Mama Moto/Our Favorite Things!

Mama Moto's taking over the blog for a second just for a bit of guilty pleasure in the form of one of those survey thingys....You may now skip down to the botton of this entry if you choose.

Three Names I Go By:
1. Mol
2. Snickers
3. Ellen
*Note: Name not necessarily applicable but used all the same

Three Jobs I've Had:
1. Swim instructor in my backyard pool
2. English instructor in Japan
3. Sales associate (glamorous no?)

Three Places I Have Lived:
1. Woodbury, Minnesota
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Hamada, Japan

Three Places I Have Been:
1. London, England
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Singapore

Three of My Favorite Foods:
1. Tofu (that's right, Tofu!)
2. Lobster
3. Tuna sushi/sashimi/nigiri

Three Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1. Toshi being able to talk
2. Working again
3. Having another child!

We now resume our origional posting----

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS (ala Sound of Music)

A blog for those of you that are thinking about having a baby, are preggo, or just want to compare and share what's great for ruling your children's lives-ermm...taking care of your precious little ones.

1. BumGenius One Size 4.0 - so flipping easy to use and comes in a variety of cute colors and prints! They really make cloth diapering easy-peasy!
2. Jingly Ball-thing - this is perfect for his little hands to grasp, he loves the gentle tinkle sound it makes with the wood on wood and the little knobs are perfect for him to gently chew/teeth.
3. Travel System - I feel like this is a must for all parents and I don't really get why you wouldn't get a travel system honestly. Simply a best buy.
4. Panda Musical Toy - no joke, possibly THE BEST $10 (it was on sale when we bought it) we've spent so far. This keeps my little one entertained for an hour straight which is amazing considering the kid doesn't like suckies.
5. Squeaky Toy - we got this and Sophie as a gift and apparently our child was a dog in another life- he gets ridiculously excited when he hears this thing. I enjoy it because it's made from natural rubber so he gets to chew on something safe. I know, another toy you're thinking but seriously...get one.
6. Aden and Anais Blankets - so you may think blankets are kind of lame to be on the list, but these are amazingly useful blankets...we (tried) to use them for swaddling (our baby was not happy about it but most are), car seat cover from the sun (especially nice since they're so light-weight...I don't feel like my son is going to get sufficated), tummy time blankets and simply as blankets for night (I always have one in the diaper bag since they're actually quite compact.) I also recommend the silky blankets my mom makes...but you can't buy them so they're not officially on the list.
7. Dr. Brown Bottles - when I went to register for TJ I was blown away by all the information and kinds of bottles there are out there. I think I listerally panicked and registered for one of each only to find that I should have listened to all the mothers I knew and recommended these to begin with. They really reduce the air TJ takes in (I can tell by how much gas he has the next day/how fussy he is) and my husband likes that it's a straight bottle (which he says are easy to hold/position unlike the Playtex ones- which are probably my second favorite.) They come in wide-neck if you're nursing to avoid nipple confusion and despite the fact that they come with a tiny bottle brush, they really can go in the dishwasher just fine. Phew...that was a long rec. Guess I feel pretty passionately about it.
8. Play Mat - just an example of something that will be your best friend until baby can crawl as he's entertained for hours at a time by all the things hanging down/that make noise/that he can see and hit, etc. This is also nice because it really carries him through until he's mobile, acting as a cushioned surface as they learn to roll over and teaching them all sorts of things like depth, color, and cause-effect. I can't tell you how proud I was when my little one figured out the ball that the zebra-cat was holding would make noise if you spin it.
9. Flip Video - the simplest video camera out there that'll help you capture all those first and fun moments (like when baby suddenly sneezes sweet potatoes all over you while you're capturing his first bite...yeah...fun...) Easy to upload and share videos and perfect for those little clips.
10. A Partner in Crime - I apologize ahead of time but this is about to get reallly mushy. If you're lucky, like I am, to have someone to share this experience with then you can relate when I say that having someone there to learn everything along side of you and support you is something utterly invaluable and is definitely one of my favorite things to have for this journey called parenthood. TJ couldn't have wished for a better dad (although I'm sure he could wish for more time with him) and I'm lucky to have him as my rock (aka: to have him race home from work with my favorite sushi, put his arm around me and take over for the night when I call him crying saying I broke our baby because he won't stop crying no matter what I've tried to do.)

