Baby/Toddler Stuff UPDATE!

Wow, it's been more than a year since the last post! Crazy how time flies, and the phrase "the days are long but the years short" rings more true than ever with a toddler!

Here are a few additional favorites that we have when it comes to baby/toddler stuff:

Monitor
There is a huge variety of baby monitors out there, and you can spend a lot on it! I would consider our monitor a vital registry item simply because we use it every night. I like to have it near me, especially if we go outside, because Connor goes to bed a few hours before we do and I like to see his  sweet self sleeping in the crib:)
We found this monitor via a baby book we were given, and it worked splendidly for us for 17 months. Tip: don't let the baby/toddler play with the monitor. Connor LOVED it, pressing the buttons, making it beep. The antenna thing was pulled off and eventually went caput from too much 'handling.' However, at $99, it was still definitely worth it.
We ordered the next generation of that same monitor on Amazon when the first monitor stopped working. Just a little bit more at $159, it's proved to be pretty great over the past few weeks. The picture is pretty clear, it has the battery levels and room temperature, and you can zoom in/scan the room - which I'm sure will come in handy once little man is in a big boy bed. We would definitely recommend it.

Breast Pump
Check with your insurance! Blue Cross Blue Shield completely covered the Medela Pump. The OB wrote a prescription for it (common practice), we took it to a local pharmacy that was recommended by the doctor's office, and the pharmacy handed over the pump, no questions asked! I don't know much about other brands, and the Medela worked fine for me and lots of friends that nursed.

Bottles
Someone gave me advice to not register for a ton of one brand's bottles because you never know what baby will like or not like. Looking back, this was great advice. I registered for a starter set of Dr. Brown's, and we had random others that we tried (Motherhood Maternity gives you a free bottle when you check out so we ended up with three of these that were good back-ups). Connor ended up digging the Dr. Brown's, and I like the fact that they have the little doodads that help keep babe from getting gas/swallowing air. In fact, we just recently cut out bottles completely so we used Dr. Brown's for almost 17 months!
Note: We also registered for a bottle warmer and never used it.

Newborn Sleeper
We registered for the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play without knowing how valuable it would be! Connor slept in this next to the side of the bed for the first 5ish weeks of his life. It's also super light, so I would bring it out to the family room for his naps while I was maternity leave. This thing was so wonderful in the early months! There's other cute patterns out there, too. There are some cool basinets out there, but for the price and ease, this is what worked for us.

Blogs
I LOVED reading blogs by other pregnant women or mamas when I was preggers. They always had awesome advice, and most of them did reviews of baby items and 'best of' registries.
Mint Arrow is one of my faves (still is!). Here's her 'BEST baby registry list ever!' - she also let her readers know about a sale Amazon was having on the BOB stroller, which is how we were able to get it 40% off! We couldn't live without our BOB.
Holy City Chic is another one, she has a baby boy and published some great must-have lists and now does baby favorites.

Random Tip: I checked out other people's registries, it was helpful in making sure we weren't forgetting anything important and also just to be nosey and see the variety of baby stuff that is out there!

Favorite Items: Pregnancy, Nursing & Baby Stuff

First update in almost three years! I figured this would be a good channel to share this type of information, plus maybe I'll be motivated to start doing more posts documenting our sweet little boy!

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I’ll be the first to admit that I was obsessed with researching things while I was pregnant. I read plenty of blogs, asked tons of questions to mommy friends, and read various articles/books on different topics. I wanted to be prepared. Now, after going through the experience (and currently having fun with a 5 month-old;), I’ve found what works for me, and I decided to compile a list of favorites to share with others who may be curious. Again, this is what has worked for me – everyone is different! My hope is that this can be useful for friends embarking on the baby journey. Xoxo, Katie

The Blardigan

Yes, that says “blardigan” – a cardigan that is soft as a baby’s blanket. I found out about this via the Pinterest Told Me To blog, and I added it to my Christmas list after reviewing the hundreds of positive reviews. A few even mentioned wearing it while pregnant, in the hospital, caring for a newborn – I was sold. It was the best decision. This thing is incredible – so so so soft and long enough that it covers the booty. I loved it while pregnant, I wore it in the hospital after having Connor, and I love wearing it now because I can wrap him up in it when we’re snuggling. It is like wearing a luxurious blanket, one that you can wear in public too! This is worth every penny.

Note: Schaefer (from PinterestToldMeTo) just introduced what she is calling the “Baby Blardigan,” and because of my deep love for the original blardigan, I pulled the trigger on this guy. I should have it soon and I’m sure it will be another staple. I think I’ll be adding a blanket by the same brand (Barefoot Dreams) to my Christmas list this year.

