Saturday, December 19, 2009
Go to Old Navy...
They have coupons at the store for 20% off the purchase of gift cards from December 18-24. Old Navy gift cards can also be used at Gap. I buy almost all of Elise's clothes at BabyGap and I have found that the quality is better than the other brands of clothes that she has worn. Of course, I also wait for the clothes to go on sale (and then get marked down again...). Happy shopping!
Friday, December 18, 2009
All over the place
Elise loves to explore the house. She can identify so many things if I say the word... like "crib", "table", "stocking", etc. She tries to repeat a lot of the words, but it comes out pretty garbled. Today she tried to say "stocking" and "Elise"... it was pretty funny. I can ask her where something is and she'll point to it or crawl to it or pick it up. She has been saying "hi" or "iiiiii" more (while waving to me or Boss) and "buh" for "book" quite often. She has taken 3 steps a few times, but she can't stand alone well so she just drops to her knees. She has started to push her walker with just one hand. If I ask her to "dance" she will bounce up and down, and if I ask her to "rock" she will sway back and forth (or push the glider, depending on which room she is in).
Her 5th tooth FINALLY popped through today. She was a little cranky last night and this explains it. It has looked very close for at least a month. She's about 95% back to normal from all of the sickness and is finally back to sleeping 12 hours straight without waking up. I had to do a little "sleep training" to make that happen. Previously when we would hit a growth spurt, teething, etc, she would revert right back to normal when it was all over. So much has happened in the last month and a half with developmental milestones, teething, two rounds of being sick AND two growth spurts that I had to do a little "intervention" of my own. She is still napping well with no sign of decreasing her amount of sleep. She usually wakes between 8 and 8:30, takes her first nap at 10, her second nap at 2, and goes to sleep around 8. We went back to nursing 5 times a day since she was adding a 5th one at night when I tried to drop it to 4. I decided to just continue this until she is a year old and then offer her milk to replace one or two of the nursing sessions.
I am working on editing a video that shows some funny stuff. In the meantime, here are some pictures from today.
These chairs were pushed under the table before she got to them... she actually holds the back of a chair and walks backwards. It makes me really nervous, so I stand right behind her.
She loves to play with the laundry when I am folding piles or putting it in the washer.
She also loves the bathroom. I try to remember to keep the door closed. I regret my decision to add knobs to these cabinets a few years ago. I think she has learned "open" and "close" from them though!
She still loves to play with Boss and giggles hysterically when she tries to chase him. He is such a tease. He will stop and wait for her to get close and then take off again.
He jumped off the couch and she had to follow...
Her 5th tooth FINALLY popped through today. She was a little cranky last night and this explains it. It has looked very close for at least a month. She's about 95% back to normal from all of the sickness and is finally back to sleeping 12 hours straight without waking up. I had to do a little "sleep training" to make that happen. Previously when we would hit a growth spurt, teething, etc, she would revert right back to normal when it was all over. So much has happened in the last month and a half with developmental milestones, teething, two rounds of being sick AND two growth spurts that I had to do a little "intervention" of my own. She is still napping well with no sign of decreasing her amount of sleep. She usually wakes between 8 and 8:30, takes her first nap at 10, her second nap at 2, and goes to sleep around 8. We went back to nursing 5 times a day since she was adding a 5th one at night when I tried to drop it to 4. I decided to just continue this until she is a year old and then offer her milk to replace one or two of the nursing sessions.
I am working on editing a video that shows some funny stuff. In the meantime, here are some pictures from today.
These chairs were pushed under the table before she got to them... she actually holds the back of a chair and walks backwards. It makes me really nervous, so I stand right behind her.
She loves to play with the laundry when I am folding piles or putting it in the washer.
She also loves the bathroom. I try to remember to keep the door closed. I regret my decision to add knobs to these cabinets a few years ago. I think she has learned "open" and "close" from them though!
She still loves to play with Boss and giggles hysterically when she tries to chase him. He is such a tease. He will stop and wait for her to get close and then take off again.
He jumped off the couch and she had to follow...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Favorite toys of a mobile baby
Well Elise has been creeping or crawling for almost 3 months now so I thought I would blog about her favorite toys. Click on the link to see the toy on amazon.com. I have become obsessed with checking reviews on amazon before I buy something. I like to rotate her toys so that she doesn't see them all the time.
