the "mom friend" : by amy

The majority of my college friends are still single-- very common for the average young adult living in the city.   But here I am, living in the suburbs, married for 4 years and with a 16 month old toddler.  Life is very different.  I don't get invited to all of the late-night birthday parties and hang-outs (unless it's for a really close friend), which is totally understandable.  I've come to accept that I am now the "mom friend" among my group of college girlfriends.  Does it bother me?  No, not really-- it is what it is.  They don't treat me any differently though we are in totally different life stages.  Actually, I kinda like hanging out with my college friends not only because they're my good friends, but it's also refreshing to not have half of the conversation be about kids or babies (although I thoroughly enjoy talking about kids and babies with other ummas).

There's a recent episode of "Up All Night" (I <3 this show) where Reagan (Christina Applegate's character) realizes that she is Ava's "mom friend," and that she's missing out on the yoga classes, impromptu Vegas trips and late-night club outings.  She's no longer the go-to "cool and always available to hang-out" friend.  It kind of resonated with me because it reminded me of a recent surprise birthday that I was accidentally not invited to.  I remember accepting the situation as a simple mishap but I also naturally assumed that it may have been because I've become the "mom friend."  Oh, that girl that lives in the suburbs and goes to bed by 10pm?  Yeah, she's the "mom friend."  She probably won't come out anyway.

FYI, with plenty of advanced notice (and caffeinated drinks), we WILL come out to hang out with our non-mom friends!  And if you invite me to Bukhara Grill for the lunch buffet, I will try even harder to make it out! ;)

first christmas : by jean

this was our first christmas with miles, and it had me thinking back on what christmas was like for me when i was a kid.

i remember i believed in santa claus up until the 2nd grade.  we had a fake tree in our living room/my bedroom with wrapped gifts underneath.  i distinctively remember the year when i found out santa wasn't real.  there was a gift that was wrapped with the SAME wrapping paper my mom had in her room,  and of course i asked, "umma, how does santa have the same wrapping paper as you?"  i must have taken her by surprise because she decided right there and then to crush my dreams and tell me there was no santa claus.  boo.

how did you grow up knowing or not knowing about santa?  do you know when and how you'll reveal the truth to your kids?

a scene from my all time favorite xmas movie: Elf

hope you all had a great christmas!

picky : by jean

lately, miles has been VERY picky with what he eats and how it's fed to him.  i can be feeding him the same piece of fish using chopsticks, but then if i switch and use a spoon, he won't open his mouth.  i would tell him, "miles, its the SAME thing, look!" and proceed to show him how i'm transferring from chopsticks to a spoon or vice versa, but still, no opening of the mouth.

i mean, seriously?!  i can't deal!  AND sometimes he just doesn't feel like eating what i feed him, but if i give him something to play with to occupy him and feed him, he'll eat. WTH?!  overall, he's a pretty good eater but man, some days i really lose my patience!  giving him a spoon or teething toy to play with while feeding, or if nothing else works, turning on sesame street usually helps.

what are some ways you guys get your kids to eat?

Mommy in the mirror : by amy

My Facebook news feed was overflowing with "RIP Newtown" updates, photos of the victims, and anti-gun propaganda.  In the midst of it all, this article caught my eye: I am Adam Lanza's Mother.  If you haven't read it yet, please stop to do so now.

The tragedy in Newtown has taken an emotional toll on me.  I watch Logan in awe as he plays with his boxes and dances joyfully to Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy.  But I can't help but feel scared.  I know the world is a far scarier place today than it was when I was growing up.  Sexting.  Creepers on social media.  Sandusky.  Massacres.  I remember praying fervently everyday during Logan's first few months, asking God to help me raise Logan well and to do the "right" thing.  Now, I pray fervently for God's healing on the world so that the community can raise future generations well.

As President Obama reminded us, we have a communal responsibility to raise our children.  It reminded me of when Logan was baptized.  Our pastor asked the congregation to stand and make a commitment to help raise Logan in the church.  Being a parent has already stretched my heart for children beyond my own-- and I always thought I'd be one of those parents who only really cared for her own kid!  After the tragic events in Newtown, it's convicted me even more to take on a greater responsibility to pray and serve our children.

In the wise words of Michael Jackson, make a change.

why? : by jean

i missed my post on Thursday due to my bag being stolen right in front of miles' daycare center. it was my fault for leaving my bag on the stroller while i ran in to get miles. it was my normal routine which i will never repeat again. i thought my neighborhood was "safe," but i guess one can never be safe enough. and yes, it's my fault for leaving it out, but i never thought it would get stolen within 10 mins. what bothers me more is that it seems like it was some kids in the neighborhood who took my bag since they tried to spend $150 at dominos pizza. Ugh.

and then the shooting in CT happened on Friday. i was feeding miles this morning and watched the continuous coverage on the shooting. i know my stolen bag is obviously nothing compared to what happened in CT, but why is there so much evil around us? are we ever safe? how can we ever send our kids to daycare, school, camp, without ever worrying?

it gives me chills just reading and watching the clips on the incident. i can't imagine what these families must be going through. how do you ever recover from something like that? how do you explain to your kids what happened, and the biggest question of all, why?

and why are these kids being interviewed about what happened? clearly something awful happened. they are young and innocent and should not be asked to relive that moment in tv.

my co-worker and i were overwhelmed with emotion as we watched President Obama give his speech on Friday. i definitely hugged Miles a little tighter last night when i put him to bed.

our hearts go out to all the families in Newtown.

the winner!

Sorry for the delay, folks-- we've got full time jobs too!

But, we've selected our first and second prize winners for our first giveaway!  Before we announce the winners, we just wanted to give y'all a big THANK YOU for submitting your photos and participating!  It was fun seeing baby-versions of mommies and daddies along with their mini-me's.  We wished we could've picked more than 2 winners.  We hope to do more giveaways in the future, so keep on reading!

OK, now, what you've all been waiting for...

Our second place winners of the lovely blue Lollacup are Lara and her beauty, Sage!  OK, so their hair color isn't the same, but their smiles and facial features (not to mention scantily clad-ness!) are definitely similar.

Our grand-prize, first place winners of the Lollacup gift set are Soo-Kyung and her son, Elijah!  Who knew that mom and son could look so similar?

