Nursery Inspiration

We live in this tiny little sphere of the universe called Limbo. It's a slightly unsettled, anxious place where the daily norm is that of the unknown. After you live there awhile, you find yourself adjusting to the feelings, and actually find calm in preparing for all the various "what if" scenarios that might unfold.

In other words, still no news on the house hunting front. There are other balls being juggled, too, that we're figuring out, but that's one of the biggest. So, with each week blowing by, closer and closer to the baby's arrival in November, we're pushing forward with any and all possibilities: in this case, turning our office into an office-slash-nursery (I kid not).

I'm hoping that whatever general scheme we go with for the space will fit swimmingly into a new place, should one pop up, as well.

See? Prepare for the future, in whatever possible incarnation it may be. ;-)

That said, these are the two different mood boards I whipped up to decide between. We're fighting a losing battle with an outdated, cheap diamond-patterned brown and tan carpet (which simply isn't worth replacing with the crappy paint splatters someone left underneath) and, well, the fact that the place is also A (not large) OFFICE. Dave may or may not allow me to replace his fur-covered black office chair. (Beardslee sleeps on it during the day...and night...and forces Dave to abandon desk when he so pleases to use the damn thing. It's hilariously sad to view.) But, dude, Mama needs a nursing spot, so we'll see who wins this one. Admittedly, I used our bed the first time around which wasn't always comfortable.

We also painted the walls when we first moved in and the color is neutral enough to help sell the house...even if it is a tad pink-ish for my taste. (It's tan...but with a fleshy undertone, if that makes sense.) The background on these boards indicates a facsimile of the color. So, nope, we're not painting!

So, check these out and weigh in down below (comments, please)! I'm not saying which has been floating in my head far more...so your results may have me in tears. Or not. I'm not THAT hormonal. Oh, and the inspiration colors will be accent colors that will work their way in as bedding, art, and possibly a painted furniture piece or something.

I don't want to give either a "theme" because, well, then it turns into a whole thing. Like collecting. If you say you like one thing, the flood of "I know you like owls!" gifts begin...and continue 10 years past when you gave up on the things. So, no. But you can still guess the vibe I'm going for, right?

I'm loving the golden brass lately. If you told me I'd be into it 5 years ago, I'd have smacked you...or at least raised a cynical eyebrow. But, anyhoo, mixing it with the walnut tones we already have going on (with the crib, desk, and one bookcase...we have three, sigh) and neutrals gives some glam and texture to the space. Toss that with a deep green and fuhgetaboutit.

And, speaking of texture: can you say "DIY pouf"? Because that's all my itchy Pinterest finger can peruse. Can't wait to hit up Goodwill to see what sweaters they have in store. Mwahaha.

As far as art, we don't have a TON of space, and I'd like the whole room to just accept its bipolarity and enjoy the ride - so, if there's an inspirational wall hanging, it must inspire child and office-user alike. Throw in a vintage map and it screams "Oh, the places you'll go!" as much as it does "this is a rad office, where's the scotch?"

Mmm. Booze. I miss booze.

Can you tell I kinda want that Target chair? I'm still searching for something with a small footprint that's upholstered on wheels that can be used as an office chair OR a spot to comfortably nurse, so this is just a thought for now. Hoooooly crap, am I picky? But, clearly arrows are non-negotiable. And tassel garland. Which I fully plan to make. I guess I have a thing about DIY art in a kid's room. Maybe I need some in our room while we're at it.

Notice the fluffy white rug, too? It'd be nice to have a landing pad on the floor and soften up the place. Plus, major points for detracting from the diamond monstrosity currently enveloping the space. I truly think that a well-placed layer like this will make the carpet read more like a neutral. #fingerscrossed

In this board, I clearly am all about the mint accents. Sure, a bit of peachy coral helps, but there's just something about mint + brass in a neutral room lately. Yum.


So, here's what it's your turn! I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments (and maybe even a vote or two for which is your fave). As usual, all the stuff shown depends on availability and whether I find (or make) something a million times cooler, but they give you the general vibe I'm going for.

Please and thanks for any thoughts!

Oh, and nope. We're not finding out the baby's gender in advance. Happy picking! ;-)

Christmas in July

My mother had a tendency to be early...for everything. I kind of agree, and get anxious when we don't leave early (or, God forbid, when we leave late!). But, one thing I remember her saying a lot over the years is that when we were kids she liked to get her Christmas shopping done by sometime in September. If she could do it before school started, all the better.

The poor woman can't do that anymore since it's like pulling teeth to get lists out of all four kids, spouses and grand kids. I get it. We're annoying. ;-)

But, this year, I'm hopping on the "the earlier, the better" bandwagon. With a second little one coming mid-November, my usual Black Friday fun with my sister will have to be skipped. Heck, a lot will probably get skipped. But, Chrismas fun? NEVAAAAHHHH!!

We actually have a stash that we add to throughout the year for monkey, anyway, so we'll be inspecting that to see what, if anything, we need to round it out. (Figuring out his size will be a challenge for clothes.) Dave and I have a tradition of taking a Saturday to shop together for a couple of special little guy gifts from Santa and getting coffee or lunch together, so we'll most likely drop him off to the grandparents and take the little one with us to do that again.

Otherwise, I'm already searching the interwebs for deals. There are a handful of things we need to buy for the baby, so my eyes keep wandering, but my focus is CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. Lots of online sources are touting Black Friday deals in July, so I'm hoping to stock up and get some stuff off my list sooner rather than later.

So, here's my strategy:

- Paring down. Since my side of the family is doing the "only buy stuff for the kiddos", that cuts back on the number of people we need to buy for. We will still always get something for all of our parents since they do SO much for us. I'm also hoping for "quality over quantity" for Dave and I, too, and will be setting a smaller limit than usual for ourselves and the kiddos. They'll still get stuff, but a reasonable amount, especially considering that our extended family will be getting them stuff, too.

- Infant gear. We're not buying a ton of stuff because, well, we have a lot. However, because Hadley was a summer newborn (and some of the stuff has worn out), we'll be in need of some new clothes. In advance, we'll be getting some new cloth dipes, a new carseat, and some cold weather essentials. However, we won't need a million outfits because that's what we'll get (and ask for) for Christmas, along with a couple of other baby items.