Toys for Now
Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table
This is a wonderful toy that she has loved from the beginning. I think we started using it when she was 6 or 7 months old. She loved to stand holding onto it, then cruise around it, then pull up on it, then get down from it, etc. She will enjoy this for a long time.
Leapfrog Fridge Farm
This is a great toy to play with in the kitchen. She loves to take the magnets off the fridge and press the button that plays a song. She is just now starting to try to put the magnets back on the fridge. Eventually it will be a matching game for her. This toy will also last a long time. I wouldn't recommend it until your baby is crawling or a VERY good sitter... you don't want him/her to fall when they are sitting on the tile! The magnets also work on my dishwasher. Elise follows me around the house, and this is a wonderful toy for her to play with while I cook or do dishes.
Chicco Activity Baby Walker
I think I got this for her after she had been cruising for a few weeks. I had previously bought and returned two other walkers because they would fall out from under her. This one has a nice wide base and is sturdy enough for her to pull up on without me holding it down. The toys on the front are an added bonus. She is just now getting interested in her shape sorters, so this is a great 2-in-1 toy. She likes to put the balls in the hole at the top (it lights up and plays music) and play with the sides.
Baby Einstein Animal Exploration Tunnel
I bought this on clearance at Walmart this summer for $15. I have seen it at Babies R Us for $40-$50. She loves to crawl through it, sit in it and play with toys, and play peekaboo with the mesh flaps. I think she will like playing with the tunnel for a long time. It folds up and stores easily in a box.
Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Shape Sorter
She has played with this toy for several months. She loves to take things out of buckets, boxes, baskets, etc, and really enjoyed emptying the box of the shapes. Now she is showing an interest in putting the shapes back in the box. She can only put the circle through right now, but she tries to get the other ones through. I think this will be interesting for a while. Other shape sorters might be better, but this is inexpensive and enjoyable.
Discovery Toys Measure Up Cups
These cups will always attract Elise's attention. We have had them for months. She loved them when she was learning to sit and would reach for them. She loves to crawl after them and pull up to get them on a table. She loves to knock towers down, pull cups out of the nesting position, and is now starting to try to stack them herself. These will last for a long time.
Sophie the Giraffe Teether
Elise still loves to play with this toy. She squeaks it and chews on it. I keep it in the car because Boss also likes to squeak it and chew on it. Amazon has a really good price on it right now!
Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo
Well, this toy was a major hit in the 4-9 month range but she still loves to play in it at nearly 11 months old, so I have to mention it again. I don't use it very often because I want it to be a novelty for the times that I need to confine her. If you have a younger child and don't have one of these, you need to buy one!
Graco Pack n Play Bugs Quilt
This is Elise's other place of confinement. We do independent playtime here. She enjoys playing with the toys on the sides. I recently bought her some soft toys to use while she plays in here. Now that she likes to stand in the pack n play, I am paranoid about leaving hard toys in there! My mom originally bought this to use at her house but has graciously let me keep it here. Thanks, Mom!
Elise is really starting to love books now. They hold her attention and she loves to turn the pages (in the board books). Her favorites right now are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon.
Toys for the Future
For the last few months I have been asking moms about toys that their 12-24 month children enjoy and then making myself a little wish list. I have been eyeing a bunch of bigger toys for a while and recently found some GREAT prices on a few items from the Baby Cheapskate blog. I could give them to her now and she would love them, but I am going to wait until her birthday for the wagon (since she already has a walker) and a rainy day in the spring for the farmhouse. December is such a great time for toy deals and I will plan to take advantage of that every year.
Radio Flyer Walker Wagon - I got this for $40 and free shipping on target.com last week! It is so cute and will be a fun walker. I also plan to use it to store toys.
Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Farm - I got this for $40 and free shipping on target.com last week! I had wanted the Learning Home instead, but couldn't pass up the $40 for the farm.
Radio Flyer Scoot About Trike - I also got this for $20 and free shipping on target.com last week. I am planning to give this to her in the summer.
Step 2 Push Around Buggy - A friend gave this to me for a baby gift for the future because her children enjoyed it so much. It is still in the attic but when we get it out this summer, it will be a lot of fun!
Manhattan Toy Snuggle Pod - This is going to be Elise's first doll. I wanted something soft and small and this is SO cute in person. We are going to give it to her for her birthday.
