Happy Feet at Ibiza Kids

Today was project new pair of shoes day…for my 15 month old son.  Not as fun as hitting the Christian Loubiton store in the west village, but I’ll take it!  His little feet are growing and shoes are a necessity.  Of course they have to look cool and of course be comfortable and easy to get on.  So where do I find these in the Greenwich village area?  I did a quick search online and remembered that there is an Ibiza Kids nearby.  Perfection.  They have the ultimate selection.

LM had a ball in the store where they had all sorts of toys in a bin for children to play with and their new location on Broadway is spacious and has loads to choose from! 

I realized while I was there that I also needed a gift for my friends kid’s 1^st birthday, our friend’s new baby who was just born and something dinosaur related for Gavin’s best pal Hunter.  Here’s what I got in case you are looking for some cool gift ideas!

1^st birthday girl: 

Newborn baby girl:

(seriously, how cute are these baby socks?  Unreal!)  I also got an adorable book to go with these socks to round out the gift.

Ibiza Kids

830 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
212-228-7990

Happy Shopping!

Babysitting students

So check this out.  When I was in need of finding a babysitter I found out from my mom group that you can hire students as babysitters.  These kids are living in NYC where’s it’s insanely expensive and are looking to earn cash.  It’s a win win for everyone.

All you need to do is follow the site on the NYC Career Service webpage and place an ad as a potential employer.

I interviewed a dozen girls before I found my match and she’s been a great asset to my family.  She’s sweet, reliable (most of the time, she is in college and sometimes I need to call her for wake up calls, just being honest!!) and most importantly my LM LOVES her.   She quickly learned his routine and comes up with creative ways to use play time.  

Her schedule is very flexible in the evenings and I get a few hours out of her when I need to during the day as she breaks in class. 

So if you’re looking for a babysitting student this is a great avenue to explore. 


The NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development
133 E. 13th Street (2nd Floor)
New York, NY 10003
212-998-4730

Good luck!

How do you stroll?

Ah, the stroller.  I get asked which stroller I use very often – and here’s the response I always give to my friends that inquire...

There are so many options out there.  Too many actually.  I was totally overwhelmed when I first started the process to find the right one...and here’s where I landed:  The Bugaboo and the City Mini.

Here’s why -

The Bugaboo:  I used to be highly against this stroller.  My thoughts were it’s expensive, flashy and a beast.  But at the time that I was looking into it, Paul Frank had launched an exclusive design for them and I’m obsessed with him + monkeys.  So I had to have it.  But before making a $1000 decision so superficially I went to Buy Buy Baby, found a sales guy to assist me and asked him a zillion questions.  Most importantly was how does the stroller break down?  If you’re going to need to break down your stroller often (going in and out of a car, traveling, getting up stairs, etc.) then this may not be the stroller for you.  But as I talked through this with the sales guy he made me realize I’m not going anywhere that needs breaking down in the city!  I’m walking around all day long, getting into an elevator and parking the beast in the closet in my apartment that I made into a stroller “garage”.  Also, my sister in law wanted to buy it for me as a baby gift.  So – if this is the case....GREAT stroller!  It rides so nicely, goes over bumps like it’s a four wheel drive and does look pretty cool.  I get tons of compliments on my Paul frank fabric which happened to be a great buy.  


The other thing that I really loved about this stroller was the bassinet.  I think it’s important to get a stroller with this feature for when the baby is a lil one.  

There are a ton of other fabric patterns (there’s a really cool denim one!) and colors to choose from.  If I didn’t get the Paul frank I would have probably gone with black.  Unisex and very sleek looking.  I’ll probably get it to update the stroller for baby #2.

Also – when I do take the subway or a cab or know I’m going shopping where there are lots of stairs – I take LM in the Ergo baby carrier.  It’s brilliant. An update to the famous Baby Bjorn which I personally really dislike.  The Bjorn is wildly uncomfortable on your back.  It's great because the baby can face out but it hurts man!  I borrowed my sis in law’s and couldn’t make it out of the house with LM.  The Ergo however is super supportive and even though LM can’t face out he’s always comfortable in it and often passes out on me while being carried around.  Definitely a must on my list.  Add to your registry and make sure to include the infant insert (separate part) for when the baby is teeny tiny.

