Baby E is GROWING UP! - Pulling Out ALL The Safety Stops

Well, over the past few weeks Baby E has COMPLETELY found the cabinet doors. She doesn't pull anything out, but she does LOVE to open and close them.

So, after I fixed the door (I seriously couldn't stand looking at a crooked door any longer)... I pulled my husband in to help me put the safety latches on. I marked where they were to go and he drilled.

It took us about an hour. Mostly because we were also entertaining a 10 month old at the same time with silly dances. We couldn't resist.

Here's the beginning with the sticky tape holding it up.

Here's the end result. 

I will say that these things are awesome! Baby E doesn't play with the cabinets as much since she can't fully open them. However, it does pull out a few dammit moments. I FORGET EVERY TIME!!! Seriously, I go to open the door and it automatically shuts. Great for babies, horrible for adults ;). 

Baby Pool Ball Pit

A few weeks ago, I grabbed a baby pool on clearance at my local Walmart. I couldn't beat the price and I since I needed to take a part the pack and play for our vacation. The balls needed a place to go. 

This also gave Baby E a little more freedom while playing with them. She hated being confined. Plus, she has the opportunities to throw her balls and roll out whenever she feels like it.

A cheap and easy play toy that barely cost $5.00. 

Now, all I have to do is teach our puppies that they can't sneak into her room and steal them whenever they want. They are obsessed! 

Baby E's 9 Month Favorites

Ahh! I cannot believe in just 2 short months Baby E will be a year old. The time has flown by so quickly. We haven't really bought any toys, because E seems to be more entertained by everything around us. She'd rather sit outside and play with the sticks/leaves/grass/acorns as well as throw things rather than play with actual toys. She's just a very curious little girl.

Although she's not big on a lot of toys. We do have a few new ones that she seems to enjoy.

Fisher Price Rock a Stack, Fisher Price Paint Brush

She also has a set of Disney keys that she loves to play with while we're driving down the road and as she plays in her walker. However, she also takes the toys above and just moves around like there's no tomorrow. Even as she explores everything else.... dumping them into containers, water bowls, and even the attempt into the toilet. She's a mess, but I love every moment of it... I swear some days I couldn't trade all of this even for the world. 

Does your baby have a favorite toy or activity right now? Or are we just cruising around the house into everything?... I know mine is ;)

Labeling Baby E's Storage Tote

Okay, so a few days ago I shared with you the fact of how I had stored Baby E's bassinet, swing, and bouncer in a large storage container. However, I didn't really talk about how I would come to recognize what was in that storage container. Besides having to remember. 

So, I grabbed the storage container that I had put everything in and put it to the side. Then I pulled out a few old sheet protectors and decided to cut them. I just went along the perforated edges and just cut/rip. Ending up with two sheets. 

I then printed up two signs. One to sit on the outside and the other to sit on the inside. 

After that, I went back to the sheet protector and folded it to make a large envelope. Once it was folded, I just grabbed some regular scotch tape and taped the ends shut. 

Once, it was all taped together. I opened it up just to make sure that it wouldn't come apart on me. 

Once I confirmed that it wouldn't rip open, I went ahead and placed the two sheets of paper inside of it. First to go in was the paper with the names of the stuff inside and then I placed the itemized list on the inside. 

Lastly, after everything was stuffed into the envelope. I just grabbed my tape and placed it onto the outside of the container. Mostly in a space that I knew I could see and easily access the list just in case. 

                                     

Once it was taped and all said and done. I just placed the storage container in Baby E's closet. She has the room and with the fact that it's been so hot especially in the attic... I'm just kind of being lazy and don't want to store it up there at the moment. Mostly, because I'd like to be able to breathe and not feel like I'm suffocating. So, for the time being until it get's cooler it's just going to hang out in her closet. Next to the storage bin with her clothes in it.

Storing Baby E's LARGE Items

Baby E has pretty much outgrown several of her essential items. So, the other day I decided it was time to pack them up. My baby girl is growing up. A bitter sweet moment.

