8 Favorite Things at 8 Months

I had so much fun writing this post that I thought I'd write another!

Here are the things we are loving these days:

1. Pacifier clip. Isaac still loves his Nuk, and this is indispensable in the car. If he drops his Nuk, I can reach back and blindly follow the clip to the pacifier and pop it right back in.

2. Ladybug night light. A few weeks ago, we started seeing some toddler-style tantrums any time Isaac realized it was bed or nap time. This night light that shines constellations on the ceiling worked miracles!

3. Plastic bibs with pockets. Although the pocket can be a bit bulky and irritating at times, it has definitely caught ounces of water that would have ended up in Isaac's lap.

4. Bath toys with holes. Isaac likes to drink from anything that even remotely looks like a cup, so bath toys with holes are a must! He can still pretend to drink, but doesn't get any grimy water in that cute mouth of his.

5. Nesting balls. LOVE THESE! Isaac is currently into holding one in each hand and banging them together...

6. Dish gloves. Eight plus months of washing bottles can wreak havoc on Minnesota winter skin!

7. Round laundry basket. Isaac loves to sit in our round laundry basket. He examines the holes, plays with toys we throw in, and grabs the edges and goes crazy.

8. Free exercise videos On Demand. Pre-Isaac, I used to belong to a fitness club, and went regularly (gotta get the insurance discount!). Since I've gone back to work, I simply don't have the time to drive to the gym, change, work out, change, and drive home. I was excited to find that our cable company offers FREE exercise videos On Demand! They even have some 10 minute workouts that leave me sore the next day. Pretty cool. And FREE!

10 Things I've Grown to Love These Past Ten Weeks

1. Sleeping gowns. It is such a relief to not have to mess with snaps in the middle of the night.




2. CD of womb sounds. When Isaac was teeny tiny we could turn this on and he was instantly lulled to sleep. Well, some of the time.



3. Little Noses saline spray and nose sucker thingie. Isaac had his first cold early on and couldn't even eat because he was so stuffed up and felt like he was drowning. He still gets congested during the night sometimes, so we use these a lot.



4. Baby carrier. I used the Moby when he was tiny, but now I prefer the Baby Bjorn. I wear him hiking, to the dog park, shopping, and just around the house when he refuses to be put down but I have things I need to do.



5. Aden and Anais swaddling blankets. Love, love, love, love, LOVE these. They are the only swaddling blankets that actually fit him after he was one week old. Plus, they double as a great stroller cover when he falls asleep. Perfect breathable material for a summer baby who loves to be swaddled!



6. Baby tub with hammock. Slippery baby problem solved!



7. Vibrating chair. For the first 6 weeks of Isaac's life, this kept us sane. He LOVED it. We still take it everywhere with us, although the magic seems to have worn off.



8. Swaddle Me blankets. These keep my baby warm and cozy at night and prevent him from waking up by punching himself in the face. Also gave me great peace of mind because I was paranoid that the swaddling blankets would come undone, cover his face, and smother him.



9. Nuks. Oh how I love thee.



10. Netflix. I have discovered shows like Dexter, United States of Tara, and Dead Like Me through the wonder of Netflix. When you spend at least five hours a day feeding your baby, you have to have SOMETHING to do! Especially if he has reflux and has fussy feedings and you need two hands to make it a successful eating experience. =)

Ask and You Shall Receive!

Here you go, Ali!

(You will notice that the cake is simple to make and there isn't one healthy thing about it. In other words, the best kind of dessert!)

Butterfinger Cake
1 Devil's food cake mix
5 Butterfinger bars (Freeze for easier smashing)
~10 oz caramel ice cream topping
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large tub Cool Whip (or use 2 small tubs)
Chocolate syrup (for decoration)

1. Make and bake cake mix as directed.
2. Smash Butterfinger bars into pieces (I smashed the frozen bars inside their packaging with a mallet. Well actually the handle of our pizza cutter, but it works the same way=)
3. Right when the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over with a fork. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top and then spread the caramel topping over the hot cake.
4. Sprinkle 3 candy bar packets over the top. Cool completely.
5. Frost with Cool Whip and sprinkle contents of last 2 Butterfinger packets on top of frosting. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Store in fridge

Mmmm. Now I want to go make (and eat) one right now...