Nursing Bra

I can’t remember where I first read about this one, but I do remember not liking the look of it. It looks a little weird and I didn’t understand how you could easily nurse while wearing it. Well, once Connor came five weeks early, I knew I needed to purchase a few nursing bras right away and ordered this on Amazon Prime right after I got home from the hospital. It turns out it is awesome. It’s soft enough to sleep in and easy enough to pull to the side to nurse. I ordered a second one and both are in heavy rotation with various nursing tanks. If I'm wearing a more fitted shirt and/or want a little more support without a nursing tank, I go with this bra - pretty basic and does the job. 

Nursing Tanks

I had no idea how much I would want to use nursing tanks. They are so much more convenient than a nursing bra when it comes to nursing in public or in front of people (coverage is key). I have a few from Target that work just fine, but none that I loved. Ashley (a good friend who’s little boy is two months younger than Connor) recommended these to me, and I’m so glad I ordered them! They look and feel like regular tank tops and they’re long too, which is always nice in covering the booty. H&M is also a fun spot to look for cool baby clothesJ

I also just read a raving review over this nursing bra…it’s a hefty price tag, but I think it may be worth it. Seriously, I would choose wearing a nursing tank over a nursing bra any day.

Nursing Cover

I also tried a few different nursing covers in the first few months because I was nursing Connor on our flights to/from a family reunion in Wisconsin and Baltimore to visit family. I tried just using an Aden and Anais swaddle and then my Lululemon Vinyasa scarf (like a big infinity scarf). Neither was completely secure, and neither were very breathable for baby. I ordered this from Amazon, and while it is not pretty, it works very well. The wire in the top gives you a view down to baby but it’s still has enough area to protect from other eyeballsJ It’s light and breathable, too.

 Nursing Pads

I tried the Medela washable/reusable pads and didn’t have a good experience. I wish I liked them because I know they’re better for the environment (and cheaper in the long run), but they didn’t dry quickly and just felt uncomfortable. Next I tried the Medela disposable pads and they were fine. I had some Lansinoh disposable pads on hand and gave them a try when I ran out of the Medela ones, and I definitely prefer these! They don’t seem as bulky and wick away moisture like a rockstar.

Travel White Noise Machine

I found out about this at a pediatrician appointment when I was speaking to the doctor about bringing Connor to my office on campus. He uses a white noise machine every night next to his crib, and I wanted her advice on what she recommended for creating a good sleep environment at work. She suggested this to help with his naps, and I found it on Amazon pretty cheap (<$10!). I liked it so much that we ordered another one for Craig’s mom to keep at her house when she watches him, and she’s reported success as well. We also took it on a recent weekend trip and it was perfect + it’s still running great after being on for 20+ hours (uses three AAA batteries).

Mustela Baby Soap/Lotion/Shampoo     

I won a sampling of Mustela items on a blog, and I’m so happy I did. I am obsessed, and so is Craig. We absolutely love Mustela. It smells like heaven and keeps Connor’s baby skin clean and smooth.

iPhone Case

This is random but I wanted to throw it out there because it’s been so helpful to me. When running into Target or the grocery store with baby, I don’t like hauling the diaper bag with me. I was carrying the carseat with baby in it, my wallet, my phone, and my keys. It was annoying (and I know Connor loved having these various items tucked around him in the carseat;). Kate Spade used to have some cute cases where you could store a couple of cards in the back. I couldn’t find any for the iPhone 6, though, until I checked Amazon. This case is fantastic—it’s cheap, it provides good protection for the phone, and it securely holds up to three cards. Now I only have to bring baby, phone and keys when running errands!

NoseFrida

I thought this was hilarious-looking and I registered for it based off of that and how reviewers raved about it. Now I know – this thing is legit. While it seems gross to be sucking out boogers, there is a filter so nothing will ever go in your mouth. This is so effective, and it definitely helped when he was a tiny guy and we felt awful when he couldn’t breathe out of his teeny tiny nostril.

The Wonder Weeks app

Another Internet find, I was sold on this based on the awards and recognitions listed on the site. It’s definitely been a cool resource to have on hand that reminds you about your baby’s growth. The Bump still pushes out info to us on a weekly basis that has pertinent information on where your baby should be, but the Wonder Weeks app is more focused on developmental stages. It tells you about the big cognitive leaps baby should be making, along with different abilities, signs and ‘help’ for each leap.

These are my top must-haves for pregnancy and baby – I hope you find it useful! I will try and update if I think of any others.

xoxo

Olsen Family Photos

We traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado, over Christmas with the entire Olsen crew to celebrate Rod & Susie's 40th wedding anniversary. Craig and our nephews Brock and Luke learned how to ski (Craig had snowboarded before, but was new to the skiing), and now they're all experts! We enjoyed quality family time, on and off the mountain, and we even took family photos!

Here's a peak at the pics:
http://vimeo.com/34995131

I hope everyone's 2012 is rocking so far! We are keeping busy, Craig with work and myself with school (teaching three classes and taking three this semester). Mannie says hi!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I found this statistic in a current textbook, and it was part of one of my lectures last week in Principles of Advertising. Pretty interesting numbers, and as a blogging slacker myself, totally realistic. :) 


What my students learned:

Blog: a diary-like Web page created by individuals to talk about things that interest them

•  Bloggers often have higher levels of credibility than ads or corporate websites, which are seen as self-serving.

