12 To 17 Months – A Recap From A Lazy Blogger

Why does it seem like forever since my last post (maybe because it has been?). Truth be told, since entering the world of the very smart iPhone I’m hardly ever near my laptop but that still is no excuse for just not making the time (the nappies can wait to be folded and the toys don’t need to be put away immediately and the tre interesting online article doesn’t have to be read right away). Time for some mommy time, even if all I do with mommy time is talk (or blog) about my baby boy.

Jett has grown up so much since his first birthday. Jett has only gained two kilos in 11 months so his face has really thinned out and he looks like a real toddler now and no longer a chubby baba. He started to walk at 12 months and I’m proud to say he is an efficient pro walker, running whenever he gets a chance (which is always). Jett is also climbing and scaling everything in site. His vocabulary seems to be growing by the day, almost to fast to keep up with and interestingly started signing at the same time as talking (not before talking as I would have thought). Jett can even read a few words thanks to Your Baby Can Read! – much to our amazement!

Just yesterday we picked some Jasmin and Jett made a beeline for our neighbours door and then instructed me to knock on the door loudly. When our neighbour came to answer the door, he sweetly extended his little hand offering her the bouquet of flowers then turned around to me requesting my flowers and graciously offered those up too.

My little angel is an assertive, giving, confident, independent and happy little boy and I grow prouder every single day. It truly is an honour to be Jett’s momma 😉

Holy Cow Jett’s One (Well Almost)

A few months ago I was online and I came across an incredibly cute T-shirt on CafePress that read “Holy Cow I’m 1″… There was no stopping me from there…. In that moment I had made my mind up on Jett having a first birthday party themed around cows and the farmyard!

My first port of call was ordering the shirt which I did immediately. My next was to find a venue. I wanted a venue that was great for the adults but at the same time completely catered to children. I also wanted the venue to have farm animals as I knew without a doubt Jett (and his buddies) would really appreciate seeing and feeding the animals… Well… Did I find an awesome venue or what… Tres Jolie offered everything I was looking for, they were both an adult and kiddie venue offering rolling lawns, jungle gyms, sandpits, jumping castles and farm animals and not forgetting pony rides. The staff were incredibly helpful and accommodating and all in all, I really am impressed by the service they provided.

Now, this was where the fun stuff really started for me. Jett’s attire and venue were sorted so now I could move onto the creative stuff. I had the idea of running with the “holy cow” theme so I asked my angel hubby to make an invitation with Jett in a cow suit, next was the invite list. At first I thought I would just invite close friends and family but then I thought that Jett really did have his own friends that he gravitates to with no interference on my part (for a boy who is almost one he sure does have quite a social life between swimming lessons, Clamber Club and Kindermusik) so I decided the invite list would consist of my very close friends and family as well as Jett’s first friends.

As Jett doesn’t eat any junk I didn’t think it right to fill the party packs up with sweets so instead, I decided to make party buckets. Once again I asked my hubby for his expertise and he created the cutest labels for the buckets following on from the invitation. We filled the buckets up with play dough, crayons, blowers, colouring paper and Jett’s personalised pot-o-bubbles.

I turned to The Bread Basket to help me with the cake which we had designed with a huge cow on it and the Cupcake Boutique made the most wonderful cupcakes….

So now we were all setup at the venue and we just had to wait for the party to begin…. Friends and family started to arrive and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone seemed to be having a really good time and the afternoon weather was beautiful. All the children were having a wonderful time feeding and petting the animals. Jett was particularly enthralled with the pony… I don’t think I have ever seen anyone have such a good time riding a pony in my life (and here I thought only the older kids would enjoy the pony rides).

I had been told that first birthdays are really more for the parents than the babies but I beg to differ. Although all the parents seemed to be having a good time… The kids seemed to be having a pretty awesome time too and Jett almost seemed to know it was his special day…. Grinning and giggling from ear to ear. Jett might be a bit young to grasp the notion of birthdays but he was certainly shining bright and we could all feel the love.