Congrats again to our winners~!  Hope the babes enjoy sipping on their Lollacups!  BIG shout out to the Lollacup crew for hooking us up with the giveaway!

our first giveaway!!

tis the season to give, so thanks to lollacup, we are giving out some goodies!

lollacup is an infant/toddler straw sippy cup that is BPA-free, phthalate-free and made in the USA!  It's valve-free, weighted straw allows infants as young as 9 months old to easily and effectively drink from a straw, even if the cup is tilted.

miles tried lollacup right around 9 months!

how can you get your hands on one of these?

submit a photo of your baby and a baby photo of you or your spouse.  whichever pair (baby and baby version of parent) looks most alike will win....drumroll, please...

A NEW CAR!
just kidding.

a lollacup gift set!  the gift set includes a tote bag, bib, extra straw, cleaning brush, letterpressed notecards, and of course, a lollacup.

runner up will receive a lollacup for good effort.

submit your photos by Friday 3pm to umma.etc@gmail.com

good luck and thanks lollacup!

your attention, please : by amy

Lately, Logan's been...irritable.  He is still his silly self 90% of the time, but something is off.  He showed sudden and extreme separation anxiety on Sunday when we dropped him off at the nursery-- vomiting and clingy-ness.  He's been having mini-meltdowns on the kitchen floor.  He's been grabbing my hand and demanding that I follow his orders, "or else" (i.e. mini-meltdown).

Is it because he had 3 shots on Friday?  Is it because his molars are coming in?  Is it because I'm working too much??  (haha, I always use this as an excuse...see past blog post).  Are these the terrible-not-even-twos??  Whatever it is, it's been sort of sucking.  

So, how does one respond to this whacky behavior?  Most of the time, I show tough love and am not afraid to use say "NO," or "Mmm Mmm! *shaking head*" or bust out the hissing Korean sound.  If he's being crabby on the kitchen floor for no valid reason, I typically leave him alone.  I'm not going to let him fool me with his dog and pony show!  I'll show him who's the real boss in this house!

Right?

Or, am I supposed to look at him in the eye and say, "Logan, I can see you are very upset right now.  Can you please try to understand that although I want to play with you, I need to finish preparing your dinner?"  Or, should I pick him up and give him hugs to make him feel better?  (btw, my hugs don't seem to calm him down).  Or, should I give in because maybe this is his way of telling me "MOM, you spend all day at the office.  I want you to play with me NOW"?  Man, he's so good at guilt-tripping me...

I think the answer is sort of a mix of all of the above.  Sometimes, if Logan is acting up, I'll tell him, "Logan, I know you are mad, but I need to finish what I'm doing.  You have to WAIT.  Please wait for umma."  Then, I'll let him scream and cry.  He typically gets over it once the next distraction comes around.  Not sure if this is the "right" thing to do, but it's what I do.  

How do you ummas deal with difficult toddler behavior?

#2 : by jean

a friend of a friend accidentally got pregnant with their #3.  they were happy with 2 kids but then had a weekend away from the kids, perhaps too much vodka, and then voilà!

note to self: NEVER get drunk while not on birth control.  EVER. 

so this story got me thinking-- i know there's no "right" time to have a baby but when is it a good time to have baby #2?  just so you know, i am not pregnant nor am i planning to get pregnant or drunk any time soon. :)

my sister was born when i was 10, so i always envied friends who had brothers and sisters around their age.  it seemed like so much fun!  now that i'm a parent, i would like miles to have a sibling or two (maybe) somewhat close in age, but i am sooo not ready to go through the sleepless nights again.  pregnancy wasn't too bad, but i just don't have it in me yet to deal with labor and the first few newborn weeks.  i feel like i'm now JUST getting my life back, really enjoying miles and getting to understand his personality.

how did you decide to have #2, #3, or more?  did it just happen, or did you plan?

my holiday pet peeve : by amy

Before I write this post, I just want to say to my fellow parent-friends that I think your kids are cute, and I love looking at their photos on Facebook, on your phone, on your fridge, on your computer screen, and everywhere else you post them.  God's honest truth, I do!

But I have a pet peeve.
And it happens during this time of the year.

The holidays are here, which means time to write those holiday cards.  The family photo cards have become increasingly popular among families with young children.   The ones that look something like this:

Cute, right?  You probably just ordered yours, didn't you?  (and from TinyPrints, right?  They have the best designs!)  So, in the example above, the card has its holiday greeting and is "signed" by The Smiths, which include Jenna, Derek, Catherine and Robby.  Well, guess what?  There are FOUR people in The Smith family but only TWO people in the picture!  What the fudge.

....

You think I'm crazy, right?  Am I the only person in the world who is annoyed by this?  Actually, my husband agrees with me (of course).  I will admit that this irked me much more when I was childless.  I mean, if the card is from "The Smiths," I expect a picture of The Smiths-- all four of them!  What makes you think that I only want to see a picture of JUST your kids?  YOU (the parents) are the ones I'm friends with, so when I hang it on my fridge, I'd like to think of you first and your kids second.  Parents, why do you shaft yourself from the holiday photo card??  You are part of the family too!

December 2011 was our first Christmas with child, and low and behold, I wanted to make a holiday family photo card.  Yes, parents, I finally understood why you guys love making these cards.  It's a nice way to chronicle your children's Christmases and watch them grow.  The husband and I went back and forth on it, and in the end, we decided to make one under the following conditions:

1) If it was going to be from "The Changs," the card would have to include a picture of all 3 of us
2) We were only giving them to family and close friends who came to our holiday brunch.  No mass mailings.

So, that's what we did.  This was last year's picture:

And yes, I already ordered mine for this year.  It's from The Changs-- all 3 of us!

Thanks to this post, I have a feeling my mailbox is going to be a little more empty than past years...! :P  I still stick all of your kids' photos on my fridge!

Happy thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving everyone! We are so thankful for all our family and friends...esp thankful that we get to raise our sons and share with you all.

See you back for our regular post on Monday!

itchy, itchy eczema! : by amy

'Tis the season for peppermint hot chocolate, Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown classics and...eczema.

The dry air that winter brings can be tough on baby's sensitive skin.  Logan always had very sensitive skin even even in the humid August air when he was first born.  Initially, we thought it was just newborn rash, which was partially true.  After months went by, a few stubborn patches just wouldn't fade away.  His eczema was very apparent on his face and eventually spread to the creases by his elbows and behind the knees.

Here are some things we used/did to help alleviate Logan's eczema:

1) Breathable, loose-fitting, soft cotton onesies and separates were the most comfortable for his skin. 

2)  The doctor said to avoid liquid soaps/shampoos since they dry out skin over bar soaps (even if they say they're for sensitive skin, which meant I couldn't use the bottles of California Baby and Mustela that I had gotten as gifts).  He recommended Dove Unscented moisturizing bar soap, which we still use to this day.

