Making the Switch from Crib to Toddler Bed

When is the right time to make the big switch from crib to toddler bed?

I insisted upon doing it now at 15 months old. I didn't have any real reason to switch other than being tired of having her in a crib. She is 25 pounds... not a lot, but maybe for a 15 month old, so she is fairly heavy. I am tired of lifting her in and out of the crib. I also want to be able to kiss her good night once she's laying down beneath the blankets. A crib makes this impossible... so I have only been kissing her finger that she holds out to me to kiss each night. (Cute huh?) So, while my reasons for moving to the toddler bed are minor, they were good enough to start thinking serious about it.

I asked my husband what he thought about the idea. He was extremely helpful...  He says, "What does the book say?" I'm thinking, "Are you kidding me? What book? Parenting is a step by step, follow the instructions book?" Yeah... my husband is hilarious.

I posted my thoughts of our new transition on Facebook... and only received negative feedback. Don't do it because of all the obvious reasons I have already thought about... :/ Mainly that she will be able to climb in and out of her bed as she pleases. Oh and I will regret it. I am thinking that this means I should keep her in a cage for the rest of her life. In which case, I'll stick to my own parenting style!

So after three nights and three nap times of sleeping toddler bed style, we've had our achievements and struggles. She went to bed perfectly the first two nights. She laid right down and fell asleep to her music and stars-on-the-ceiling night light. No fuss. No climbing out. Angel baby. Last night, however, we had a little difficulty. She climbed out of her bed after I laid her down for the first time (of many to come, i'm sure). I laid her down again and shut off all the lights in the house. She runs out of her room again. And one more time. The fourth time, I sat next to her bed for about 10 minutes and she fell right asleep.

My sister warns me that she might be doing good now but just wait until the terrible twos. We will find out what happens when the time comes. For now, I'm happy to be able to tuck her in better. :)

Main Problem with Baby Ear Piercings

As you may know, we debated a long time on whether or not to pierce our daughter's ears. We did end up getting them pierced when she was seven months old. Full story here. I wanted to update everyone on how it has been going since getting her ear's pierced. It's now been about eight months and I'm happy to say that I do not regret getting her ear's pierced! =) At first, I was worried because she has eczema and I didn't know how her ears would react to the metal earrings. I started with fairly expensive ($60) nickel free earrings in order to ensure her ears wouldn't get irritated by them. I cleaned her ears thoroughly two-three times each day for about six weeks. After that I cleaned them only a couple times during the week and eventually let them alone.

The main problem we have had with our baby's ear piercings is that the earrings keep getting lost! When her eczema gets bad, it tends to show up behind her ears and around her neckline. Her eczema makes her itch, which means sometimes she accidentally pulls out her earrings. Thankfully, she has never bled or got an infection from her piercings. During the past summer, she lost her earrings several times, once while camping. It is recommended that you keep the ear piercings in constantly until after one year has passed. So, of course, I was freaked out and needed to buy another pair ASAP even if it meant interrupting our camping trip. I didn't want her ear piercing to close up! I started buying the cheap earrings in packs of ten and had no problem at all with her skin. She doesn't pull at them at all. Thank goodness! I HIGHLY SUGGEST BUYING EXTRA PAIRS OF EARRINGS FOR YOUR BABY RIGHT AWAY!! This will save you time and stress! We have only lost four single earrings during the past eight months but it was always at the wrong time!

So for those of you wondering whether or not to pierce your baby's ears, I still say GO FOR IT! Just make sure you are responsible and clean their ears, and possibly buy backup earrings and keep them in your purse. =)

I never thought losing the earrings would be our biggest problem! Crazy.

A good tip for those ladies looking to get "free" earrings... Buy a pack of tiny studs for your baby with the bottom row being larger "hook" earrings OR the packs with large and small studs (like the pictures below)! I did it twice. Mommy & baby loves to share!!! You just tell your husband it's for the baby... ;)

Interview with Pregnant Woman at 17 Weeks (Amy)

I have an interview I did via email with Amy at 17 weeks pregnant. She and her husband, Tyler are expecting their first child sometime between February 22nd-28th of 2013. It's very exciting talking with a first time pregnant woman because many of the experiences are so similar to what I was feeling when I was pregnant with my daughter.

