquired their knack for showing up fashionably late to everything.<br />
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40 weeks, one day, and counting ... </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-23770102048336485502013-11-11T11:36:00.000-08:002013-11-11T11:36:46.788-08:00re: Forced Simplicity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9X_G4f7bMCGUMkzGR2kaCR1KU64qBO_G5byvfjlqbMPQA-c8bsv3AwZ5hZyuIQnHR3G9yCsPz7BGkleBYGuxDZMHiZ4Tr-3HcQUnqc593ITXgTRaPDjdwpIWQ90AUzJcdiGQhjEMymQBZ/s1600/pregnancy+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9X_G4f7bMCGUMkzGR2kaCR1KU64qBO_G5byvfjlqbMPQA-c8bsv3AwZ5hZyuIQnHR3G9yCsPz7BGkleBYGuxDZMHiZ4Tr-3HcQUnqc593ITXgTRaPDjdwpIWQ90AUzJcdiGQhjEMymQBZ/s640/pregnancy+shoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ Odds are, if you've seen me in the last 4 months I've been wearing one of these pairs of shoes. //</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My co-worker told me the other day that she'd never seen me wear the same thing twice until I got pregnant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect that was just a nice way of telling me that in case I thought nobody noticed that I basically have two outfits that I switch off wearing every other day, I'm sadly mistaken. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I love clothes, I never wanted to spend a ton of money on maternity clothing - they make some really cute stuff these days, don't get me wrong, but somehow the idea of investing much in such a temporary wardrobe seemed like a waste of money and space, and I ended up doing a fairly good job at making due with some of the larger, tunic-y items and stretch pants that I already owned for a majority of my pregnancy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, the few specifically maternity items I did buy out of necessity have turned out to be really comfortable, especially in these last few weeks, and despite my poo-pooing of them have been the things I find myself wearing daily. For someone who owns (cringe) upwards of 300 pairs of shoes and had an entire second bedroom dedicated to closet space for years, having to choose between only four pairs of shoes that actually fit has been surprisingly more liberating than restrictive. I won't be showing up on any "best dressed" lists, probably, but I've kind of enjoyed only having one pair of black shoes to choose from for any given occasion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Of course, whether I'll feel that same way once I am trying to fit into all my old clothing again remains to be seen - though t</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he simplicity of a pregnancy wardrobe has been unexpectedly nice, my tendencies towards an expansive wardrobe run deep. I'm hoping to meet my closet somewhere in the middle.)</span></span></div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-13892552852979678812013-11-04T09:44:00.002-08:002013-11-04T09:46:55.848-08:00re: In No Rush<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9GYTOmIw-VNrVVfuQdf6SyPYE52-C-_hhyxC4nJ-SIYqHb_u3Z6cy8XrtQV8LN7U5Ly4b74EpoNHhaPzn-Fmjz8g1FW5TlOgWAekolQ_ylvLwRhj9P2C5ouvfxnNZMbYMI0YFiN6mNwg/s1600/swaddle+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9GYTOmIw-VNrVVfuQdf6SyPYE52-C-_hhyxC4nJ-SIYqHb_u3Z6cy8XrtQV8LN7U5Ly4b74EpoNHhaPzn-Fmjz8g1FW5TlOgWAekolQ_ylvLwRhj9P2C5ouvfxnNZMbYMI0YFiN6mNwg/s640/swaddle+baby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ The mildly terrifying doll I learned to swaddle on //</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Don't worry," my <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/">BabyCenter</a> email cheerfully told me a few weeks ago. "<span style="background-color: white;">If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine."</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just stared at those words suddenly feeling like the wiggling creature in my belly had turned into a ticking time bomb. I'd kind of been counting on the last month of pregnancy to get A LOT of stuff done; Move into a new apartment; Train a replacement employee; Put together cribs and install car seats. The idea that this baby could in theory come AT ANY TIME sort of threw me into a panic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">"Oh, I delivered a month early," my co-worker told me, right before suggesting I probably have everything at work organized every night and set up as if I might not come back the next day. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing is, I've been pretty good about anything that requires a checklist. Find a pediatrician? Check. Take my baby classes and learn how to swaddle an inanimate, kinda ugly plastic doll? Check. I've had my shots. The number of the hospital is programmed into the speed dial section of my phone. There is an entire room of our apartment dedicated to tiny clothing and doodads that I'm unsure how to use. Check, check and check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