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I wrap up our favorites with a couple more things that I'd recommend (just not as highly as the above): Boppy, Sandra Boynton Books, Diaper Pail Liner (if you plan on cloth diapering), Sound Machine, Boon Drying Grass 

You can see the little wooden ball thingy!

And there's the blanket!! TJ was only about two months here!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

Oh Boy, My Big 6-month Boy!!

Honey, you are now no longer able to fit into your 9-month clothes- at least not very comfortably- and it's not just because your cloth diapers are a little bulkier than the disposables. It's mainly because you're 28 inches long and 19 pounds and 9 ounces now!!! :O That places you firmly in the 92nd percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight! We definitely don't make small babies in our family though personally I wouldn't want it any other way. Your head is also MASSIVE- 18.25 inches around which is the 97th percentile....can I just say thank you for exploding after you were born! :D

All ready for work!

You're becoming a bit more snuggly with mommy and although you flirt CONSTANTLY with strangers, batting your long eyelashes and grinning from ear to ear especially at women, you have a little bit of a stranger aversion- you like to look but you're not a fan of being transferred to someone you don't know well. However, you LOVE LOVE LOVE your cousins, Bapa, Nani, Uncle and Aunties!! You're sleeping through the night thank goodness!! Unfortunately with your shots you've had a hard couple of nights...actually you may be teething because all this week you've gone down super easy only to wake up and hour later screaming like a banshee!! Man almighty do you scream! You've actually never screamed quite like this so it's been very hard for mommy to hear without being able to do anything but hold you until you calm down (so much for sleep training.) So we're thinking the culprit is either teeth or possibly your cold bothering you. I hope once that's dealt with you'll get back to being your sweet, well-rested self (for the sake and sanity of us all!!)

Developmentally, you've managed to hold yourself up sitting for a few seconds at a time. You're back to rolling and have brought back the raspberries and different vowel and consonents again. Despite your night-time problems, you're an awesome napper and are incredibly happy and delightful in the mornings and when you wake up from one of those stellar naps. Mommy often leaves you in your crib for a few minutes after she hears you because you like you talk and play by yourself for a little while- yay baby!! You've also started to try and push onto your knees and have definitely pulled yourself toward toys just out of reach. You're still so strong-sometimes painfully so when you pull our hair or pinch our cheeks- but it's amazing how interested you are in everything and how much you just want to explore!!

This weekend we're up at the cabin and your cousins are so sweet with you. Lucy's giving you lots of kisses and strokes your head fondly and even Greta's calling your name and comes to investigate how her real-life 'baby doll' is. P.S. Greta's trotting here and there and talking!! It's amazing how many words she knows and comprehends and your older cousin, Lucy, is just a riot!! She's so spunky and loveable!!

On that note, mommy's going to go hang out with the other half of the "Bad-Mommy Club" (Auntie Beth) and go make some "mommy sippy cups" and "milk...milk was a bad choice onesie." I'll have to upload the picture of you and Greta having lunch together...kind of. I'm also thinking my next post will have to be about our favorite things since it's what all the cool kids are doing.

Thanks for stopping by...you stay classy e-world.

TJ in his PJs at 5 Months!

So a monthly post isn't so bad...right? right?! Well not a lot has changed actually. I go up to the cabin with my mom and dad every other week or so to have some adult company (and help if I'm being honest) which is actually very very fun. We watch Big Bang Theory, just relax on the porch, go shopping, etc. Unfortunately my dad has been laid up in bed with a bad pinched nerve in his leg so he's not able to be vertical for very long. We still make the best of it though and it beats sitting at home everyday, all day by myself saying "mamamama" over and over again. I really need to get active in the Woodbury Mom's Club and Early Childhood Education....I'm still waiting for when TJ is a little more chill though..................-_-;

Well, we've started in on the cloth diapers and it's working out really well. After a couple weeks of investigation on which diapers to use, we got a strong recommendation from a friend and went ahead with BumGenius one-size diapers. So far they're great and super easy- just changed like a normal diaper, throw in the cloth diaper "trash" wash after a few days and hang up to dry. Not much different then a regular routine honestly.