3) Don't bathe him too frequently.  Newborns don't really get dirty anyway.  So we bathed him 2-3 times a week and washed his bum with warm water when he had an extra nasty diaper.  Now, we bathe him 3-4x a week since he gets pretty gross at day care.

4) When you do bathe him, make sure the water isn't too warm and you don't keep him in the warm water for too long.  The warmer the water, the more it will dry out his skin.  I've become a pro at quick and efficient baths!

5) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!  We moisturize Logan's face about 3x a day.  The morning and night regimen is as follows:

a) CeraVe

This stuff is the ish.  Before I discovered Cereve, we were using tons of Aquaphor and Eucerin, but it wasn't helping much.  My husband's co-worker recommended this, and it has been an absolute skin-saver.  According to the company website, it has the following special technology: The unique, patented Multivesicular Emulsion (MVE®) delivery technology in CeraVe Skincare products provides multiple layers of skin-nurturing and protective ingredients to the skin slowly over time.

So it slowly releases its "stuff" into the skin over time.  What is the "stuff"? 

• Ceramides, which help repair the skin barrier
• Hyaluronic acid, which attracts needed moisture
• Emollients, which moisturize & soften skin

This cream definitely feels different from other moisturizers.  I accidentally got some on my lips once and was amazed by how moist and soft my lips felt, even after wiping it off!  We were told not to purchase the lotion, but the CREAM.  After his bath, we dry him off and immediately slather the cream all over his face and body to lock in the moisture.  You can find CeraVe at most major drugstores, but just a heads up that one jar of this will cost you about $15-18, but it's totally worth it!  You can even use it yourself as face cream-- very gentle on skin like Cetaphil and not greasy at all.

b) Aquaphor

Who doesn't have Aquaphor in their medicine cabinet?  We went through tubes of this stuff in the beginning before we discovered CeraVe.  Logan also won't stop drooling (starting to worry that he'll be 18 and still drooling...) so I always have tubes of Aquaphor in every bag to protect his mouth area and chin.  We put on a thin layer (after the CeraVe) on specific eczema-problem areas where it's extra dry, and especially before we put on any...

c) Hydrocortisone

Prescription hydrocortisone.  This is the one that Logan's pediatrician prescribed.  I'm told that the 0.1% is very weak and completely safe for babies when used correctly.  We only use the hydrocortisone when it's REALLY bad, or if there is a very sudden flare-up.  The doctor says to first put down a layer of Aquaphor and then a very thin layer of the hydrocortisone, 2x a day.  Typically, when we use the hydrocortisone, we see results by the next day, so we don't use it consistently-- maybe only a few times a month. 


Before I ran out of it, I also used this lotion on eczema patches before the Aquaphor layer:

Neosporin Eczema Essentials

I wanted to give this a try, so I used it during the day time on his arms and legs (not after baths).  At first, I couldn't tell if this actually worked or if it was just my rigorous moisturizing regimen that was improving Logan's skin.  But after using it for a week, I did notice a difference, even without having to use Aquaphor as a top layer all of the time.  I've been meaning to buy more of this stuff for the winter.  Get a $3 off coupon here at Neosporin's website!

What helps your baby's eczema?

they make that?? : by jean

miles is at an age where he does NOT stay still especially when you are changing his diaper.  he's constantly trying to roll over as i'm cleaning away his smelly mess.

i was flipping through some magazines and came across this!

hulabye

i don't know about you but i started CRACKING UP!!

they really do make something for EVERYTHING in the baby industry.  is this for real?  i'm sure it could work...but am i really going to spend $44 to have my child stay put as i'm changing his diaper?

and what about this?!

 

zaky infant pillow

i'm sorry but this is just CREEPY!  let's have fake hands to make your baby feel like you are touching them when you are not. ahh!!

i just had to share. :)

if any of you have these, please do share if they work or not!

happy thursday~

separation anxiety (the other way around) : by amy

Last week was my second time travelling for work since I came back from maternity leave.  The first time, I was away for 2 nights and frankly, sort of looked forward to the break from mommy-duties.  This time, I was away for nearly a week and in another country.  The trip came right after our extended trip to California, so I didn't feel mentally or emotionally prepared.  I also just spent 12 straight days with Logan (which, aside from the 1st day, were glorious), which was the longest time I ever spent with Logan since maternity leave.  I admit that I liked it...a lot.  Logan's toddler months are more tiring but definitely more fun than his newborn months when I was home with him.

So, when Monday morning arrived, I couldn't help but tear up as I picked Logan up from his crib.  I was so used to being with him all day/night from vacation, and now I wouldn't be able to see him for 5 nights.  How was I going to get through the week??

I was very unhappy to leave that day, but this is what made the trip a little more bearable:

1. Business class.  Unlimited booze, movies and ice cream sundaes can definitely ease the mental stress.
2. Non-stop work.  I was 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, so I ended up working "double-shifts" each day.  I would just keep myself occupied all day and night to max out my productivity.  After dinner, I'd keep working in my hotel room, but this was when I got a chance to...
3. FaceTime.  Seriously, what did travelling parents do before FaceTime??  Thank you, Steve Jobs.

I spoke with a few working dads on my team about how they deal with the time away from home.  Most of them consider the travel to be a nice break from the kids (but they still miss their kids).  They call, FaceTime or Skype every night or when they can after business activities are over.  One dad told me that he once he's home for 3 weeks, he's typically itching to travel again and get out of the house because he needs a "break" from the kids and stuff going on at home.  While I was a little surprised to hear that, I sort of empathized.  Travelling for work can be pretty posh.  You are able to regain and enjoy a part of your pre-parent self, such as adult and intellectually challenging conversations over late-night drinks, or indulge in (free) extravagant business dinners, or catch up on movies on the plane-- the non-cartoon/PG13 ones that you're forced to watch with the kids.  You have time to get up in the morning and work out because you don't need to worry about waking/feeding/dressing the kids and rushing them out the door.

These men have stay-at-home wives ("SAHW"), so they don't always feel guilty about leaving their kids alone with their wives for a few days-- this is what the SAHW signed up for.  I felt guilty leaving Logan with the husband and mother-in-law all week (though the husband's office was closed all week due to the hurricane, so it kind of worked out).  But in the end, everything worked out.  Logan welcomed me with a big happy hug...which made me cry again.

How do you working/travelling parents deal with the separation from your kids?

brr it's cold! : by jean

are you guys cold?  i am!  hope most of you  in the tri-state are safe and with power.

now that winter is pretty much here, we are always looking for the best way to keep miles warm whenever we are out and about.  since we are NOT in the 'burbs, it's not easy to find the best way to keep miles warm since we're not always travelling by car.  but, when we are driving, our car seat is now set up with the bundle me so we can snuggle him in there going in and out of the car.