But when people ask me if I'm "ready" for this baby to come, I'm not quite sure. I mean, yes I do own an inordinate number of swaddle blankets, but whether that means that I am "ready" for 2 am feedings and preschool interviews and the pressure of raising a decent human being? I suppose that remains to be seen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I'm hitting my 39 week mark tomorrow. The last thing on my list is to pack a hospital bag. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Let's be honest. This might be as ready as I get. </span></span></div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-63728440488716736802013-10-11T17:59:00.000-07:002013-10-16T08:32:19.605-07:00re: Weighing In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKqysWWPRNh5LVr7e0pa3Wkg7tKHYsPlxKt0LLaipddYjQLE9aBauG5RP4F9-2BQAzBrTCL69x_gNUGqMLKyQtB9PYXf6fn5KC54gPupPsF3GN1JVuZG-fItxjcqJItXKujIGRo8Jev8c/s1600/weighing+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKqysWWPRNh5LVr7e0pa3Wkg7tKHYsPlxKt0LLaipddYjQLE9aBauG5RP4F9-2BQAzBrTCL69x_gNUGqMLKyQtB9PYXf6fn5KC54gPupPsF3GN1JVuZG-fItxjcqJItXKujIGRo8Jev8c/s640/weighing+in.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ That's about all I see of my toes these days //</td></tr>
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In a fit of quantified-self geekery last year, Derek and I bought a <a href="http://www.fitbit.com/aria">wireless scale from Fitbit</a> that automatically sends our weight to a tidy little graph on an online profile every time we step on it, so that we end up with a nice picture of our weight over time. It is such a smart little device that it "recognizes" me, and blinks a little greeting of my name as I stand there waiting for my body fat percentage to appear.<br />
<br />
My graph has been kind of fun to watch as my pregnancy progresses, as it arcs in a way that would be otherwise horrifying if I didn't have another growing human inside me to blame. In the beginning, the little blinking display would just dutifully tell me my new weight daily, without any hint of alarm or judgement as the number grew and grew every week.<br />
<br />
Then there was the awkward phase where my weight got too close to Derek's for the scale to tell us apart very easily anymore. You could tell it didn't want to offend anyone ... but instead of boldly blinking my name when I stood on the scale it blinked it with a tentative question mark afterwords. "Bex?"<br />
<br />
Now I've safely made it to the other side and the scale knows the difference between the two of us again, though hopefully it isn't the side of things that I'll be staying on too long. I'm planning to confuse the scale again in a few months.</div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-47824937594327822782013-09-30T23:51:00.001-07:002013-09-30T23:52:39.775-07:00re: DIY or DIE (and apparently we chose die)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">\\ Don, our painter, doing a better job of painting straight lines than I would //<br />
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<br />
I guess first it should be announced ... we bought a house*! In San Francisco!<br />
<br />
*(And when I say house, you should know I mean small three bedroom apartment in a three unit building, and that sometimes when describing it I say "bedrooms" with air quotes because I know people with closets that are bigger than what we are calling a unit of living space).<br />
<br />
Regardless, I love it, and I am so excited to move in and make it our very own home.<br />
<br />
Luckily, the place is pretty move-in ready. I may not love some of the tiles in the bathrooms or the kitchen cabinets, but they aren't falling apart so I'm not complaining. Basically, we just had to re-do a small section of the wood floors and repaint to get it ready for living in. And, after evaluating the amount of work that was to be done, we opted to pay skilled contractors to do it all for us.<br />
