The Next Steps

Just another quick video of Graham. You'll be able to tell that he is really perfecting his crawling skills. He also loves to stand and any time he is near us he wants to pull himself up and practice walking. Enjoy.

Momformation: The Patemm Pad

Here's yet another little thing that I love, the Patemm Pad. It is a changing pad that every parent has to have! Even my husband loves it and usually husbands don't have an opinion on these kinds of things. When I asked him what baby items he couldn't live without, this was one (along with the Miracle Blanket). Basically, this thing is fabulous!

Livin' Large:
This pad is round and 30 inches in diameter. Moms and dads have plenty of space to change a diaper. Even when your little one becomes not so little and loves to roll around, you will have a clean surface for them to roam. We've even used it as a play mat at the airport, doctor's offices, and at friend's houses.



Compact and Convenient:
The large pad folds up nice and tight into a neat little package with handles. Additionally, the inside of the pad has 4 pockets to store diapers, wipes, an extra outfit, or whatever you and your child may need.



Easy to Clean:
You can get a Patemm Pad in a laminated cotton or a non-coated cotton. Both can be machine washed and the laminated one can be easily wiped down with a cleaning wipe.

My husband loves that he doesn't have to take the whole diaper bag with him when heading to the bathroom. He can just grab the pad and Graham and scoot off for a change. It fits great in the front pocket of our diaper bag and leaves room in the big compartment for all other baby essentials.

Now, this bad boy retails for around $60. I had actually read about these during my pregnancy but couldn't bring myself to buy it, especially since the diaper bag I chose came with a changing pad. Luckily, Alex's cousin, Matt, got one for us as a gift after Graham was born. Once we began using it we realized that it was definitely a must have item!

I highly recommend this changing pad. Get one if you can, or ask for it as a gift-you won't regret it! In addition to the Patemm Pad website, you can find them on Amazon. I've also gotten some from the Baby Half Off website, although I've only seen them offer 1 fabric choice.

Standing Up

Our little man is not slowing down! After figuring out how to crawl (still in the process of mastering the maneuver), he's moved straight on to learning how to stand. After a few tumbles, he's beginning to get the concept and is showing great strength in his legs. Coordination and balance will have him walking in no time... and having Momma and Daddy chasing him.

Graham Phelps: Our Water Boy

Our son seems to be just as comfortable in water as he is on land (if not more so!). Here are a few examples, including a video taken of Graham in his float in a cool pool in Hawaii; taking a swim class in a therapy pool in Colorado Springs; and taking a warm bath in his favorite duck tub at home. (P.S.-He is not the one crying after going under water!)

Momformation: I love these blankets!

I don't know about all of you other moms out there, but I have several blankets that just sit in my son's closet. They're just not up to snuff. Often the quality is sub-par. They pill, they leave lint, they are 2 layers but after that first wash just don't lay quite right.

Luckily, I have found a solution to my pesky problem. Her Etsy name is BoCoBaby and you must check out her shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/BoCoBaby). BoCoBaby is a craft-at-home-mom based in Boulder, Colorado that takes a lot of pride in her work. The result-beautiful, quality products! I have fallen in love with her blankets. Graham now has 3 of these gorgeous blankets and my niece and my cousin's soon-to-be baby each have 2 of their very own.

These blankets are two-sided and made with pre-washed 100% cotton and a super soft minky. They are great for all types of weather. She has lots of different fabric choices (prints and colors) and if you don't see something perfect in her shop you can message her-because she just might have more fabrics to choose from! She has also started making personalized name blankets. The fabric is professionally printed on organic cotton and you get to choose colors and fonts. Simply adorable!

Now, these blankets come with a bit higher price tag than what you might get in Target or Babies R Us. They range from $14-$64 depending on size and customization. But I'm telling you, they are worth it! They wash up wonderfully. They are great for the car seat and stroller. They are much cuter than lots of the things you find in the stores, thanks to the vibrant colors and unique prints. So, whether you pony up for your little one or decide to get one as the perfect shower/new baby gift, I have no doubt in my mind that you will not fall in love with this blanket!

On The Move

Graham has been on the verge of crawling for several weeks now. He was doing a sort of army crawl. He was very good at twisting and turning himself in directions that he wanted to go. But he just couldn't quite get those knees up and moving. After classes at Gymboree where he played with slightly older children and lots of play time in the living room, he began to figure things out. He doesn't yet have his black belt in crawling but he's well on his way. Good thing we bought those baby gates two weeks ago!

Fowen: 16 weeks

I am 16 weeks pregnant today. We had a doctor's appointment on February 4th and everything was progressing nicely. My blood pressure was good, baby's heart beat was strong, and we scheduled our gender ultrasound for March 17th. Last week I HAD to have McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. Craving? Maybe. They sure were delicious!

Here is a quick photo update on Fowen
(Who is Fowen? See previous blog post titled Celebrating St. Patty's Day).

Compared to 6 week photo below:
Fowen is definitely growing!

Momformation: Beaba Multiportion Freezer Trays

I have been making baby food since Graham started solids 3 months ago. It is so easy, cost effective, and I'm glad I chose to do it. It started off really easy: you just boiled, steamed, or baked a veggie or fruit until it was really soft, pureed it up in a blender or food processor, and froze in an ice cube tray. Voila-baby food!

