Rainy Day on Hilton Head

This picture is an old one of Jack on a rainy day - he did not feel like taking a picture this morning. I actually LOVE rainy days in the fall. In my LBK (life before kids) it would make me want to be cozy with a warm cup of coffee or tea. Favorite rainy day activities used to include snuggling up with a good book, going to a movie or even shopping. Now that I have a 2.5 year old and 7.5 month old, none of those activities are available - except the good cup of coffee! It is always a struggle to figure out what to do with little ones in the rain, especially in the Lowcountry where so many of our favorite activities are outdoors. Here are our go-to favorites:

The Sandbox is an interactive children's museum on the south end of the island and it is a great option for little ones. I can easily spend 2 hours there. They have a baby/toddler area for the wee ones, a crafts area, cockpit of an airplane, kitchen, pirate ship, construction area, dress up area, train table, and sand area. They also have different special activities, just check their calendar. One of the bathrooms has a kiddie size potty - perfect for your potty training ones. We like to go to the sandbox, then to Fiesta Fresh for lunch after (local little family friendly quick (but not fast-food) Mexican restaurant). Anyone under 5 is usually asleep within 5 minutes on the car ride home - Success! The Sandbox is open 10-5, Tuesday - Saturday This time of year.

Island Playground is a great option for your high energy kiddos. It is an indoor center with various bounce-houses (or 'jumpies') as our family calls them. It is located just off the Island, in Bluffton. They have a younger kids area, although Jack likes to play on all of the jumpies and is quite adept and scurrying up the ladder for the big slide. No cafeteria/lunch options at the playground, but they do sell pre-packaged snacks.

When it is not too cold (today is perfect), we also like to get everyone in their rain gear and take a puddle walk! Beach, Harbortown, Coligny, or just our Neighborhood, we look for worms, puddles and stomp about.

Jack's mom says, Don't let it rain on your parade, Parade in all your glory in the rain!

Are we there yet? Running with Small Children

So, after reading my last post a friend with two little ones asked me how I get my 2.5 year old to sit in the stroller for the entire run. Magic? Freeze Ray? Bribery? I actually struggled with this for a while. We had a few runs where Jack wanted to get out and run with us, only to have his 'legs get tired' after a short but fast sprint (it was kind of like zig zag speed interval training for awhile). After a few tears (on both sides) a few botched attempts, and an epic parental fail in which I told him the area we were running through had bears and he should stay in the stroller so the bears didn't eat him, we have reached success (without terrifying him)! PS - he still asks if there are bears on the one particular path.

Our trick is to let Jack play DJ. I give him my iPhone and put it on the Jack-friendly playlist and let him pick out the songs we run to. I have a huge variety of music on there. Darius Rucker's Wagon Wheel is the current favorite. Last week it was the Peter and the Wolf by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. It keeps everyone entertained and me able to run for at least 35 minutes. It also does not occupy him so much that he is glued staring to my phone, he only looks down when the song ends and he gets to pick a new one the rest of the time he is appreciating nature (or so I hope!).

Jack's mom says, let your kids pick the soundtrack to your life!

Introducing Jack's Brother, Baby Ben!

I am so embarrassed that all of my great intentions of blogging have fallen short (translation: non-existent). I have had a very good reason and that has been the new addition to our family, Baby Ben!! It's not just Jack's Mom Says anymore - it is Jack and Ben's Mom Says! While Jack has adjusted beautifully to the addition of his little brother, my husband and I are still working out all of the kinks of our own adjustment. Going from one child to two was a significant change, especially with both of them so young. I loved 'having' most of the baby gear already available (and assembled), but still needed a few new purchases. Having friends that are currently pregnant and have asked me what they need to get for their little loves, I have sat down to go through my must haves form Baby Jack that are being  used again and my must have new purchase for Baby Ben. So for all my mama-to-be friends, these were the must haves:

The  Puj Tub is piece of foam is so simple and basic it chaps my hide that I did not think of this brilliant idea and patent it! Holds iddy bitty babies in most every sink comfortably so that you can easily wash and clean all of their many creases and folds. Jack used to fall asleep in this all the time. Ben usually stayed awake, but that is mainly because there is a 2 year old Jack helping me wash him!

The Fisher Price Cradle 'N Swing has been a lifesaver with both of my babes. Both spent the first few months of life contentedly swinging and snoozing away. LIFESAVER. Could not have done without.