I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who made my baby boy’s very first party as magical as it was. I could feel the love in the air. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

*I will upload a few of the pictures from the birthday party in a separate photo gallery post later today x

A few of my favourite things – A list I wish I had BEFORE more baby was born

My attempt in this post is purely to summarise a few great products I have stumbled upon that have helped make my life and/or my boy’s life a little more easier, convenient, or just super fun….Some of which took many trials and errors before finding the right fit for us…. Maybe I one day will need to refer back to this list 😉 It will surely save me a tonne of time…

1) Hot water flask at the changing station (no cold bums for babies)

2) Calendula baby massage oil from a great homeopath who prepares birthing kits for moms-to-be

3) Calendula Plus by Natura for nappy rashes. This was my absolute first choice but as this product was so absolutely impossible to get hold of, I had to look for an alternative so I found Badger Bum Balm which I am so in love with – works for better than anything I have tried…

4) Xgel xylitol paste for cleaning babies gums and teeth

5) Momi Baby Bags is a South African company which have amazing baby bags that are actually big enough to pack in just about anything… including many reusable pocket nappies which brings me to another favourite…

6) Bum Genius Diapers (we have version 3.0 which use velcro fasteners and I think I would have preferred the snap button system but still love, love, love them)

7) Woolies have fantastic nursing bras that don’t make you feel like a complete frump

8) Badgers Sunscreen and Sunbara Sunscreen are the only two sunscreens that I have found which are actually free from parabens and carcinogens….

9) Ju-Ju-Be nappy bags

10) Graco MyRide 65 convertible car seat. As South Africa isn’t exactly au fait with rear-facing car seats (even though they are 500% safer than forward-facing car seats), it took me weeks of online research to find what I thought would be the right product – So I only have the one to compare but I am very happy with the product…

11) Rescue Remedy Spray

12) Teething Troubles www.theresaremedyforthat.com is a nifty spray bottle for teething that is all natural and work a charm…. Boots also stocks a chamomile homeopathic remedy which is also very handy…

13) w-last offers an awesome natural teething gel and mozzie cream that works nicely on bites

14. The Pegasus Blue Box first Aid kit is a must

15. Glamour mom nursing tops are just fantastic but a local company Peek-a-moo is offers a similar product

16. I just love our Baby Bjorn and our Crystal Baby Wrap which is a fantastic aid for attachment parenting… Jett weighs 10.5kg and I am still happily carrying him around (which I am sure my Chiro Claire either loves *or hate*)

17. The Baby Book by Dr William Sears

18. Gnld laundry detergent (Sharon Plaskitt +27 (083-408-7371)

19. I just love my charm that I wear everyday that boasts Jett’s fingerprint. A moment captured in time Little Fingerprints

I will keep adding to this list until I think I am up to date with my favs, and then I intend to keep it current.

Till then…night-night x

10 Days Old & Already a Super Model

We had our very first family photo shoot scheduled for when Jett was just 10 days old. It was a day of big firsts for us… a first for leaving our home since Jett was born, a first for a visit to Emma, (an amazing osteopath who had been working on me throughout my pregnancy) for me and for little Jett….

Riani, our photographer did a short write up on her blog  of her account of our time together….

http://www.louisedieselphotography.co.za/photography/newborn-baby-photography-4

There is something special about photographing newborn babies which I can’t exactly put my finger on…  Maybe it is because you have also photographed them whilst they  were still in their mom’s tummies during the maternity photoshoot or maybe it is just their angelic aura’s.

And with that I present to you baby Jett.  He is one of the most beautifully proportioned little babies that I have seen.  The perfect word to describe baby Jett is content, he doesn’t cry and whenever you put him down he lies there outstretched as if he’s in heaven.  He looks a lot like his father but then if you take a side on glance then he looks more like mom so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Outside the weather was cold & chilly but inside the studio the heater made everyone warm & cosy including baby.  Let me share the two secrets to photographing newborn babies with you: keep them warm and make sure their tummies are full… This will ensure that you have a happy “newborn baby model” and the parents will be re-assured.  Be ready to take photos

any time (even when you are changing the pose) as there is nothing cuter than a photo of a newborn baby yawning or smiling… J

Riani