Baby Products that Will Make Your Life Easier - Part 3

Some of the things that I never thought about adding to the baby shower list were bath items. I was lucky that I got a few items as gifts and that a friend with 2 babies edited my registry. You will use these EVERY DAY. These are some of my favorite bath time baby items:

Soft Shampoo Rinser

This soft cup is great because babies always move so much. Emma now thinks it's a toy and she loves to play with it. Another munchkin product that I love.

Newborn Tub

This is a useful tub for the first 6 months. After that it feels too small and they like to move a little more to reach for toys. Babies hate baths the 1st month and then it's their favorite time of the day. The mesh helps when the baby is too small to keep the head up.

Inflatable Duck Tub (or whatever the official name is)

When babies can can sit, they can play more. This tub is perfect to put inside the grown ups tub. Between 6 months and 12 months she used it for her baths. We took it outside when it was warm too. We really enjoyed this tub from Munchkin.

Water Thermometer

Until you learn how hot/cold the water needs to be, this water thermometer is very useful. I used it every day. It beeps when the water is too cold or too hot.

Kneeler

This is great to protect your knees while giving the baby a bath in the big tub.

Bath Spout Cover

Safety. Safety. Safety. And cute!

I have a few rubber toys and I've thrown away a lot of them. The water stays inside and I'm afraid that mold is going to grow. Also, I tried different shampoos and we liked Aveeno's products best. There are many options available and it is confusing. I used all the ones that other moms gave me and liked Aveeno more than Babyganics or California Baby. 

*All pictures used are from target.com or babiesrus.com

Weekend in Orlando

A couple of weeks ago, we decide to spend the weekend I'm Orlando. I had to use my hotels.com account and Orlando is just a short drive away. We decided to stay in the Downtown Disney area since we didn't have plans to visit the theme parks. Emma is obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse so I wanted to give her a "Disney experience" without the long lines or the summer heat. I decided that the best was to find a character dining restaurant. At the same time, it was Andre's birthday and it was. A good excuse to over pay for a breakfast. 

I tried to get reservations with Chef Mickey, the restaurant where Mickey Mouse is. Apparently there is only one Mickey and you need to book several months in advance. We found a reservation at the Cape May Cafe located in one of Disney's hotels. The characters at the Cape May Cafe were Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy. I have to say that the food was really good! I wasn't expecting good food with this experience and I was surprised. I can easily say that it is probably the best breakfast buffet that I've ever been to. 

Emma was a little scared at first. I really thought that she would run towards Minnie instead if hiding from her. She did give kisses to all of the characters and we took their pictures several times. It was hard to get a good one. We had to seat in a room with poor lighting. I told the host that it was Andre's birthday. We sang happy birthday and he got a cupcake with a candle and a card signed by Minnie, Goofy and Donald. It was really nice. 

The rest of the weekend we spent it at our hotel pool, taking naps with Emma, and walking around Downtown Disney. There are many things to see and do there. My favorite is just to walk around, eat something, have a Ghiradelli ice cream for dessert and shop at the biggest Disney store (The world of Disney). I used to go to Bongos, Gloria Estefan's restaurant, a long time ago. They have a live band and the food is good. I haven't been since 2010 so I hope that it is still as good as I remember. There is also a permanent Cirque du Soleil show, "La Nouba", that is worth watching if you are ever in Orlando. I have seen other Cirque du Soleil shows and  La Nouba is still my favorite. 

We had a great time in Orlando. It felt like a nice vacation. Next time, I want to stay at a Disney hotel. We loved the Beach Club Resort. This hotel has a beautiful pool, a beach, movies outside, bike rentals, restaurants with characters, transportation to the theme parks and everything was just picture perfect. I will keep an eye for Florida resident specials during low season. I'm sure that we will be back many weekends to Orlando. It never gets old. 

