our journey to the perfect baby carrier (Part 1)

Did you know that i love wearing my baby? Well, I do. I had a feeling I would be into it, so I registered for (and got) a Moby Wrap. I started putting Micah in the wrap at about 1 month old. We both fell in love...with the pumping taking up so much time early on, the Moby was extremely helpful! Here's a pic of our first time ::

Micah enjoyed the Moby, and more often than not, he would fall right asleep, so I started facing him out more often, but he has never seemed comfy facing out in the Moby. I tried over and over with no luck...it may have to do with the fact that he weighs more than most babies his age :) We have a Baby Bjorn also, and he does pretty good facing out in it, but he's almost grown out of it!

After I returned to work, I realized that I really needed/wanted a carrier that I could use to put Micah on my back. You see, when I get home, it's Micah time. I want to be close to him and I want him to know that his mama isn't going to put him in the jumper or on the floor right away. Unfortunately, that meant that Alex and I wouldn't eat dinner until 8pm every night (alex doesn't usually walk in until around 7pm), and by then I was tired most nights so our dinners suffered and we ate out more than we'd wanted to. I thought that if I had a carrier to keep him close but out of harms way while cooking, dinners would become less of a nightmare.

SO, I began my hunt. I had heard great things about the BabyHawk, and there is even one that has buckles. It's basically a glorified Mei Tei...there was always the Mei Tei option, but I didn't thing I could swing the tying part of the process with a 4-5 month old! I'd heard great things about the Ergo, and the Boba too. There are a million choices and I wasn't sure where to start. My internet research took me to a site called Granola Babies.

Granola Babies offers rentals on carriers, and you can rent as many as you'd like and keep changing them out if you're finding that none are working for you. If just so happens that this store I found online has an actual shop right down the street from us! I decided to give it a try...after all, I would much rather have someone to help me narrow down the choices and give me a chance to try them out as if they were my own while not being afraid of spit up or getting them dirty for a return! When I walked out of the store, I had two carriers with me (both rented)...The Beco Butterfly ll and the Beco Gemini. Both had different selling points, so I was anxious to try them both...

(check out GranolaBabies.com for rental info)

i love BabyLegs! (our first giveaway!)

Well, as it turns out, the kind people at BabyLegs (www.babylegs.com) saw my last post about boys in leg warmers and asked me to review some products. I was THRILLED, and Alex reluctantly agreed that Micah could try them out. We received our package in the mail about two weeks ago, and the leg warmers AND socks have become favorites around here. Here are a couple of shots of Micah in his BabyLegs leg warmers::

(alex called this stripe overload...these are called Electro Stripe)(Micah passed out facing forward which was hilarious!! he's wearing his BabyLegs Race Track leg warmers)

Funny enough, the weather turned chilly just after we received our BabyLegs, and we have been able to put them on Micah multiple times. Now remember, the reason I first posted about boy in leg warmers was because Alex and I disagreed on whether or not they are okay for boys. Much to my surprise, Alex actually thinks Micah looks cute in them, and chose to put them on him on Sunday when he got Micah dressed for church!

Not only are they incredibly cute, but they are really practical! They make diaper changes a breeze and totally keep him warm! I also love that while they are tight enought to stay up and they don't seem to bother Micah's legs...and we all know that if they were going to bother anybody, it would be Micah seeing as he has massive thighs!

I don't have any pictures of Micah in the socks, but believe me when I say that I am SO in love with them. As any mama knows, baby socks are constantly needing to be adjusted or picked up off the ground because they have fallen off. These socks are so different! They actually stay on his feet, and fit really well. My little guy doesn't stop moving and has been known to kick off any socks or shoes we put on him....except these! The socks are functional and adorable and have become my go to socks when we go anywhere :) These are the two sets we have (Rail and Grind) ::

cute, right?

Well, I am excited to announce our first giveaway! The wonderful folks at BabyLegs have offered up a grab bag to one of you! To enter the giveaway, head on over to Facebook and become a fan of BabyLegs (http://www.facebook.com/BabyLegsFB) and follow them on twitter (if you have one). Come back here and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you have become a fan/follower. Just for fun, you can let me know which product on the BabyLegs site is your favorite. A winner will be chosen on Friday, November 5th.

*As an added bonus, BabyLegs is offering a 20% off coupon to all of YOU! Just type in PAVONES at check out. This coupon is good through November 25th.

because they're just so dang cute.

here are some more pumpkin shots that i love :)


this one makes me laugh every.single.time. Ryder looks shocked, and Micah looks like he's ready to punch you if you get too close!

two baby pumpkins.

On Monday we had big plans to take the boys to the pumpkin patch, but instead, we ended up at the Back Bay with our two real pumpkins, and our baby pumpkins :) Ryder and Micah were hilarious and I'm just glad that we got some cute shots because Micah was NOT happy (can we all agree that teething sucks?!). We love that the boys are only 5 weeks apart! Yay for awesome friends...and cute pumpkin babies!

five months.

micah, you are five months already! time really does fly! everyday we are seeing more and more of your personality coming through. you are a fun, energetic, busy boy. we're finding more and more that you need a little bit of time to warm up to people before you flash that big gummy grin. We love that when we come home from work, you have big smiles and big laughs for us. You get so excited to see us, and it melts our hearts.

you are still crazy strong...just today, your gongi found you trying to pull yourself up by holding onto the side of your crib. i guess it's time to lower your mattress! you are rolling more and more and if we turn our back for a second, you roll across the entire room! multiple times a day we find you up on all fours...i'm still thinking you're going to be crawling soon!

i love your sweet nature and really, everything about you. we feel so grateful to have you in our lives and sometimes we forget what it was like before you came to us!

rambling.

