McClain's Favorites: 7-9 months

7-9 months saw our guy becoming super active and if I had to choose an overall theme for these 7-9 month picks it would be "keeping him happy on the go." From making sure he had a soft spot to crawl wherever we went to snacks he could feed himself and relief for teething gums, these items definitely made our lives easier this summer as M became a mover and shaker!

1) Our Ergo Baby Carrier got a ton of use as we visited summer festivals and other happenings in town. I've noticed that in general, parents don't use carriers here in Lexington a whole lot (at least not at the venues we frequent). It's a shame because carriers don't take up a lot of space, burn extra calories as you carry your little person around, and it gives them a chance to see the world from a different point of view. Often McClain would get tired of the stroller after so long and we could move  him to the Ergo, where he would be content checking out his surroundings. This one also wins points over our other carriers because it is the most "dad friendly"--Sam refuses to try out our other carriers, which he has deemed "girly."

2) Hyland's Teething Tablets have been a godsend and I don't know why it took me so long to get on board. I had read about a few issues with teething tablets several years ago, but they have since been reformulated and there have been no issues since. I now feel a bit guilty about all the children's tylenol we did previously for teething pain because this takes care of it close to 100% of the time. We recently discovered their Cold tablets and are big fans of those as well--I even found myself taking a few and finding that yes, they work!

3) We got to swim at various aunt's and uncle's houses this summer and M really enjoyed his Intex baby float. I am a big fan of the Intex brand in general (random fun fact: our air mattress is also Intex and it has been the best one we've owned!) and we got this guy for less than $5. It's a great quality, basic float that gets the job done.

4) M got really into cheerios early and then kinda burned out on them. Sam and I both equally heart these Happy Puffs that come in six flavors (our fave is purple carrot and blueberry). We've even been known to swipe a puff for ourselves from time to time. I like that these are sweetened with a little fruit juice and there's no crap in them (i.e. sugar, GMO's, or other scary stuff). Happy Puffs for the win, y'all!

5) As M got into crawling everywhere and on everything, it was really handy keeping this double sided Picnic Blanket in the car so we could spread it out at friend or relatives houses or outside. For whatever reason as a parent it takes a while for you to be comfortable letting your little child crawl on the actual floor (there's dirt and germs down there!) and heaving something waterproof on one side was great, too!

6) As M became more mobile he wouldn't sit in any of his baby seats anymore and this Graco Jumper became one of the only places we could set him for a few minutes where he would be in the same spot a minute later! It took him a month to actually get the jumping concept, but once he did he couldn't get enough. This one has a tray and we still often do breakfast here. There are also two little toys that come with it, but we mostly attached other toys as these are not super interesting. We didn't do any exersaucer or other similar, so this was a great alternative that allowed him to move his legs in a variety of ways, and also provided good -- wait for it -- vestibular stimulation. Nerd alert! Yeah I went there. But it's important for developing baby brains and this was a good option that's also very reasonably priced.

Cheesy-toast with slow roasted peppers and tomatoes

You guys, our garden is spitting out tomatoes. In mid-September. I know your garden probably gave you your tomatoes in the summer months like normal gardens do, but here we've had a rainy and cool summer, and our tomatoes are just starting to pop off by the dozen! (did I mention we have fifteen tomato plants in our back yard??)

Since it's still cool and already getting chillier by the day, warm tomatoes just sound cozier, don't they? I've been making big batches of slow roasted tomatoes--just sliced and drizzled with a little olive oil and pinch of salt, then baked at around 260 degrees for a couple of hours (I keep an eye on them and take them out when they start to get crisp around the edges). I've been keeping them in a container in the fridge and finding they go great with almost anything! Squeezed between layers of spinach lasagna, thrown on top of white chicken chili, in any and all sandwiches (ok, maybe not peanut butter and jelly, but seriously. On everything else).

They're great for M too as they're a little bit mushy and therefore not difficult for his 4.5 little teeth to mash. This was a simple combination of toast topped with sliced cheddar, tomatoes, and some yellow peppers I had laying around. As you can see, it was a big hit!

A Fresh Start for Fall

So my last post was a little over three months ago. Not gonna lie the summer has been rough for our little family with a badly sprained ankle for Sam and some ongoing health woes for me. Luckily the only thing plaguing Mc has been some sore teething gummers and the very occasional evening of reflux. We have been fortunate that he has only had two colds since he has been born and no other issues to speak of so far.

It's been strange feeling bad a lot of the time, and I don't know if any of you can relate but I have spent most of my energy just existing and trying to get through the day. What a bummer! A lot of the extra things that make life so enjoyable like blogging, entertaining friends, and showing Mc fun times  around town have gone by the wayside while I have been to different doctors, specialists, and even the emergency room trying to get some answers. However, I can finally say I am on the mend and hope to be 100% better in the next month or so. It sure makes you appreciate days when you do feel better and I have a renewed sense of feeling "Carpe Diem" and not wanting to take one moment for granted.

Here are some pictures we got a couple of weeks ago--our first "formal" family photo shoot with our favorite tiny guy, who is 10 months old now!