So, before I started to pack everything up. I took pictures of everything. 

• how the item looked (before I broke it down)
• the items that belong with it (seating pads, screws, rods, etc.)
• the labels (everything that I labeled)
• everything together while it was broken down

Taking the pictures kind of helped me to remember everything that went together as well as hopefully help me in the future. 

~*~

Here are two of the items that I took pictures of before breaking them down. 

 

After I had taken the first picture, I began to break down the swing. I broke it down one by one and labeled everything as I broke it down. That way when we go to use it again for a future baby, we know how to put the stuff back together. This is mostly because my husband threw away the directions to the items and we can't find them on the companies websites.

 

Once everything was labeled and pictures taken, I placed them into the bin. I also grabbed all of the screws/tools and placed them in corresponding plastic sandwich bags. 

~*~

This is where it became tricky. I wanted to fit the swing, bassinet, and bouncer together in one box. And I was able to as well, except for the frame to the bassinet. That part didn't break down (I'll explain what I did with that part later). 

With trying to get everything to fit, I just had to find a way to get everything to work. I would lay out the different parts and move them around if necessary. 

Once, I got the basis down of how I wanted to lay the majority of the rods and especially the top of the swing. In the picture below, you can see that all the rods are in place for all three items. The top of the swing is laying on its side. I placed a few grocery bags around it to support it. I also took majority of the swings parts and placed it in the blue bag next to it. Also providing additional support.

Now, before placing the seat pads and other miscellaneous fabric parts into the bin; I made sure to wash each one. This way I could get any stains and funky smells that may have been embedded into the fabric. I can't stand putting dirty things away. Especially in storage.

After everything was washed and dried, I placed them in several grocery bags and used those as cushions as well.

I then placed the seat to the swing on top of everything.

To ensure that the screws and other items that were in plastic baggies wouldn't fly everywhere in the bin or get lost at a future date, I decided to tape them to one side of the bin (on the inside).

After taping them to the side, I placed the swing cushion on top and then to top it all off... I also placed the wooden bottom and cushion of the bassinet on top of that.

Then closed the bin and that's all she wrote.

Now, all I have to do is write up the labels for the outside of the box.

Baby E's 8th Month Favorites

I honestly don't have any 8 month favorites for Baby E. Unless you count the pool and her pool toys. Those have been by far her favorite things. 

We're crawling around and attempting to walk so you know everything is now awesome! Between the tables to the chairs, the DVDs, dog toys, and even the dog bowls. Oh yeah, we found the dog bowls.

However, since we don't have any 8th month favorites I figured I'd share that bitter sweet moment of packing some baby things up (that will be in a follow up post).

Does your baby have any favorite items or does everything seem to be awesome at the moment?

Celebrating the 1st Day of Summer!

This is a little late. I know. However, back around June 21st I decided to keep the tradition alive of celebrating the first day of summer.

Now, when Baby E goes into school this will more than likely be celebrated on the last day of school (you know, to welcome summer in). For right now though, just celebrating the first day of summer is perfect for us.

So, my mama grabbed Baby E a few beach buckets from Michaels for her to play with. We have one for the home and then one to take with us to the beach (since we haven't been to the beach yet, we play with both of them :))

We also grabbed the bathing suit from Kohls and the swimming diaper from Target.

The pool came from Walmart and the duckies were from Old Navy. The sunscreen you can get anywhere and in your preference :).

Once, everything was gathered. I just took the baby pool and wrapped it to form an ice cream cone and shoved it into the beach bucket. Then I just placed the swim diaper and the rubber duckies on top. Pushed the sunscreen in the middle to hold those items up and then the bathing suit is hanging out at the top in all its ruffly glory.

I gave it to baby E on the first day of summer and she loved it. She pulled out each item, looked at them, of course threw them, and then it was off to get dressed for the pool.

And of course, it can't be the perfect first day of summer without a glistening cool pool.

