Oeuf

I ordered Tessa's Christmas gift yesterday from Land of Nod
and I just can't wait to share what I found with you!
Who knew how fun it would be to shop for a 5 month old.
Finding all those little special items that you just hope she will love.
It's hard not to go overboard on the gifts.
I just try to remind myself that she's young and she will
probably enjoy the cardboard box the gift comes in as much as the gift itself.
I'm sure all you moms out there understand.

Speaking of great gifts...
I am in love with these knit costume tails and snouts!

I can just imagine Tessa in 4 years running around the house dressed up like a fox.

Created by Oeuf, the shop is packed with amazingly beautiful items.

And with a great mission too!

 

 

Where's the Paci?

Please tell me that I'm not the only one with this problem.

I know for a fact that I have 6 pacifiers.

But the moment that I actually need one for Tessa, they all seem to disappear.

It's like there is this invisible pacifier vortex somewhere in my home

that sucks them all away at the exact moment I begin to search for one.

And it's always a moment where, if I don't have a paci in her mouth in 10 seconds, it's gonna get ugly.

The only time Tessa really needs a pacifier is when she is sleeping.

She's perfectly fine throughout the day without one.

But when it comes to making the "sleeping baby transfer to the crib" move,

if there is not a paci ready and waiting for her if she begins to wake up,

naptime (or I should say attempted naptime) is over. 

Because if she wakes up to find that I'm trying to put her in her crib, one of two things will happen...

1. Sad/Angry baby face appears, followed by crying until I reach down to pick her up and rock her.

2. Shocked baby face appears, followed by the biggest toothless grin I have ever seen,

as if she is saying: "Hello! I'm so happy to see you. Pick me up please."
(and of course I can't resist that face)

Either way there will be no nap for another 4 hours.

Anyone else have the "pacifier vortex" in their homes?

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
I'm off to start preparing dinner.
It might be 11am, but were having friends over for dinner,
and with baby girl, I need to use every spare second to get things done.
My To-Do list before our friends arrive...
1. Cook dinner: Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Broccoli.
2. Vacuum the house (one day of not sweeping and the dog hair is out of control).
3. Bake something sweet for dessert. I'm thinking of making Cranberry Bliss Bars.

Happy Friday!

Tessa - 5 Months

This little wiggle worm just won't stay still for photos anymore.

I think I took over 100 photos just to get one

where she wasn't moving and where she was smiling.

My energetic little girl!

Weight:

12.5 lbs

Clothing Size:

3-6 month

Eye Color:

Blue. I did notice they are turning a bit more grey-blue!

Hair:

Her hair has started coming in thicker on the top of her head

and its getting lighter!

Movement:

We hit some major milestones this month...

1. Rolling over! What an exciting day that was.

Now i can barely keep her in one spot without her trying to flip over.

2. Standing (well, not really, but she wants to!)

She will push up against anything and everything that you put under her feet.

And she just loves when you help her stand up.

3. Sitting up (again, not really, but she is trying).

She is all about sitting up in your lap.

No longer are the days when she will just recline and let you snuggle her.

Nope, she want to sit up and check out the world!

4. Head stability.

She can now hold her head steady

while being pulled from the laying position to sitting upright. 

5. And of course, the wiggling.

Here are a few pics from our photo shoot to prove it... 

Talking:

Tess is definitely "finding her voice".

She has begun to... oh how should I put this... protest vocally. 

When she is mad, you know it.

And it's not the mad cries of an infant, it's the yells and and high pitched screams
of someone who wants to let you know that she's not happy. 

I am beginning to wonder what might be in store for us in a few years.

Playtime:

One of the cutest moments in my day

is when I take Tessa to look at her reflection in the mirror.

She will instantly start to move her arms and legs, smile real big,

and I'll even get a laugh out of her!

 It's also wonderful to see her start to actually play with toys.
Micah put together her Jumperoo this week.
I initially thought she would be to small for it,
but with a few modifications (blanket under her feet and a small pillow at her back)
she will happily jump and play with her toys for about 10 minutes at a time.

Sleeptime:

I feel like were at a stand still with our sleep situation.

Daytime naps are a bit tough.

She will take around 3-4 quick cat-nap for about 20 minutes max a day.

Which, unfortunately leaves Mama with not much time to get anything done.

And then our nighttime sleep hasn't really improved much.

She will go to bed around 8pm and have a good long stretch of sleep till about 1:30am,

but then after that who knows when or how many times she will wake.

Some nights she will wake up twice and other nights I feel like I am up every hour.

I have had a bunch of wonderful advise and we have tried some of it.

So if you have any tricks of the mommy-trade to offer me, I'm all ears!

Tessa's Favorites:

Tessa loves to stare out the window of the car when we are out on a drive.

Micah and I will catch her wide eyed, mouth agape, just watching the trees pass by.

Tessa, being a baby in this technological age, is also fascinated with our phones.

I can't tell you how many times I have been browsing Instagram on my phone while nursing her,

only to have it come to my attention that she stopped nursing and is enjoying all the photos too.

I guess this is something I'm going to need to get use to. 

Mommy's favorites:

Her pudgy cheeked sleeping face right after I've nursed her to sleep.

Tessa's Favorites - Sleep

Sleep is kinda important... right?

Sometimes I feel like Tessa does not realize this.