Our current favorite item is the Jumperoo. Lovingly called the 'Circle of Neglect' it has kept both my babies HAPPY and OCCUPIED while I frantically squeezed in a shower, pumped breastmilk, threw together dinner, did laundry or tried to pay bills online. Even better, with Ben in the Jumperoo, Jack will jump around  him and get him to jump/mimic his movements, my boys are actively playing together and laughing - what more could a mama want??

Lastly, the last 'must have' that we have gotten our money's worth and then some has been the Pack N Play. For snoozing, for setting a baby that has just learned to roll, for minor containment while trying to do something. It is easy to travel with and set up and lived at the grandparents house for a good six months. It also was big enough for Jack to sleep in until he was almost 2. 

Now, for the family of '2 kids under 2' gear.... I tried my hardest to hold out and not purchase anything new, not only because I was not working and we were on a tight budget, but I already had SO much kiddie gear in my house, we were running out of room. Of all my purchases, this one was well worth every single penny (and it was a large amount of pennies)...  The Double Bob Revolution . I LOVE this stroller. Hands down the most expensive piece of baby gear I purchased with either child and well worth the money. For our purposes we needed a jogging stroller that would fit both kids, was compatible with our Peg Perego car seat, would work on cobble stone and sand, and that would continue to fit both kids for a couple of years (many strollers are too short for older/taller kids to keep their feet from hitting the front wheel or hanging over the sides).  It has performed up to the task and then some. It is very easy to run with, has all of the safety features we were looking for and both kids fit comfortably in it. Compared to our 2010 Single Bob, the style and design changes are all better (more user friendly peek-a-boo flaps to see kids when canopy is down, lock buckle to keep stroller folded up). The Revolution has always been our favorite of the Bobs due to front wheel being able to swivel or lock at your discretion - really important for active joggers and for those cruising on uneven turf.

Very happy to be blogging again and am making a conscious effort to do so more! Too many great adventures and discoveries have happened on this crazy road of parenthood that must be shared!! Until next time, Jack's mom says make your baby purchases thoughtful and functional, everyone else will get you the fun and frilly stuff!

Dog Days of Summer

As the dog days of summer stretch on, the air here on Hilton Head has become so thick and hot that it feels like warm syrup. I have unintentionally slowed down (out of physical inability to move quickly in this heat) and taken note that my baby boy is 8 months old today! Where has the time gone? This picture is already a month old and he is looking more and more like a little kid than a baby. While our little one is growing up so fast, I still find it hard to figure out what to do with him during these long days in this heat. After we have played with his toys, built castles out of blocks, torn down all of the block castles, crawled around the house, thrown sippy cups, spoons and binkies from high chairs and read books it is only 10:00 a.m. and already  too hot to go outside!

Jack and I have braved it though and are determined to not be under 'house arrest' while the summer heat drags on into fall as it always does in this part of the country. Our tricks and tips for ways that Baby Jack stays cool are as follows:

1. Walk early! The hottest part of the day on Hilton Head is usually between 2-4 p.m., so walk first thing in the morning. Make sure to bring a bottle of ice water for both you and baby!

2. Invest in a little battery operated fan. You have all seen those folks with the 'misting-fans' at the beach, golf tournaments and baseball games. They may look silly, but boy do they work and they definitely ease the heat for the little ones. I found one at Target that has soft-bendy-plastic blades so they don't hurt if you stick your fingers in them (Jack will spend a good 15 minutes playing with the fan rather than having it mist him sometimes).

3. Go to the Mall! I know that our Mall is loosing stores much faster than I am loosing my baby weight, but they do still have their children's play area. Lots of over-sized sea creatures and a lighthouse by the food court with bouncy carpet (still bring wipes, the carpet is not 'uber-clean' for those that are germ sensitive). It is a great place to let your little guy/gal climb, crawl and play with other kids for free and in the air conditioning. Every time I have gone, there are plenty of kids there. Jack likes to watch the bigger kids play just as much as he likes to cruise around himself.

4. Trip to the Store! Wal-Mart, Target, even the Grocery Store is fun for Jack. He loves to look at all of the 'stuff' and loves bouncing up and down in the seat of the cart. Great way to get  your grocery shopping done as well.

5. Find a friend with a pool or go to the Rec Center. Jack loves playing in the pool. Dependent on the time of day, we go when our pool is shaded so that it is even more comfortable (and less UVA/UVB rays).

6. I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!! Cruise to your favorite Ice Cream dispensary for some scoops and eat quickly - they melt fast! Jack and I recently enjoyed a scoop at the South Beach Marina while sitting under the water misting spray at the Salty Dog.