JJ Cole Bundle Me

on a regular basis, we are struggling to figure out the best way to drop him off and pick him up from daycare.  his daycare is about 15 min walk or a 7 min bus ride down the street from our place. normally, we like to put him in the bjorn and get on the bus if we see one coming.  when we have extra time, we take him in the stroller, but we prefer to hop on the bus to get home quickly in order to feed, clean, and do all of that other good stuff.

since it's been getting cold, we've been trying to bundle him up and cover him under our jackets while wearing the bjorn.  we realized quickly that it didn't seem to work so well.  his stroller, on the other hand, is completely decked out and ready for any storm coming our way.  we recently purchased the bugaboo high performance footmuff which was a lot more than i wanted to pay (and much more than the regular footmuff) but figured it would be worth it since we are always strolling around the neighborhood.

bugaboo high performance footmuff

so for the bjorn, i am looking into this cover.  i know miles will only need it for this season since we won't be using the carrier with him for too much longer, but has anyone used it?  is it worth getting or are there better solutions out there?

baby bjorn cover for baby carrier

what are some ways you keep your babies warm and cozy in the winter?

in-n-out of Cali, animal-style : by amy

Our family got to share our first In-n-Out experience together last week.  Husband and I each got the single cheeseburger, animal-style (the not-so-secret-"secret" amazingly delicious topping, which is simply Thousand Island dressing and caramelized onions-- tip the hat to Big Mac), and Logan got a regular burger.  My husband and I both devoured our burgers (OK, I ate half of Logan's burger too...and animal fries).  But we came a long way before we could even think about tasting this fast-food-deliciousness.  I'm not just talking about the 2,800 miles we traveled by air, but that's where I'll begin since it was pretty quick and painless.

The Plane Ride
This ended up being much easier than I anticipated.  My UppaBaby umbrella stroller (which Jean also used for her Korea trip) was the super-star of my trip, along with my Kate Spade diaper bag-- this thing carries A LOT more than it looks!  Anyway, I packed a few books, 2 toys, the iPad, 2 blankets (thin and thick), some squeezy packs and other snacks, 1 bottle, spare liners, my thermos which stored 16 ounces of milk (which I was allowed take through security), and an extra change of clothes for Logan (in additional to diapers, wipes and Bibsters). We got Logan his own seat, so we sat in a row of 3, which was plenty of room for him.  It was also helpful that the people sitting behind us enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with Logan.  He even napped for an hour on the plane, which gave us a nice break.  However, the plane ride back home was more difficult, mostly because the timing was bad (but we had no choice due to our 3 rescheduled flights caused by Hurricane Sandy).  Logan started to get overly squirmy and refused to sleep, but reading books seemed to calm him down.  He also ended the flight with a little barf right as we landed.  These Arm and Hammer clean-up bags are always crucial to keep in the diaper bag for accidents like this.

The Hospital
Bet you weren't expecting this.  We arrived in San Diego in the late morning and our hotel room wasn't going to be ready until about 4pm.  Logan was still on east coast time, so I wanted to put him to bed by around 4:30pm west coast-time, which meant I would have to feed him dinner as soon as we checked in.  We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn in the Gaslamp Quarter because 1) They had full kitchens and separate spaces between the living and bed rooms; 2) It included a hot breakfast and in the one we stayed at in Irvine, even dinner; and 3) It was downtown which would be stroller-friendly and dinner-friendly for the husband and me after Logan went to sleep.  At around 4:15pm, we checked into our room.  I immediately started microwaving and cutting up the frozen lasagna that I bought for Logan while the husband brought in the bags and started to unpack his suit.  Within minutes, the husband walked on an Advil tablet that was randomly found on the floor.  WEIRD.  Thank God he found it before Logan did!  We did a quick scan of the floor for any more random items on the carpet (which we assumed was vacuumed), but within another few minutes, the husband heard Logan crunching away on something.  It was a mysterious white chunk of...something, but it was definitely a pill of some sort since it turned into powder in my fingers.  Long story short, we spent the next 7 hours at the Rady Children's Hospital where they tried to force-feed Logan liquid-charcoal which is supposed to absorb any toxins in his stomach.  While the nurses were very gentle and caring, I couldn't help but cry as I watched my son struggle with fear and discomfort.  On the somewhat brighter side, Logan vomitted 3 separate times shortly thereafter, so his stomach was pretty much clean of anything that he may have ingested.

Poison Control required the hospital to monitor him for 6 hours after ingestion, and in the end, Logan was just fine, though still no idea what he actually ingested (maybe it was nothing-- maybe I got it all out of his mouth).  Did you know that a 27-ish pound toddler could ingest 4-5 Advil tablets and still be OK?  News to me.  Anyway, the hotel comped our hospital bills, our hotel room, our valet parking and our dinners for the nights we were there.  Obviously, this would've been avoided if they properly cleaned our room, but they DID handle the situation in the best way possible, and we were very grateful for that.  It was quite a scare.

The Time-Zone
It took Logan about 3 days to fully adjust to west coast time.  Everything was off due to the traumatic night at the hospital.  Logan woke up in the middle of the night, clearly upset, so we had him sleep with us in the bed for the first night only.  When we returned home to NJ, it was nearly 1:00am by the time Logan was in his crib.  With a little luck thanks to daylight savings and the possibility that Logan may be transitioning to just one nap a day, Logan transitioned to east coast time with ease in just one day!

The Hurricane
We couldn't have timed our trip any better.  Hurricane Sandy prevented us from coming home 3 times.  We were forced to extend our trip for another 4 days which ended up being the delicious animal-style topping of our trip.  While we were in Irvine, we stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn in Orange County (free hot breakfast and dinners!) where they gave us a reduced week-rate given our circumstances.  Thanks to Sandy, we got to enjoy good company in Koreatown, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, Balboa Island and play at the beautiful playground in the Irvine Civic Center Park.  We came home to a 50 degree, power-less home, but nothing long underwear, 5 layers of blankets and a fuzzy Halloween costume couldn't handle.