- Keep things flexible and open. It seems the closer to "Santa time" you get, the more the list grows, doesn't it? The week of Christmas, it's common for a kiddo to add one thing they RRREEEEEEAAAALLY want. Hadman was so all-over-the-place in the past that it didn't matter if Santa missed something here or there. This year, I'm asking early, working on the list *together*, and getting stuff early. However, this is why Dave and I have a shopping date closer to December -- just in case there's an item that we'd really like him to have or that he adds.

- Organization! Lists are the only way I sleep at night, I swear. So, I've got a Google Doc of my list and everyone who needs to be gifted. (I'm also going to have a list of the to-do's as far as pre-baby planning and when we get closer to the holiday, too.) Seriously, savior.  

- Do as much online as possible. Sure, I could schlep out with the 3-year-old to try to buy full-priced stuff in the stores...but isn't there a better way? Yep. Shopping during naptime in your sweat shorts with free shipping and pretty decent deals? I'd call that better!


Am I the only one who is planning for (and starting in on) Christmas now? Can you blame me, though, really? ;-) Honestly, if I don't start planning now, I'm going to put off any thoughts of what's to come (and, honestly, it makes the baby feel more "real" when planning for after he/she comes) and find myself completely unprepared.

And you know that I'm starting to browse Pinterest for simple ways to celebrate Christmas (along with space saving nursery ideas).

Same and Different

Since I shared some insight to our pregnancy last week and how things are going, I've been excited to chat about some of the things that we hope to do raising Baby #2. Some are repeats that worked well (and we hope, with crossed fingers, that they do the second time around); some are things that either didn't work the first time or that we simply didn't try.

Babywearing (Different) - It could've been our baby's large size. It could've been because he wasn't really into it. It could've been the fact that I simply didn't stick with it very well. Whatever it was, I want to give it another go.

Considering we're still in "NO, Hadley! Don't go near the road!!" chasing-a-kid-around mode, it feels like babywearing will be a big benefit to our family in so many ways. It'll leave me/Dave hands-free to hold the little man's hand or tend to him however he needs while getting some uber-important bonding time with the little one. I already have an Ergo carrier and a Moby wrap (unless my sister's using them, in which case I'll try new ones!), so I just have to get used to the actual carrying of a baby. ;-)

Breastfeeding (Same) - While we had some definite low points, I can proudly say that we successfully breastfed Hadman for about a year and a half, maybe longer (it got down to one feeding at the end, so my memory's foggy). I'm determined to make it work again with this next child. (Watch them have a tongue tie or not be as willing to help. ;-))

I think that the two biggest reasons for our success in this area are: 1) a super big, super hungry baby (he latched immediately in the hospital, after a bottle in the nursery(!), 'cuz he was *Chris Farley voice* STAAARVIIIING!!!; even if we had a few issues later on, it gave me the confidence to continue) and 2) a super awesomely supportive husband (who actually called the lactation specialist, who intimidated the crap out of me, several times and would advocate for me to people who weren't very understanding at times). 

Possible C-Section (Same, Maybe) - *sigh* This is one that has me scared to talk about publicly because it's pretty emotional for me and there are LOTS of opinions floating around...that I don't need/want to hear. Anyway, here it goes.

We LOVE our group of doctors. LOVE THEM. But, their policy, due to insurance, is "once you have a C-section, that's whatchya get." (Paraphrased.) In our area, there are few to no options (aside from a home birth, which we're just not made for) for a VBAC. We recently heard that there IS at least one practitioner who attempts them, but I'm gun-shy about changing our doctors, especially if Hadley was a 10+ pound kid. If I'm destined for another huge kid and another C-section, I'd like to be with doctors I'm already comfortable with.

I'm getting my head wrapped around this, and I know one day I'll be able to write a post entitled "Why I'm Okay with My Scheduled C-Section" (since that's the way I'm leaning). I'm just not there yet. Just let me sit and eat my mint chocolate chip ice cream and think. And think. And mull. And think some more.

Cloth Diapers (Different) - This is one area that I failed miserably at the first time around. I bought a bunch of BumGenius all-in-one diapers (which you can simply toss into your diaper container/bag and wash within 2-3 days, no stuffing/unstuffing/pinning/folding) for Hadley since I'd seen awesome reviews for them. I'm not sure if they need more cleaning or a full-on stripping, but they were a bit leaky when we tried them and bulky.

So, this time, this is the one area I MUST DO. I hope to include the BGs in my stash (maybe sell a handful) but also to grab some trimmer pocket dipes while I'm at it. The AIOs had snaps rather than Velcro, so I'm wondering if I should try some with the sticky stuff to compare more with the disposables. Given that I'm active in the "green community", I've felt horribly that this didn't work (and not to mention that I feel guilty that I may have another non-natural birth, blah), but it was overwhelming with his colic/gas/newness. I think the second time around, I'm already worrying less, but also optimistic that *maybe, just maybe* this'll go a bit better.  

Bassinet-to-Crib (Same) - The first month or two, we're planning on keeping the little one as close as possible to our bedside at night. However, we will eventually switch him over to the same crib Hadley's been using. (If we're in a new house, that'll be time for the big boy bed!!! If we're not, we'll be rearranging rooms!!! All very exciting and terrifying.)

Stuff Glut (Same...and Different?) - So, yeah. Since we don't find out our little ones' genders before their arrivals, we've got plenty of gender neutral clothes to work with. Plus, we've got boy clothes from Hadman and girl clothes to borrow from my sister, so we're set on clothes. As far as all the other "stuff", we've either got it or realized...we never needed it.

We live by the Pack 'n Play, given that we're in a two-level home, so we're glad to have that. I'd like to try a swing out, but by that point we may have one "floating around" within the family (if not, it'll probably be one of our only purchases -- aside from the cloth dipes, which are a beast all their own). Can I just say what a relief it is that I don't have to have a shower and glut of more stuff?? (The generosity was so sweet the first time around, but it's just a huge "aaahhhh" moment.)

Our House (???) - This is one area we're working on. If we can find and move into a new house during this pregnancy, awesome! If not...we'll deal. We'd rather have more space in an area that's more conducive to our familial needs, but we don't want to rush into something we don't love. So this may be a same...may be a different. Who knows?

What about you? Any huge changes from one child to another? ;-) 

Pregnancy #2 Q&A

We've received such a rush of sweet congratulatory messages and well wishes since making our special announcement. If you were one of them, thank you from the bottoms of our hearts! Seriously. It means the world. 

As I did with our first, I'm answering some questions I've had (and some questions I just feel like answering to clear things up a bit) about pregnancy and our family and all that good stuff. There are a few answers I don't know yet, so I'll leave those questions out for now. ;-)

Will you be finding out the baby's gender?