An alternative stroller that is similar to the Bugaboo is the Uppa Vista:  My good friend has this stroller and she likes it.  But from what I can see it has it's pros and cons...
  Pros:

* Has a really big basket underneath.  Sounds dumb but I grocery shop a ton with the stroller and that space underneath is key.  Since the bugaboo basket is not as big I end up carrying a whole foods bag on my shoulder and just put the heavy stuff like milk in the basket...hence…why I hit the spa for massages so often…hehe.

*  Great rain cover – the Uppa Vista has a rain cover that just zips over the shade on the stroller.  On the bugaboo it’s a separate piece that you have to put on when you want to use it.  Makes no difference to me but is definitely more practical on the UV stroller.

Cons:  

*  the Uppa Vista is VERY wide!  The bugaboo is large but not as wide.  A bit easier to maneuver in and out of stores.

*  the Uppa Vista does not have a full toddler seat like the bugaboo.  You’ve gotta see these two strollers next to each other to understand what I mean by this...so when you go to register or check out your local baby stores…take a look and you can even ask the sales guys to help you better understand what I’m saying here.

A MUST:  Which ever stroller you get – invest in the adaptor.  It’s a piece that allows you to attach your infant car seat onto the wheels.  I used it a ton on both strollers...

The City Mini:  I started traveling with LM when he was 4 months old.  So I needed a stroller that I could get around an airport and on a plane with, when traveling on my own.  So I went back to Buy Buy Baby and checked this City Mini out.  It basically collapses with one pull of a string.  Brilliant.  There is a fully reclining seat so when baby is still too small to sit up they can lay all the way back.  I STILL use this stroller all the time to travel with and just keep it in the car.  It’s awesome.

The reason I wouldn’t use the city mini instead of the bugaboo is because I cannot see LM in this stroller.  I like how he can sit facing me in the Bugaboo.  It also doesn’t have a bassinet feature.

Another thing that a lot of people I knew did was get the Snap N Go wheels. These are an inexpensive set of wheels that you can attach pretty much any infant car seat too.  It’s great if you’re going to be in and out of the car a lot or traveling frequently in the first year of your baby's life.  The reason I felt it’s better to get the city mini instead of these wheels is because I’m still using the city mini and LM is now 16 months old...the wheels are history once the baby grows out of the car seat…

The breastfeeding challenge

There are several ways to prepare yourself for the arrival of your baby and as you will find throughout my blog, I’ll try to help guide you to the best of my knowledge.

As far as breastfeeding you can take a class (check to see if offered by your doctor’s office or hospital), read a book and/or do some research online (click here for my fave).  However when you actually begin the journey, hold on!  

Breastfeeding was no easy feat.  And I never hesitated to ask for help.  My husband was the most supportive, loving and helpful partner and I am truly blessed because I couldn’t have done it without him.


Breastfeeding did however became more manageable for me once I found the Breast Feeding Doctor Mona Gabbay through a friend’s recommendation.  She’s a warm and knowledgeable woman who will come to your home, give you an exam and set you up with the best possible solutions to ease your pain or help you overcome any issues you may be having. 




Since my supply was so low I had to pump two hours after every feeding to help increase my milk.  I had no life for the first six weeks of giving birth.  But I was determined to use the boobs G-d gave me to feed my child so I wouldn't give up.  I found the Medela Freestyle Pump worked best and I loved being able to walk around and pump hands free.  How did I do this you ask?  Well I would wear a pumping bra (so attractive) and a large hoodie sweatshirt that had pockets in it.  I'd place the pump contraption (which is small) into the pocket and go about my biz.  I pumped all of my milk right into the Medela bottles that the set came with and just simply used those bottles to feed LM when we needed to top him off after nursing.  They worked just great and he had no nipple confusion at all.


I fulfilled my goal and breast fed for 6 months.  At that time I weened LM off the boob and started to give him Similac Organic out of Born Free bottles which were great because they prevent lil ones from getting gassy and were pretty easy to clean (and dishwasher safe).

A final word from one mother to another…your baby has to eat.  So if your milk comes by really easy for you, congratulations!  But if it doesn’t, just do your best and your baby will greatly benefit from whatever supply you do have.  Be sure to stay calm and relaxed, drink loads of water and eat a balanced diet and you will prevail.  And for the unspeakable pain...I found the best solution when I was between nursing/pumping was frozen peas and carrots...that's it, directly onto the source.

The breastfeeding doctor

Doctor Mona Gabbay

914.632.7999

Email info@thebreastfeedingdoctor.com

New Mama's list

A close friend of mine emailed me last year a few months before she was due with her lil gal and asked the following...