Our trip to California will definitely be a memorable one!  Kinda like my first animal-style experience at In-N-Out, but the burger at Father's Office just absolutely blew my mind...and gave Logan diarrhea.

korea part 3: by jean

here are my final thoughts on my trip to korea.

in terms of packing:

i forgot to mention that i packed a saline nasal mist for miles.  i don't know about you but my nose gets very dry whenever i fly so i end up putting aquaphor up my nose (i know that sounds gross but it really works).  miles started to get lots of dry boogies so i used the saline mist on him a few times throughout the flight so it wouldn't bother him.

here was  my post about my list of things that i was planning to pack.  one of the big things i was contemplating about was whether or not to bring a pack and play.  i knew miles could sleep on the floor but because he moves around so much i was concerned that he might roll out of his sleeping area, or roll over the pillows i put down to create a boundary.

in the end, i was able to buy a used graco pack and play off of park slope parent's classified section and it worked WONDERS!!  (kathleen huddy, you can breath now!)  i was able to put him down in the pack and play and walk away when it was time for him to sleep, like how i do back at home in his crib.  my parents were so impressed by how i could simply put miles down to have him fall alseep by himself rather than getting him to fall asleep and then putting him down.  (read about miles's and logan's sleep trainig here!  it's the best thing i ever did!)  they kept saying miles's was such a "chak han" (nice/good) baby to fall asleep himself.  i said, sure he's a good baby and all....but it's also called sleep training!!

because he was able to fall asleep by himself, once he adjusted to the local time, (and got used to being with his grandparents) we were able to leave him before bedtime to go out and meet with friends for dinner. i still asked my parents to text me once he fell asleep but all in all (except for two big meltdowns), he slept well once we left him.  sleep training, it does a body good!

in korea:

because my parents lived about 30-45mins outside of seoul, we typically hung out around their area during the day and then went out to the city at night by ourselves.  we did take miles on the bus once, and that worked out pretty well.  we made sure we left right around his nap time so he fell asleep the whole ride on the bus.  i also put him in the bjorn and just wore him the whole time to be safe.  the few times we did take him to seoul with us, we took him by car with my parents.  i was too chicken to take him on the bus/subway into the city in case we couldn't find baby friendly places to change, feed him...and since he can't eat everything we eat yet, it was too much to pack for him!  traveling with a baby was definitely very different.  we didn't get to venture out as much as we had hoped, but we were grateful to have a happy baby during our trip! :)

on the plane:

miles overall travelled VERY well.  as i mentioned in korea part 1, miles JUST fit in the bassinet that attached to the wall so he slept for about 5~6 hours once it was his bedtime on our way back.  AND the flight wasn't full. our seat was by the window so the lady that had the 3rd seat in our aisle got to move to another area so we had the whole row to ourselves.

miles enjoying his flight back to nyc!

meal for miles: gerber's mangos and rice, some japanese crackers, soy milk for babies, gerber's mixed fruit juice, and mushroom/carrot/beef/rice porridge

in the end, our trip to korea was a success!  as scary as it was to think about being on the plane for so long and dealing with jetlag, it was great to be with family.  we are now dealing with jetlag AGAIN so i'll keep you guys posted!  hopefully miles will adjust back to ny time soon!!

We will resume on thurs!

With both Amy and I traveling, we will resume our normal blog post on Thursday.

Thanks and stay safe from hurricane Sandy east coasters! And fingers crossed as Amy and fam are trying to reschedule their flight from Cali.

I'm going back to Cali (for the first time) : by amy

Going to have to keep this one short because I'm 1) watching Obama and Mittens duke it out again and 2) need to finish packing for our trip to California.  Hard to believe that this will be my first trip to Cali, right?  We are going to San Diego and Irvine to see our beloved friend, Neah, get married.  Hopefully Logan will stay awake for some of the wedding.  Given the time change, we are expecting to have some early evenings in the hotel-- perfect opportunity to catch up on movies I've wanted to watch over the past year or watch a Korean drama.  But I won't waste my days in Cali in front of the tube.  We'll probably check out the zoo, Balboa Park, the New Children's Museum, a beach, numerous taco joints and In n' Out.

But before I can even really plan that,  I'm a bit terrified for the 6 hour plane ride.  Logan, while typically a pretty good kid, is an active toddler.  I can only arm myself and pray.  We bought Logan his own seat on the plane, some new toys and books, packed a bunch of squeezy packs and snacks, and...I bought an iPad.  It's my last resort.  It pains me to put him in front of the iPad for more than 20 minutes, but I will do what is necessary to get us (and everyone else on our plane) to San Diego in a sane state of mind.  I was going to get an iPad eventually anyway, so this just seemed like an opportune time to execute.  In fact, I am writing this post on my new iPad!

Wow, Obama just reminded Mittens that we don't use horses in our military.

Gotta end it here.  Back to packing!  
Blogged from my iPad.

Korea part 2 : by jean

Jetlag.  It's the worst thing ever.  Why can't everyone just live in the same time zone?  ;)  Dealing with your own jetlag is hard enough, but dealing with your own jetlag plus your baby's is a whole new level of jetlag. 

We first arrived in Korea around 5pm and got to my parents by 7pm.  (Read about our plane ride here!) That day is still a  bit of a blur.  We gave Miles a nice bath once we unpacked and settled and put him down by 10ish.  I think he woke up about every 2 hours that night.  I felt like I had a newborn all over again.  My friend Dave, a new dad, said it best: "8:13am feels like 3:13am"!  When you have a newborn, you try to sleep whenever the baby is sleeping.  When you are jetlagged, your body knows it's not really time to sleep, so you aren't able to sleep when you want to.  This results in you being in a daze for the next few days. 

By the 2nd or 3rd day, Miles had some sort of a schedule going:
- 9:30pm-1:30am sleep
- wake up, drink bottle, play for a bit
- 3:30am-6am sleep
- wake up, eat breakfast, bottle
- 9:30am-??? he seems to sleep about 6-7 hours during this time since its "night" time for him
- 7pm wake up, play, eat, drink bottle, bath...and the cycle begins again.

Now, with only 1 week left in Korea, Miles's schedule is like this:

- 5:30pm-5:30am sleep (full 12 hours!)
- wake up, drink bottle, play for a bit
- 7am-8:30/9am nap
- wake up, eat breakfast, bottle
- 2nd nap anytime around noon-2.

I've heard that some parents wake up the kids a bit earlier to help them adjust to the local time.  I have been too much of a chicken to do that yet since I didn't want him to be more fussy than he needed to be especially since Miles had a bit of diarrhea the first couple of days from the change in water.   He woke up at least every 1-2 hours because of his upset stomach and diarrhea.  The diarrhea resulted in bad diaper rash which resulted in me having to hose him down after each poop diaper instead of using wipes to help alleviate his rash.  Note to all parents: ALWAYS TAKE TRIPLE PASTE WITH YOU!  Thank God I brought it with me because it works wonders!  Also with the water change, I initially thought boiling regular water would be the same as giving bottled water so we were making his formula with boiled tap water.  But once he had his diarrhea, a nurse friend of my mom's suggested boiling bottled water to be extra cautious.  So far, that's has been working. 