As with Hadman, nope, we won't be finding out the baby's gender in advance. It's such a fun surprise to have! Plus, we're super lucky that a) the first 0-6 months we've already got lots of gender neutral clothing and b) we have TONS of boy clothes and, since my sister's first was a girl, lots of girl clothes to borrow, as well. So, we're fine not knowing. 

What are some names you have picked out? (See also: Did Hadley have any other names you were considering? What were you going to name Hadley if he was a girl? *fill in the blank* is a wonderful name!)

Noooo ya don't! ;-) Sneaky folks, trying to figure out what types of names we're mulling over (and suggesting your own...usually, literally, your own). Hee hee. We don't divulge our secrets, clearly. But, really, at first we were thinking of going back to the drawing board and searching the entire baby naming book we used the first time, but after going over our original picks (we narrowed it down to 2-4 names for each gender, along with possible middle names), we decided we still liked them. So, we're kind of ready to go in with that list in hand and see what matches the baby. (And, no, we won't share any before the time comes.)   

Is this pregnancy different at all? (See also: Are you sicker? Any bad symptoms?) 
One reason I'm talking about this is because when I discovered we were expecting, I had forgotten the symptoms I had the first time (and hadn't really talked about them much on the blog back then). I started the whole thing off coming down with some sort of virus or cold, so those always seem to be my first pregnancy symptoms - days, sometimes weeks, of an illness I can't take medicine (or even echinacea tea) for! I had a teensy bit of nausea here and there and still get a small amount of heartburn, but for the most part it's just a bit of exhaustion mixed with complete normalcy. Knock on wood. ;-) I'm a very lucky pregnant lady.

Oh, and the complete lack of motivation thing sucks. It's one reason I've done less posting (although I AM spending quality family time in the meantime) and am not spring cleaning up a storm like I should be. Yeah. Time to get on that.

Any cravings? 
The funny thing is that instead of nausea, I've had a complete lack of appetite. Like, I know I need to eat, and if I let it get too long I get Hulk-style hangry, but I have zero appetite. So, the whole cooking for the family thing when you don't want to eat ANYTHING is kinda weird. Even light stuff like salads or a wrap or anything sounds disgusting.

That said, I've had the occasional junk food craving, including some fast food. The closest I've come is a couple of sweet onion chicken teriyaki subs from Subway (still crap, but at least it's not McDonald's) and a couple of stops by a convenient store for a not-great-bag-o'-something. I remember having a fast food craving with H-man, too, and I allowed myself one meal from each restaurant (so, yes, a McDonald's meal, a Taco Bell meal, an Arby's meal, a Subway meal...no Burger King, as I recall), but I haven't had THAT big of an urge. If I do, I'll confess to Dave and ask my penance, then move on with my life. It is what it is. Everything else in our house is natural/GMO-free/organic so I really can't sweat the small stuff.  

How did you tell Dave? When did you find out?

Well, let's see. I found out when I was home sick (see above, had a cold or some such crud) on, of all days, St. Patrick's Day. (I'm of Irish descent, so yeah. Perfection.) Poor Dave had to pick up the little guy, rush home, head to a rehearsal for a show he was doing at the time, rush home, and get other stuff done. That night, after he got home and was working on finding dinner and making tea, I grabbed the nearest kitty (Winston, good sport) and shoved one of the positive pregnancy tests into his collar (similar to the first time I told him). It took him FOREVER to realize something was in Wee-Wee's collar, let alone what it was, but when he found out he was ecstatic. It was kind of neat because we'd found out about Hadley on Halloween and this little one on St. Patrick's Day. All about the holidays!

How's Hadley handling it?

Um, like an almost-3-year-old. He knows the news and was/is excited about it, but he forgets (which is fine at this stage). He's also confused about all the different babies in the family (like when I told him my sister had a little boy last week, he asked "Where's our baby?" and gets my sister-in-law's baby, Parker, who's due in July mixed up with ours and Mary's). All totally understandable, but he's been positive about it all. Plus, he had been talking about having a sibling for awhile and not caring whether it was a girl or boy; we also had explained IN LENGTH several times what being a big brother would be like and he was totally on-board with it all. So, I'm not too worried right now.

The cats have not voiced any concern, either. Yet.

Is this why you're searching for a new house?

You got it. Well, kind of. We've talked for endless hours about if/when to buy a new house, namely in a safe, family-friendly area. If we don't find an awesome, larger house by the time the baby comes, it's fine. We can make our 1,000 sq. foot house work if we need to, especially for fear of buying the money pit (LOVED that movie as a kid!) of our nightmares out of a fear that we won't find anything. Ever. Not much luck yet, to the point where we're discussing "How do you feel about a more rural setting?" but we feel calm about it all.       

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So, that's it for now! I'm hoping to share the things that are the same/different the second time around and some do-overs I'm hoping for. Now that the news is "out in the open", it's nice to kind of switch and focus on "normal" stuff again - like planning Hadman's birthday party. ;-)

Oh, and if you think I missed anything, leave a question in the comments and I'll update accordingly!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day

This year was possibly the most fun and exciting Mother's Day weekend we'll probably ever have. Friday, my sister had a baby -- little Timothy Conner. Saturday, there was our sister-in-law's baby shower (she's due in July with her first, a little boy named Parker!) and my brother surprised us with a visit from Ohio to meet the new little one. Sunday, well, we celebrated Mother's Day.

Dave gave us a super-early breakfast (because lately we've been super-early risers) that he cooked completely on the grill (toast, eggs, bacon, and sweet potatoes) and we got to enjoy peacefully on our deck. A gift of an azalea, new gardening gloves from Hadman and a gift card to "The Tailor and the Cook" (to say nothing of my two adorable, tear-jerking cards) topped off my day. Then, I played and ran around with Hadley while Dave did dishes and got ready before we bolted off to bring a second breakfast to his parents. While there, Dave made one last call to his brother - whom we'd been keeping a secret from until post-shower - to cover (most of) our bases.

When we got home and as Hadley fought a nap (we were heading to my mother's house later in the day), we synchronized a Facebook status update, counting down 3...2...1....

We were anxious about the announcement, not because of the actual news but because the announcement might be confusing to some of our friends. We're fans of "The Onion", which is very much our strange sense of humor, and Dave had come up with this idea months ago. So, we plopped down at our dining room table, told Hadley to "think", and set the auto-shoot on the camera. The little guy just happened to put his finger up saying, "Me have an idea!" as it went off and there we were. After weeks of writing and editing, we were happy with the final result. 

