Dear Lola- 10 months

Dear Lola,

You took your first steps two days after turning 10 months old . We were surprised and thrilled! Grandma Hill had been making bets that you would for weeks but I was skeptical. I had been helping you learn to stand on your own for a few days but then suddenly you thought you would take a few steps before diving for the floor. I kept standing you up and bribing you with my cellphone. The most you did was 4-5 steps that first day. I sent a text to Dad saying "I think Lola will be walking by the time you get home for lunch!" Since then you just keep getting better and better. You are now striking out on your own- you are so brave! You also get into and empty every cupboard and drawer you can reach. I just have to accept that the house will always be in disarray. I also found you sucking on the nasty part of the toilet plunger the other day haha. You are such a curious and clever child :) Other things you have been up to this month: going down stairs, getting off the couch or bed by yourself, and waving. You sometimes cry when I leave the room without you, or crawl into the bathroom after me. You love eating cheese, crackers, cheerios, chicken, peas, watermelon, bananas, peaches, and pretty much any fruit we give you. I am happy to say that you are doing much better at sleeping all night long, although if you kick off you blankets and get cold you whine until you get cuddled. There is no way I can get you to wear a bow on your head anymore. Even distracting you is not enough to keep it on for a minute. Holding still for pictures is also difficult because you just want to get a hold of the camera. Right now you are sitting on my lap as I type, inspecting all Dad's calculators and sometimes trying to type for me. This is such a fun age! Love you forever.

Xoxo,

Mom

Top 10 baby things I (almost) couldn't have lived without

I remember making my baby registry and seeing top ten baby lists and thinking wow, I really need all that crap?! Turns out I didn't. Even though some moms swear by them I barely used the nursing pillow, bumbo, binkies, or even the moby wrap (although I bet it's nearly necessary with 2+ kids.) Also, contrary to popular belief your baby will not shrivel up and die if you don't put baby lotion on them everyday (or ever.) But the things on this list I (almost) couldn't have survived the first ten months without.

• Bouncer- I didn't have a swing or anything fancy, but my hand-me-down blue bouncer! It was a lifesaver. I kept it close for the first 6 months or so for any time I just needed to free my hands. The vibrations and songs lulled Lola into a state of peaceful bliss. And best of all I could put it in the bathroom, strap her in, and take a blessed shower! Heaven. 

• Footie PJs- Aint nobody got time for undershirts and cute ruffled tops with a million buttons and pants and tiny socks all the time. Que the footie pjs. One outfit for night and day, warm and comfy. 

• Diaper Bag- This thing keeps all the stuff that my baby needs for a day out. Enough said. But really, in those first few months after having a baby it can be overwhelming trying to get out the door with a little one, so it's nice to have some of the stuff packed and ready to go. Get one you love! I got this Skip Hop Bag in black because it doesn't look tacky. I actually got it from Phil for my birthday, which turned out to be Lola's birthday too. 

• Burp cloths/blankets- Lola burped spit up all over us for the first six months. Yuck. Burp cloths were really nice to have but blankets can do the same thing they're just bigger and they double as, well a blanket (which is essential!) Swaddle blankets were awesome too, but we only used them for the first 3 months until Lola outgrew the ones we had.

• Cloth diapers- yes, disposables do the job but I love my cloth diapers! They save all kinds of money and look cute to boot. I love Alvababy diapers!

• Cloth wipes/wipe warmer- I keep wash cloths in a wipe warmer and pour water on top. Presto, super awesome baby wipes that save $$$. Even if you use disposables, a wipe warmer would be nice, if not absolutely necessary, especially in the winter!  

• Washable nursing pads- These are obviously for a nursing mom and not a baby, but it's all the same to me. So keeping with the money saving washable stuff. I don't know how much money I would have wasted by now on the disposable kind, but it's a lot. I love these. I just wash them with the white laundry, so easy!

• Car seat and cover- Yes this is a very basic list. I love my Britax B-safe car seat because Lola seems so comfy in it. She will often nap in there. There was a time at around 4 months where she took a majority of her naps in it. Even now at 10 months old she still does sometimes, like last Sunday at church! My sister Karen made my super cute cover so she can sleep without distractions, as well as keeping out the sun, rain, cold etc.  

• Jogging Stroller- Truthfully we didn't even have a stroller until Lola was 5 months old. But since then we have gotten a lot of use out of our Baby Trend Jogging Stroller . I use it for sanity saving exercise. And also when we go on outings/to family reunions/camping it multitasks as a highchair and nap spot which makes it a super star in my book. 

• Pack n play- At first I didn't think this was necessary since newborns sleep anywhere. But as Lola has gotten older I realized how awesome it is to have a portable bed for trips! We also use it for naps in our bedroom, since her crib is in the living room. We got one for $8 in good condition at a garage sale and it has been well worth it. We just put an extra pad in it to make it nice for sleeping. 

Okay, so every mom is going to have a different list. It's okay if your mom/aunt/sister or I love and think you NEED something that you just don't like. Even so, it was fun to make my own top ten list!