Baby Products that Will Make Your Life Easier - Part 2

I started this list to help my pregnant friends decide what to get for their babies. I know it is overwhelming since there are too many products available. As a first time mom, I needed one of my best friends to create Emma's baby shower registry. If you missed part one, here is the link. This part 2 is about toys and activities to keep your little one interested. I didn't buy many things since I was lucky that a friend had 2 kids who were toddlers and Emma inherited their stuff. I also had a 3 year old neighbor who gave Emma some of her toys and my 2 nephews who were old enough to let go of their baby toys. She is definitely a lucky girl.

Play Mat

I used this since she was about a month old until she was about 6 months. It's easy to wash and you can change the toys. We called it the gym because is where she got her "tummy time", learned to hold her head and started to roll. We switched the toys to keep her motivated but she was the happiest with the mirror. 

Bouncer

This is what I always get my pregnant friends. This chair a lifesaver. I was a babysitter when I was 18 and this chair was very calming. You can take a shower, cook, clean the bottles and keep the baby next to you. They love it and since it's on the floor, it is safe. I never shower with the curtain closed or let her out of my sight to be safe. We used it until she was getting to big to fit in it. 

Swing

The swing is nice and some kids love it. I think that it takes too much room and the seat is small so by the time your baby is 3 months old, they cant fit in it. I would only get the bouncer if I had to buy them. Emma was lucky because a frriend of mine gave us everything that her kids used. I kept the bouncer at my parents' house and the swing at our house. 

Jumper

My life really got easier when I started to use this jumper. Emma loved it!! The music and the toys kept her busy. I was happy because I could do other things while she played. She would play on it for at least one hour without getting bored. She stopped liking it when she started to crawl. I guess that she just wanted to be free. 

Walker

After the jumper, the walker is the baby's favorite. She would run around the house looking for books or toys that she could reach. We loved watching her move and run around on this. 

Floor Mat

These mats are the beast when they are learning to crawl. It makes the floor nice and not so cold. It is a nice/safe place for all the head bumps.

Teething toys:

The best is Sophie the Giraffe. They also love the ones that you can keep cold. Emma loved the ones that made noise, had rattles or mirrors like this one. 

Other toys:

Emma loves music and one of her favorite toys is a piano. I got her an activity table for Christmas and she likes it a lot. It was nice to help her stand up when she was learning how to walk.  When she got a big older she started to enjoy all cause and effect toy like the cubes with different shapes or games with balls that come in and out from different places. Sometimes babies don't even need toys, simple things like plastic containers and lids will keep them busy. My dad started to sing to her since she was 4 months old. He used his ipad to sing along. She soon discovered that the music from the ipad came with videos. We try to limit the amount of videos that she watches. However, I have to confess that dinner time is easier thanks to Baby Einstein. When she is cranky and doesn't want to eat or let us eat, we play a video and she would just dance and eat. 

Day Trip to Tarpon Springs, Fl

Last Saturday, my family insisted that we visited Tarpon Springs. They love going to this small town north of Tampa to spend the afternoon walking or at the beach. I used to visit this place often many years ago. I found an old post from 2011 where I mention that I want to go to Tarpon Springs more often. I never made it in the past 3 years because Andre said that he had never been to that beach and we had not been to the town together. 

We first made an improvised stop at the beach to let the kids be free before sitting them down to have dinner. They loved it. The water was calm and warm. We stayed for a couple of hours and then we drove to the Greek side of town. 

We walked around Dodecanese Boulevard looking at the shops and restaurants. A friend of mine dated a greek guy who loved to take us to a restaurant in town. At first, I couldn't remember where we used to eat. As soon as I walked into the bakery, I remember that was the place he loved. The name of the restaurant is Hellas and everything that we had was delicious. My parents and my sisters had not seen the flaming cheese so I quietly asked the waiter to get us some. It is delicious and fun when the whole place screams "OPA". We all enjoyed this night out.

Unfortunately, I was too full for dessert. I'm sure that we will be back to this place many times. Emma stayed up late and she was at her best behavior. This night showed me that she is not a little baby and that we can start having a semi "normal" life again.

