Sigh.

T.G. carries the baby into the kitchen where I'm making breakfast.

Baby, pointing: Da!  Da-ee!
T.G.: Yes! I'm Daddy! I won!

I get the baby from him.

Me: Good job, Baby. Now, who am I?
T.G., offstage: Chopped liver!

Football Night in America

Baby: Wha-zah?
T.G.: That's a book.
Baby: Wha-zah?
T. G.: That's the window.
Baby: Wha-zah?
T. G.: That's my foot.
Baby: Wha-zah?
T.G: That's Tramon Williams.

Colors

Baby is bothering T.G. while he's trying to get ready for work, so I fish her out of the bathroom.

Me: I know you love Daddy, but he has to perform his ablutions. Can you say ablutions? Do you have ablutions?
T.G.: She prefers apinktions.

Review: The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories of the Southwest

The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories of the Southwest by Tony Hillerman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a wonderful collection of regional creative non-fiction. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes that genre and for New Mexicans and other lovers of New Mexico.



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Review: ABC: An Alphabet Book

ABC: An Alphabet Book by T. Matthiesen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



My in-laws have this ABC book and got it out to read to my daughter. She likes to turn the pages, and I love the snarky tone. X is for xylophone; no matter how hard you beat it, a xylophone will never cry. O (for owls) and E (for eggs) are also notable.



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Review: Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods and Helping Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater

Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods and Helping Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater by Gill Rapley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I should probably wait and see if the baby chokes to death before I review this one, but so far, so good. I really didn't want to buy or make purees, so I got this book in an effort to bolster my laziness and reframe it as a baby-friendly feeding philosophy. Totally worked. The kiddo makes lots of big messes, and I get to pat myself on the back for fostering her independence and fine motor skills.



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Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It's been a while since I finished this one, but I loved it. Actually, when I was finished I turned right back to the front and started again.

I love stories of people who are living small lives well, and that's exactly what this is.



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Review: What's On My Head?

What's On My Head? by Margaret Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Like the rest in this series, this book focuses on photos of babies and the single descriptive word on the opposite page. Toddlers who are entertained by things being out of place would love it. My baby just liked to look at the faces.

The bad: the objects on the heads of the babies appear to be photoshopped into the pictures, which is just odd.



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Review: Very Hairy Bear

Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Kiddo wasn't really interested in this one, but I loved it! I'll definitely check it out again when she's older and has more interest in the sounds of words. This is really a Gerard Manley Hopkins-style, sprung rhythm poem about a bear and his nose. I found it delightful, and the pictures are equally charming.



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Inevitably

Toys my baby owns:
Stuffed animals
Books
Blocks
Drum
Rattles
Teething rings

Things my baby actually plays with:
Books
Kitchen utensils
The toothpaste tube
Large plastic hair clips
Shoes
Keys
Small electronic devices (only when I'm not watching)
Boxes and baskets

Review: What the Bible Says about Parenting: Biblical Principle for Raising Godly Children

What the Bible Says about Parenting: Biblical Principle for Raising Godly Children by John F. MacArthur Jr.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Light on "practical" advice, this book is an overview of the Scriptures pertaining to the relationship between parents and children. It's nice to read a parenting book that is truly biblically-focused and that acknowledges that Christian parents don't all have to raise their kids the same way.



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Review: Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice And Encouragement For Those Shaping The Next Generation Of Women

Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice And Encouragement For Those Shaping The Next Generation Of Women by James C. Dobson

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



Never finished. I couldn't deal with the alternately sappy and alarmist stories about girls, and I never came to any practical advice either. But I didn't get very far into it.



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Review: Soldier Dogs

Soldier Dogs by Maria Goodavage

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Interesting, sweet, sometimes sad, but nothing remarkable, this book fulfilled its purpose but not much more. So now I know about the training and roles of dogs in the military, in addition to why that dog on the cover is wearing Doggles.



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Review: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Mr. Bourdain is a wonderful writer, but, hoo boy, did I learn some new vocabulary! Not the kind of vocabulary I can use on the fifth-graders, either.

Anyway, this is a memoir of Mr. Bourdain's career as a cook in NYC. His description of that life is remarkable, but what I loved were his reflections on his vocation and his self-description as a fatherly Machiavelli in the kitchen.



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Review: Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever

Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A good, quick overview of why reading aloud is important and how it contributes to literacy. It's an easy read itself and has some cute cartoons.



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Review: The Power of Mother Love: Strengthening the Bond Between You and Your Child

The Power of Mother Love: Strengthening the Bond Between You and Your Child by Brenda Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



You'll probably hate this book if you are:
*a feminist.
*a working mother.
*not a Christian.
*prone to freaking out about what you "should" be doing.