Mega Bloks Fill and Dump Wagon - My mom found this toy and is giving it to Elise for Christmas. She will love playing with the blocks and pushing/pulling the wagon. I think this is a great first birthday gift!
Haba Toys - I am in love with a lot of these Haba toys! They are a little pricey so I have only gotten a few of them. She is going to get the Wonder Dice from Santa in her stocking. This will be a perfect soft toy for her independent playtime. She is getting several from other family members for Christmas. I will be sure to blog about them later!
Here are some outdoor toys that I am eyeing for next summer (around 18 months)... it is SO tempting to buy everything now but I will resist! The free super saver shipping gets me every time!
Step 2 Waterwheel Activity Play Table
Step 2 Naturally Playful Sand Table
Little Tikes EasyHit Golf Set
If you have children, I would love to hear about their favorite toys!
Toys for Now
Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table
This is a wonderful toy that she has loved from the beginning. I think we started using it when she was 6 or 7 months old. She loved to stand holding onto it, then cruise around it, then pull up on it, then get down from it, etc. She will enjoy this for a long time.
Leapfrog Fridge Farm
This is a great toy to play with in the kitchen. She loves to take the magnets off the fridge and press the button that plays a song. She is just now starting to try to put the magnets back on the fridge. Eventually it will be a matching game for her. This toy will also last a long time. I wouldn't recommend it until your baby is crawling or a VERY good sitter... you don't want him/her to fall when they are sitting on the tile! The magnets also work on my dishwasher. Elise follows me around the house, and this is a wonderful toy for her to play with while I cook or do dishes.
Chicco Activity Baby Walker
I think I got this for her after she had been cruising for a few weeks. I had previously bought and returned two other walkers because they would fall out from under her. This one has a nice wide base and is sturdy enough for her to pull up on without me holding it down. The toys on the front are an added bonus. She is just now getting interested in her shape sorters, so this is a great 2-in-1 toy. She likes to put the balls in the hole at the top (it lights up and plays music) and play with the sides.
Baby Einstein Animal Exploration Tunnel
I bought this on clearance at Walmart this summer for $15. I have seen it at Babies R Us for $40-$50. She loves to crawl through it, sit in it and play with toys, and play peekaboo with the mesh flaps. I think she will like playing with the tunnel for a long time. It folds up and stores easily in a box.
Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Shape Sorter
She has played with this toy for several months. She loves to take things out of buckets, boxes, baskets, etc, and really enjoyed emptying the box of the shapes. Now she is showing an interest in putting the shapes back in the box. She can only put the circle through right now, but she tries to get the other ones through. I think this will be interesting for a while. Other shape sorters might be better, but this is inexpensive and enjoyable.
Discovery Toys Measure Up Cups
These cups will always attract Elise's attention. We have had them for months. She loved them when she was learning to sit and would reach for them. She loves to crawl after them and pull up to get them on a table. She loves to knock towers down, pull cups out of the nesting position, and is now starting to try to stack them herself. These will last for a long time.
Sophie the Giraffe Teether
Elise still loves to play with this toy. She squeaks it and chews on it. I keep it in the car because Boss also likes to squeak it and chew on it. Amazon has a really good price on it right now!
Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo
Well, this toy was a major hit in the 4-9 month range but she still loves to play in it at nearly 11 months old, so I have to mention it again. I don't use it very often because I want it to be a novelty for the times that I need to confine her. If you have a younger child and don't have one of these, you need to buy one!
Graco Pack n Play Bugs Quilt
This is Elise's other place of confinement. We do independent playtime here. She enjoys playing with the toys on the sides. I recently bought her some soft toys to use while she plays in here. Now that she likes to stand in the pack n play, I am paranoid about leaving hard toys in there! My mom originally bought this to use at her house but has graciously let me keep it here. Thanks, Mom!
Elise is really starting to love books now. They hold her attention and she loves to turn the pages (in the board books). Her favorites right now are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon.
Toys for the Future
For the last few months I have been asking moms about toys that their 12-24 month children enjoy and then making myself a little wish list. I have been eyeing a bunch of bigger toys for a while and recently found some GREAT prices on a few items from the Baby Cheapskate blog. I could give them to her now and she would love them, but I am going to wait until her birthday for the wagon (since she already has a walker) and a rainy day in the spring for the farmhouse. December is such a great time for toy deals and I will plan to take advantage of that every year.