<br />
I think for Derek (the engineer/craftyman who is always working on something) and I (the person who worked for ReadyMade Magazine and owned the URL diy-or-die.com for years), the idea of not actually participating in the renovations in our new home has felt a little like a personal failure. Especially after the internet seems to be full of dramatic BEFORE/AFTER shots of people that toiled away on a project and by the sweat of their brow ended up in a beautiful, personalized space that cost a fraction of what the rest of us suckers pay someone else to do.<br />
<br />
The reality of the situation is that at 7.5 months pregnant, I can't be around all the crazy chemicals involved with stripping wood or painting, and an aching back isn't the best thing for hanging wallpaper. And, let's be honest - if we really had to wait for just the weekends/evenings to work on things inside the house, our son would probably be 2 years old by the time everything was actually ready for moving in.<br />
<br />
The stakes also feel a little higher in a place that costs as many hundreds of thousands of dollars as this apartment does. It isn't like taking a risk on sanding down an old table that you bought for $5 at the thrift store...it's wanting to make sure that someone removes the potential lead paint in the right way and fixes the cracks in the plaster that's been around since 1908. Suddenly, any ambition to do it myself is taken over by the desire to just make sure it is done well and done right.<br />
<br />
I suspect that after we move in, there will still be plenty of possible DIY projects that will spring up. For now I can just enjoy the fact that we have 40 feet of wallpaper hanging straight in our hallway that I never said one swear word over. </div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-42137846941218082142013-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:002013-07-26T09:43:50.633-07:00re: Math Problems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We interrupt many months of blogging silence to bring you this special video announcement:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="481" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/71078672" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/71078672">1+1</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user15060936">Rebecca Gholdston Wright</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
(thanks, <a href="http://www.paulferney.com/">Paul Ferney</a>, for helping us make this thing0</div>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-54176578071920370452012-12-04T16:45:00.000-08:002012-12-05T00:04:57.054-08:00re: A Birthday StorySlam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We're big fans of <a href="http://themoth.org/"target="_blank">The Moth</a> and the <a href="http://www.porchlightsf.com/"target="_blank">Porchlight</a> story telling series in our house, so to celebrate my birthday last week we decided to host our own StorySlam with our friends. A StorySlam is a live storytelling event where participants from the audience are chosen at random to come up to the mic and tell their true personal tales.
<p>
I rented out <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bean-there-san-francisco"target="_blank">a little coffee shop</a> around the corner from our apartment, set up a mic, and all night we drank delicious hot chocolate the barista whipped up for us and listened to our friends tell 5 minute true stories on the topic of "getting older."
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<p>
Willing participants put their name in a box, and we drew 10 names over the course of the evening to tell a story in front of the group. We borrowed our rules from the <a href="http://themoth.org/tell-a-story/storyslam-how-to"target="_blank">Moth StorySlam</a>, which were as follows:
<p>
<b>It must be TRUE <br></b>
Stories are strictly non-fiction.
<p>
<b>It must be ON TOPIC <br></b>
The story you've prepared should be intrinsically related to the theme of "Getting Older".
<p>
<b>It must be YOUR STORY TO TELL <br></b>
Were you there? Are you one of the main characters? Your involvement in the events as they unfold is essential. No journalism. Eyewitness accounts only.
<p>
<b>It must be ON TIME <br></b>
You've got to squeeze all of that into 5 minutes.