We've had no leaks, the diapers are super soft for TJ and, (not-so-)secretly, I love the colors! Mom also helped me out and made a dozen cloth wipes so we're going to give those a try too since you just throw them in the with diapers! We've got 18 BG, 2 GDiapers, 6 CuteyBaby Diapers and some GroVia bum lotion, Thirsties wipe wash (though I'm going to make my own with Tea Tree Oil and Lavendar Oil) and those on the right are some of the 14 cloth wipes mom made- Call me ECO-MOM!!!!

Anywho....baby's starting to roll pretty consistantly both ways so mamma's very proud! He's starting to get into a better sleep pattern (naps at 9, 1 and sometimes 4) and goes down to bed a lot quicker (about 45 mins. from start to end) rather than taking two hours- bleh! He's generally sleeping well two nights in a row (almost 12 hrs.) but then decides that's too nice for mama and wakes us up around 4 on the third night. Still, two out of three nights is not too shabby by my book. (P.S. Thank-you shout-out again to Bethie for recommending Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child -I finally read the chapter on his age group as you can see!)

This month, he's also started doing two of my favorite things -blowing raspberries and finding his feet!! It's sooooo cute to see him sit in his high chair, grab his chubby little feet and then tilt his head to the side, look at you and blow some raspberries (always causing him to smile with delight afterwards!)

Actually, I guess a couple major things happened that I've forgotten about- my little niece/goddaughter (Greta) turned ONE!! It's sooooo amazing how quickly she's grown up. She seemed to learn how to crawl, stand, walk, and talk all within a week (at least that's what it felt like!) She and TJ are finally beginning to acknowledge each other a little more and she's actually very gentle and friendly with him!

Yay cousins!!! Also, the Norman family came over to celebrate Easter which was soooo fun because Lucy can now hunt for eggs!! I had a lot of fun buying, stuffing and walking with her around the house to find them! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures with MY camera but Beth has a few great one on her blog -> Happy Mama Beth

TJ's turned out to be quite the good eater and has plowed his way through squash, sweet potatoes (probably his favorite), peas (his least favorite), sweet peas (is there a difference?) and has just had his first taste of apples today (I have a feeling those are going to be a contender for fav.) He's also up to at least 3 tbsp. rice cereal and then sometimes a little "dessert" of veggies.

We've also learned that he's quite the ladies man/flirt and smiles at pretty much every girl he sees....danger Will Robinson! Here's a picture of him meeting Acy's friend's (Ming and Ai) little girl (Tia) who's almost a year old (though TJ seems to dominate her in weight and height at 5.5 months!) Notice her possessive touch...they're destined to be married :D

P.S. Aren't they so handsome as proud daddies?

T.J.'s lower left front tooth is starting to rear it's ugly little head so I think that's making the Teej a little more cranky than normal though he's uber happy baby right after waking up from his naps!! We'll keep truckin'

Aaaaannnnnd I think that pretty much wraps up this month. Masu Sushi and Robata (the restaurant that Acy works in) is still booming and he's finally getting a day off at least a week- thank GOODNESS!! Alex (the Executive Head Chef) was on Kare-11 this morning pitching/cooking the food so feel free to take a gander and check it out - Masu Sushi and Robata Interview I'm lucky I get to reap all the benefits of having a chef as a husband:

Miso, robata fare (grilled chicken, corn, pork belly, fried scallops, etc.) and tuna sashimi with wine...y'know you're jealous :D

Other than that....Need....sunshine.....badly..... But thanks for stopping by! See you again soon (in a month?)