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.

Mommy & Baby Music Class - Jack Loves It!

Despite the whole family having a long sleepless night courtesy of our little night owl, I rallied myself and the sleeping Jack to make it to mommy and baby music class this morning - in Bluffton - in the drizzle. I gave myself an A+ for even trying. Boy am I glad that I did. Taught by Kali Cooke (who should definitely put out a kid's music cd) the class was great! We sang songs with the babies used percussion eggs to keep time with the beat, learned some great new songs, did a little dance and met some very lovely new mommy and baby friends. No music background or talent needed!

Kali is a very talented musician in her own right and makes the class easy, welcoming and very hands on. Jack loved it! He smiled and was entranced by the guitar playing and music. Starting next week, the infant class is held every Thursday from 10:15 until 11:00 a.m. for an eight week run. Located at the Sound Stage behind the Corner Perk in Bluffton (where Burnt Church Rd and Bruin Rd. meet), this is a great class to join. Conveniently, Kali's husband owns the Corner Perk just around the corner, which is a wonderful independent coffee shop where you can grab a coffee, snack or smoothie and refuel after all the singing and fun of music class. Jack's mom says you don't have to be able to carry a tune to carry your little one and bounce with the music!

Baby Carriers - Organic vs. Convenient - None of it amounts to Jack (and his preference :)

One of the initial dilemmas of becoming a parent (or even earlier - as an expectant parent) is what gear do I get my kid? Everyone of your friends, mother's friends, mother-in-law's friends and perfect strangers will tell you that you 'have to have' this type of carrier, stroller, toy, or other piece of baby equipment. Don't fool yourself - it is equipment - it comes with instruction manuals, disclaimers, warranties, and safety features (usually making the equipment much harder to assemble and use).  Notwithstanding the overwhelming amount of advice I received about all of the baby-gear, I still could not make a decision about the baby papoose - Bjorn? Ergo? Moby? So like any good undecided parent, I registered for all of them and decided that I would figure it out later. This was actually my first 'smart' move, that I later outsmarted myself on. Had I merely registered for all three, received all three and then gone to a friend to try out the gear before opening my own - I would have been certified as 'brilliant mommy' and could set up shop as my own mommy-think-tank. However, that was not the case.

I opened the carrier that I liked (the Moby) and was determined to have my kid love it as well. As you can imagine - he hated it, hates it still and yet because he barfed on it and I washed it - I am now stuck with a very handy, organic, baby-friendly piece of fabric that does nothing more than take up space in my already cluttered closet. The Moby is a sling like device that is one really long piece of fabric that can be wrapped around your body in many different styles to create several organic holds for baby and mommy. Jack can't stand it. Jack likes the Baby Bjorn (which I originally returned), despite the rumors that it is not as good for babies' hips as the Moby or the Ergo due to the way the baby's weight is supported - it is the contraption my kid likes, so it is the one that we use! He likes being able to face out and see what is going on. We are just starting to try to use the Ergo - which is much more comfortable for the parents, in my humble opinion, due to the way it spreads the babies' weight over both your hips and shoulders (not just shoulders like the Bjorn). Jack is warming up to the Ergo, and with multiple positions for the baby (front, hip and back) - we remain optimistic that this will work for the whole family.

So, as more friends of mine get pregnant and ask my advice on what gear I love and could not live without, my recommendation is this: try someone's first! save receipts for everything and find a mommy friend who will let you stick your kid in their gear to see what makes him/her scream and what soothes them. It will save you countless trips to Target, Babies R Us, and Wal-Mart trying out and returning all the different 'must have' baby contraptions!

I was lucky enough to have a dear friend, Leslie, let me come over and plop Jack in the various chairs, play-yard/gyms, and contraptions until I found ones that he liked (it happened to be the least expensive and one that I would never have picked out on my own). Mommy friends are invaluable and priceless - it is more important to pick them up than any of the gear on a registry.

Fancy Restaurants - Not Baby Friendly

Our family went up to Charleston for a celebration recently. We have always loved Charleston. My husband and I visited many times prior to having a little one and this was our first family outing with Baby Jack. First car trip over an hour, first fancy restaurant, lots of firsts! Jack was approximately 3 months old for this trip and I was given false confidence when he slept the whole drive from Hilton Head to Charleston. The little man was a trooper and hung in there for all of the celebrations and being carted from one locale to the next. He was even pretty well behaved at McCrady's  - a fantastic restaurant in Charleston and one of my all time favorites! The serious snafu realization occurred when I excused myself and Jack to do a discrete diaper change in the bathroom. Not surprisingly - there was no place to change Jack in the bathroom. I mean NO PLACE. Certainly no fold down baby changer, but - no counter tops, no chairs, no bench, not even a toilet seat cover. The only option was to place my darling boy was on the floor of the public bathroom. Fancy restaurant aside - I am not a fan of having to put my kid on a public bathroom floor.
Food - 5 stars, Service - 5 Stars, Kid compatible - No stars.
Whether intentional deterrent or unintentional subconscious aversion - we will be getting a baby-sitter the next time we frequent McCrady's.
Jack's Mom Says... Before you take your kid to a fancy place, do your self a favor and call and find out the specifics (ask if they have changing tables, high chairs, or whatever assistance you require) or whether it is best to get a baby-sitter or bag it all together for a more 'family friendly' option!

Mama Friends and Breastfeeding Group

As a new mom, especially a new breastfeeding mom, a group of moms who meet once a week with a lactation specialist, who has never ending patience and a heart of gold, was a priceless gift. The group meets every Thursday at the Hilton Head Hospital from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. and the hospital lactation specialist, Jean, truly is a wonderfully patient, informative and supportive person. You get to weigh your baby on a hospital scale, which is helpful to make sure that he or she has gained an appropriate amount of weight. Babies and Ladies only - Sorry, Dads.

In addition to having Jean, the lactation guru, correct all of the problems Jack and I were having in less than two minutes flat, having other new and experienced moms to talk to, learn from and commiserate with was such a welcome and reassuring experience. While any ounce of modesty I had went out the window after Jack's birth, I was not certain what a breast feeding group entailed. Rest assured, you can be as modest or immodest as you like - as the name implies it is a breast-feeding group and most moms will breast feed uninhibited with their hungry little babies happily guzzling and gurgling away. Whether a first time mom or an experienced mom, every baby is different and this group is a warm and welcoming place, perfect for all moms and babies.