<p>
<p>
And, if you'd like a taste of what we heard that evening, here's Collin, telling a story about a blind raccoon and his golden birthday. Enjoy:
<p>
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/54838543?badge=0" width="600" height="381" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/54838543">Birthday Story Slam | November 30, 2012</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user15060936">Rebecca Wright</a>.</p>
<p>
(pretty photos taken by Kristian + Kimmi, video by Julio)bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-79825234749518417222012-10-15T01:09:00.004-07:002012-10-15T01:10:05.895-07:00re: A Morning in SLC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We were in Salt Lake for the weekend for a wedding, and on Saturday morning decided to visit the <a href="http://www.slcfarmersmarket.org/"target="_blank">SLC Farmer's Market</a> to get our picture taken by my dear friend <a href="http://www.alishastamper.com/"target="_Blank">Alisha Stamper</a>. She specializes in portraits, and she brings her large format camera to the market to take lovely black and white photos on instant film:
<p>
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<p>
We had a lot of fun posing for our photos, and celebrated by going to <a href="http://www.brugeswaffles.com/"target="_blank">Bruges</a> immediately afterwords and gorging ourselves on hot waffles and sausages. It was a perfect morning activity.
<p>
If you're in SLC, the market lasts another few weeks. $15 will get you your own 4x5 print (and if you love your pic, you can have larger prints made from the negative).
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-34273708727002990942012-10-04T16:22:00.000-07:002012-10-04T16:23:37.715-07:00re: Family Portraits in Hawaii<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We just got back from a trip to Hawaii over the weekend with the <a href="http://ohhappyday.com/"target="_blank">Ferneys</a>. Turns out, September is the best time to go to Hawaii - because everyone has gone back to school and it is technically "off" season, plane tickets are cheap and the beaches are empty but everything is still awesome.
<p>
We hiked to <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29222-d737421-Reviews-Waimea_Falls_Park-Oahu_Hawaii.html"target="_blank">Waimea</a> Falls one afternoon, and were amused to find some very muscular life guards hanging out there, renting life jackets and pool noodles to the visitors. It looked like the kind of job that left you with plenty of time to hang out doing push ups and working on your tan.
<p>
All I know is that I tried to take a classy family photo of the Ferneys by the natural beauty of the Falls - real Christmas card material, you know? - when one of the life guards decided to jump into the quiet lake and take a swim by the Falls, just as we were getting posed.
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<p>
Do you see him? Here. Let me give you a closer look:
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I dunno. I think they can still use it for their Christmas card. bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-73816500935148727152012-09-13T00:17:00.000-07:002012-09-13T00:17:08.724-07:00Resolved: Eat More Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<P>
I meant to post this back in June, but I got too busy to have goals, apparently. So, I'll just count this goal for my entire summer, since I pretty much practiced it on a weekly basis.
<p>
My goal for the summer was to eat more salad. Not just the expected green salad (though I do love a classic green salad) but the kind full of grains/legumes and fresh things so delicious that they trick your mouth into thinking it is munching on something less healthy than it is.
<p>
The recipe that turned into my go-to salad (aka I craved it fortnightly) and that I probably made if I was invited to a potluck was this<b> <a href="http://www.healthyfoodforliving.com/?p=32421"target="_blank">Massaged Kale Salad with Mango & Avocado from Healthy Food for Living</a>:</b>
<p>
<blockquote><b>Ingredients (4 servings)</b>
<p>
1 bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale, leaves torn from the stalks and thinly sliced<br>
1/4 cup Lime Olive Oil, such as Boston Olive Oil Company Whole Fruit Persian Lime (alternately, you can use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice)<br>
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br>
2 tsp agave nectar or honey<br>
2 ripe champagne mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced<br>
1 ripe but firm avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced<br>
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds<br>
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened flaked coconut<br>
<br>
<b>Instructions</b>
<p>
In a large bowl, toss the sliced kale leaves with a small drizzle of the olive oil and a bit of Kosher salt; massage with your hands until the kale softens and wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
<p>
In a small bowl or jar combine the remaining olive oil, honey, and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk or shake until well-combined.
<p>
Toss the massaged kale with the dressing and add in the diced mango and avocado.
<p>
Serve at room temperature topped with the toasted sliced almonds and flaked coconut.
<p>
Can be made a few hours in advance.</blockquote>
<br>
Kale all freshened up with limes and mango? So simple, and so so good.