Baby E LOVED every moment of it and still loves it to this day.

Do you guys have any favorite ways to celebrate the first day of summer? OR Do you celebrate any other season?

Baby Bottle Funk and Gunk

Okay, so after time and most of us know it; things that are seemingly clean end up having a funky smell. Although Baby E's bottles seemed beyond clean they would some how start having a weird smell and sometimes we would still see grime left from her formula. Now, this after the bottle's been washed umpteen times with a scrub brush, checked, and then washed in the dishwasher. Sometimes, I even wonder if my eye sight is getting worse because I don't see it until I pull them out of the dishwasher. Then it's like "eww gross" and back to the hand wash again.

Now, this starts to get a frustrating especially when you have a little one screaming their head off. Cause they want that bottle, like now and your not moving fast enough.

So, one day while I was washing dishes and I saw the bottle of vinegar sitting next to the sink. Once, again light bulb.

Vinegar has become one of my favorite things to clean with. Especially when you add baking soda into the mix.

So, I'd sit each bottle on the counter and add a little bit of baking soda to each. Then. I would grab the bottle of vinegar and add it. Of course, you know, you get this awesome chemical reaction... that brings you back to being a kid.

Once, the chemical reaction was finished... I would swirl it around and then dump. Then I'd add a little bit more water and a smidgen of soap and scrub. Just in case. Popping it into the dishwasher when I was finished.

Let me tell you, Baby E's bottles never looked better. They almost looked brand new and smelled even more amazing.

This has become my new regimen and the bottles look awesome. I don't have to worry about that funky smell and then finding gunky formula residue after washing.

Have you guys found an easy way to wash the gunk and funk out of your baby's bottles?

Holding Down the Changing Pad

Every diaper change it seems like we have to fight Baby E to lay still. Since, she's figured out how to push herself up to a sitting position and the fact that she loves to crawl. We're always fighting her to just stop for one second. Just to let us change her and then she can be off on her merry little way.

Of course, any time we've fought her... the changing table decides it wants to try going flying off of the dresser. In the end we always look like a jumbled up mess. Not to mention what the dresser looks like.

With that, I had thought about getting little Command Velcro Tabs to hold down the changing pad. This way I could easily remove the changing pad to clean and what not. However, every time I go to the store I seem to forget about them. Even when I write it down. Seriously, it's kind of like I have a brain fart in the store.

Anyways, I figured why not just use the over abundance of Command strips that I already have. Some how during the move some of the holders were broken.. probably during the time period that my in-laws decided to drop every box we had on the ground. Who knows.

So, I grabbed them and placed one on each of the corners and pressed down. Then I placed one in the middle on the other side. I pressed each down once again, as a just in case.

I then removed the paper shield and carefully laid it down onto the dresser. Pressing down each side as I went. Once, it was completely down and pressed; I wiggled it around to see if it would move. It didn't. Woohoo!

It even was Baby E approved when I went to change her not to long after that. It didn't move and it was less of a mess afterwards.

Oh Baby, We're Scrub a Dubbing Our Pool!

Every day this summer, I've tried to get Baby E into the pool. It's something I've always enjoyed every summer and since she loves the water... I figured she would enjoy it.

We haven't been in the pool though lately because the rain has been never ending and then someday's it's just to hot for her. Overtime, even after wiping the pool down every couple of days. We seemed to gather a little gunk in the crevices. Plus, it didn't help that with the past few rains/winds... the tarp keeps getting blown off random crap has been falling off the trees and into the pool. Oh and let's not forget our little buggy friends.

<- Grandaddy Long Leg

Some ->
Random Caterpillar






The lovely grime with tree particles

Since, the weather gurus have forecasted rain for the next umpteen days. I figured now would be a great time to clean the pool.

So, since vinegar and baking soda are my favorite things. I started with that. It got quite a bit of grime up, but there was still quite a bit left. I added more water to it, rinsed it, dumped it, and added water again. This time I took the dish soap and scrubbed. This helped even more. Got a lot of the gunk off. However, there was just still quite a bit left.. plain ol' stubborn gunk.