Hello Mama -
I need your help.  As I begin to compile a list of items (big and small) that I will be needing for the baby, I realize the overwhelming amount of choices out there.  So, I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction in terms of brands and items that have proven their worth and even a few to stay away from.  Do you mind just listing your fave thing(s) that saved you those first few weeks and beyond?

This was a great opportunity for me to write out everything that I found useful when first having the LM at home.  This list is a doozy but worth taking a read through if you're expecting or have a newborn. 

Here we go - ready?!

Registry:  For your friends and family who are going to want to shower you with gifts, it's important to register so they can buy you stuff that you NEED!  I found that many people bought me several gifts that became useless very quickly so it’s really great to give people the option to buy off your registry instead of guessing what you’ll like.  For example I have about 10 thousand blankets, towels and stuffed animals.  Of course its the thought that counts but when you have a baby it’s nice to get stuff that you NEED and will USE!  SO – this is the registry check list that I followed – it’s AMAZING!  Recommends the best brands and gives tips!!  I loved this Stroller Traffic registry check list. I also signed up to this Stroller Traffic website and to date still get emails daily that I find interesting and very useful.  Note:  your registry will also come in very handy for the guests that are invited to your shower if you have one.

Have on hand for baby's arrival:

change table – make sure to get a pad and pad cover.  You would think the change table comes with these things, but they don't.  Here is what I got – and specifically love the covers (I bought extra for when the baby poops and gets all over the place – you want extras on hand)!  

Kids Line® Katie Little® Ecru Contour Pad Cover 

2-Sided Contour Changing Pad by Colgate 

Clothes – here’s what you need:

Sleepers with zippers (makes it SO much easier to change diapers in the middle of the night)!  I got mine at the children’s place. They wash well and are super cheap.  Buy a couple “up to 7 pounds” and don’t wash till the baby is born – if your baby is born over 7 pounds then you can return.  IF you have a peanut like we did then you will need these!  Now don’t buy a ton in this size b/c they’ll grow out of it in about 2 weeks!  So also buy 0-3 and you’ll be all set.  Baby Gap also has fabulous sleepers and bodysuits which your baby will live in!

One more suggestion for sleeping...night gowns.  Sounds totally girly (so obviously great if you do have a girl) but also for boys these are a dream!  When You’re feeding every 3 hours and constantly changing wet diapers...these are the BEST!  No fussing and they are super comfy!  I found this place online and LOVE the quality – super soft and wash great!  I ordered 2 in what I think are unisex colors – yellow and orange:  New For Baby.  Here's LM in his orange gown...with the monkey his uncle gave to him...which he loves!  A personalized blanket that had meaning and will be a keepsake LM will have forever.

Moving along - invest in some basic onesie long sleeve and short sleeve shirts from Carters.  I bought plain white which carried me through 2 months with LM and I ended up putting them under everything since he was born in October when the weather was cooling down.

PANTS.  Who knew you’d need so many pants?!  On day 3 of LM's life my hubby had to run out to buy him pants...we just didn’t have any that really fit him!  We found that Babies R Us had the best selection for a newborn.  We bought Carters and Gerber from there.

Socks:  Invest in a package of newborn socks – they sell really tiny ones that are great for babies at Babies R Us.

This is where I would STOP and do not buy any more clothes.  You will get TONS of clothes as gifts...TONS!  People LOVE buying baby clothes.  So make sure for everything YOU buy you keep receipts in case you need to return.  Once you’re about 2 weeks in you’ll have rec’d several gifts and you’ll then know which clothes you are missing so you can go and buy more if you need to.

***NOTE:  For washing the baby clothes – I suggest using Dreft.  It smells fantastic and ensures a soft wash for your baby's clothes.  Also buy a stain remover for babies.  Especially if you end up using formula to feed your baby, it STAINS!  I really like this brand from Giggle:

Burp clothes and bibs:  You will need a few of these to get you started.  You will receive these as gifts.  We have about 8 million now!  The best bibs for infants are actually at American Apparel.  They are tiny and fit perfectly for newborns.  As for the burp clothes – you can use any brand.  I got a package from Giggle that I used every day. And the hospital will let you take receiving blankets – take as many as you can because these also make great burp clothes – I also used for a long time. 