I figured it'd be nice to do a "normal" announcement here along with our quirky one. (Click and double-click on the above image to read it closer and better, BTW.)

Baby Bunny/Bulldog/#2 is due sometime in November. I say "sometime" because at our first sonogram we were told that our original date was off and we were further ahead than expected (by about a week). So, mid-November works right now. For the most part, things are very calm and peaceful and healthy, just like we like it. I'll be posting later this week to discuss how things are going and how/when we found out (yup, I've got lots of blog posts in my head that I haven't been able to talk about before now!), so if you have any questions, feel free to ask away. Otherwise, I'll just over-share on my own. ;-)

So, yeah. It was probably the best Mother's Day I'll ever have. I hope any moms out there had one just as wonderful!

Traveling with a Toddler

Since we've had some time to return to normalcy after our vacation and documented all the fun, I thought it'd be a good time to share a list of tips we picked up from traveling with our little 2-year-old Hadman. I already shared a fun list of items that help when traveling with tots, and all that stuff helped BIG-TIME with the trip.

Oh, and this was a road trip (no planes involved) and wasn't super long (4 1/2+ hours, tops). I'm sure people who have traveled 8-12 hours in a car (or, God bless you, on a plane!) with a little one can come up with even better ideas. If you've got 'em, share 'em in the comments!

Tip #1: Let go of expectations. I went into this trip over-planning (on purpose; it's how I roll), but knowing all the while that I should keep my expectations low. Would we make it to even a fraction of the places I hoped to visit? Nope. Will he enjoy the planned activities as much as I hoped he would? Probably not (or enjoy them for 5 minutes or less before indicating that he was done). Should I expect perfection from a 2-year-old? Never.

So, going into vacation with this more laid-back attitude was SO helpful. The places we ended up hitting were awesome and we made tons of family memories, with minimal meltdowns. The places that we missed, well, maybe we'll go again when he's a bigger boy and I'll have a cache of ideas stored up to try.

Tip #2: Know thy child. Of course, you already know your kid. Who does better than you, really? It's true, you rock. So, use that intuition and everything you already know about your munchkin to help you plan accordingly.

What's your little one's favorite thing to do? Art projects? Free play? Reading books? Running around like he needs a tiny, adorable straight jacket? Select activities that align with those interests. Our visit to the Eric Carle Museum was perfect because there was a story time (a short movie based on a book, while we were there) that he LOVED, a library with toys (books + a few great toys + a space to make a little noise = perfect for our monkey), a "very hungry caterpillar" sculpture that he could climb all over, and even an art project area that was structured in a very casual way, which helped with his short attention span but propensity for messiness.

This tip also applies to your tot's schedule. We all know that it's important to maintain some semblance of a schedule, with some allowance for flexibility built in, right? We tried to ensure that there was a nap time (he even took a morning nap on the long way to our destination, which was awesome and super rare) built in and that we didn't over-schedule the day. Pick a handful of activities, but do them only if your little one's in an adventurous mood; perhaps one active one and one chill one per day, depending on length.

And, if your kiddo does fine with eating in a restaurant, build plenty of opportunities to try some new places. Which leads me to my third tip...

Tip #3: Stay in. Never thought I'd hear myself say that. This totally doesn't mean "give in to your naughty child" or "don't have any fun on your trip." Not at all.

What it DOES mean is that just because you're on vacation, it doesn't mean you have to be "on the go" or that you HAVE to eat every meal in a super structured restaurant environment the entire time. Unexpectedly, after a very busy first day of driving, lunching, sight-seeing, and shopping, by the time we arrived at our hotel to regroup, we realized we were exhausted. Oh, and Hadley was in full-speed-ahead mode. A lack of playtime will do that to a kid. That's a recipe for disaster, as far as dinner was concerned. Actually, as far as a lot's concerned.

Hence, the above picture. We ordered dinner from a nearby Italian restaurant, didn't have to "dress for dinner", and Hadley was able to run around the hotel room and make as much noise as he wanted while all the other guests were out to dinner. It. Was. Perfect. We kept saying what a good idea it was to stay in. Then, we got to fit in a regular bath and bedtime (although he ended up sleeping with us; c'est la vie), so it really worked out great.

The next night, we encouraged our friends to order out (vs. eating out) since they also would have an infant in tow, so we didn't really go out to dinner at all (aside from a couple of casual lunches). And, guess what. No big. We drank a little bit with dinner and after the kids were down, we enjoyed some "adult sundaes" (ice cream + brownies + Kahlua), accompanied by wonderfully leisurely conversation. That wouldn't have been very doable if we'd gone out, would it? Not with two kids along for the ride.

See? Stay in. It's not a dirty word. Unless you're a foodie. In which case, disregard.

Tip #4: Build in stops for everyone. This wasn't a kid-centric trip, and no family trip needs to be. Sure, we built in specific stops to maintain serenity with the kiddo, but it was a pretty even vacation full of "stops for Mom, stops for Dad, stops for Child." And when we could tick off two or three of those individuals with one activity? Jackpot!

There was a stop at one of Dave's favorite comic stores and several friend visits for the hubby (although I like to consider his friends my friends; I'm not worthy, really) and some historical stuff and a stop at the outlets (purely professional; I needed school clothes) on the way home for wifey. Bookstores for all three. All happy.

Tip #5: Pack healthfully. Dude. Travel can be super unhealthy. And, that's okay...to an extent. (See above "adult sundaes" reference, ahem.) But, it's nice to have options while in the car, and never knowing where your next meal will be is a recipe for disaster. Ha. Recipe. Get it??

So, we stocked the heck up. I had one large reusable grocery bag full of our favorites: organic granola bars (for adults and tot), organic snack crackers, organic milk and juice boxes, organic fruit leather, a bunch of bananas, and a huge bag of those mini-oranges (thank you, orange hack video, for making the process a little less messy in the car -- wish I could find the link again!). Oh, and I had a separate cooler bag with a ton of water and another insulated lunch bag with Hadley's yogurt packets and stuff.

I also allowed myself some room in his lunch bag to throw in a granola bar or fruit leather so that, when we did eat at a restaurant, we could just bring the bag along to keep him satiated while waiting. Simple as that.

Tip #6: The simple things. Speaking of simple...an egg. A freaking cheap-o, neon bright plastic Easter egg. I kid you not, this thing was a game changer.

