Outside (Warning: This Post May Contain References to Dog Poo)

The sunshine finally decided to come out and play! Vitamin D is good for my mental stability so we have spent the good part of two days outside. Plus, Felix is obsessed with the outdoors. Anytime someone comes in our out the back door he runs over and tries to escape and then spends a couple minutes looking longingly outside and then back and me pointing outside over and over with the occasional blood curdling scream thrown in for good measure. 

Oh the screaming. One of the more recent and less adorable traits of toddlerhood. His way of testing his lungs, trying to communicate and/or throwing a tantrum. I've read a lot about toddler screaming and it turns out it's a phase a lot of kids go through. So I have hope and a short bit of patience-rope left to get me through.

But I digress...

Felix has the most adorable toddler run you will ever see. He runs with little tiny steps - almost running in place - and puts his arms up in the air or out to the side and jiggles his booty. My sister-in-law has coined it the "jolly bear run" and I think that is the perfect description. 

Give the boy and open field and the freedom to go where he wants and he is happier than I would be if someone handed me a coupon for a spa day. Well...maybe not. You would probably see my ass do a jolly bear run if someone handed me a coupon for a spa day.

So today, we went to the park. Been feeling guilty willow has been left out of the outdoor fun recently so I let her come along. Also, I thought bringing a bucket for Felix to collect things in could also be fun. 

Oh naïvety. 

I quickly realized I was in over my head when I had the dog leash, my phone, my keys and the bucket in one hand and a a toddler all but hanging from the other. Of course I'm wearing a maxi skirt - cause you know...warm weather and all, but zero pockets. Before I could get to the doggy bags to take care of any messes Willow might make, she dropped a big one. Right. by. the playground.

So I drag willow and a now screaming felix (who wanted to play on the playground) about 100 yards further to grab a couple bags and go back to clean up. But then willow drops another and since I had let go of Felix to grab the bag he instantly stepped in it. 

Of course.

I pick him up. Put my phone, keys and doggy bag in the bucket. Scream, scream, scream Felix screeeeeeeam...100 yards back to the crap. And pick it up. 

A guy slack lining nearby shouts over the screams..."cute dog."

"Thanks" i reply deadpan and toss the bag into the trash.

The rest of the trip was just as disastrous. Felix screaming, insisting on holding the leash, getting caught in the leash, lots of teenage on lookers, anther run in with felix touching poop and I'm pretty sure my ginger child ended up sun burnt because I'm mother-of-the-year and forgot sun screen or a hat during peek sun hours.

However, even a crappy visit to the park in the sunshine is WAAAAAYYY better than another day cooped up inside with ice and freezing temps outside. Am I right Stay-At-home-Moms or am I right?

Bring on summer!

9 Sick Baby Essentials

Let me preface this by saying I am not a medical professional. In case there was any confusion on that issue, I want to clear the air before writing this post.

That being said, the last 4 days Felix has been fighting a really nasty cold. As every new mom knows there is nothing sadder than when your baby is sick. You feel so helpless and worried. The wee one can't communicate what hurts or how you can help, so all you do is go about your day guessing giving them what you think is best.

This is only the 2nd time in 7 months that Felix has been sick and I'm so thankful that both times it has only been a cold and not something more serious. Now, there are some people who refuse to see a doctor and think that medicine is bad, end of story. Then there are other people who medicate at every turn and use a pill for most answers to pain.

Josh and I fall somewhere in the middle. We always try and use homeopathic remedies to solve problems first, but if that doesn't work we turn to medicine. With that in mind, here is my list of sick baby essentials if your little one is dealing with a cold or minor virus.

1. Organic Baby Vapor Rub - Make sure you read the label and get one that only has ingredients that you can pronounce. This is expensive, but should last you for a while since you are only rubbing a little bit at a time. I know vapor rub helps me when I'm not feeling great, so it has to do some good on the little ones when they have a stuffy nose and a cough.
2. Boogie Wipes - I discovered these from my mother in law. Its a really gentle solution to the dry tissue that leaves noses feeling raw. It does have a few chemicals, but to me is better than a plain tissue that hurts Felix's nose. If i have time in the future I might try and make my own at home to keep on hand. I found a good recipe here.
3. Humidifier - Super good to run and keep the air moist and relieve stuffy noses and sore throats while sleeping.
4. Nosefrida - Ok...I know this device seems gross and before being a mom I would maybe have thrown up a bit if I saw someone using it. Only a mom who is hurting for her sick child can understand the awesomeness of this thing. The standard aspirator is so ineffective and can really cause additional irritation to the nasal passage if you aren't careful. Nosefrida solves those problems. Even though it's gross, just use it. Trust me.
5. Nasal Spray - Along the same lines...you should spray a bit of baby friendly saline, or even better if you are a super squirty boobie lady, then some breast milk squirted up the nose to loosen a dry stuffy nose is helpful about 15 mins before suction.
6. Hylands Cold Tablets - These things are some what magical. I used them on the most recent cold and after following the instruction rigidly for about 5 hours, Felix showed serious improvement. He regressed at night and still was stopped up the next morning, but after using them again the next day he seemed to start feeling better again. I'm convinced they are necessary now.
7. Lactation Support Pills - Speaking of squirty boobies...don't forget to take care of yourself and your milk supply while the little one is sick. Nursing is key for your babies health and your milk will even start to product the specific things your baby needs to get over the cold! So you don't want your supply to dwindle just cause baby's nose is stuffed up and they can't nurse for as long a period of time. Another good thing to keep on hand is a breast pump. If baby is too sick to nurse, pump and feed milk to baby through a straw.
8. A snuggley blanket - When I'm sick there is nothing more important than to have things around me that make me feel comfortable. A warm blanket. Hot tea. pillows. Cozy socks. So why wouldn't baby want the same kind of treatment. Babies are people too.
9. Mommy's lap and a pile of books - Since baby isn't feeling good, they may not want to be as active playful on their own. They may seem needy and clingy and that's ok! Consider it a good time for you to relax and snuggle and put your to-do list on the back burner for a day. I think I've read all of Felix's books 10 times each the past few days. Little Blue Truck, Furry Friends, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are some of his favorites.

Hope your baby gets well soon!

Father's Day

Today has been filled with golf, steak and potatoes, hugs, #1 dad facebook posts, and of course - beer. It's father's day. I know people say it all the time but I really do feel like I have the best dad ever. He is fiercely in love with my mom. he is THE MAN at fixing things. he is one of the biggest encouragers in my life, a super hard worker, majorly fun to hang out with and is one of the smartest people ever. I am so grateful to have him as my Papa. Add in the fact that my husband has proven himself to be an incredibly caring and sweet father to our son over the last five months (!), that makes father's day a pretty big deal around here.

Here's to the two amazing guys we celebrated today! Love you!