But it is a great book about how mothers influence their children to be good, Godly, happy people, right from the very beginning, with tips on how to use one's power for awesome. I personally found it very inspiring. My baby needs me.

I'm also thrilled to find (finally!) a pro-spanking attachment parenting book. Dr. Hunter gives a great explanation of how to discipline out of love, not out of anger.

If parenting books usually make you feel like you've already failed your kids, I wouldn't recommend this book just because I think kids most need happy, confident mothers. Dr. Hunter is very careful to acknowledge that no one can be perfect, but it would be easy for an anxious personality to come away from this book thinking babies have to be with their mothers ALL THE TIME OR ELSE.

But I'm not a worrier, so that isn't how I took it. I hear her calling for true selflessness in mothers. Not a false martyrdom, not selfishness in the name of creating "independent" children; mothers who give themselves for the benefit of their children in every moment. That's hard, but Dr. Hunter helps me believe I can do it.



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All I want

"She is always turning from what has been offered her to say with a demure little sigh and a smile 'Oh please, please ... all I want is a cup of tea, weak but not too weak, and the teeniest weeniest bit of really crisp toast;." (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters)

I feel like I'm the crisp-toast woman. It happens when I'm clothes-shopping: all I want is a fine-gauge, flat knit, cotton-blend turtleneck with three-quarter length sleeves and a neck that does not stretch out. All I want is a pair of tropical-weight, lined, barely-boot-cut, black wool trousers in a midrise and NO SIDE SEAM POCKETS. It happens when I'm trying to furnish my home: all I want is a large, crushable, basket-like container to hold baby odds'n'ends. All I want is a drop-front desk with file drawers. 

Maybe I'm too picky. Scratch that. I'm too picky. But this time I really feel like I'm not asking too much. I've been to J.C.Penney, Walmart, Target, Macy's, and Bed Bath and Beyond; and I can't find

• A bright yellow bath rug. Seriously, Walmart has bath towels and rugs in every rainbow color except yellow. WHY?
• A wire cheese slicer that isn't ergonomic. I don't slice enough cheese that I need an offset handle.
• A hygro-thermometer for inside the apartment. Analog preferred.

Seriously, I can't even get a bath rug on Amazon.  Am I asking too much? Where should I be looking?

Baby stuff: what works for us

Must haves:
Some place to sleep: You can go Herdman-style and stick the baby in a dresser drawer if you want, but cribs are traditional. We have a pack-n-play which also serves as changing table and a bit of storage.  If I had more money and space, I would have liked a co-sleeper for easy nighttime feeding.
Clothes: I wouldn't have needed to buy anything because we were given and loaned a lot in newborn and 0-3 mon. sizes. Skip newborn sizes if you're expecting a big baby. Newborns are happy to spend most of their time wrapped in a blanket, so a shirt or onesie and diaper are often sufficient. The bare necessities are (in order from "even if you're destitute" to "slightly less necessary"):

• Onesies
• Socks
• Elastic-bottomed gowns (WAY easier for middle-of-the-night changes than the footed sleepers). These usually have foldover cuffs so you can cover Baby's hands for warmth or to keep those sharp little fingernails under wraps.
• Hats, mittens, and other seasonal clothing if needed 
• Footed sleepers (for one-piece dressing when a onesie isn't warm enough and wrapping in a blanket isn't practical). Harder to find with the foldover cuffs.

I would have liked to have a couple of the wrap front shirts at first, while I was still dealing with the umbilical cord stump, but we did fine without. A couple of pairs of sweat pants and a little baby jacket were also nice to have.
Diapers and wipes: We love our cloth diapers, but I will write about that set-up some other time. Short version: especially because water is included in our rent, it's very cost-effective (more expense up front, less over the long term) for us. You have more laundry with a baby anyway, so additional time spent on cleaning is marginal.
Something to contain dirty diapers: A purpose-made diaper pail isn't necessary. Any covered trashcan will work as long as you empty it frequently.
Car seat: Of course. The Graco SnugRide models are cheap, well-rated, and fit in a lot of the car seat-holding strollers.
Blankets: We got LOTS (more than a dozen?) of receiving blankets, more than I thought we'd need, but it turned out about right. My favorites are the large, flannel, single-layer square ones. They're best for swaddling. Blankets also useful as: burp cloths, sun shades, nursing cover, play mat, something to chew on, absorbent layer if baby needs some diaper-free time, something for the baby to "wear" when there's a diaper blow-out disaster (it happened to me).
Burp cloths: or anything absorbent--extra cloth diapers, wash cloths, or whatever. Bar mops are actually a great size.
Diaper bag: Doesn't have to be a "real" diaper bag, of course. Just something that will fit diapers, wipes, a water-proof container in case you have to pack out your dirties, an extra set of clothes (for baby, and maybe a shirt for you if you have a spitter), and a blanket. Plus bottle, formula, etc., if you aren't breastfeeding.
Toiletries and medical: Lotion and shampoo don't have to be special "baby" products, but it's probably wise to start with something unscented and good for sensitive skin. Rectal thermometer. Bulb syringe (the hospital will give you one). I like manicure scissors for cutting tiny fingernails. Diaper rash cream. Baby pain killer (ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Nasal saline (a stuffed-up baby is a miserable baby). Comb or brush if your baby has hair (mine doesn't).
Books: High-contrast black-and-white wordless books are great for infants.
Journal: or just write those firsts on a calendar. Whatever.
Grandma or grandma-substitute: Anybody who will hold the baby but give him/her back whenever you want, do dishes/laundry/clean the bathroom without supervision, won't care if mom looks like something the cat drug in, and can stock your freezer. Totally priceless. Hard to find on Amazon.