Radio Flyer Walker Wagon - I got this for $40 and free shipping on target.com last week! It is so cute and will be a fun walker. I also plan to use it to store toys.
Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Farm - I got this for $40 and free shipping on target.com last week! I had wanted the Learning Home instead, but couldn't pass up the $40 for the farm.
Radio Flyer Scoot About Trike - I also got this for $20 and free shipping on target.com last week. I am planning to give this to her in the summer.
Step 2 Push Around Buggy - A friend gave this to me for a baby gift for the future because her children enjoyed it so much. It is still in the attic but when we get it out this summer, it will be a lot of fun!
Manhattan Toy Snuggle Pod - This is going to be Elise's first doll. I wanted something soft and small and this is SO cute in person. We are going to give it to her for her birthday.
Mega Bloks Fill and Dump Wagon - My mom found this toy and is giving it to Elise for Christmas. She will love playing with the blocks and pushing/pulling the wagon. I think this is a great first birthday gift!
Haba Toys - I am in love with a lot of these Haba toys! They are a little pricey so I have only gotten a few of them. She is going to get the Wonder Dice from Santa in her stocking. This will be a perfect soft toy for her independent playtime. She is getting several from other family members for Christmas. I will be sure to blog about them later!
Here are some outdoor toys that I am eyeing for next summer (around 18 months)... it is SO tempting to buy everything now but I will resist! The free super saver shipping gets me every time!
Step 2 Waterwheel Activity Play Table
Step 2 Naturally Playful Sand Table
Little Tikes EasyHit Golf Set
If you have children, I would love to hear about their favorite toys!
Happy Birthday, Mike!
Elise has a little message that she wrote for you today. We've been working on her capital letters and so far she is doing very well. We love you so much!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Elise dancing
Well Elise has discovered her inner dancer. She definitely doesn't get this from me :)
She has also been making a little progress with walking. Sometimes she will take a step or two and then fall down on her knees and start crawling. Other times she will lower herself to her knees without taking a step OR just fall in whatever direction she is leaning.
I found this Baby Einstein tunnel on clearance at Walmart for $15 a few months ago. I think it sells at Babies R Us for $50. I keep it in her closet and get it out every now and then. She has a lot of fun crawling through it, sitting in it, and making it roll over.
Untitled from Stephanie Powell on Vimeo.
Elise and John reading from Stephanie Powell on Vimeo.
She has also been making a little progress with walking. Sometimes she will take a step or two and then fall down on her knees and start crawling. Other times she will lower herself to her knees without taking a step OR just fall in whatever direction she is leaning.
I found this Baby Einstein tunnel on clearance at Walmart for $15 a few months ago. I think it sells at Babies R Us for $50. I keep it in her closet and get it out every now and then. She has a lot of fun crawling through it, sitting in it, and making it roll over.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Kindermusik
We had our first Kindermusik class tonight with Sarah and John. The kiddos loved it! We are doing a set of four Christmas classes. Elise was SO excited to be there and had a blast exploring the room, dancing with the music, and playing with the "instruments". She quite the vocal and enthusiastic participant. Afterwards, she took John's rice cracker right out of his hand while he was eating it. John's mom was nice enough to offer her one of her own. I think she learned this trick from Boss.
So far, I have only used my camera on auto mode, but I am really pleased with the results. One of these days I will take the same picture with both cameras so that you can see the difference. It is so nice to catch Elise in action without blurry body parts!
So far, I have only used my camera on auto mode, but I am really pleased with the results. One of these days I will take the same picture with both cameras so that you can see the difference. It is so nice to catch Elise in action without blurry body parts!
Monday, December 7, 2009
New camera
Mike and I decided to get a new camera for Christmas this year. I patiently waited until Cyber Monday to order the Canon Digital Rebel XSi and scored a free case, memory card, lens cleaner, and screen protector. The price of the camera dropped about $50 in the last two weeks of November, woohoo! I wanted to get a DSLR camera so that I would be able to take better indoor pictures and better pictures of Elise in action. Since she is so mobile, I inevitably get a blurred hand, head, foot, etc, in a lot of pictures. It arrived today and I decided to snap a few pictures of Elise before bedtime. The shutter speed is very fast and the pictures turned out very nicely for the setting. It was already dark outside and I just had the overhead light on in her room. I didn't experiment with Photoshop or any settings on the camera other than "Auto". I think the picture quality is wonderful!
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