I packed a humongous bag of favorite toys for all possible situations (if you're not getting a good mental picture already, yes, the car was loaded to the gills), and they definitely did the trick at keeping him relatively entertained there and back.

But what were the best, most entertaining things in the backseat? A cheap, plastic toy truck our neighbor gave him just before we left and a plastic Easter egg. Mind you, at our first rest stop, he saw a game where you put coins in and the egg (containing a far-too-old-for-him toy; ie choking hazard) pops out, so after we did our potty business, I let him put the coins in. The egg seriously mesmerized him (enough so that I could pop out the little monster inside and dispose of it properly without him giving two craps about it).

Sometimes it's the little things for these little ones. Like running around the hotel room. Or popping up in your hotel crib every ten seconds to announce how HAPPY you are to be sleeping in a room with "MAMADADA!!!" Or meeting new friends only to discover you love redheads just as much as you love blondes. Or being able to finally say your distant-BFF's name and to bear hug the heck out of him and to even display a mild understanding of sharing. Or making friends with the docents at a museum. Or being rewarded with an electronic Pink Panther ride at the outlets. 

And aren't those simple, little things the memories we sometimes inadvertently forget...the memories that really make the trip what it is? And what it is, is awesome.

Mama Must-Haves

Today's post contains affiliate links. They won't make your computer explode or steal your identity...I hope.

So many friends and acquaintances on Facebook (and, y'know, in the real world) are having babies left and right. We're in talks ourselves, but are still putting off a second bambino for the time being. We're also pretty private about things; that "don't tell anyone until the second trimester" thing is law for us, outside of one or two close family members or a BFF.

All these gorgeous shots of tiny shut-eyed beauties got me thinking about Hadman and what it was like to bring him home those 2+ years ago. Oh, how terrified and unprepared we felt. I'm tons more laid-back now, and Dave's improved immensely. We're kinda rocking it, parentally. Most of the time. 

Whenever we choose to have another (if we should be so lucky, knocking on lots of wood), I'm excited to try some things that, for one reason or another, didn't work out with our first little guy. I'll admit that, while I "tried" cloth diapering, I didn't succeed -- okay, I failed at it. So, that. There's that.

Also, with how humongous our monkey was, babywearing didn't really work out, either. It is what it is, but I hope to try it in the future. Maybe a future babe will enjoy it (and it'll probably make life a bit easier with a bigger brother running around).

But enough of the stuff that didn't work for us. Here are some of the stuff that I wouldn't live without that worked out awesomely for us...

#1 - It took awhile to decide on a pump to use at school everyday, so I took a risk purchasing this Medela In Style Advanced Breast Pump. Turns out, it wasn't such a risk, after all! This thing is a work horse. It comes with everything you need (you'll need to replenish your storage bags, but that's pretty much it). Once you get the hang of, y'know, feeling like you're being milked in a small space at work, it feels like routine -- thanks to this machine. Considering how nerve-wracking the whole concept of pumping can be, having a pump you can trust with such a delicate process is golden.   

#2 - I know, I know. You're thinking, "isn't this supposed to be essentials for parenting a baby?" Yup. We read to Hadley from week one, and it's pretty much his favorite thing to do today. And he's two. This was our first Mo Willems book, and we've been addicted ever since. Have you met Elephant and Piggie? If not, you totally should. They're the gateway drug to Pigeon. I also foresee some Knufflebunny in our future.

#3 - This Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair (in a neutral color; ours is tan with polka dots) is probably the baby product with the most longevity. We used it from about 5-6 months until the present, and I foresee using it for awhile still. As the name implies, it saves the space of a regular high chair by utilizing a regular old dining chair as its base. When the time comes, this thing will store awesomely, too. I just can't say enough good about it. Seriously.

#4 - Dave insisted that I include Sophie, and I can't blame him too much. She's a classic, she's adorable, and Hadman lovingly chomped on her for quite awhile. Plus, giraffes turned out to be his spirit animal during his first year, so it was a perfect match. Don't mind the price tag on this one; she's worth it.

#5 - Glass bottles?! Are you insane?? Yes, but that's beside the point. These classic Evenflo glass bottles worked wonderfully and put my super-obsessed mama mind to rest about BPA and all those other nasties, especially when warming. We also used the smaller 4 ounce size, especially when he was holding his own bottles. Side note: When the kiddos get bigger and you're heading to a place that you know will have a tile floor, just keep an extra eye on the bottles. Made that mistake once; will never make it again.

#6 - If you're a new mama and you're having a hard time getting your little one to sleep at night, all I can say is -- SWADDLE, SWADDLE, SWADDLE! Then swaddle some more. These organic muslin blankies are what I prefer thanks to their breathability (especially when your newborn is a summer baby) and flexibility, which allows just the right amount of movement and comfortable snuggliness. Seriously, it sounds crazy, but these were a lifesaver. Probably the only reason we got ANY sleep.

#7 - The sooner you get a potty chair, the better. Santa brought this Bjorn Baby potty, which has since lived in the kitchen (under the above Space Saver chair, actually) and is utilized daily. He's not fully trained yet, but the fact that he's shown an interest since about 18 months is incredible. Thank you, Santa! He also knows that it's HIS special potty, so that's pretty great, too. Quick tip: Get a cheap little plastic bin and leave a handful of board books, along with dipes and wipes, next to your main potty. You'll get sick of the books (seriously, we could recite our four books from memory), but it'll make potty time way easier and fun for everyone.

#8 - We got a few bottles of Baby Bee shampoo-and-body-wash for our shower, and I'm so glad we did. I don't think I've had to buy a bottle yet! I just keep refilling my small one from the huge bulk-sized one. This is Hadman's main soap (he's also used one I had to review, which was fine), and I prefer it because a) it works, b) it's natural, c) it smells AWESOME (he doesn't smell like a little hippie baby; he smells just like a BABY...you know the smell...the one you want to bottle and never let go), and d) it makes for a super fun bubble bath. I've even been known to use it as shampoo when I'm low from time to time. #noshame #notsorry


What were some of your essentials? Do you agree/disagree with any of my suggestions?

Oh, and feel free to check out the rest of my baby list items (I'm still adding) if you need a few more suggestions. Hint: Cheapest organic crib mattress EVER. Just sayin'. 

Hadleyisms

In honor of our little monkey man's second birthday this Sunday, I thought I'd share a list of his recent words and phrases that have us cracking up...or saying "awww!" while wiping away a tear. Either or. This is also completely selfish because a) I'm forgetful to the max, b) the baby book doesn't have cool parts for this stuff, and c) um, we haven't done great at keeping up on that, anyway. So, without further a doo-doo (I know, I know, it's adieu)...