I'm not going to lie...it's not easy being a working mama. I have said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, "My mom is amazing." I am so much more aware now of the sacrifices my mom made for us. She always worked a full time, get up at 4am, not loving the work but needing the money kind of job. I am thankful that my reality is different. I am thankful to work a job I love, in a position I feel called to, with people I adore. I am thankful that my hubby and baby are with me for 2 of my 5 work days, and that I get to have lunch at home with Micah every day.

Even still, there are days when it's just plain hard. Take Friday for example...my little man woke up from all of his naps with both hand in his mouth screaming. He was clearly in pain and nothing (and i mean NOTHING) was helping. So we cuddled, rocked, and sang our way through the day and I tried to get things ready for the ONE preschool event I have! Of course it had to coincide with Micah's worst day of teething thus far. When it was time to pack him up to go set up for our event, I was in tears. I felt like the worst mama. What kind of mom packs up her kid when he's crying and in pain?! My mom was working, and Alex was also at work so I was on my own. We loaded up, and God definitely heard my prayers. Little Man loves to be close to his mama so I put him on my back in my rented Beco Gemini and went to work.

(here's micah passed out on my back)

He ended up doing amazingly well. My little guy always pulls through...he's a champ. God definitely answered my prayers because my mama guilt was running deep that night, and I don't know if I would have made it through the night without a meltdown (of my own) if my boy had a rough night.

All of this back story to simply say this :: being a mama has taught me more about dependence than I ever thought it would. I am remembering to consult "first in charge" about EVERYTHING (that's a little Spiritual Parenting shout out :) )I am so thankful that I don't have to do this alone. I am thankful that I know that my God created me to be Micah's mama, and that my King has called me to this team that I am privileged to be a part of. I know that I will never be forsaken, and that each day goes according to His perfect plan. I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I will just pray that whenever something needs to change or shift, I will be so in tune with first in charge that I will know where and how to follow Him.

(this post might not make any sense to anyone but me, but i needed to type it out even if just for me :))

check out Micah's onesie

It's kind of hard to read, but it says, "I am being spiritually parented." It's awesome, and I love it!

I also love the leg warmers which were debuted today! Surprisingly, Alex didn't kill me when he saw them :) He actually said, "I hate that I don't hate them. I hate that I think they're cute on him." I'm hoping that Micah will be the ambassador for boys wearing them :)

Halloweenie!

Last week, we had our 3rd annual Halloweenie party...It was fun to get our family together for a fun night of food and pumpkin carving fun. Here are some shots from the night ::

can you tell how tired my poor baby is? There was so much excitement that he stayed awake far too long!

cravings

I have been having a craving for the past two days. The worst part of this craving is that there is NO way to satisfy this craving. Usually if you want something, it might not be convenient to get it, but with this, I CANNOT have it without traveling thousands of miles!

You see, while I was in Hawaii, I fell in love with this ugly looking guy ::

His name is oatcake, and I love him! I can't even describe to you how it tastes because it's so unique. There's a hint of honey mixed with the oaty goodness. This guys is DENSE. He's thick and hard to get down without a drink...preferably a warm chai latte....mmmmm. The biggest problem with this guy is that he only lives in Starbucks on the island of Oahu. None of the neighboring islands even get to have him! Somebody mentioned to me that they've been searching out a recipe for an imitation oatcake and since they mentioned it, I can't stop thinking about it. So, until I convince one of my friends on Oahu to send me one, I'll just keep dreaming!

makeover

Alex made this beautiful bed for us. We put so much time and energy into Micah's room that we have pretty much neglected our room since we moved in to this apartment, but with this awesome addition, I'm really happy with our room now! I am so thankful for a husband who thinks so creatively and is super talented (among many other things...). Thanks Alex, you are the best!

for the record...

Alex has been telling people that I want to put Micah in jeggings. This statement is false! He has been confusing jeggings ::




...with babylegs ::



BIG difference. BIG.

babylegs, or no babylegs?

This has been a hot topic around our house. With cooler weather on the horizon, I've been really drawn towards babylegs (i'm pretty sure Babylegs is just the brand, but they're basically baby leg warmers). Now, my dear husband (and all of our guy friends...and some of our girlfriends...) pretty much hates them and thinks they're super girly. Of course, my argument is that Micah is a BABY...not a little kid, not a man, but, a BABY. I think they're absolutely adorable, and I finally convinced Alex to let me get some to go under Micah's Halloween costume. The ones I ordered have already been shipped and I can't wait to try them on my little guy! You can be sure that this pair is the gateway pair. I know I'm going to love his chubby thighs in them and then I'll be hooked! Look out Alex, the babylegs are coming!

And for all you haters out there...just check out these cute baby boys!!


(all the pictures are from etsy sites-can't remember which ones though...oops!)

welcome!

Today we are welcoming the first signs of fall...cool weather with a rain shower here and there! This is our favorite time of year for so many reasons, but one of the main things for me is that this time ushers in the Holiday Season! I love fall tastes (who can resist pumpkin everything?!), fall scents, cuddling up, and decorating over and over again through the next few months. I am excited to start celebrating a lot of first holidays with Micah!

Today, Happiness was wearing my new aqua slicker (that I've been dying to wear since July!), my black boots, and arriving home to find a cuddly baby who just wanted to be rocked by his mama.

seriously?!

I didn't know it was possible for a kid to be this cute!! Loving this sweet moment that his daddy captured. Totally in love.