<p>
Any favorite salad recipes of your own to share?
<p>
<p>
***
<br><br>
<i>Instead of taking on a whole list of resolutions at once, I'm focusing on one life improvement a month in 2012.<br /><br />
See January's resolution - <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/02/re-hair-resolved-january.html"target="_blank">Do My Hair</a><br />
See February's resolution - <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/02/resolved-taking-care-of-business.html"target="_blank">Taking Care of Business</a></i><br />
<i>See March's resolution - <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/03/re-resolved-clear-clutter.html"target="_blank">Clear the Clutter</a><br>
See April's resolution</small> - <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/04/resolved-tackle-craft-suitcase.html"target="_blank">Tackle the Craft Suitcase</a><br>
See May's resolution - <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/2012/05/resolved-take-class.html"target="_blank">Take a Class</a><br>
</i>
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-79484598225681236732012-09-05T11:22:00.002-07:002012-10-04T16:24:34.223-07:00The Longest Yard Sale 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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August was pretty busy, ya'll. I went to <a href="http://www.127sale.com/"target="_blank">the Longest Yard Sale in the World</a>. (You know - the garage sale that takes place on the first weekend in August and stretches from Michigan to Alabama? <a href="http://permanently-disco.blogspot.com/search?q=longest+yard+sale"target="_blank">I've actually been twice before</a>. I'm pretty much an expert at junk.) Spending four days straight looking at treasures is pretty much the stuff that genie lamp wishes are made of, in my opinion.
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This year I roamed the outer fields of Ohio and Kentucky with four other ladies with impeccable taste:
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There may have been a little worry at first that we'd all be competing for the same treasures, but I think it speaks well for us as civil human beings and for the immensity of the Yard Sale that we managed to come home without any missing limbs or bloody scratch marks from trying to claw finds out of eachother's hands, AND we still ended up with a luggage rack that looked like this:
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Maybe you want to know what is inside all of those suitcases? You and the airport security both want to know. I'll tell you as long as you don't unpack my suitcase and hold everything up while laughing and showing it to your buddy who is working the x-ray machine.
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There were old forgotten treasures like viewmaster projectors.
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Pretty collars and pins and other things I like to wear.
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And, maybe I picked up some decorative baby toys that I got a preemptive kick out of as I imagined future children using their iPhone to look up photos of what a telephone switchboard would have ever been used for.
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<small>(I posted a few more pics on <a href="http://animalheadvintage.blogspot.com/2012/09/vintage-destination-longest-yard-sale.html"target="_blank">the AHV blog</a> if you'd like to keep looking at old things.)</small>
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One new addition to this year's adventure was a quick stop at <a href="http://www.dollywood.com/"target="_blank">Dollywood</a>, aka the most patriotic and tacky of all theme parks, hidden right outside of Knoxville, TN.
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There are a lot of all-American bald eagles around. While waiting in line for roller coasters, you felt a little like you were in a motivational calendar.
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The sign posts in the park actually didn't give you any direction, but you did feel good about yourself as you wandered aimlessly in search of a bathroom.
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There was also plenty of Dolly paraphernalia to peruse. Her hair reached epic proportions in many of the photos, and there was evidence of her being BFF with a lot of other famous people (like Rod Stewart, who incidentally in the 70s was dressed like every blogger in 2012).
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Indeed, the whole experience left me motivated (to pursue bigger hair and more sequins in my life).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm3Z3YcLPGw1oyp9wD5vDN4XZC11JffIDQ1dLxjMtttLQ15XfxxVYTF-zh95WtITBCk7N4zBI6EqEbrw1gxOjbpBYLBOHAV3dqGCcSnDiCwfzahwM3LhoLJYbduqUzt0Sp_fqGlcYeyIE/s1600/dollywood+motto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm3Z3YcLPGw1oyp9wD5vDN4XZC11JffIDQ1dLxjMtttLQ15XfxxVYTF-zh95WtITBCk7N4zBI6EqEbrw1gxOjbpBYLBOHAV3dqGCcSnDiCwfzahwM3LhoLJYbduqUzt0Sp_fqGlcYeyIE/s800/dollywood+motto.JPG" /></a></div>bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-130242966012816672012-08-29T15:38:00.000-07:002012-10-04T16:24:10.050-07:00re: Two Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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August 28 marks two whole years of marriage already. I kinda don't know how it went by so quickly ... which perhaps is evidenced by the fact that we still have a bag of bike horns sitting in our storage room that we step over any time we go in there. Apparently we've been stepping over them for two years.