Amy & Tyler

How far along are you in your pregnancy? 17 weeks

What is your favorite part about being pregnant? Knowing that I am going to be a mother

What pregnancy symptoms could you do without? Nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and moodiness 

Do you know the sex of your child? Boy 

Do you have any names picked out? We had a hard time coming up with a name that we both agreed on. We finally decided but it is a secret except to close family. 

Have you started ‘nesting’ and decorating a nursery? I have done very little preparation for the baby. We have lots to buy and lots to do to fix up his room. 

Have you thought about taking a “babymoon” with your husband before the baby arrives? Yes. My husband and I are thinking about taking a random road trip one last time this weekend. We will see where we end up. 

Do you have a specific birth plan for your child? He will be born in the hospital. I have not given much more consideration except that I am not opposed to an epidural. I am horrified of the thought of a c-section so hopefully it does not come down to that. 

How do you plan to balance work and baby? Do you intend on going back to work as soon as possible or stay at home full time for awhile/permanently? I have to go back to work eventually but we are trying to save up enough money for me to take eight weeks (ideally) or at least four weeks off of work. 

How do you feel about becoming a mother? ARE YOU READY =) ? I am not ready to be a mother. I hope that I can give my son everything that he needs and be there in every way for him. I am horrified and honestly never saw myself being a mother, however, I would not take it back for anything. I will never be ready to be a mom, but I will do my very best.

I wish Amy and Tyler the best of luck on their new parenting adventure! :) I certainly have been forever changed in many wonderful ways by motherhood. I'm sure they both will experience multiple joys as well.

Congratulations!

Wordless Wednesday: Boots With The Fur

Miss A is 15 months today! Dang, she is getting BIG! =) And she is way more stylish than I could ever be.

Baby Boots With The Fur!!

The Sunshine Award

I have been nominated for The Sunshine Award by DeBie Hive! How cool is that?! As an awardee, I am supposed to answer eight questions and then nominate another ten bloggers! So here comes the fun! =)

1. What is your favorite Christmas/holiday movie? I don't really love any Christmas movies. In my opinion, they are all way over played and I'm kind of a "watch-it-once" girl unless it's a really, really good chick flick. However, I will choose  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as my favorite Christmas movie because it reminds me of really good times with family, watching it year after year, laughing and cracking up hysterically. =)

 Amazon

2. What is your favorite flower?  Daisies and Sunflowers. Yes, I have two favorites! 

Beautiful Daisies. Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGLqRUts47IffqYMiFB3zG5lm0oBxrMXxcTsynpC8F7FVwF4Kre-TwLnUv7juATtODRqx0l-5MGG9Yy7hss0PwFftp93pv7I8eRunzKH2fDAdjqhyT-P2OLwYMMrhVt-62a-7LGlFk70/s1600/Daisies.jpg

Super cool picture of a field of sunflowers. Source: http://wallpaperscrunch.com/wallpapers/15/3d-sunflowers-HD.jpg

3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage?  For fall: hot apple cider. For summer/anytime: my new favorite drink is coconut water! 

4.  What is your passion?  I have too many passions to narrow it down to one. So here it goes! I am passionate about religion/figuring out life mysteries/new age/alternative healing/yeah ;) , travelling, food, animals- my husband would say kittens specifically, and my family life. 

Source: http://thebusysignal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/religion.jpg

Source: http://www.vwcampervanblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/travelling-around-australia-in-vw-kombi-2.jpg

Source: http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/46/roasted-brussels-sprouts-fd-lg-1.jpg

I took this picture all by myself =) It is from yesterday's post. 

FaMiLy <3 picture from this post, courtesy of R & R Photography

5.  What is your favorite time of year?  My favorite time is the change in seasons. I love Spring because I've been waiting forever for the sun to come out and warm me up! I love Summer because the lakes are almost heated up and ready to swim in. I love fall because the leaves change their colors, the chill in the air feels good, and you can start wearing fashionable boots and scarves! I love winter because the snow falls and I can go cross country skiing, sledding, and drink a lot of hot chocolate. I love starting a new season. 

Spring Buds Source: http://lightsinger.com/spring%20buds.jpg

An almost Summer Day at Lake Michigan. I took this on our trip to Saugatuck! 