One- and two-word sentences are the cool thing at the moment. He's too busy, I'm sure, for anything lengthier. ;-) You also must read the below words/phrases on the higher pitch spectrum. Not super high-pitched, but up. Friggin' adorable.

So, some of the sounds-mundane-but-makes-us-downright-giddy words have been...
 

"Hello!!!",

"Okay!" (it's the WAY he says these!),

"Honey!" (thanks, Pooh),

"Happy!!!" (my heart melts),

"Babies" (no clue why; maybe his dolly; yes, he has a couple),

"Guys! Okay, guys.",

"Bub" (tub, of course) and "wawer",

"Good" and "bad"
(soooo helpful when teaching right from wrong! He think Winston's the naughtiest kitty, apparently),

"mama dada boo!" (practically one word, said in that order, meaning family; Boo = Beardslee),

"Jappers" (Jasper),

the occasional "Wee Wee" (Winston's nickname),

and various body parts (nose, eyes, toes, etc.) and a good number of letters and numbers.

Every day there's a smattering of new awesomeness. I can't keep up.

Aaaaand the piece de resistance: When I was in the shower over the weekend, Dave and Hadley were watching old Donald Duck shorts. It showed a sign that said "Out to Lunch", and before Dave knew what hit him, Hadley said "out to lunch." In shock, Dave asked if that's what he said (he's never used the phrase before, ever) and, nonchalantly, Hadley answered "mhmm." Oh, that? It ain't no thang. Just reading off the TV screen before I turn 2. No big. Jaw. On. Floor.

So, it looks like we'll be working on sight words sooner than later!

The real reason that this stuff gets me so dang excited is the fact that, for the past, eh, year and a half to two years, the poor little guy hasn't had a say in ANYTHING. Imagine. Not being able to communicate except through screams, a few hand signs, and guttural noises. It had to have been incredibly frustrating. The more that he plays with his language and sees how we react to different words (always super excited when he displays a new one, letting him know it's okay to try them out and okay to make mistakes), the freer he seems in his personality.

For example, I've always asked yes/no questions, and for the longest time he would just say "uh-huh" and "uhn-uhn". Sure, he still does that a bit, but now it's a direct "yes!" or "nooooo" with gusto and energy in every single response. He definitely knows the importance of inflection and he's putting himself into the lines already, folks. He's a little Barrymore, he's so friggin' entertaining. I'm also trying to give him more choices so that he feels like he has a bit of a say in this little ol' thing called life. "Pancakes?" "Hmm...noooo." "Eggs?" "Um, no." "What, then?" "Burries!!!" (Berries.) Guess who had a crapload stack of fruit for breakfast.

Oh, and I said "Well, those people suck" when folks wouldn't let us cross at the supermarket yesterday. "*Mumble mumble* yuck." Same inflection and everything. Oops. I knew full well it was a copycat moment and had a very quick, very important conversation about what he should and shouldn't say -- and mentally whacked myself over the head for saying it in the first place.

I guess it's Swear Jar time, Mommy. And I'll be putting the most cabbage in. Der.

So, mamas and papas (and anyone else with an opinion) out there. Am I being crazy? Is this "First Child Syndrome"? Is it weird to want to try to remember this stuff?  

Flashing What We Know

I recently mentioned falling in love with a few homemade birthday presents for our monkey. Thank you, dear friend Pinterest. I call her "Pinny" and she looks remarkably like Kaley Cuoco (whatever her married last name is, I can't be bothered to Google) in my head. Pinny's my new enabling BFF.

Anyhoo, one of the super easy projects I just HAD to stay up past midnight working on was the toddler flashcards. See, the kid's a toddler genius (but what mom doesn't think that, really?) who is starting to pick words out (for real), LOVES reading, and knows tons of letters, numbers, and animal sounds. Kid's got it goin' on, thanks to his Grandma's diligent work with him daily. So, I don't want all her hard work to go down the toilet while he's lazing about spending intellectually stimulating summer days with me.

So, I spent some time on PicMonkey making and saving a few sets of flashcards. Here are a few wicked easy samples (not the whole sets, that'd be cray-cray):

Numbers!

Shapes!

(Boring as all get-out with the gray, but didn't want to detract.
Side note: I did a rhombus AND separate diamond. We'll throw the spaghetti on the wall and see which one sticks. Child-led learning. ;-))

Matching Game!
(Printing an extra set of the above shapes, he has to match them to the "real life" objects; moon goes with "crescent", by the way. I'm tricky. I would accept star there, too, though.)

Colors!

Now, to print, *evenly* cut, and laminate them! Actually...first, to head to my mom's basement to track down my tiny old laminator. *wink, wink*

By the way, I'm still thinking of making up a few cards for matching with colors as well as a set of friends 'n family ones with pictures and names (especially to learn the folks who love us who happen to live far away, or whom we just don't get to see often).

I am wondering, though -- the game ones I'm obviously going to keep loose for matching purposes, but the others I'm thinking of putting on a metal ring. Whatchya think? Loose or ready-for-car-use?

More Homemade Birthday Ideas

Okay. It's June, folks. In our neck of the woods, that means a couple of things.

1) Inventory in the library. (Also see -- "I don't care, I'm wearing flip flops and yucky clothes everyday. Try and test me.")

2) School's going to be done...sooner rather than later. Side note: Where the HECK did this year go?!

3) Hadley's birthday will be upon us like *snap* THAT. Seriously, the more work I have to get done at school, the faster the time goes. That's a written law in the time-space continuum.

So, of course I've been hunting down some stuff for the big day. Well. Kind of.

More like...gifts. On Pinterest.

Wait, what? Gifts on Pinterest?? What the...how?

See, I know the Hadman gets a lot of...stuff...for his big day. I'm quite sure Dave and I will have a mini shopping spree for a couple of outfits and a book or two, and I think we've already sneaked a couple of toys on a trip to Toys 'R Us. We're normal, after all. *bugs out eyes, sticks out tongue*

But, after I realized I wanted to get him some felt play food (that plastic stuff's okay, but this is a tad cooler...and a touch more earth friendly), and maybe some letters and/or numbers and/or shapes while we were at it...well, of course my attention turned to Pinterest and that old stand-by search term: "DIY." Here's the "Kid Fun" board I've been pinning to.