So I now understand why moms take drastic measures in helping their babies sleep.

Because a sleepy baby = a cranky baby.

Here are a few items that were life savers for us in these early days.

Lamb Sound Soother

I'm pretty sure it was by night three of Tessa being home,

that we realized the beauty of the sound soother.

Soothes you baby to sleep and keeps your baby asleep!

Plus, when they come in such a cute package like a plush lamb...

Who wouldn't want one of those, right?

Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets

I love these Muslin Swaddling Blankets for two very different reasons.

1. The obvious reason... swaddling.

These blankets are super big, super light weight,

and perfect when it comes to getting a tight swaddle.

Which is important when you have a super squirmy baby

who does not necessarily like to be swaddled at first.

But with these blankets, I was able to get a perfect swaddle

which would keep Tessa from flailing her arms around and waking herself up.

Tessa was also a summer baby and the muslin material was perfect

for keeping her warm but not overheated.

2. Nursing Cover.

I bought a cute "official" nursing cover before Tessa was born

and I was super excited to start using it.

But after a week of trying to get the hang of it,

I tossed it in the corner of the nursery and haven't used it since.

Maybe it was because it didn't have one of those wire liners that help you see your baby.

Or maybe I'm was just to lazy at trying to put the thing on.

I found that using one of these swaddling blankets worked perfectly

because I can just drape it over Tessa and call it good.

Snuggle Nest Co-Sleeper

I debated putting this item on the list because I know that Co-Sleeping is not for everyone,

but for our family, it was a very important step in our bonding process.

From the moment I gave birth to Tessa I knew that when it came to sleeping at night,

I would not be comfortable with her anywhere else other than snuggling right next to me.

So Micah and I found that this Co-Sleeper was great for having her in the bed with us

while still knowing that she was safe from any harms way.

The guard rails that come halfway down the sleeper was a perfect barrier

that made me feel safe as she slept between us throughout the night.

For our next baby (yes, I'm already planning)

I really want to invest in an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper.

Snug-A-Bunny Bouncer

I just have to say... Bouncers are amazing.

They are portable, so they can go with you practically everywhere.

They follow you to the kitchen while you make your morning coffee and breakfast.

They travel to the bathroom so you can take a shower.

And they gently keep your baby asleep when you lay her down to take a nap...

Especially when she refuses to take naps in her crib. 

Tessa's Favorties - Toy

 I can't even begin to tell you how blessed we were

with gifts for Tessa from friends and family.

Beyond blessed!

We received so much from people,

that when it came time for me to choose what to add to this "Tessa's Favorties" list,

it was seriously one of the hardest things to narrow down.

 But here is a small list of toys that both Tessa and Mommy love!

 

 Baby Lit

I am a huge reader and lover of classic books.

And I know I want to (try to) raise Tessa with a love and appreciation for reading as well.

So when I discovered these Primary Books based on classic literature,

I knew I would simply fall in love.

We have six of these books for Tessa...

Romeo & Juliet

Jane Eyre

Pride & Prejudice

Wuthering Heights

A Christmas Carol

Moby Dick

And with the brightly illustrated pages, 

Tessa is easily entertained.

The next book I want for her is Anna Karinina

and you'll never believe what kind of primary book it is... A Fashion Primer!

Lamaze Developmental Toys

When looking for developmental toys,

there are so many different kinds out there that it can be overwhelming.

Plus, it's hard not to find toys that are super cheesy.

I fell in love with this brand and their plush set of Stacking Rings.

Obviously Tessa is too young to actually start "stacking" the rings...

but she loves the bright colors and the different textures of each ring.

She will happily play with them (aka put them in her mouth).

We also have the Soft Sorter, which Tessa loves just as much.

She will just grab the box and start squishing it in her arms,

and each sorter makes a different sound.

Some rattle, some jingle, some crinkle.

I'm even debating on buying her the Musical Inchworm.

Sophie the Giraffe

Every baby needs a Sophie right?

Link of Rings 

Again, I loved this brand because they were not super cheesy

and they had a pretty color palette.

Mushroom Rattle

 I have been swooning over these Mushroom Rattles 

from Land Of Nod for quite sometime now.

But with their price + the price of shipping,

I just could not bring myself to justify the purchase.

Then I found these almost identical rattles on Amazon!

Clearly Tessa needed a rattle in the shape of a mushroom

(as if she already did not have a ton of "rattling toys".

Turtle Thermometer

I was totally petrified when we gave Tessa her first bath.

I was worried that...

1. I would drop her.

2. I would get soap in her eyes.

3. The water would be too hot.

So far I haven't dropped her, I only got soap in her eyes once (poor baby),

and this Turtle Thermometer is a life saver.

Now, I always know that the water temp is perfect

and she has a fun toy to play with.

Win Win in my opinion!

 Vulli Teething Rings

I'm pretty sure Tess has started teething.

Massive amounts of drool soak her onsies hourly.

And while she loves her Sophie for teething,

I also noticed that she needed somehting to really grab ahold of.

She can hug Sophie up to her mouth, but she can't grasp her with her tiny hands yet.

So these teething rings, made by the same company that makes Sophie, are just perfect.

They are also Phthalates and BPA free, which is important to me.

And, as an added bonus, they smell deliciously of vanilla!