Kip's Picks: Bath Time

I wanted to share about some of Kippy's favorite things. Okay, well, they are mainly my favorite things but "Kip's Picks" just sounds better. None of this is sponsored or affiliate links. These are just things that have worked well for us and I wanted to document them for myself (for future reference) and share about them with others.

Kip's Bath Time Picks 

Kippy LOVES bath time. His first bath he hated.

And his second bath only went moderately better.

But by the third bath, he was hooked. 

Baths were scary for me (still are to some extent). Water + hard tubs + fragile babies just feels dangerous. Not gonna lie, Kip went multiple days between baths that first month. But as he warmed-up to the experience, we did too. And now it's one of his favorite things. 

The products that have helped us make bath time easy and fun include the Angel Care bath support, the Munchkin shampoo rinser, Ideal Baby oversized washcloths, Babyganics shampoo + body wash combo, and the Duckymeter bath thermometer. 

The Angelcare bath support works great because it keeps Kip supported and allows him to splash his feet but not kick out. The gray material is sort of grippy so he can't slip either. I can pour water over him and it goes through the holes back into the tub and we don't have to drain or wash out the seat afterwards. It just air dries. 

Any wash cloth will do, but the Ideal Baby washcloths are extra soft and absorbent. I wet and ring one out and lay it over his body so his body stays warm as we wash him. Right now, the larger size covers him up completely. 

The Babyganics shampoo+body wash combo makes the bath quick and easy without having to use multiple products. It smells good and the foaming lather helps me use only what we need.  Kippy seems to have some skin sensitivity when we use it on his face, so we just wash his face with plain water.

I love the Duckymeter bath thermometer because I'm paranoid about overheating the water. I have a high heat tolerance so I don't trust the "elbow trick" to tell me if it's too warm. And the water in our tub can come out super hot so this gadget assures me that Kip won't be too cold or get burned. The meter lights up with the temperature of the water and a color: blue if the water is too cold, green when the temperature is just right, and red if it's too hot. Super easy. A lot of reviews on this product said it broke easily or stopped working after a few months. Ours seems fine but we're only 4 months in. 

Mandy recommended the Munchkin shampoo rinser since she used it with the boys she nannied. It holds just enough water to pour over for a rinse and the plastic is flexible so you can push it against the baby's forehead and it contours so that it keeps the water from pouring forward into their face as you rinse out the shampoo. Unlike a hard plastic cup, this rinser is "soft" so if you dropped it by accident it wouldn't hurt the baby.

Happy bathing!

Thanksgiving Recap

Took me all day to post this since Kip gave me no good naps today. Wow, travel really messes with babies.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!! We had a great trip to Kansas to visit Dan's family.

I was terrified of taking Kip on the plane but he did awesome. Far exceeded my expectations. The worst part of the trip was the security line in New York followed by the taxi line in New York. The flights themselves were great. Kip slept in the Bjorn carrier for all three flights, was content during the layover, and was a mostly happy sleeper during all the car rides. He only fussed during the landing which was quickly resolved with a bottle. On the last flight home on Saturday I managed to nurse him and both Dan and I manipulated a poopy diaper change on our laps!

We had a great time visiting with over 30 of Dan's relatives. Kippy got loads of love from grandparents, great aunts and uncle, cousins, and even great, great aunts.

Terri Mom, Aunt Judy, and Aunt Kandi did a fabulous job preparing Thanksgiving meal with all the usual fixings and hosting a great day! The highlight was the special turkey which happened to be pregnant (lol)! That was a bit of a surprise.

And I helped make the Rice Krispie treat Turkey.

On Friday Dan and I drove over to visit his great grandma and grandpa's grave and introduce Kippy and then visited another great great aunt. And we also got a tour of the family land from Aunt Kandi.

In order to keep Kippy in a good visitor mood, I let him take all his naps in the carrier which I am of course paying the price for now. He has been a disaster in the sleep department since we came home. I've been trying to break it all day and both of us are miserable. Hopefully we can get things back in order by the end of the week.