•  Problem: Require a lot of time and many bloggers run out of steam.

•  Some 7 to 10 million active blogs but probably between 50,000-100,000 generate most of the page views.

So I promise to fill up on steam and provide more updates!

Craig and I are so excited for our Thanksgiving plans...we're traveling to New York City Friday afternoon, staying with Missy & Chris in Brooklyn for the weekend, then taking the Mega Bus down to Baltimore Monday afternoon.  We'll be in Maryland the entire week, spending time in D.C. with my brother and the actual holiday out on the Eastern Shore at my aunt and uncle's with everyone.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

First Anniversary:)

I took the GRE on Wednesday in Topeka, and when I was finished I received amazing news that my husband booked a mani/pedi for me on Friday. Little did I know, this was his plan to get me out of the house so he could set up a little surprise on the roof of our house for our first anniversary. It's been a wonderful first year:)

Champagne and pizza - my favorite:) We watched a slideshow of our wedding pics and enjoyed the view.

Once it was dark, Craig took me to the edge to look at the backyard...

Looked a little familiar:)  (photo taken 11/13/09)

Want a laugh?

I had to share this hysterical video, courtesy of my mom...it's a comedian doing a bit on nail salons...I think we've (ladies) all been in a similar situation;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I'm laughing just thinking about it:)

Summertime Updates

The Olsen's have been busy this past month! Here's a quick rundown of what we've been up to this summer -->

I taught a summer class, Managing Integrated Strategic Communication (a mouthful, I know...), which ran M-F, 6/7 - 7/1. It was a great experience - seven students, so everyone was pretty participatory and enthusiastic. We had lots of good discussions, and I think it was a success, including a few fieldtrips around town to different agencies. I also required the students to do two "observations" at local businesses, and to accomplish this I gave them Fridays off...I think all of us enjoyed that stipulation. :)

The weekend of June 11th was originally scheduled as the Joplin Half Marathon (we decided on Joplin because of its proximity to Tablerock Lake - we were going to run and then head to the lake). The race was obviously cancelled due to the horrible tragedy that occurred in southwest Missouri, so we ended up spending the weekend at home in Manhattan. We used the time to hang out with friends in town and do some yardwork.

That week I headed to Kansas City one night for my good friend Tracy Strother's (Dr. Strother) Surprise Going-Away Party. She's doing her pediatric residency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (you can read more about it here). It was a great excuse to come into town and to see good friends. We BBQ'd in Prairie Village at the girls' house (Schuler, Sus and Lisa) and stayed up late having a wonderful time.

Kansas City gals (Mizzou girls) - Sus, me, Lisa, Kayla, Liz, Michelle; Leah, Tracy, Schuler and Katie

The next two weekends were spent in Manhattan, mostly doing yardwork, going out with friends in the evenings, myself going to the pool and Craig playing golf. He and his brother, Brian, played in Manhattan Country Club's Member-Guest Tournament, so we were able to spend some time with Jen, Brian and their boys (Luke, Brock & Zack). The tournament hosted a few festivities for the spouses as well, so it was a great opportunity to hang out with our friends.

We headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for the 4th of July. A good friend of mine from college, Katy Warnecke, and her fiance, were headed to her parents place on the lake and invited us to join. They brought a few girlfriends from St. Louis who I've been friends with through Katy since college, so it was a great group. We went for a few boat rides, "coved-out," and hung out on the dock most of the weekend.

Toasting Katy & Mike's engagement on the dock

Katy's Boston Terriers...Lucy & Bella...I was obsessed. This was a rare moment captured - they are pretty energetic girls!

We came back from the Ozarks so excited because we found out Craig's sister, Sarah, and her boyfriend got engaged!!! We're so happy for them, and lucky us - Sarah was traveling through Manhattan last Wednesday for a girls weekend in KC , so we were able to see her and do a little celebrating (along with my mother-in-law's birthday). It was perfect, and Sarah and I were able to spend an afternoon talking wedding as she dives into the planning experience. We can't wait!

The four of us in Cabo last summer...Jeremy, Sarah, K & C

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Sunset snapshot at Tablerock, using Instagram app on my iPhone

I spent this last weekend at Tablerock while Craig went to Kansas City for a couple of Royals games with his buddies.

We're hanging low this week and looking forward to a weekend at home this coming weekend, before things get busy around here. I'm headed to Maryland next week (7/21), then to Niagara Falls with my mom and aunts to visit my great aunts, then back home (7/26).

THEN...we're off to HAWAII!!! We cannot wait. We're headed to Kauai July 30th - Aug. 6th for an early anniversary trip (scheduled before school starts), as our wedding gift from my mom and Doug. If you've been there and have any suggestions, let us know!

We hope all of you are enjoying your summer as much as we are!