By the 5th, 6th day, Miles adjusted well to the local time.  Its also been great having him sleep full 12 hour stretches so we can go out and explore Korea a bit when he goes down for the night.  Back at home, he normally slept from 7:30/8pm~6:30/7am so he's doing great getting a full 12 hours of sleep every night.  I just worry what his schedule will be like once we are back in NY.  For now, I have seen the sun rise EVERY morning.  Hopefully, I don't have to do that once we are back!

view of thde daily sunrise from my parents' veranda

hanging out at the playground

Korea part 1 : by jean

We survived!  After 3 bottles, 5 diaper changes, countless amounts of Cheerios and Puffs, 1 hour nap before flight, 45 min nap during flight, and 6 hour sleep mid flight, we made it to Korea!!

our plane to korea!

In the end, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Maybe because I had planned for the worst!  Flying with a baby had its own advantages starting with the VIP treatment you get as soon as you get to the airport.  The airline we took, Asiana, has a special "happy mom" service. "Happy mom" provides "3E" services – Express Check In, Express Boarding and Express Baggage.  It's great!  They have a special lane dedicated to moms, so there is no need to wait in line to check bags.  You also board first AND all of your luggage gets a "priority" tag so your bags come out much faster!

Also, their press release says they offer:
(1) A free nursing cover: I wasn't offered one maybe because I didn't ask?
(2) Free sling: I didn't know about that either! But, I didn't walk around enough so maybe they didn't offer?
(3) Cabin baby seat installation and renting service: If you buy a seat for your baby, then the airline offers free installation upon reservation.  It doesn't say if the rental is also free, so I'm guessing it's not, but that still saves the hassle of bringing your own car seat along with all of the other baby luggage you have to take with you!

During mealtimes, they provided baby food.  I brought along several pouches of Ella's Kitchen (which he ate SOO well) so I was set but I still asked for it so I can see what they give out.  They gave baby food made from Beech Nut. Have you guys heard of that brand?  I haven't given Miles juice yet and I think jarred chicken isn't very tasty so I only held onto the fruit.

meal #1: bananas, pears, and chicken & chicken broth, with apple juice

meal #2: apples & blueberries, chicken & rice dinner, chicken & chicken broth, and white grape juice

If you are an expecting mom, they have what they call a "pre-mom" service.  You get an exclusive check-in counter, as well as an electric cart service to the gate so you don't have to waddle there.  Isn't that great?!

miles checking out my seat

miles playing in his bassinet

sleep time for miles!

Overall, Miles was a champion traveler.  During the few times he got fussy, we gave him a brand new toy he's never seen, which helped occupy him, and lots of cheerios or puffs.  The bassinet that was attached to the wall in front of our seat was great because he could not only play in it but also sleep in it, so we didn't have to carry him constantly.  The only issue was that he would wake up easily since he had hardly any room to roll around.  But with lots of patting on the back, he managed to get in 6 hours of sleep once it was his bedtime.

During take-off and landing, I was instructed to hold Miles on my lap.  I would strap myself in and hold him, giving him a bottle in case the pressure was bothering his ears.  During landing, since he played so well in my lap, I strapped myself and him together in my seat belt.  However, I was told that wasn't safe and that I was supposed to only strap myself in and hold him.  I will have to look into this but what if there's bad turbulence?  How is just holding him safe enough?

Getting ready for part 2 next week: All about being jet lagged and taking care of a jet lagged baby. Oye!

whoastones : by amy

Logan's been on a roll with "whoastones" since Friday.  What are "whoastones"?  They're what I call not-really-official-milestones (like crawling or walking), but they make me say "Whoa, you can do that?"  They are often not a big deal, but as the parent, they make you smile (or crack up) and realize how much your little baby/toddler is changing and learning.  They're the things you tell other friends and the response you get is, "oh, that's...nice."  I think "whoastones" occur more with first-time moms-- they probably lose their effect on the latter children.  Here are a few of Logan's "whoastones" from the weekend:

• Hugging older girls:  I don't mean mom, grandma, or babysitter Bina.  I'm talking about girls ages 2-4!  And it's not accidental-- he hugged the girls very intentionally and with a big smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around their bodies.  Whoa, Logan, simmer down!
• Doing the Jersey Turnpike and other freaky dances:  If you're not a fan of the Jersey Shore (husband and my guilty pleasure-- yes, we probably lose brain cells while watching it), the Jersey Turnpike is a dirty dance move that Deena made up, where you bend over and touch the ground while sticking your butt out (typically in someone's face), and start bouncing your butt up and down.  Well, that's how my son likes to dance, and NO, he's never seen the Jersey Shore!  He also likes to stand over me and bounce up and down to music.  It's hilarious and...a little weird.  But, it makes me happy whenever I see Logan expressing himself through dance...even if it is a little freaky.  Whoa, Logan don't be that kind of dancer when you grow up...
• Walking backwards: I saw Logan playing with a truck on Friday, and he was dragging the truck backwards into the foyer.  Then we let him play with his Radio Flyer car (thank you, Shins!) and he insisted on pulling it while walking backwards (and sideways) around the driveway.  Whoa, now you can move backwards on your feet without falling??  
• Sticking his finger up his nose: The kid discovered the two ginormous holes in the middle of his face: his nostrils.  He successfully stuck his index finger up there and tried to shove the thumb up there before I scolded him.  I probably shouldn't have laughed before scolding him-- gonna have to work on that.  Whoa, you can pick your nose now??
• Putting items INTO something: Logan's always been a pro at taking items out of a bag/drawer/bin, but he's never been good at putting items BACK into the bag/drawer/bin.  In fact, he doesn't like to just take things out-- he likes to throw them straight back (with a quick straight-arm motion, like a backwards bowler's move).  So, when I saw him putting a few of his Mega Blocks back INTO the bag, I had a "Whoa, Logan, did you just do that??" moment and showered him with hugs and high fives.
• Doing "more:" My kid is a little slow with the sign language.  He started doing "milk" maybe 2 months ago, and I don't think he even does it when he necessarily wants milk but only when he hears "ooh-yoo" ("milk" in Korean).  I've tried doing "more" with him since he was 4 months old.  TODAY, Logan finally sort of did "more"!  ...but I don't know if he really understands what it means.  It looked like a one-handed "more" + one-handed clap type of gesture, so I encouraged him with more "more" motions to try to reinforce the point.  Then I said, "are you all done?" (and did the corresponding gesture) and he copied me (!!) and then immediately started clapping (which to him, means "good job!" which I usually say to him when he finishes all of his food/milk).  Whoa, Logan, are you actively communicating with me??