7. Take Advantage of the Evening Breeze. 7:00 p.m. is a great time to go to the beach when there is a breeze off the water. Jack has recently discovered the sand and thinks that it is an appetizer. While we have yet to convince him otherwise -  we all enjoy the beach evenings (even when we find sand in his diaper later - it's organic, right?). The Sea Pines beach club is an especially nice place to enjoy the breeze and has easy access and parking.

As much as I am ready for fall and cool weather - I am not ready for my little guy to grow up so quickly! Here is hoping everyone enjoys the end of summer!

Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!

Coincidentally, on this independence day weekend I happened to have a conversation with a new mommy of a sweet two month old baby boy. It reminded me of the early days with Baby Jack and how the most simple act of running an errand or getting out of the house became a full blown project. By the time the baby was fed and changed and I was ready to go, he was either sleeping, due to eat again in the next 1/2 hour or had just pooped his pants (and usually his outfit and mine!).

The fact that I was homebound for so long started to make me more than a little bit stir crazy. Despite the large amount of effort, energy and frustration that goes into trying to leave the house - I highly recommend doing it! The only caveat to that you DON'T wake a sleeping baby from a nap to run an errand... let sleeping babies sleep! Any other time though, get yourself and your little one out of the house. It will do you a world of good just to get some new scenery and fresh air.

Good areas for short small trips in the Hilton Head area are coffee shops - Starbucks on the South End of the Island by Publix, Java Joe's in Coligny, Barnes and Noble (good for perusing the parent books when you need another person's perspective - aside from the authors of the parenting books you already have :). The B&N is on the North End of the Island and has a coffee shop in their store. All have both indoor and outdoor seating. For Bluffton - I recommend the coffee shop 'The Corner Perk' . It is a great independent coffee shop with couches, great coffee, teas and snack options. They also have very delicious smoothies!

So to all the new mommies - assert your independence! Get you and your baby out and about! It gets easier and easier the more you do it! Either that or you just get used to it ... I now throw a sweater on if Jack spits up on my shirt  and give him a good wipe down - as opposed to costume changes for both of us - no one will ever know the difference!

The Tourists Have Arrived!

It's summertime on Hilton Head Island and the tourists have arrived in full force. I am thrilled to see the Island busy and grateful to have the much needed boost for the local economy! This is a resort island and the tourism is vital to the island. That being said - I have learned NOT to grocery shop on Saturday or Sunday, especially with Baby Jack. Saturday is 'change-over-day' when the villa rentals start/end and there is an influx of new families to the Island and one of the first stops is to the super market to stock up on supplies for the week. The store shelves are cleaned out by 4:00 p.m. and even the bruised fruit is in low supply.

I made the fatal error of thinking that it was late enough at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night to make a quick trip for baby wipes. While Publix did have the baby wipes, the store was slammed. Wall to wall tourists pushing their overfilled grocery carts up and down each aisle, cleaning out every ounce of food left in the store. I managed to fight my way to the 10 items or less register, where I noticed a very tired looking man in front of me with his one item - a 36 pack of pampers. I asked if he had forgotten the diapers in his rush to go on vacation and he said, 'no' that he lived here and made the same crucial error that I did, thinking that it was late enough to venture out for much needed baby-supplies. We shared a good laugh over our mutual naivete and both vowed never to return again on Saturday.

Jack's mom says, "embrace the tourist season, crank up the blender for the pina coladas  and buy diapers online for the summer months - they will deliver right to your door!"

Nanny Miracles

One of the scariest things for me (post delivery) was trying to figure out who would care for our new bundle of joy - nanny? day care? nanny-share? stay at home? We quickly ruled out stay at home as it was not financially feasible. After hearing stories about some city-nannies' salaries, I thought that option may also be financially prohibited - luckily I no longer live in a big city!
The best way to surmise my nanny hunt would be "thank goodness for miracles". Our nanny is just that, a wonderful miracle. We interviewed many candidates, some were ok, some were good, but one was great! Our nanny plays with Baby Jack all day long - she reads to him, sings songs, dances and teaches him his name, colors, letters and numbers. She talks to him as if he was a little boy and he responds in delighted little baby shrieks and giggles. It has given me the utmost peace of mind in returning to the work force. I am able to fully concentrate on the task at hand knowing our little guy is a happy clam.
Whatever your childcare needs, give yourself enough time to investigate all of your options - our nanny was one of the last ones we interviewed in a 2 month long process. Check with everyone you know and ask them to ask everyone they know for names of people and places. Look for agencies that charge a fee only if you are successful in finding a nanny through them. Ask your pediatrician and OB if they have any recommendations. Also, ask the local pre-schools - they can sometimes be a gold mine for contacts and warnings about things to avoid.