One of my FAV'S plus winter gear!!!!

When I was pregnant I was ALL about comfort!!!!! Especially for my "Flintstone Feet" as I called them because they were HUGE. When I went to visit my very good friend Natalia in Minnesota when I was only about 13 weeks pregnant she had these fab "furry" (as I call them) Crocs!!!! OMG...they were the MOST COMFORTABLE thing I had put on my feet in a VERY long time. So Crocs became my new best friend when it came to my fat, swollen feet.
I love these things so much that I wear them year round!!! It is like house shoes for the outdoors. I HAVE to get another pair this year!!!! And a great find is that Finish Line has them online on sale for $10!!!!!!! Just click here to go to their site!!! I HAVE to get a pair just to wear in the house...and a new pair for this winter!!!!

So I knew this winter that I was going to be taking Aiden to Minnesota a few times and wanted to see if they had the "furry" Crocs in his size...and what did I find???? They HAVE THEM!!!! And they have them in a shoe style (Dawson)and slide ons...those people at Crocs are genius'!!!!!!!!! So i am going to get Aiden a pair of the Dawson's for this winter!!! I can't wait!!!!! Too bad they don't have these on sale anywhere!!!!
Oh the little things in life that we Mommy's get excited about...lol. I am also picking out Aiden's winter coat for this year. Being in Atlanta it does not get REALLY cold, but he needs to have a coat in addition to his jackets due to the fact of us visiting Minnesota in the fridged winter months!!!!! I think that I have made my selection...last year I got Aiden the cutest suede toggle coat with the furry lining from Gap on clearance for like $19...LOVED THAT COAT...unfortunately I left it in the airport on our way back from one of our Minnesota trips...lol. So this year I will be going back to one of my fav places to buy Aiden's clothing (Gap Kids) and purchase him the "Warmest Jacket"...the only thing I need to decide if I want to get him the classic version or the Furry one. Oh, decisions decisions!!!!



Another thing I am excited about when it comes to winter is all the CUTE hats that Aiden will wear. He is definitely a hat kind of kid and last year his hat game was on point...this summer not so much!!!! I get a lot of the hats from Gap Kids (no surprise there) because they are so stylish and you can always get them on sale!!!!! Maybe this year Aiden will be more cooperative when it comes to wearing mittens...because last year he was NOT having it!!!!!

I just love everything about fall/winter gear and clothes when it comes to little boys...OMG...I get excited about just thinking about it!!!! Until next time....

Catching my breath!!!!

Boy oh Boy...a lot has happened the past week or so. First and most importantly...AIDEN IS WALKING!!!!!! Yes you read that right. My baby is officially a toddler!!!! it is so cute to see him waking around. On Sunday he started standing up from sitting!!!! Before he would pull up on something and then walk. NOW he is completely independent and gets so excited...because I am so excited...when he is walking. He walks around clapping...lol. Too cute for words.


And secondly...Kimmy's baby shower went off without a hitch. Despite the HORRIBLE weather, everything turned out beautifully. The Mommy to be was GORGEOUS and glowing, the food was wonderful, and the cake was FAB!!!! We played Baby Jeopardy which was a HIT. I am not a fan of baby games but I played this at a friend of mines shower a few years ago and had a ball...so it was the one and only game that I thought about when planning this shower. There were 5 categories and they were Celebrity Babies, Baby Brands/Gear, Joe and Kim Blog Trivia, Baby Word Scramble, and Nursery Rhymes. LOADS OF FUN!!! I recommend it for total party participation!!!! My Mommy was a HUGE help in getting ready for the party. She came over the night before and helped me get everything together...I can honestly say that that shower would not have happened without her!!!!!! Love my Mommy!!!

Well here are a few pictures from the shower but to see the complete slide show click here.

Packing your Diaper Bag!!!!

My sister has a couple of God children and this weekend she was Super God Mommy to cute little Mackenzie aka Izzy who is 3 months (I think...lmbo). Well while she was her she let me know that Izzy's Mommy sent her pretty unprepared. My sister is a jokster and asked me if there was a book that Izzy's Mommy could read so she would know all this basic stuff...I am sure that there is one some where, but I will take a page out of my mommy manual ind list some ESSENTIAL diaper bag items.

This is the Skip Hop Studio Tote that I just think is super stylish and is fab for storage

First of all you need a diaper bag that you can fit everything into. I have a tote from Pottery Barn Kids that I absolutely LOVE. They don't carry mine anymore, but Land's End has one that is similar. What I was looking for was something deep and wide. Most diaper bags come with a changing pad that matches the bag...but if it doesn't you can buy one or buy disposable ones, I recommend just buying a reusable one. And most reusable ones come in a set with a diaper carrier (which is another essential) that you will definitely need to hold your diapers. Every brand of wipes also makes a travel size that you can refill. So don't just keep purchasing them...just refill them with wipes that you have at home!!!!