I know what you're thinking: "oh, that's...nice."

ovuline : by amy

 my buddy, DJ, sent me this link and asked for my opinion.

Ovuline
http://www.techstars.com/ovuline-smart-fertility/

From their website:

Ovuline helps couples conceive faster. Going way beyond fertility calendars and period trackers, Ovuline tells couples when they are fertile and exactly what to do each day to maximize their chances of getting pregnant. Ovuline can also be used to avoid pregnancy or track menstrual cycles.

Does anyone else think is a little...weird? 

First, I read "Ovuline?"  Where I have I heard that before?  Then realized it was from one of the best holiday movies of all time, A Christmas Story (Be sure to drink your...Ovaltine??  A crummy commercial??  Sonovabitch!)  Pretty crappy name because while this company is trying to inform me of infertility, all I can think about is little Ralphie drinking his Ovaltine.

Sorry, I digress.

I had a hard time understanding what this company actually did.  After clicking around its website, I came to the following conclusions:

• After the free trial, you pay a monthly price of $xx (website conveniently leaves this price out, but at one point, I thought I saw $70/month)
• You get daily notifications like "Don't have sex today, but have lots of sex tomorrow!"
• Stupid reminders that you shouldn't need a service to remind you of, like "Take your vitamins" (might as well say "Eat your breakfast.  Don't hold in your pee.")
• You can ask them a question like "I have pain in my lower abdomen, what can it be?" and their experts will respond with something like  "It could be because of your hormones, PMS, hormones, lack of exercise, hormones, indigestion, hormones, etc." 
• They also have a "Virtual Doctor which is an advanced computer algorithm developed by Harvard Doctors that learns about your unique cycle from the data you enter"  in case you ever wanted to feel like a science experiment while trying to conceive your baby.
• You get a monthly shipment of "fertility supplies" with reminders on when/how to use each item.  If you're trying to have a baby, aren't the "fertility supplies" already, uh, there?  Like, attached to your body?

OK, so I'm a little harsh on them.  But really, wouldn't a woman who is seriously considering to get pregnant speak with their doctor-- a REAL doctor-- first?  Depending your medical history/age/etc., I'm pretty sure doctors tell you what you need to know.  I was relatively young when I first started "trying," so my doctor gave me the basics: prenatals for 2 months, calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and knowing my "fertile window" of the month.  I guess if you're really into the TMI-type-of-detail that they provide (like charts and statistics...really?) then yeah, go for it.   I could see it making a woman become obsessed with the getting-it-just-right aspect, which I feel could almost be counterproductive.  I've heard of (and seen) SO many stories of women who became naturally pregnant once they stopped "trying" and timing it so much.  Stress (and hormones) also can play a big factor on conception.

I'm also a little weirded out at how technology is finding a way into my ovaries.  What is today's society coming to when you need a technology-generated daily reminder to take your prenatal vitamin or have sex in a certain position for optimal sperm flow?  The only aspect I like is the educational information.  If they weren't trying to sell me anything, then I'd be way more amenable.   And I do understand why this would work today.  In today's world of start-ups, people are trying to make lives easier by turning any "planning" situation into an algorithm and giving you daily "stuff" (advice, reminders, boxes of gadgets and gifts) to keep you on track.  Combine that with today's female generation getting married/pregnant much later in life and you get Ovaltine, I mean Ovuline.

Maybe I'm just too old-school for this.

Interested to hearing your thoughts on this, especially if you had a hard time conceiving.  Does this sound like something you'd consider paying for, or was your doctor's guidance sufficient?

my "friend" is back... by jean

last month, i got my "friend."  after almost a year and a half of not dealing with my "friend," i was annoyed to see her again!  i had just weaned myself from pumping, so i was hoping i would have at least a couple months of freedom, but no, no, no.  my body knew i was done pumping, so then my "friend" arrived.  ugh.

i've always been very regular, so i naturally assumed that since my "friend" was back, i would be back to my regular cycle.  well, that doesn't seem to be the case.  i am 5 days late.  and no, i am not pregnant.  i repeat, i am NOT pregnant.

i KNEW i couldn't be pregnant, but i still panicked.  i mentioned that we were having sex again but honestly, there really was no way i could be pregnant...so every morning when i went on the scale and saw an increase of 1 pound, i thought, omg i'm pregnant.  then all of a sudden i started to have this metallic, bitter taste in the back of my throat.  i've heard some people get that when they're pregnant!  again, i panicked, omg, am i pregnant??  i can't be! 

turns out, the metallic, bitter taste is acid reflux.  i got it all of a sudden, and it messed with my head.  increase of 1 pound each day probably had to do with the fact that i indulged in pizza and wings over the weekend. :p  hehe, whoops.

i still haven't gotten my "friend," but amy assured me and said that it could take some time for the "friend" to come back regularly. 

whew!

did it take you some time before your "friend" came regularly?  i'm not the only one panicking each day waiting for my friend, right? ;)

becoming "that" parent : by amy

Since becoming a parent, I've learned many lessons, but one that I constantly remind myself of is this: Sometimes you just have to throw out the books and do what works for you and your child.  Just do your best-- that's all you can do.

Seriously, as a non-parent, it is so easy to point the finger-of-judgment and say,

I can't believe she's not breastfeeding.

I won't do that when my child acts up.

I won't let my child eat that, only this.

I can't believe she's letting her child just scream and cry.

I'm not going to make my kids "clingy"

I'm not going to be a "helicopter mom"

I won't let my child walk out of the house looking like that.

I won't let my house look like that when we have kids.

I won't get all of those toys for my kids.

I'm not going to let my kid get hooked on the pacifier.

Hell, it even happens before you even have the kid!

I'm not going to eat or drink that when I'm pregnant.

I can't believe she let herself go like that--I'm not going to gain as much weight as she did during pregnancy.

I'm not going to put that on my registry.

Come on, we've all said or thought one of these things at least once, and we all got our butts kicked with a big helping of in-your-face! after we became parents, right?  No matter what you read online and in the books, the one thing you know for sure is that your child is different from "that" child.  Your circumstances are different from "that" family's.  And if people want to judge you for it, then let them.  I can't say that I personally always let it go, but I try.