As a last resort, I grabbed the bleach and poured it into the pool diluting it with a crap load of water. I then scrubbed the pool again. Of course, the bleach seemed to melt the gunk off. It even seemed like I had a completely brand new sparkly pool.

~*~ I didn't really want to use bleach cause of Baby E,

 but also because it breaks my hands out like nothing before... even with gloves. ~*~

I dumped that water, added more water, rinsed, and dumped again. Then hung it up to dry. Oh yeah, I hung my pool up to dry.

Now, all we need is for the rain to stop so we can get back into that sparkly pool. I'm beyond ready and I know Baby E is!

Do you guys have any great tips on cleaning a baby pool?

The Baby Pool Needs a Cover Up Too!

When we bought the baby pool, I didn't quite think about needing a cover for it. It was a complete after thought. So, when the time came to cover up the pool I had nothing. Not even a tarp.

So, I tried a bed sheet. That lasted a hot minute and completely didn't work. Plus, I swear it felt like mold was already growing on it. Just touching the pool.

I used it anyways. Then decided to use a comforter since we were already using it as a mat on the deck under the pool. All I had to do was fold up the sides and what not. It worked. Until it rained.

Now, who knows why I did this BUT I decided to take the shower curtain from the upstairs and move it down stairs. It gave me the opportunity to take the hideous shower curtain down and the weird lining. Then it dawned on me. Why don't I just use the shower curtain.

And it works like a charm. A simple inexpensive way to cover up the pool. I even LOVE it.

Even the shower curtain liner works just as well.

Oh, Baby Tub.

When Baby E started to figure out how to stand up in the baby bath tub we knew we were screwed. Literally. We would tell her "no" and sit her back down. She'd laugh. Then give me the look. Kind of like "HAHA Mama, you know I'm going to do it again!" And of course she would. Then laugh.

Our Baby Bath Tub
First Years Sure Comfort

So, we tried a baby seat. She figured out how to scoot out of that one and climb up the side of the tub. We would once again tell her "no" and sit her back down. She would once again laugh. Give me the look. And do it again.

Our Bath Seat
The Hug Tub

Once, this started happening we would pretty much end the baths either really quickly... you know get down to business and get out OR we would have to sit in the tub with her to keep her from attempting to stand. Let me just say it's really uncomfortable even with a baby in a tight tub. I always felt squished. 

So, one night while perusing Pinterest... I do that a lot once Baby E is down for the count... I found this nifty little idea about using a laundry basket in the tub. When I saw that, a light bulb went off. That was probably one of the coolest ideas I've seen on there. 

Tub Time Lifesaver from Happy Home Fairy

After thinking about it, I realized we only have one laundry basket... So either I needed to be ridiculously prompt regarding our clothes or I needed to go buy one. Then I thought about the fact that I would possibly need to put a lot of water in their to honestly make it work for her. As much as we LOVE bath time at her age, we don't really need a lot of water. 

I then dismissed the idea.

About a week later, I was going through our front room. Organizing and throwing things out. When I came across a storage bin. It was just sitting there without a top on and it was like once again a light bulb went off. I could use this as a tub! It would be a tad bit harder for her to stand up and it could be easily reused without having to worry about having to keep switching/drying with the laundry basket. Plus, we could put the needed amount of water for Baby E.

All we had to do was rinse it out. Cause it was a little dirty from the stuff that was in there. Then it was on.

I just placed it under the faucet, filled it up with the desired amount of water. Placed her baby seat within it... for comforts sake and added her toys. Clean up was a breeze too. Once she was off to bed, I would wash it out and lay it up against the inside of the tub to dry. Then we could use it the next day without any fuss. She seemed to enjoy it and it worked like a charm for almost a couple of months. Until she figured out how to stand up in that too.

And it was back to the beginning of laughing at us. Until she all of a sudden would start crying when we told her "no"... Oh, Baby E.