Toiletries:

~ diapers:  I use Pampers swaddlers.  I think they are the best.   A lot of the moms I met use organic eco friendly diapers – they did not work for us.  Actually they gave LM very bad TR (tushie rash).  Because there is no drying agent in these diapers babies bottoms can be more prone to irritation in the organic diapers - that's what I found from LM's situation as well as other mom's I spoke to.  Stick to the brand who knows what they are doing.  There are plenty of other ways to save the environment, I promise.  Get yourself one box of newborn size to start – you may grow out of these in a week or 2!  I'm obsessed with Diapers.com.  They ship overnight and for free!  And they have everything you could ever imagine on their site - as well as a new sister company called Soap.com for beauty and health products.  Pretty unreal.

~ Wipes:  I use Pampers sensitive.  Have had no issues with these.  Buy some travel packages as well – once you start going out with the babe these are key!
~ Aquaphor:  if your baby gets dry skin – you use a little of this on their chapped areas.  You can also use if YOU have chapped lips – my hubby and I bought an extra bottle for ourselves and use every day now...we also have travel sizes for our jackets...we’re obsessed...its’ better then Vaseline.  I swear by it!
~ Rubbing alcohol and cotton pads:  you’ll use this around the belly button until the umbilical cord falls off.
~ Triple paste:  For TR.  The best.  I've also tried Aveeno baby and also found very effective.
~ Johnsons head to toe:  buy this in a pump bottle.  This is your one stop shop for bathing!
~ Johnsons bed time lotion: I love putting this on LM after his bath.  It smells great and I’m convinced it relaxes him.
~ Baby oil:  we use this very little but do rub a tiny bit in LM's hair sometimes when his scalp gets dry after a bath...
~ Baby manicure set:  you will ONLY file the babies nails for a long while.  We actually invested in an electric file b/c it’s SO hard to file their nails!  This thing is awesome!  
~ Safety kit:  I bought this from Giggle – keep on hand in the change table.

Bottle drying rack:  This is the one that I got and LOVE it!

And when we bought our summer house...I found this one...so adorable! 

Antibacterial soap for all sinks and a few bottles of purell pumps.

Boppy:  A MUST for breastfeeding and when holding the baby...any brand works here!  Really doesn’t matter!  I got the “boppy” brand!  You can also put your baby in this to rest – like LM here...

Pump:  This is the pump I bought and have had great success with it!  Medela Freestyle.

I also bought a special bra to use because this pump comes with hands free equipment but I don’t find that they work very well so this bra allowed me to pump and be hands free - Easy Expressions.

Nursing tanks:  I LIVED in these – literally – wore them every day:  Leading Lady Nursing tanks.

Nursing cover:  In case you want to nurse and you don’t want people to see your boobs...actually this is perfect for your registry!

bouncer: Actually I didn’t have one of these but should have!  Fisherprice Rainforest is the best.  I got the Fisherprice aquarium swing which comes in handy when they get a bit bigger and I use it all the time now...but the swing should go on your registry!

Towel and washcloth:  You’ll need a few of each BUT you will be getting these as gifts.  So I wouldn’t buy these too early...if you don’t get as gifts then buy a few of each to have when baby comes home...

Car seat:  We got the Graco snug N Ride – love it!  And we got a head rest for his little peanut head to go in it.

Bottles:  So as for bottles, we took a TON from the hospital and the Medela pump came with bottles so we didn’t feel the need to use anything else.  Not to mention LM was mostly breastfed.  When LM was done with breast milk we moved onto Born Free bottles for formula feeding.  They were fantastic.  Make sure you buy the slow flow to start out, and update the nipples as your baby grows (they are clearly labeled by age on the front of the packages).  It may take you a few types of bottles and/or nipples to determine what your baby is comfortable with, so don't over buy.  Just pick up one or 2 of each and give them a try.  Then you can always return or buy more as needed.

Gown: Totally NOT necessary but I was SO happy I got one!  I ordered my own gown for the hospital from a place called baby be mine maternity.  Made for adorable pictures and I felt super comfortable being in my own scrubs! 

4.)  Things to do before baby:
~ take a labor class
~ take a breastfeeding class
~ take a baby care class
~ CPR for infants class – you can take it before or after baby is born.
~ take a tour of your hospital (and make sure all hospital forms are taken care of so you are in their system when you check in for labor)
~ interview pediatricians and confirm one for your baby’s arrival (ours came to the hospital to check LM when he was born)
~ choose your birth announcements and thank you cards (one for boy and one for girl) so you don’t have to stress about this once baby is born.