Case in point: We had a crazy, fun-filled weekend.  By Sunday late-afternoon, the husband and I were ZAPPED.  For 5-10 minutes, we just laid on the play mat completely exhausted while Logan circled around us, climbed on top of us, dug every toy out of his bin, stomped around the house dropping toys and dish towels in various corners of the house, and pretty much turned our 1st floor upside down.  After our respite, we stood up and evaluated the damage:  Our house had turned into "that" house-- the house with toys strewn on the floor in several rooms.  Aside from that, our kitchen counters showed remnants of the weekend-- counters covered with food, snacks and dirty dishes and a pile of bottles and sippy cup parts.  We looked at each other in defeat and dismay, took a swig of black coffee, and started cleaning.  Yeah, we let our house become "that" house. I decided that it's OK if it happens once in awhile because, let's face it-- it's impossible to have a spic n' span house when you've got a toddler trolling the house.  On the other hand, my husband didn't exactly agree since he is a clean-freak.  We will just work harder to keep the house neat and tidy because it matters to us him.

Thank God the cleaning lady is coming this weekend.

Have you found yourself becoming "that" parent?

-A : by jean

the following post may not be suitable for all.  please read at your own discretion.

-A.  i think that's the size of my boobs now.  i haven't pumped in almost 2 weeks now, and and my girls have shriveled up to a NEGATIVE A cup.  back when i was pregnant and then onto being a dairy queen,  i was a full B cup.  for the first time i had real legit girls; i even had cleavage!  but once i stopped pumping, my girls completely shrunk.  they look like little flaps of skin.  gross.

have you experienced this shrinkage?  i feel like i'm a 12 year-old again, and i need to look into training bras!

one of my friends told me they will fill out again, maybe not to where they were, but they won't stay as just flaps.  i'm starting to worry that they WILL stay as flaps.  is this the trade-off i get for pumping out 40oz a day?

i don't mind being small, but i want SOMETHING there.  there needs to be a presence of some sort!

next time you see me in person, don't be looking at my girls because i will know what you are thinking!
;)

baby fashion : by amy

Is it just me, or do the clothes that kids wear seem to reflect some type of judgment on the mom more so than the dad?  I used to wonder why some moms would splurge on pricey children's clothes when they would only outgrow it in just a few months (sometimes weeks!).  What's the big deal?  They spit up on it, poop through it or smear their lunch on it, and yet some moms are dishing out big bucks for designer clothes like Joe's Jeans, Burberry and Ralph Lauren.  I just didn't understand.

Then, I had my own child and I suddenly kind of understood where those moms were coming from.  For some bizarre (perhaps shallow and self-centered) reason, I felt that my child's presentation somehow reflected me-- the mom-- not the dad.  Do other moms feel that way?  The only time I think the dad might have something to do with the kid's wardrobe is if the outfit is completely mismatched, but other than that, I correlate a child's presentation (dress, cleanliness) with the mother.  Consequently, I make an effort to dress Logan well and make him look presentable (though, we all have our off days).  Don't get me wrong-- I'm not splurging on designer labels for Logan, but I will look for high quality, super-soft cotton that will hold up to a lot of wash and wear.  Yes, I want him to match.  Yes, I want it to be cute and fashionable, and yes, I will pay up for it (and yes, I am sharing them all with Miles!  Jean: She sure is!!! Miles is soo lucky).

When Logan was a newborn, he used to do poopie-up-the-back on a daily basis, so I typically put him in cheap, plain-jane, white onesies.  As he got a little older, he still had sensitive skin (eczema) so I looked for super-soft or organic cottons.  Thanks to discounted brand-label sites such as Gilt, Zulily and The Mini Social, there are lots of baby boutique brands to choose from offering high quality baby clothes at (slightly) more reasonable prices.  I actually find myself losing interest in shopping for my own wardrobe and would rather spend the money on my son's!  That sounds silly, doesn't it?  I guess this is what happens when you become a mom.

Here are some of my fave stores/labels:

Mini Boden: Beautiful, high-quality pieces; super-duper soft cotton.  I love how their designs are so playful.  I especially love their reversible boys' pants- so comfortable and you get 2 designs in 1!

Mini Boden

Ever After: They have lots of basics in my favorite "guy" colors-- greys, blues, greens and violet (and their girl clothes is just as awesome!) and the softest, tissue-thin, pima-cotton shirts (especially good if you have a sweaty kid like Logan).  Also love their sweat shorts, sweat shirts and cardigans.  BONUS- they donate 25% of the net proceeds they receive on your order to a charity of your choice.  Each clothing item comes with a tag and a code that you use to log-on and choose the charity.

Ever After

Tea Collection: Another great brand with high quality cottons and playful designs.

Tea Collection

Egg: Love their designs and quality!  Hate their prices!

Egg

Jacadi: If you have big bucks, don't mind dry-cleaning baby clothes, and have a baby/toddler who doesn't do poopie-up-the-back, spit-up or get dirty when they eat/play, then this might be a viable option for you.  Otherwise, it is just baby-clothes-eye-candy. :)  This is clothes you get as gifts and not buy on your own-- their stuff is just way too impractical (who wants regular buttons on the BACK of onesies??) but probably the most beautiful baby clothes you will ever find.  In fact, we have one piece hanging on the wall as decoration in the nursery!

Jacadi

Baby Gap: Always a solid place for baby basics and stylish outfits.  Their shirts and onesies are soft and hold up well to rigorous play and repeated wash.  Never worth getting anything at full price since pretty much everything goes on sale.  I especially love their pajama collection.

Gap

Old Navy: Best option if you need play clothes-- very cheap.  When they have sales, it's ridonculous.  $5 bodysuits?  $7 performance fleeces?  Can't beat it.

Old Navy

Janie and Jack: A very classy-prep-themed line using high quality fabrics.  They have beautiful special occasion/formal-wear.

Janie and Jack

Zara: They have way more options for girls than boys (typical) but love their Euro-fashion-forward looks.

Zara

Stride Rite: Turns out, Logan has extra wide feet and Stride Rite makes wide sizes for babies!  I'm also told their walking shoes are top-notch for tots starting to get on their feet.  They've been making children's shoes since 1919.  Their other brands include Robeez, Saucony, Keds and Sperry Top-Sider.  When it comes to baby's feet, it's worth investing in quality shoes to avoid future foot/walking problems.

Stride Rite

Uniqlo: They just recently started an infant line-- I haven't purchased anything yet but so far, I'm liking what I'm seeing.  Liking their prices and clean designs, but wondering how well it will hold up to multiple washes.

Uniqlo

Uniqlo

If I were to have a girl, I think my bank account would truly suffer since there are TOO many cute and precious options.  Do you enjoy shopping for your children's wardrobe?