Anniversary No.3

Today is my third wedding anniversary. I can't believe that it was only 3 years ago. We have been through so much together that I feel like it has been longer. I am happy to say that our wedding day is still fresh in my memory. Our wedding was probably the best party and one of the best days of my life. Having our friends and family with us was priceless. I will be eternally grateful to all of those that came out of the comfort zone and traveled to Colombia. It really meant the world to us to see everyone dancing, drinking aguardiente and having fun. I wish we could do it again and have everyone travel. I really miss Colombia and my hometown of Cali. I haven't been there since we came back from our wedding. 

Happy anniversary my sweet André. You are the best husband and father I could ever ask for. I love you. We are planning a short trip to celebrate this day. Emma will start paying for a plane ticket in January and I want to take a couple trips before the end of the year to take advantage of her "infant" status. 

If you want to see some old posts about our destination wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii click here and here.

Photocredit: Efeunodos

Emma's 18 month-Photo Session

When we visited my friend in Oklahoma City last month, she gave us a very special gift. She booked a photo shoot for Emma with her favorite local photographer. I was excited because I had seen the pictures that she took of my friend's daughter. Emma was not too happy when we tried to take pictures of her alone. We ended up having a family session instead of a session for Emma. I will treasure these pictures forever. I don't get tired of looking at them. 

All pictures were taken by the talented Mandy Davis. 

If anyone can recommend me a child photographer in Tampa, I would love to know! 

First Beach Day of the Summer

Going to the beach with Emma reminds me that the best things in life are the most simple. She had a great time chasing the seagulls, touching the water, playing with the sand. She was too excited to nap or eat her lunch. I will take her more often. The only reason with don't do it is because we like to take a tent and it requires at least 4 people to put it together.  If we don't take a tent, we can't last in the heat and the sun.

We saw a family yesterday that had it all figured out. They used a wagon to carry the child and everything else that they needed. Their tent was a foldable one that was easy to assemble and they had a small umbrella to put near the water where the kid was making sand castles. We have a lot to learn and since we live less than an hour away from the beach I'm sure that we will learn fast. I took a few pictures of Emma yesterday that I love. Here are some of my favorites:

Life After 15 Years...

Every December, I think about the day that I moved to the United States. On December 10th (2014) it marked 15 years. This year I was busy working and traveling and I completely forgot about my "US anniversary". I still want to honor that anniversary not just because it was probably the saddest day of my life but because I have learned to love my adoptive country. The reason it was hard it was because I was 18, in college and in love. I had many friends and a life that I loved and didn't want to leave behind. 

In honor of the 15 years of living in the United States, I thought I would list the top 15 things that I love about the Country and the City I now call home.

1. The North East: I'm fascinated with the lifestyle in the north east. The metro, the traffic, the seasons, the skyscrapers. It's makes it real that I am in the most industrialized/developed country in the world. I still get the same feeling when I go. I just say WOW and admire the surroundings. 

2. California: The golden state is definitely a great place to visit. From the beaches to the wineries. There is something for everyone. I used to go more often because my sister lived in San Jose for many years. My sister now lives in Tampa. I don't need an excuse to go but it definitely was a priority to see her as often as I could. 

3. Miami: Miami is what South America would be like if we had money or a less corrupt government that would build roads and take care of the City. Most people in Miami speak Spanish. I think most Americans feel like tourist in their own country when they visit this great place. 

4. The American Lifestyle: The right to wear what you want without the worry of what would people think. I agree, most Americans still care about opinions but most Colombians are too judgemental about attaire even just to go grocery shopping. I feel less judged in the US because of how you look and what you wear. 

5. People following rules: this includes respecting the police, not cutting the lines and (mostly) educated drivers. 

6. Economic Independence at a young age: most Americans are independent from an early age thanks to starting to work when they are teenagers. 