Good to have
Baby carrier: Somehow, I have a sling, a stretchy wrap (Moby brand), a mei tai, and an Ergo-type carrier. I like them all for different reasons, but I think the stretchy wrap and sling are most versatile.
Swaddlers and blanket sleepers: You can swaddle with a blanket, but a swaddler is more secure and snugger. We got a few as gifts.
Stroller: makes going for walks easier. Even more important for running errands on foot, for example if you are going to have to carry groceries home.  I wanted something smallish that I could snap the car seat into and that had an adjustable seat that would recline (nearly) flat and could face me. A backwards-facing seat is hard to find and usually expensive, but we decided on the First Years Indigo and LOVE it. Only negative about it is that it doesn't fold up very small. Also the wheels squeak, but silicone lubricant spray clears that right up.
Boppy: or similar nursing pillow. This is the one thing that I regret not taking to the hospital. I haven't used it for nursing in months, but just at first it was so helpful in getting baby and me in the right position. Bed pillows are too squishy to be really useful. One cover for it has been fine.
Bathtub or sink insert: Just makes hanging on to a slippery baby easier. I liked the spongy yellow sink insert, but my baby was too long for it quickly. Plastic tubs are bulky and difficult to store, but handy.
Toys: a couple of rattles are nice, and you can't avoid the deluge of stuffed animals.  Check out Taggies.

Maybes
Swing or bouncy seat: this is a good thing to borrow if you can, because babies don't always like them. But if the baby does like something like this, it's great for calming down, getting some hands-free time, etc. Buy second-hand for sure.
Breast pump: also good to borrow until you really know what you need. If you need a serious breast pump right away (for a NICU baby or for serious latch problems), you can rent a hospital-grade pump from the hospital. A single electric pump is fine for us since all I want is an occasional bottle. Even a manual might have been enough.
Bottles and bottle nipples, bottle brush: these are a must if you are formula-feeding.
Pacifiers: Our baby just never would take a pacifier, and the hospital will give you at least one if you want it. You can always pick one up at Walmart if it's needed.
Rocking chair

For Mom 
Breastfeeding Made Simple: It's a book; very helpful. Or a pre-natal nursing class. Sadly, post-partum nurses don't always give great advice about nursing, so it's good to know what's normal and have some tips ahead of time.
Lanolin: my hospital gave me an itsy-bitsy tube to start with
Nursing pads
Nursing bra: take your best guess at size and just get one or two to start. After a couple weeks, buy a few that actually fit. Any kind of unstructured, stretchy bra is fine for at home or at night.
Dark-colored pajamas with a button front: To take to the hospital so you don't have to wear a hospital gown, can nurse easily, and don't have to worry too much about stains.

Stuff I'm loving (non-baby edition)

