The Power of The Nap

At first all your baby wants to do is sleep – well, that and eat and poop – but that will change. By the time your baby has become a toddler, sleep is no longer the little one’s priority. But, nevertheless, sleep is still extremely important.

Toddlers should have two naps a day – a morning nap and an afternoon nap. And don’t let them talk you out of it.

Sleep is essential for growing bodies and minds – not to mention how it sweetens the disposition.

I also noticed that when my daughter didn’t get her sleep during the day, it was harder to get her to sleep at night. You know how it is when you’re too tired to sleep…

More advice from Mom: Sleep when the baby sleeps.

Zoë’s Favorite Chocolate Frosting

Zoë’s favorite Chocolate Frosting is super simple to make.

I use Ghirardelli chocolate. You can find it in the baking aisle. Of course, you can also use Hershey's - whatever you like. The chocolate that I use is powdered, my mom always used the kind that came in blocks that you had to melt.

To get started you'll need: 1/4 stick of butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, milk (I use plain Silk soy milk), and of course the chocolate - oh, and an optional dash of salt.

First, place the butter and about 1/4 cup of chocolate in a sauce pan. Stir together as the butter melts.

Next, add about 3 Tablespoons of milk, splash of vanilla, and a dash of salt. Stir.

Next, let the mixture cool just a bit.

Then add the powdered sugar. I usually end up using about 3 cups. I like my frosting thick, yet spreadable.

If you find it starts to thicken too much just reheat a little. Be careful adding extra milk - you can end up adding more powdered sugar and then more milk then more powdered sugar and then....watch out. Sometimes a little heat is all you need.

And there you have it: Zoë’s Favorite Frosting.

Oh, and guess what? In the long rung this frosting actually costs less to make than the canned kind and, of course, this frosting tastes a 10000 times better.

Hope you like it!

Babies Love Fingerpainting

Yeah, this is another art project...

Again, around the time Zoë turned one is when I first did this project with her.

All you need is some poster board, non-toxic washable paints, water, and paper towels (oh, and some paper plates to mix your paints on).

Before you actually begin you must decide where you want to do the painting (beware, of the wind if you go outside) and strip your baby down to the diaper.

Then pick your colors, mix a few if you like - your baby will probably do that for you, that's why paper plates are good for this.

Okay, you've picked your spot. The baby is ready and you've got the poster board on the ground or floor - it is time to paint!

You will have to help your baby although chances are that they'll love the feel of the paint between their fingers and toes. Zoë sure did. She got it all over her self and with my help she managed to paint a pretty cool picture that still hangs over my bed.

The best part about this little project besides being really fun is that you get some great imprints of your baby's hands and feet AND believe me you will want those later.

Zoë has actually done a couple of these paintings for me. And their priceless.

Art Project for Baby

When Zoë was getting ready to turn 1, I decided that I wanted to commemorate her first year with something special and fun.

So, I ended up at Garden Ridge Pottery and found a garden stone making kit. Mine's in the shape of a heart, but I think they come in a variety.

Then once I had the stone mixture poured into the mold, I placed Zoë's hands and feet on it.

But, the final touch was the addition of her portrait.

The project turned out beautifully and we had a lot of fun that afternoon. Zoë really liked the feel of the stuff between her fingers and toes!

You know sometimes pictures just aren't enough.

Ah, Poop!

Well, you know you’re in the land of motherhood when poop becomes a central theme in your life! That and diapers!!!

Word to all new moms and moms to be:

Pay attention to how many diapers you go through in a day. It should be pretty consistent from day to day – and babies poop a lot!

Mine, if you fed her then you knew what was coming next – and I do mean next.

Babies systems work beautifully – something goes in then something comes out. And if your little one is not doing this, you should talk to your pediatrician.

Constipation is a big deal – help your baby avoid it by adding prunes to the diet.

Diapers will be a huge part of your life for awhile – not a big deal.
Just remember if the diaper is wet – change it immediately. Don’t let your baby’s bottom sit in that damp smelly thing too long or you will have a rash on your hands. And that, my friend, is worse than any stinky diaper.

Here’s some advice from my mom:

Keep the baby’s bottom dry – always.

This means lots of changes and use Desitin every time – liberally coat their sweet little backside and just everywhere with the stuff and you will never have a rash problem. I followed her advice and my baby never had a rash.

Oh, Mom also told me never to use baby powder. It isn’t effective and the powder can get in your baby’s lungs – not worth the risk.

Food - Making Habits For Life

My Mom’s Advice

Now this is some advice that I’m glad I took.

When Zoë started on solid foods, I started her out on the normal baby cereal mixing it with breast milk &/or formula whichever I had – but I never sweetened it.

So the next step – vegetables. Mom told me to start Zoë out on the blander foods first, so she would learn to appreciate them (and it worked!).

Zoë’s first real food was green beans followed by peas, carrots, then sweet potatoes.

Get the idea? Let your child develop a taste for non-sweet foods first. It worked for my daughter – to this day she doesn’t particularly like candy or sweets! She doesn’t ask for Kool-Aid or any of the kid drinks. YEA!