Fall Colors Source: http://churchofchristmarshill.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/autumn-leaves.jpg

Winter Trails Source: http://www.blacklanternretreat.com/files/images/winter_trails.jpg

6.  What is your favorite time of day?  Since I hate mornings, my favorite time of day is anytime after morning. And because I have always been most productive at night, my favorite FAVORITE time of day is actually at night... when the skies are clear and you can see a billion stars! 

Source: http://imgs.mi9.com/uploads/landscape/1977/the-night-beach_1280x1024_25047.jpg

7.  What is your favorite physical activity?  Yoga and weight lifting. 

Source: http://stopbeingboring.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/yoga.jpg

Source: http://veemd.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/woman-weight-lifting-shadows1.jpg?w=334

8.  What is your favorite vacation? How can I just choose one? I loved Paris because our youth hostel was super French with frilly curtains and a small yellow bed and I love speaking French and I love French accents and French stuff... (I could make that a longer run on sentence but I'll stop!) I loved being in Jamaica for my honeymoon, relaxing on the beach with pina coladas in both hands. I loved everything about Belgium... French and Dutch parts... Beautiful landscaping, gardens, and countryside... Kabobs with Andalouse sauce... I also loved spending two weeks in a rainforest in Peru. AND exploring Michigan's upper peninsula with my grandparents and cousin. I will leave it at that or I'll end up writing a book. 

Source: http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/coinsforsale048.jpg

Taken in Jamaica. Our full Jamaica story is posted here. 

Taken in Brugges, Belgium. 

This picture shows the type of lodge I stayed in, the type of boats we road, and the Amazon river. Source:http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3171/2775585196_a7bccb06dd_b.jpg

I hiked to Lake of the Clouds near Porcupine Mountain State Park in Michigan.
Source: http://www.citypictures.org/data/media/259/Lake_of_the_Clouds_at_Sunset_Porcupine_Mountains_State_Park_Michigan.jpg

Thanks again to Kelly from DeBie Hive for nominating Mommy & Love for The Sunshine Award! It made my day too! =) Now it's my turn to nominate ten lucky bloggers. 

CONGRATULATIONS! I hope you all have a super fun sunshiny day, even if it may be raining where you are... 

Trying to Write, Love, & Live

The Chocolate Tease

Wonderful World of Melissa

Our Foto Friendly Family

Smiles & Piles

Alexandra Elizabeth

Sparkle & W(h)ine

JDanielFour's Mom

Parent's Heart

Busy Mom in the Kitchen

Allegan Fair 2012

If you haven't noticed by now, we are "fair people". This year we went to the Ionia Free Fair, the Hudsonville Fair, and lastly the Allegan Fair. And we love animals... so if you like looking at cute animal pictures, take a look at my old posts.

Entry into the fair... thought it looked like an adventure!

Allegan County Fair Entrance

We started by looking at the bunnies! This little dude has such a cool hairdo! 

Miss A had no problem with the bunnies! She needed to pet a bunch of them. =)

After leaving the bunny house, it went downhill for Miss A. The turkeys scared her so badly that she didn't even enjoy looking at the pigs and goats. At the last two fairs, she loved ALL the animals. 

Scary, Ole Turkey!

These kittens eased her mood a little bit... until they pawed at her that is!

Kittens are irresistible! 

Cutest Kitten Ever

My favorite part of the entire fair was the Baby Animal Barn! Look at this cute calf!

Baby cow... cutest calf ever!

Sweet little goat who tried to eat my clothing!

Bunny Pile!

Little Baby Horse! 

Chicks!

This picture may be inappropriate :P Or it could just be a natural picture of a sheep. 

Big Sheep Balls! :P (HAHA-- could not resist!)

Kangaroos are so soft! I'm not entirely sure what the exact name of this animal is... 

There were three different kangaroo-like things in this pen. I apologize for my poor memory skills. 

This photo sickens my stomach... especially because I was petting and talking to all the pigs after looking at this statue... but it was very informative. 

location of meat cuts on a pig

And because my camera's battery died in the middle of our visit, I didn't get to capture the rest of our visit at the Allegan Fair. Just know that we had an absolutely fantastic time! =)