I would also recommend that your diaper bag be able to hold your bottle cooler. I personally LOVE the Similac Travel Cooler that came with my welcome pack at the hospital....so much so that I bought a second one!!! It is the PERFECT size for a diaper bag and it holds and keeps cold two bottles all day!!!! An item that I bought just because it sounded like a good idea was a "wet bag" that is used JUST for putting soiled clothes in. And BOY has it come in handy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this item.

You of course want you diaper bag to be able to also hold a change of clothes for your baby. With Aiden I would have 1 full outfit change (including socks) and then just a onesie. That way if he has to be changed more than once I would put him in the full outfit the first time and hope that it is close to the end of the day when he needs the second and I can put him in just the onesie. Or if we end up being gone all day and don't get home until after bedtime I can put him in a onesie where ever we are (because that is what he sleeps in) and put him to bed per usual.

Some extras that you would want is room for toys, a pacifier carrier, snacks, diaper rash ointment (personally like Butt Paste), or some baggies that you can put stinky diapers in. I personally don't carry a purse anymore...lol...so I have my wallet in the diaper bag as well.

These are what I would think are the essential diaper bag items...ESPECIALLY when someone else is taking care of your baby. I have also left instructions or Aiden's schedule in his bag when someone is taking care of him for the first time...even the first time my mom kept Aiden over night...lol. No one will know your baby like you do so it is your job to make sure the person caring for him/her knows as much as possible so your baby stays a happy baby!!!!!

GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!!!

Before I had Aiden I was an AVID reader. I mean I can finish a book in 12 hours...speed reading is something I developed as a child and it has come in pretty darn handy over the years. But now that Aiden is here I have fallen off my reading (and my knitting but that is another post). It is something that I LOVE to do and want to get back to reading a book a week.

There is a lot of buzz about these wireless reading devices...AND I WANT ONE!!!! This is at the TOP of my Christmas wish list...but if I got it before then I would be SUPER excited!!!! Various companies have released a version of it, but the one I am interested is the Kindle by Amazon!!!!! It is so cool . How cool would it be to know that there is a new release coming out that will be about $30 bucks, but you could just pre order it to download to your Kindle at midnight and it would be only $9.99?????!!!!! Are you getting as excited as I am yet?????

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hot spots

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required Paper-like

Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images

Long Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

Carry Your Library: Holds over 1,500 books

Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.Large

Selection: Over 300,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

What is there left to say????? It is $299 and has a 6in diagonal display. There is no glare if you are in the sun, no monthly nternet fee, AND you can adjust the text size!!!! (There is also one with a 9.7in display that runs close to $500...but why pay more???) How cool is this thing? I am telling everyone that I can think of...dropping hints early since it is a recession. lol...if you want to donate to my Kindle fund send me an email!!!!!!!

Birthday Bash and Doctor Appt.

Man oh Man...I am still recovering from the hectic week I had last week leading up to the 1st birthday party that will go down in history!!!!! Aiden had so much fun and so did all of the attendees. The food was fabulous (thanks to my Daddy manning the grill), the cake was scrumptious (even though it went so fast that neither Paul nor myself got a piece) and the WEATHER WAS GREAT!!!! I was SOOO scared that it was going to rain, but God blessed us with beautiful weather!!!! You can see pictures of the party by clicking here.

My family...well some of my family...lol...

The yummy cake that was gone in 10 minutes!!!!

Aiden got lots of cool gifts and I even got one!!!!! I got my MacLaren Triumph stroller!!!!! YAY!!!!!! My mom and her friends are the GREATEST!!! I had to chuckle to myself because I was way to excited about getting a stroller...who would of thought that something like getting a stroller could make me giddy...lol. THAT is how I know that I am a Mommy to the core.

My Mom (holding Aiden), myself, Esther and Roberta with my cool new toy

I was SOOOO excited to have all 3 of my sisters at the party!!!! We have not all been together in about 4 or 5 years (which is pitiful I know), but when we do get together we have a ball!!! Actually all of my Dad's children (minus my older brother who was there in spirit) were at the party and we got PLENTY of pictures documenting this momentous occasion.

(l to r) Lea, Me, Alexis and Justina (holding Aiden)

Monday we took Aiden to the doctor for his 12 month check up. I thought that they were going to tell me that my baby weighed close to 30lbs...but he only weighs 24lbs 2oz (which puts him around the 80th percentile). His height was what did not surprise me...he is 31 inches long!!!! He is off the chart with his height, but he has been that way since he was 6 months old. I just know I am going to have to get some food sponsors for when he gets older...lol.

Aiden also received 2 shots...the last of his Prevnar Vaccination and the first of his HIB series. Paul and I decided while I was pregnant that we would be altering his immunization schedule. It was a personal decision and I think that every parent will do what they feel is best for their children. Aiden to date has only had the Prevnar shot because we didn't want him to get any vaccinations until he was 6 months and we also decided that he would get no live viruses and one vaccination at a time. I will be following up this post with a post on vaccinations. It is all about awareness and making an educated decision.

Well, enjoy the pictures. Leave comments, tell your friends to check out my blog, and email me at allthingbaby@gmail.com with any topics that you would like to see covered here.