Daily Life With A 3-Month-Old

Though I promised not to write solely about my day-to-day life and turn this blog into a diary, I have posted about what daily life is like with a 2-month-old, and intend to write a similar post each month as my boy ages.

So, here's what a standard day is like (for me) with a 3-month-old. It really isn't all that different from when he was 2-months-old... he's just awake a little bit more. We were on vacation for two weeks, which sort of threw of his schedule (not that he really had one). But, this is roughly what life was like with him for that month. These are all average times... perhaps in the future I will try and document one full day, if it's an interesting one.

Baby Carriers: My reviews on three wraps and slings

There are hundreds of different baby carriers: wraps, slings, structured carriers, backpacks... and in a large variety of prices. Some will work for newborns or 8 pounds and up, and some for older babies 6 months and up. Some carriers you can use until your child is 3 or 4 years old, and some only until they're a year old. Two of the most well-known are probably the Baby Bjorn (a structured carrier) and the Moby Wrap. Though I can't review every carrier out there, I can give my thoughts on the ones I have, and hopefully it'll help someone pick their own carrier!

I currently have three different carriers. My baby boy, ("Baby G" as my doula calls him), is now 7 weeks old, so I can't speak to how any of them will work for an older baby - 6 months or older. But he is a big boy - almost 13 pounds at last check and is already wearing size 3 months clothes (and some larger).

At the moment, I don't have any "structured" carriers or back-pack carriers, like a Baby Bjorn or Ergo Baby. Maybe I'll get one down the road and add it to the list. (Anyone want to send me one?) But for now, three wraps/slings is fine. I have the Moby Wrap, Hotsling, and Balboa Baby sling.

Some notes on wraps/slings/carriers before I get into the nitty gritty:

• Check eBay, Craigslist, and consignment shops for good deals. Some carriers can get pretty pricey (over $100 for some!) I got my Moby at a consignment shop and saved $15 and got the Hotsling on eBay for $9! The Balboa Baby sling was free from a friend that wasn't using it. (Thank you Karrie!)
• Make sure you follow the safety instructions for your baby carrier! The Moby and Hotsling both say to make sure baby is "Visible and Kissable" - meaning you should be able to see baby and kiss their head easily. No matter the carrier you do not want baby's chin on their chest - it can restrict their ability to breathe. (This applies to all situations, by the way. Whether they're in a carseat, bouncer, swing, stroller, wrap, sling, or carrier, their chin needs to be off their chest!)

Baby Shoes - adorable accessory? Or medieval torture device?

Baby shoes are adorable. I mean - how sweet and cute can you get? Little tiny, perfectly miniaturized versions of your own shoes... and they look even cuter at the end of those chubby, stubby, little baby legs. Right?

I bought those shoes in the picture above for the sole purpose of taking that picture with no intention of putting them on my baby (aside from maybe a one-time photo-op kind of situation). I had never planned on getting lots of little baby shoes - they're not practical! Before your baby can even walk, what kind of need do they have for shoes? And even after they start walking, I've never thought shoes were that practical for them. They can't walk that far, and mostly inside where you can see them (not over a lot of broken glass and such). And it turns out, making your baby wear shoes is actually bad for them.

"Think of the Chinese foot binding practice, which was common in the upper classes. The feet would be bound so that the bones would mold together and be more “dainty.” In much the same way can babies feet become stifled and grow improperly if smothered in small shoes that fit incorrectly."

~ babywalkingshoesguide.com