A few days later, I found myself in possession of a stack of cheap, CHEAP felt (made from recycled bottles, nonetheless!) with dreams of these inspiration images dancing in my head:

Source

 

Sorry, no source available!
(Please let me know if this was your idea, I'd like to give credit!)

Source
(So simple, so genius!)

 

Source
(My fave!)

Awesome ideas, right?? I'm holding off on making a pretend kitchen until he shows more interest (and we have a bigger space for it).

The next inspiration came from the FABULOUS job my mother-in-law has been doing with teaching Hadley his letters and numbers. She uses flashcards as well as alphabet books, so I figured it'd be useful to have some around the house this summer. Enter Pinterest, once again.

It's funny. PicMonkey is my favorite blogging tool for images lately. You'd think I would've connected the dots in my mind to say, "Doy! You should use that to make some flashcards for the Hadman!" Der dee der! Silly me. But, this site right here figured it out for me. Thanks, Mommy's Craft Obsession!

The inspiration from this site also lead me to think about making "friends and family" flash cards. Y'know, with family members' faces and names so he can learn about all the people who love him...and to realize that the only "Bill" in his life isn't the weather man. (Sorry, Uncle Bill!) In his defense, "Mr. Bill" is a family friend.

The other cool thing here is that I purchased a small laminator back in the day (in my elementary ed. days) that will help these suckers last for any possible future kids that come down the line. Look at me working smarter, not harder!

The last handmade thing I'm thinking about would probably be a "sometime this summer" rather than "for your birthday" idea.

Source

Couldn't you just DIE?! I LOVE how she made these -- right down to the color and use of lima beans (instead of sand, which we all KNOW will end up EVERYWHERE)! I could totally see these living on our back porch. Plus, since they're made with a couple of Rubbermaid containers, you can easily put a top on them to keep them safe from the elements. *swoon*

Now, let's see if I can handle that project.

And the invitations. Yeah, I probably should get on those, huh?

(If you'd like to know what we're planning for the monkey, check out my post announcing our second birthday theme.)

iCup

Remember saying that when we were kids? "I-C-U-P!!!" So mature. So very, very mature.

Anyhoo, today we have the story of three sippy cups. (Or, at least that's what we call them. Sippy cups.)

Bam.

We have #1, The Original. Our favorite.

I'm inclined to say that these are all Nuk brand, but the ultimate issue here is that they change styles so. Damn. Quickly...who's to say? What the Nuk.

So, yeah, Numero Uno. Two in a pack. No BPA ('cuz homey don't play that). Ultra squishy, silicon mouth piece sucker thing. Easy to use (no lining up of this with that 14 times before getting the lid on properly -- believe me, we've had those). Great for a teething Monkey who likes chewing just as much as drinking.

Er. Juice. And milk.

We loved these. But, of course, when it was time to pick up another pack...none to be found. *sigh*

On to #2. Or, as I like to call it, The Dud.

Note The Original peeking over its shoulder saying, "You'll never be as good as me. NEVER." He's right, y'know.

Everything about these cups is the same -- the handles, how the top screws on, the cute designs, the colors. Except for, of course, the most important part -- the sucky part. (Literally.)

See, this one was COATED in some silicone-type material with a solid form on the inside -- hence being less squishy and more rigid. Apparently when Monkey tried to chew...he did a little too well. Yeah, I don't know how much he ingested, but I'm pissed about it.

*sigh* So, we went on a hunt last weekend. We didn't care about the cost. We didn't care about the brand. We just wanted a squishy sucky part!!!

The woman at Babies R Us asked several times if we needed help. Apparently the intensity of our brow furrows and super serious conversation were cause for concern. "No, no," we dismissed. "We've got this."

Picture us trying to squeeze through packaging to see how squishy the mouthpieces were. Strange, strange people. The weirdest part is that the Monkey in the cart just sat there, quiet as a mouse, fully accepting of the absurdity his parents were displaying.

This is what we came up with. Let's call it "Sure, That'll Do." Because it's not The Original, but it'll do. Not perfect, but fine. And, these days, fine is awesome.

It was a bit of a gamble, actually. We THOUGHT it had a squishy sucker part...but weren't sure. But, yay(!!!), it does! The cool feature about this one is that it has a part that flips to cover the mouthpiece (ie save the inside of our diaper bag), and Monkey's not the sort (anymore) to put that piece in his mouth if he happens to pop it loose (which he IS the sort to do). It even recesses into the lid when open, which is pretty neat.

Plus, he uses it. If you don't know this about kids, they're verrrrrrry particular. Like, "I won't drink for a week+ if I don't like the receptacle. Deal with it." (Not that we'd let him go a week...but, yeah, they're stubborn beasts.) So, that's half the battle right there. Getting him to USE it.

Side note: Why does my kid NOT like chocolate milk? I mean, he's not a big milk drinker in the first place, but when I add chocolate it's like I've OFFENDED him. Like. Huh?? Maybe it's a girl v. boy thing? He prefers sourness (pickles) and cheese, I guess.

So, anyhoo, these are my trials and tribulations of recent sippy cup usage. If I gave you the whole story from bottle to bib to sippies, we'd be here for a month. Seriously, I've got a bagful of once-tried sippy cups and bottles in the basement that never made the grade. I keep them in case they agree with a future (less finicky?) kiddo.

I won't say that kids are super picky people, because aren't we all kind of picky in our own ways? We like what we like. Kind of like cats.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Weening

This is kind of an emotional post for me to write. Not for you to read, just for me to write. Please bear with me, and apologies for the lack of super dorky graphics.

Hadley and I have been nursing ("I" because it takes both of us...can't nurse him sleeping, can I? If so, I never figured out a way ;-)) for various periods of time for just shy of 22 months. I declare this number because just at the end of last week, I finally decided to have a talk with him.

See, I had no idea how to ween him. He had gotten down to one pre-bedtime nursing session (a very brief one, at that) and one extended middle-of-the-night/early-AM nursing session (which generally took a good hour to hour-and-a-half out of my sleep schedule nightly...if I could get back to sleep, argh). During the day, he had moved on to watered-down whole milk and juice, and plain ol' water, so I wasn't pumping anymore.

I realized that he was going to continue on with the nightly sleep deprivation until college until he understood that if he needed it, I'd be happy to get him up and nurse, but that if he was doing it for some unknown internal reason, he could sleep through it if he wanted.

So, during one of the pre-bedtime sessions last week, I chatted with him using the sweetest language I could muster, thinking that a) I was quite possibly borderline insane for thinking he'd comprehend and b) I was a horrible mother for taking this experience away. I still feel a deep twinge of sadness over it all, but let's just say that a miracle happened. He stirred a bit at his usual "get up and nurse" time, but fell back asleep after a brief back rub, not to awaken again until the morning.