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For those of you that might remember, Derek and I sent out bike horns as part of our wedding invitations. It was a fun little teaser to the bicycle brigade surprise that we had planned for the day.
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(It also meant coming up with 100 bicycle horns as cheaply as possible. Luckily Derek took care of that during a business trip to China, and managed to track down two duffle bags full of black bike horns one afternoon. I imagine him in some back alley full of huge stacks of weird plastic things in mass quantity, heroically wheeling and dealing to get the best price so that our wedding invites could be awesome, but I think he was mostly just embarrassed to have to haul them home in front of his co-workers.)
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Anyway. We decided it might finally be time to get rid of those leftovers, so to celebrate our 2 years, in the late of the evening Derek and I found a few unsuspecting bikes in the neighborhood and gifted them some new noisemakers.
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(That last one wasn't a bike, but we figured that anyone who drives an old parking meter cart around must have a sense of humor.)
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Honk honk! Happy 2 years.
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464747914225891030.post-23191711653436843562012-08-26T23:59:00.000-07:002012-08-26T23:59:16.073-07:00A Pahnke Wedding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Two of the greatest people I know, Mark and Emily, got married this month. And, because Emily is a genius, she figured out a way to incorporate all of her favorite things into the wedding:
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First - look at their wedding invites/announcements. Everyone got their own viewmaster with a reel of cute photos telling Emily and Mark's story in a perfectly patterned box <small>(<a href="http://prettyhandsomepaper.com/">design by Karisa</a>, letterpress by <a href="http://ohhappyday.com/"target="_blank">Jordan</a>): </small>
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Horse Ribbons (customized and in her favorite colors, of course):<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcddp3oaz37n57N17xVx6rcPIuN5PboPuoJB9H4ZDm7I-a_weIF-vS3w-3axtZAO4eaMxDv52RAIb_anveN2gB5gRXJaTGDf4nUB6RFa7pgthrWw-gc2Hw9fQXzpPkqmDZhZ6LjCzCASt5/s1600/em+custom+horse+ribbon+boquet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcddp3oaz37n57N17xVx6rcPIuN5PboPuoJB9H4ZDm7I-a_weIF-vS3w-3axtZAO4eaMxDv52RAIb_anveN2gB5gRXJaTGDf4nUB6RFa7pgthrWw-gc2Hw9fQXzpPkqmDZhZ6LjCzCASt5/s800/em+custom+horse+ribbon+boquet.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
Scratch offs in the guest book:
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbxbLcWZKN1fXkhDt4WhsY8sBvJGZfPn9O8SFGSRf8ECoWCMbQSmC9612P4g6_MvhrquvKOtRY4J0Mk1mGmcXZOOUiOSQw_i6do3JnLEIa6TYygsAKNe19qDcFDldMvB1Y_hukmZVQVt3/s1600/guest+book+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbxbLcWZKN1fXkhDt4WhsY8sBvJGZfPn9O8SFGSRf8ECoWCMbQSmC9612P4g6_MvhrquvKOtRY4J0Mk1mGmcXZOOUiOSQw_i6do3JnLEIa6TYygsAKNe19qDcFDldMvB1Y_hukmZVQVt3/s800/guest+book+table.jpg" /></a></div>
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</a></div>
<p>
A branded photobooth:
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip10YROqJzVP1lIrWgd24Ncjm2PGo-boJiwQ7jprhglf6GN2ZPsuq8Xy0Wd7Ussq3r2l35fPHSbkOnGWu9_WbJn9So0h3_RwJG1-Xe1g9kcLf7ytMVJDLZwhwjXuyUSnmAhBnzUcjGoWe2/s1600/em+photobooth.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip10YROqJzVP1lIrWgd24Ncjm2PGo-boJiwQ7jprhglf6GN2ZPsuq8Xy0Wd7Ussq3r2l35fPHSbkOnGWu9_WbJn9So0h3_RwJG1-Xe1g9kcLf7ytMVJDLZwhwjXuyUSnmAhBnzUcjGoWe2/s800/em+photobooth.jpeg" /></a></div>
<p>
Themed Food:
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RPKWphMddQ0MdxeapU9cUhC1opPM6BaWjzSC525qrPaCh596grQE4MInJs5ayYRdqDlFoPqOfza6kUuEg-_PeMXx3Tj2nv55lg8bpQgTDApEQKNr0udCKWx3DeiOLTyoK-_bWo2qFP9d/s1600/em+heart+shaped+tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RPKWphMddQ0MdxeapU9cUhC1opPM6BaWjzSC525qrPaCh596grQE4MInJs5ayYRdqDlFoPqOfza6kUuEg-_PeMXx3Tj2nv55lg8bpQgTDApEQKNr0udCKWx3DeiOLTyoK-_bWo2qFP9d/s800/em+heart+shaped+tomatoes.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf9pNxjTCTV7DAt3vPJVxyfZZGQ7EN13aXDbPVlgCVuE5A8mS9PnQxeIUXTVG0gJNo46foCNGVnSQtCZPnU1xk02TwfRAhmtH9w0Ia501iktlePwANTR2V6Cr1may_tej11ZmEPjfYTcf/s1600/em+place+setting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf9pNxjTCTV7DAt3vPJVxyfZZGQ7EN13aXDbPVlgCVuE5A8mS9PnQxeIUXTVG0gJNo46foCNGVnSQtCZPnU1xk02TwfRAhmtH9w0Ia501iktlePwANTR2V6Cr1may_tej11ZmEPjfYTcf/s800/em+place+setting.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
Clever Endings:
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweaqviVxqVnOWU6DmeR2QFPHKGSaIuud8Hqi_f9CfPlPrRT5kRptqTdRODI4Muy1GAcnvh-5kuyyGI1DzHZGA14XGiZrCRTBGiplnqDPAgTTN29f0l-6GrgWKS0Ew6DJbrkYWTOcZrdxZ/s1600/em+paper+airplane+sendoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweaqviVxqVnOWU6DmeR2QFPHKGSaIuud8Hqi_f9CfPlPrRT5kRptqTdRODI4Muy1GAcnvh-5kuyyGI1DzHZGA14XGiZrCRTBGiplnqDPAgTTN29f0l-6GrgWKS0Ew6DJbrkYWTOcZrdxZ/s800/em+paper+airplane+sendoff.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
And a handsome man:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_l0fVraU8HP0Rka71GsSvWaQVY3ScugmKawPQAHlcdvIeYRxIdxenbGBvy85fy-Wo6Bw25qunYe3brhQtYqw_CfgvbgSGeTgcCLcKVdCc2FFZdioCe566FkKDgUOdEoxlaear9R1ilvQ/s1600/em+debut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_l0fVraU8HP0Rka71GsSvWaQVY3ScugmKawPQAHlcdvIeYRxIdxenbGBvy85fy-Wo6Bw25qunYe3brhQtYqw_CfgvbgSGeTgcCLcKVdCc2FFZdioCe566FkKDgUOdEoxlaear9R1ilvQ/s800/em+debut.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
I'm so excited these two got married and solidified a future as fabulous forever travel companions for Derek and I.
bexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736243181355347283noreply@blogger.com4