1. Bendy straws: I know it's ridiculous, but I drink more water if I'm using a bendy straw.
2. My Thirsties small wet bag: Instead of diapers, I use it for my wet pool stuff.
3. Boxes and baskets: If it's in something, it's easier to move.  Need to wipe down the bathroom counter? If all the odds'n'ends are in something, the counter is clear in an instant.
4. Tile and Grout Magic: The only thing that takes the hard water stains off the shower doors. I'm all for natural, non-toxic cleaning products, but sometimes the best thing is the stuff that will asphyxiate you in ten seconds flat.
5. Making the bed: It just makes things look neat, even when they aren't.
6. My mandoline: I should have put this first because I love it so much. It makes scalloped potatoes a  reasonable option instead of maybe-on-Saturday-while-T.G.-holds-the-baby. It makes paper-thin marinated cucumbers easy. It makes things fast in the kitchen, and that is something I need.
7. Making cheese at home: Much to my surprise, it actually worked. Sort of. The result was sufficiently cheese-like that I'm going to try it again. 
8. Crane & Co. stationery: Makes my quickly dashed-off letters and notes look like I tried. Versatile when I don't have an occasion-appropriate card.
9. This whole wheat bread: Now that pretty much everyone I know has gone gluten-free/paleo/nourishing traditions/totally crazy, I finally found a whole-wheat flour ONLY bread recipe that doesn't have the texture of hockey pucks. It totally works, although I admit that I'm not much of a recipe follower when it comes to bread, and I think the only thing I measured last time was the water; it's more about the technique than the recipe.

Isn't it beautiful?

Review: Baby Food

Baby Food by Margaret Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Here's another baby book that doesn't appeal to me, but that Baby loves. She laughs and smiles at these close up pictures of babies. The food theme isn't the best for her (she hasn't started solids yet, so she wouldn't make that connection), so I'll be checking out others in this series.



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Review: Quiet Time with Cassatt

Quiet Time with Cassatt by Julie Merberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Too advanced for my infant right now, but I'll come back to it later.

This is one of a series of artist-themed board books (mostly Impressionists, but there's a Picasso one, too). Painting reproductions are accompanied by simple rhymed descriptions of the images. May be useful for simple picture study with toddlers, although Charlotte Mason purists will note that there's some interpretation going on in the descriptions.



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Review: Tigger's Breakfast

Tigger's Breakfast by Laura Dollin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This might be a fine book per se, but I just can't get behind re-writing Milne.



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Review: Black on White

Black on White by Tana Hoban

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is the companion to White on Black and is just as good for the very young. I especially like the image of the monarch butterfly.



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Review: Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Guess How Much I Love You is a great companion book to The Runaway Bunny. Where The Runaway Bunny is about a bunny and his mother, this one is about a bunny and his dad. I always like to find picture books with a father in them; it seems like the genre is dominated by mothers (think Love You Forever, Are You My Mother, etc.).

Lovely illustrations!



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Review: Belly Button Book

Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Boynton does it again--brilliant! Have you ever seen a baby hippo in a snowsuit? I could die.



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Review: Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Do I really need to explain this one? It's a classic bedtime book.



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Review: Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You

Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You by Sam Gosling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a fun, fast read. I'm a nosy Parker, so when I saw this in the new acquisitions in the library, I picked it up right away. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. Dr. Gosling has studied the relationship between living space and the occupant's score on the "Big Five" aspects of personality. Some of his findings are pretty common sense; for example, people with high conscientiousness are quite organized. Others are more surprising, like what one's bedroom says about extroversion.



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Review: Baby Animals: Black and White

Baby Animals: Black and White by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a great high-contrast book for infants. My baby loves looking at these pictures.



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Review: Piggies

Piggies by Audrey Wood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book has hilarious, beautiful illustrations. I remember checking it out from the library as a child, so I found it to read for my daughter when singing "Where is Thumbkin?" reminded me of it. I got the board-book version at our library, but it doesn't really attract the attention of an infant. Save it for a child who is ready to participate in finger-plays and can really look at the pictures with you.



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Review: Cash

Cash by Johnny Cash

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Fascinating book. More of a memoir than an autobiography, Cash records some of the singer's stories. I admired his candor, and he certainly has a vivid way with words.



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Review: Winnie-The-Pooh's ABC Book

Winnie-The-Pooh's ABC Book by A.A. Milne

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This is just a basic ABC book with illustrations pulled from the original Pooh books. I would have liked it to be more Pooh-centric; there are better ABC books with classic children's characters, like Dr. Seuss or Little Critter.



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Review: White on Black

White on Black by Tana Hoban

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a wordless book, designed to introduce babies to books, but not to stories. Each page is a simple white-on-black silhouette of an everyday object. This is a great first book, since it's easy for babies to focus on the high-contrast illustrations.



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Review: But Not the Hippopotamus

But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I could read this one all day long. Poor armadillo.



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Review: Baby's ABC

Baby's ABC by Neil Ricklen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A basic ABC book. I think the baby likes to look at pictures of other babies, but after a dozen repetitions, I'm pretty bored of this one.

The state of Arizona gives this book to new parents.



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Headlines from our house

Baby comfortable right where she is

Midwives predict imminent arrival, get it wrong again

Local man makes whale noises at wife; wife not amused

Mother-to-be plans third "final" pre-baby grocery shop

Excessive couch-sitting may result in sore tailbone