Next night: Even better, no stirring.

Following night: Same. Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

Sunday night: A touch of whining, but back to bed like a champ. (Of course he awoke a bit; it was a school night. Why wouldn't he get me up?)

Noticing a trend? We're still doing our very brief, pre-bed "snack", along with a heartfelt mother-to-son chat about whether he wants to get up for a nurse later on, but the killer middle-of-the-night wake-up calls have pretty much stopped. One night, he sat up wide awake and I chatted with him about it -- he didn't really want to nurse, he implied (yes or no questions are da bomb), so I explained that it was time to go back to sleep. Head down, eyes shut, bam. Asleep.

It's almost (pretty much) the end of an era. I kept hitting milestone points. We made it to 12 months. We made it to 18 months. He's hardly gotten sick, hooray for breastmilk.

So, why am I still feeling guilty that I've ended it? There's a badge of honor amongst nursing mamas these days -- not all, mind you, but a handful -- that the longer you do it, the more...I don't know...the better(?) you are.

At the same time, I try to remind myself that this is what works for us. I wasn't planning on having a 4-year-old still regularly nursing. Our nursing wasn't much about comfort for Hadman, either (different kids do it and use it for different reasons; he never sought nursing out when he was emotional or upset or hurt). I'm proud that I was the first woman in generations of my family to "make it work." And I still hold firm to the belief that if it doesn't work out for you, it's NOT your fault, and you can only do what's best for you and your family.

Not that there's one "best" that works for everyone. Or that my "best" is better than yours. It's not.

It's just mine. And ours.

Happy 22-month birthday, Hadley.

Partying Simply

Last Wednesday, I revealed my plans for Hadley's second birthday party (which will be in July). Can you tell I'm a tad excited about it??

While I was typing up that post, I thought about all the things that we do to try to keep the festivities eco-friendly. Mind you, in all things green, I think we've plateaued at a nice medium kelly green; not mint green (not at all eco-friendly) but not even bordering on dark moss (practically living in the woods). It's a place we're comfortable being. Our efforts are still there and have become a habitual part of our lives, but we don't sweat it if we have to use a paper towel once in awhile. Y'know?

So, that said, I thought I'd share a few of the *simple* tricks and tools we use to keep a birthday shindig more about the monkey and less about the ozone.

- Reuse, reuse, reuse. I don't expect every guest not to use wrapping paper, but if I can, I recycle it. (I WILL love you forever if you bring a gift bag. That's almost all I use anymore. Perfect for reusing!) Our decorations this year will also utilize the poufs I hung around last year (if they've survived), probably along with a handful more that I'll make new. The sign for "Hadley's Party" I made last year will be tapped into the front lawn again, too. So, any decorations you make or buy, consider whether they'll have a future purpose, or can at least be recycled (hello, crepe paper!) when you're done. I'm also going to hit up the thrift shops to see if they have any yellow or blue curtains or sheets to use as tablecloths (may or may not work, but we could use them in the future, too!) Heck, I even saved the party hats I bought last year. I'm turning into a grandmother from the Depression, I swear.

- NO BALLOONS ALLOWED. Again, I don't expect everyone to follow this rule, but as far as my decorating goes...nada. Hence the poufs. Those things are SO scary to me. I don't want them near my kid (choking hazard) or in the landfill (SO VERY BAD for animals, you guys!!!). If someone gifts one (usually the Mylar kind in the shape of something), it's fine, but I am a hawk about watching Hadley with it. Plus, I take it out ONLY when I can watch him, then put it in MY bedroom closet. Seriously. It's Fort Knox up in here.

- Use whatchya got. This goes hand-in-hand with reusing decorations. With the ducky theme this year, we've got a handful of rubber duckies (although I'll probably have to get a handful more, admittedly) at home to use for decoration. I also have a mini red wagon (which Hadley, like, never fit in) that would be awesomesauce on a table with some hay or raffia in it. Oh, and I'll peruse his toys to see if anything else goes with the theme.

- Invites. Okay, this is a tricky one. If your family's a super hip one full of folks who are tech-savvy, good for you. No, really, that's awesome! But my family has some, shall we say, old school folks (again, not a bad thing!) who don't spend much time perusing the ol' interwebs. Thus, I make invitations. How do I keep it relatively low waste? I invite fewer people. Tricky of me, huh? Honestly, less people also equals less waste; makes sense, huh? Oh, and believe me, we DO invite the folks who mean the most to us, so no one's missing out here. We're just not inviting everyone we ever met. We didn't do it for our wedding, we're not doing it for our son's second birthday party. ;-)

- Cups and flatware and plates, oh my! Some folks might suggest to use reusable (or "real") plates/silverware/glasses/etc. Believe me, it crossed my mind last year, but I also fall victim of the a) that's gonna take awhile to clean and b) people are raising an eyebrow at me...AGAIN complexes. Instead, I only get the items that I know we'll need (no bowls if there's nothing soup-like or ice creamy), and I try my best to get the compostable stuff. Of course, last year I only found a couple of compostable kinds of flatware, so had to supplement with other plastic ones (grr), so this year will probably consist of using all that up. Again...don't sweat the small stuff, just do your best. Just know that there are more eco-friendly options out there.

- Simplify your theme. You could also avoid a theme altogether, but I'm a nut for a good theme. Goodness knows how long I can get away with one! So, this year's ducky theme will lead into an awesome homemade Sesame Street theme next year (reusing the colorful decorations, duckies, and Hadley's plush toys instead of buying a bunch of trademarked stuff). Simple is best.

- Actually, simplify, in general. This isn't one that we've succeeded with as far as friends and family purchasing gifts entails. As Hadman gets bigger, we'll talk with him about what he really wants and other ways we could ask people to spend their money in honor of his birthday, but at this age I don't want it to seem forced. So, we accept graciously (and sometimes have to return doubles or the things we simply haven't the space for). However, Dave and I try to keep it minimal and put tons of thought into what he's getting based on his interests and what concepts we'd like for him to learn.   

So, here were just a few easy ideas to hopefully help you consider the environment whilst partying it up. There are already a few great resources on the web (like this and this and this) to help you in this arena, so I'm clearly not reinventing the wheel here. Just wanted to let you know what I prioritize in my mind so I'm not ultimately overwhelmed by all the craziness that birthday planning could possibly turn into.