7. The Parks: The US is home to many impressive parks. Central Park in NYC is my favorite. I am also in love with Curtis Hixon park in downtown Tampa. 

8. Super stores and stores in general:

This country has some of the best shopping. From outlet malls to places like Sam's Club where you can buy a year's supply of paper towels. 

9. The cultural melting pot: This is a country of immigrants. Most people are a mix of different races/cultures. All I can say is that I'm 100% Colombian. I don't know much about my background other than remembering my parents saying that their grandparents were from Spain. Listening to different languages and having so many options for food makes this place a rich one. 

10. Desserts: One of the things that impressed me the most when I first moved here was that any dessert was good! Even the cheap ice cream tastes good. I don't know what it is about Americans and their sweets but they know how to make good desserts. 

11. Customer Service: If you have been to South America you will know what I'm talking about. In the US the customer is always right. Everywhere else, the customer is trying to trick the business. Or at least that's what they think and the way they treat you. 

12. Mail: You actually can trust the mail system here. Getting a passport, renewing your driver's license online and getting it a week later instead of waiting in line for a full day it's priceless. 

13. The big Cities and their impressive architecture: Maybe it's the nerd in me but I still can't get over how amazing Manhattan is or how beautiful the Golden Gate Bridge is. 

14. The transportation system and the highways: I became a transportation engineer basically because I was so impressed with the highways in the US. I wanted to know more about how they worked. I had no idea that this was going to be my career when I moved here. 

15. Everything is clean and it doesn't smell bad/ The streets, public bathrooms... This is not only an organized country but also a clean one. 

I have lived in the US for so long, I finally feel like this is home! Colombia will always be a big part of me. However, I'm happy to live where I live today. What's your favorite thing about the US? 

Oklahoma City for the Weekend

Last month, over the 4th of July weekend, we went to Oklahoma City. This is not the typical vacation spot but one of my childhood friends lives here. I decided to use 70,000 delta miles (35,000 miles each) to get 2 tickets to OKC. I can never find seats for 25,000 miles using Delta. We had a 1 hour flight to Atlanta and a less than 2 hour flight to OKC. I decided to pay a little extra for economy comfort seats. It was only $19 per flight per person and It was worth it. Having a lap infant who is not a baby anymore can make things a little tight. I will continue to upgrade when possible even when Emma is no longer a lap infant. I have to say that Delta was great!!!! The 4 flights were on time, they let families with small children board first and the seats were comfortable.

Emma did great the whole time at the airports and during the flights. The only problem was that she decided to go #2 in the flight from Atlanta to OKC. Since this was a smaller airplane, they didn't have a changing table in the bathrooms. I had to get creative and change her standing on the toilet seat and hoping that nothing will get out of the diaper. There is always an "adventure" happening when traveling with kids. 

My friend and I hadn't seen each other since 2006 so this was a special trip. Since we became mothers, our friendship has grown even stronger. When I couldn't travel for her wedding in 2009, I promised her that I would go meet her first baby. I always assumed she would have babies first. I ended up having a baby before her and it was too complicated for me to visit. Emma, André and I finally packed our bags and traveled to meet Grace, my adopted niece. I fell in love with this little girl. She was happy, smart and full of love. Emma was not too happy with her and she would run away from Grace when she saw her coming. It was funny to watch. We were together to watch the Colombia-Brazil World Cup game. We painted our faces with the Colombian flag, wore our team jerseys, listened to "Ras-Tas-Tas" (the Colombian team song), drank lots of wine, and did a BBQ to celebrate our second Country. We didn't go out too much because Grace and Emma had their naps at different times and it was hard to plan something. My friend and her family will be moving to England this fall. I dont know when I will see them again. I hope that we can stay part of each other's lives no matter how many miles are between us. We love you very much Maria and Grace. I'm really happy that we spent these days together. 

PS: Era gol de Yepes!!!! (Yepes scored a goal that got annulled by the referee and it was a goal!!!!!!)