What I found to be a pain was trying to get the frozen cubes out. Of course you can soak the bottom of the tray in a bit of warm water, but I'm impatient. Or as I like to say "efficient" (there's positive spin for you). So, if you are trying this at home I would recommend silicone ice cube trays or these beautiful little trays by Beaba! Since they are made of silicone you can pop them out of the flexible tray in a snap. I also like them because they make 2 oz portions rather than 1 oz portions (which is what an ice cube tray makes). So, as your babies get older and are eating more, you have less cubes to handle. And finally I love the lid that comes with the Beaba tray. When I used ice cube trays I had to wrap them in plastic wrap before putting them in the freezer-and let's be honest, who can actually make plastic wrap stay in one place? Not me!

Beaba Multiportion Freezer Trays:
cute and convenient

Now that Graham is 8 months old there are lots of new foods that he can try and I am mixing a lot more foods together to make more creative and hopefully more tasty meals. I worked with chicken and turkey today for the first time. That was interesting but I think all turned out well. I made turkey with cranberries and pears; chicken with apples, blueberries, and brown rice; and chicken with brown rice and peaches. Mmm, mmm, good!

I also got to make a recipe that I've been excited to try but had to wait until Graham was old enough. It is from a book called Baby Love which has a whole bunch of great baby food recipes. I will now document the making of Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Raisin!

The Baby Love Cookbook

Ingredients: 4 apples, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/4 tsp cinnamon,
1/2 cup baby oatmeal, and 12 oz water

Wash, cut, peel (optional), and core the apples

Cut apples into small pieces and put
all ingredients (except oatmeal) in a saucepan

Cover and cook over high heat until apples are tender.
Add oatmeal, stir, and cook for 1 more minute.

Pour into a blender or food processor
and puree to desired consistency

Pour puree into Beaba Multiportion Freezer Trays

And place in freezer

Once frozen, pop out of trays and place in a freezer bag to store!

Thaw and serve to your little one as requested-Yum!

Celebrating St. Patty's Day

In 6 weeks, on March 17th, we get to find out the sex of our little leprechaun! I'll be almost 21 weeks pregnant, which is just over halfway there. Alex has a work trip to Japan in the beginning of March so we had to wait about a week to schedule the appointment. But at least we can be pretty certain that the results will be accurate.

As most of you know, we chose the name Graham because it had a Scottish/Celtic origin and Alex has a bit of Scottish blood in him. Andrew, Graham's middle name, is a family name on my side (my Grandpa's name and my Dad's middle name) and it seemed much more appropriate than Cracker which, although half jokingly, we considered :)

So, like the big dork I am, we've had baby #2's name picked out since Graham was about 3 months old. We are keeping with the Scottish/Celtic/Family name tradition and theme. The name we've chosen for a boy is Owen Alexander Clark. And our girl choice is Finley Cameron Clark. Cameron being a family name on Alex's father's side.

I really LOVE the name Finley and think Finley Cameron is just the cutest combination! So, I'm really pulling for 2 X chromosomes. Actually, Finley is traditionally a male name and I've been tinkering with the notion of changing up our boy name to something where we can call him Finn (Finley, Finneus, Finnigan, etc) but we just don't really like those as much. So, it will most likely be Owen, which is also quite adorable.

We've been calling the baby, Fowen, a mixture of Finley and Owen. I confused my sister one day by using that name in an email without explanation. She was highly concerned about my name choice, as any good sister would be. But once she figured out my combination she jumped on the Fowen bandwagon. Although, she's also hoping to start using the name Finley on St. Patty's Day. She "just knows it's a girl". We'll see, stay tuned!

Momformation: The KidCo Go Pod

I'm going to start blogging about mom things. I'm sure only some readers will be interested in these posts, so I will title them "Momformation" (it's the only semi clever name I can think of right now). But when you see a post titled this feel free to read or skip depending on your interest in the content.

My first Momformation post is on a very cool item that I discovered a few months ago-The Go Pod by KidCo (retails at $49.99). I first read a review about this before it was even available in stores and got really excited about it.




Basically, the Go Pod is a travel exersaucer. It is made of the same material and folds up like your standard travel lawn chair. It is 7 lbs and comes in a handy storage bag with a carrying handle. There are 4 different seat height positions so it really grows with your child/children. It has a cup holder, a snack holder, and several loops to put on your little one's favorite toys. Not only is it a great alternative to the big bulky exersaucers out there (some moms just don't want all that "stuff" around) but it is great for travel. Going to the neighbors? Bring the Go Pod! On your way to the Grandparents? Don't forget the Go Pod! Does your older child have a soccer game? Keep your little one entertained and stationary with the Go Pod!

Here are a few photos of Graham enjoying his Go Pod in Hawaii. Graham is almost 8 months old in these photos and he's at the lowest setting of the Go Pod. That could either be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. KidCo states that it is good for infants 4 months and up. But I'm not sure how well a 4 month old would fit-they may sit too low and not really be comfortable. On the other hand, you can see that it would grow with your infant well into the toddler years.



All in all, I think this a great product and am very happy that we purchased it.