Is this enough info to make your head spin?  I have only listed the immediates!  Everything else should go on your registry (refer to link above for this complete list). 

Hope you find this information some what useful. I will continue to post most lists such as what to have in your diaper bag, stroller and travel check lists.  I always find these lists to be super helpful so maybe you will too!  Stay tuned...

A cool shower

I didn’t have a baby shower when I was pregnant but now that I look back at it, if I did have one...or maybe for the next (!!)  this would be my dream – a couples party with a free flowing bar including a signature non-alcoholic drink for the mama to be, cake pops that look like rattles (haven’t ever seen these just came to my mind!), a delicious assortment of bite size goodies to snack on (I could come up quite the menu here…) and a kickin' play list so we could dance the night away.  Yes.  Even pregnant I love to dance.  In high heels!  I'm not normal ok?

This dream baby shower is inspired by my friend’s friend who’s invite was the most adorable ever!  I’m a total sucker for monkeys so I was taken by the design and wording of this one...

Downward facing Mama

When I found out I was pregnant I made myself a little bucket list of things to do to be healthy and strong for my precious new package.  One of the most important things on my list:  exercise.  But wait, I hadn’t worked out in over 10 years.

When I was younger I used to work out almost every day – somewhat obsessively.  I’d take classes, run, row, cycle, you name it.  I was a cardio machine.  Literally!  So when I thought about exercising with baby I figured ok I’ll just join a gym, take a step class and it will be great because I used to take classes all of the time!  Ok well ya, this is not how the body works.  I went into complete shock, could not keep up and didn’t remember half the moves so was looking like a total dumbbell who couldn’t breathe.  I had to pull the plug ¾ of the way through the class because my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to stop…which would have been an issue for my bambino.

The next day I looked into something a little less strenuous:  Yoga.  I’ve taken a handful of yoga classes in my life and the reason I could never stick to it is because of:

A. The humming and chanting - it’s just not my thing.  I do not believe that yoga is going to bring peace on earth so it’s a tough act for me to follow.  

B. I found it wildly boring.

C.  The classes are usually just too long.

I wanted to take a prenatal class and the yoga studio near my apartment offered them but they were only during the day.  Bummer of that was is I was working full time and could not make any of the times the classes were offered.  So I kept checking the schedule and found a class at 7:15am with a gal named Liz.  45 minutes.  Hmmm.  This sounded perfect…and guess what?  It was!  Perfect amount of time to do yoga, LIMITED chanting!! And this teacher, Liz was unreal.  She took a great interest in my bump and connected me with the prenatal instructor with whom I took one private class so she could teach me Liz’s routine with all pregnant safe moves.  I took the class 3 times a week until a couple weeks prior to LM being born and felt absolutely fabulous. I truly believe that the dedication I gave to this exercise assisted in my 25 minute labor.  I could be wrong - but I like to believe my hard work paid off.

I recommend this yoga studio highly if it’s in your hood!  And if not, try to find one that is.  It's incredibly rewarding - pregnant or not!

Jivamukti Yoga

841 Broadway
New York, 10003
(212) 353-0214

Baby Center

First things first, if you have not done so already, sign up for Baby Center.  It's the most detailed baby website I've found to date and I love it.  From time of conception it will guide you with an ovulation calculator and once you're got your baby cooking the site will send you an email each week with a fruit or vegetable comp to explain to you how big the baby is week to week (i.e. a lima bean).  So cute!  There are tons of forums, check lists, recipes, etc, etc!  Don't miss out on all of this great info.  I still get emails each week telling me about my toddler...and I find each and every email useful!

LMM begins

Hi there -

Welcome to my latest and greatest blog - little miss mother.  That's me.  I'm little and I'm a mother.  And I'm wife to the most wonderful hubby in the whole wide world.  I'm very lucky and here's why...

17 months ago on 10.22.09 my son LM (the lil man) was born.  Out he came in 25 minutes and no more then 5 rounds of pushes with an epidural that didn't feel like it even worked...ouch.  But worth every minute.  He's the most beautiful boy I've ever seen.  I'm not biased or anything...ha!

So I'm no expert or anything but do find that many of my friends ask me for insight and pick my brain about baby related topics so it made me think...why not blog about my daily adventures with the LM so I can keep track and let my friends in on my secrets as they need em!

Here we go...hope you enjoy the posts that are to follow.