Peeks and Weekending it

Popping in, real quick, to recap last week and this weekend. I'm currently in a race against the thin ice that is Kip's non-nap schedule.

We leave for Kansas TOMORROW!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh. Terrified for the flight(s) with a 3-month old but excited for seeing Dan's family. 

Last week Kippy had his 3 month well-visit. He is 13.5 pounds and 25 inches long!!! Growing so fast. He loves the table in the office, especially the crunchy paper.

Mandy heard Kippy's first little laugh last week and caught the tale end on film. So sweet. I'm waiting for those baby belly laughs and we're getting close!

Dan is getting Kippy to bond with his teddy bear Toothpick.

Both Mandy and Dan have gotten Kip to nap in his crib!

And Dan went a got us ring pops to celebrate our engagement anniversary.

Friday night, Mandy spent the night and she and I got to get pedicures in the morning while Dan watched Kip.

Then Dan and I took Kippy to a birthday party for a friend. Our first invite as parents!! It was at a new indoor play place in the neighborhood and it was SO CUTE! Obviously, Kippy is too little still but it will be fun in the future.

In the afternoon Dan and I headed into the city for a date!!!! It was our first time in the city just the two of us since before Kippy was born. We saw A Bronx Tale on Broadway and we LOVED it! Great performances and music. 

We wanted to go to the Holiday Village in Bryant Park afterwards but it was raining and I needed to relieve my milk. Meanwhile, Kippy was having fun with Auntie Mimi.

On Sunday, Dan had set-up and welcome team at church so we got there extra early. But, Kippy did awesome. I am trying really hard to get him on a feeding and napping schedule and I was also trying to get him used to napping in the carrier or just being confined in a tight space in preparation for the plane. He did SO well! He fed every three hours and took two long naps, all while we were at church. Of course, as soon as we got home he went back to boycotting naps but I was happy with how well he did at church. 

Today, I'm packing and cleaning, and mentally preparing for a disaster tomorrow. My motto is plan for the worst to avoid disappointment and hopefully be pleasantly surprised.  I'll recap our trip next week. Everyone, enjoy your Thanksgiving!!!!

Anniversary Week

It's kind of a big "anniversary" week over here.

November 11th was the four year anniversary of this blog way back in 2013.  Sheesh we were babies back then. Read our first post back here.

And today, November 16th, is our engagement anniversary. Oh what fun memories that brings back!! Read about our engagement back here. Sometimes I still feel those tingles of excitement when I think about the moment I realized what was about to happen. Dan can't hold a straight face for the life of him and I'm highly observant so I saw it coming all morning and it was fun to play along.

If I didn't have to work and Kippy was with a sitter, I think I'd like to spend the day ice skating with Dan and exploring the Holiday Village in Bryant Park. That was our plan for the day way back on November 16, 2013. But, I'll be happy to snuggle with my guy tonight and watch mindless television with the baby sleeping in the other room. My, times have changed.

And also this week is Kippy's actual first birthday. WHAT??? At some point during this very week last year, Kipling Alan Johnson was conceived (although he didn't have a name for a very long time). We didn't plan for it to land around the occasion of our engagement anniversary and I think we totally forgot about our engagement last year. It just happened because the ovulation kit said to pull the trigger, so-to-speak, and so we did. Neither of us expected it to catch, but we were blessed and 365ish days later we have a snuggly but wild three-month old and we couldn't be happier.

King of New York

So, my dad wears newsboy caps. Is that their real name? Anyways, my cousin sent us a little baby-sized cap as a gift for Kip. It reminded her of her dad, one of my dad's brothers and probably my favorite uncle on my dad's side.

It's a bit big on Kippy but still SO cute and sentimental.

On Monday, I put Kip back in his suspenders pants because I wanted one more wear out of them (he is growing so fast). I added the cap and he looked just like a little Newsboy.

Where are my Newsies fans? Anyone?

Mandy, Jess and I were OBSESSED with the 1990s film staring Christian Bale. And I took both of them to see Newsies on Broadway several years ago. Fans forever.

Gotta add the action shots too, even tho he was a little angry at this point. Just pretend like he is dancing. Ha!