Believe it or not, I found this play kitchen in Prospect Park and rescued it from the wrecking ball just in time. 

I didn’t think JP would be too into play cooking, but I cleaned up the wooden play kitchen and put it in our house anyway.

The play kitchen has turned out to be a great find. JP likes to put toys in the cabinet (including his big green kickball) and once I found the little guy standing inside the cabinet – whoops.  But the best part for me was the thrill of finding something for free and giving it a new life!

Inspired?

As rational as I may be, sometimes as a mother I have irrational thoughts. What could cause my son to sleep until 7:30am one morning and 6:30am the very next morning? It must be the PJs. Maybe if he was wearing the PJs from the night he slept in, he would have slept longer. Those must be his favorite PJs. Or they must be the most comfortable PJs, or the most appropriate PJs for the weather that night. But really, who am I fooling, it has nothing to do with the PJs. Get rational. Sleep begets sleep and beyond that, there is no rational explanation for why our kids wake too early one morning and not the next.

Dear Moms,

Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Like most underappreciated jobs, the work of a mother is never done and seldom celebrated. But once a year we do get to stop and think about what it means to be a mom and hopefully get a well deserved break.

Remember that no matter how you feel about your parenting, you’re most likely doing the right thing. There is no right way to feed your newborn, no perfect time to go back to work and no one who really has family, work and ‘me’ time all in balance.

So celebrate what you do have and know that you are a great and well deserving mom!

Come check me out at BabyFEST in Williamsburg Brooklyn tomorrow,

Saturday April 27th, from 11am-4pm.

http://brooklynbabyfest.com/

Mother Brooklyn will be hosting a one time class for pregnant women,
Practically Prepping for Baby, on Thursday May 2nd from 3:00pm-5:00pm in Clinton Hill.

We will discuss:

* Items you TRULY NEED for baby

* Setting up space in your home for baby

* What happens after baby arrives

* AND Babywearing with Sarah Longwell-Stevens of Small Things NYC

The cost of this class is $25. Please e-mail me to sign-up and receive location information.

Snacks, beverages and comfortable seating will be provided!

*Note: This class is ideal for first time moms. Dads/partners are welcome but the focus will be on moms/person having baby. The fee for a couple is $40.

This past January, my husband and I finally went away for the weekend sans kids. Inez was with her mom and we asked my mom to come into town and watch JP.

We decided to go far enough away that we wouldn’t be reminded of home, but not too far, just in case. We love beaches, especially in the off-season when there is no one around. So we chose this peaceful place on the North Fork, Orient Inn. It was the perfect place for our weekend alone.

We spent most of our time in bed (sleeping of course). But also got out for dinner and a walk on the beach. We weren’t sure why it took us 18 months–since our son was born–to take a break and re-energize our relationship, but we won’t wait that long again.

Mom, could you come back this summer?

Five reasons you need to get away:

1. You and your partner need quality alone time

2. It’s good for your marriage

3. You deserve a break

4. Your kids need a break from you

5. It’s FUN!

   I’ve been waiting for the day that JP would pick out a book and ask me to read it to him. About 4 months ago, when he was 16 months old, Goodnight Kisses became his favorite book. He repeatedly picked this book out from a pile of books. He clearly liked the ‘touch and feel’ aspect of the book and the bug that squeaks when he hits it.

   This copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar was mine when I was a child. Of course JP loves flipping the small pages of food and looking at the pictures. I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to identify all the foods in the pictures after I read this to him a dozen times. Well, he does get sausage and salami mixed up, but that’s to be expected considering I haven’t fed him meat.

   My husband suggested I hide this book since I’m so sick of reading it. But JP gets so giddy when he hands us this book to read, I couldn’t put it away. This book was another pick from Ethan. That kid is on to something.

It’s hard to predict which toy your child will become attached to. There are some general rules of course, babies like to teeth on things (thus Sophie), they like to throw things (Oball) and they like to play most with the item you never intended to be a toy. This would be the plastic container/cardboard box/paper liner.

JP’s favorite non-toy is the container that once held his weekly dosage of yogurt. I was saving these containers and bringing them to our local store that collects number 5 for recycling before I realized I should keep one behind for JP to play with. He loves putting the top on and then asking me to take the top off for him (he asks me by opening my hand and placing it on the top of the container while grunting). We do this over and over. I also use an empty container to hold his small bath toys and then to pour water over his head.

If you’d like to purchase a ‘real’ toy for a child, here are two that JP has consistently been playing with for at least the past year (and yes, they are both plastic).

Mozart Magic Cube  

My friend with three boys under age 4 (including identical twins) gave this toy to JP. If you can tune out the music – I can tune out anything – then this is a great toy!

Critter Clinic  

My friend’s son Ethan picked this out for JP when he was born. Ethan was six years old at the time and he took the task of picking out this gift very seriously. The box says it’s good for ages 2-6. So I didn’t think JP would play with it in his first year. But he loved biting on the syringe (hopefully not a sign of things to come), open and closing the cage doors and now he is learning to use the keys.

Up next: JP’s favorite books…

Over the past 18 months, we’ve taken Inez and Judah on two family beach vacations. Last June we went to Antigua and rented a condo in a small resort community. Last month we were in Tulum, Mexico and rented a house on the beach with a pool. Based on my experience taking one pre-teen and one baby/toddler on these trips, here are my tips:

1. Smaller is better.

Living in NYC, we think more space is better. But while on vacation, you don’t need space for storage, so it’s easier to contain both an active toddler and your various sunscreens in a small space. Rent a condo, not a house.

2. Keep it to one plane ride.

There are plenty of warm beaches one plane ride away from NYC. No need to get fancy, Florida will do.

3. Check a large suitcase.

Don’t stress about trying to fit all that baby crap into a carry on. While your partner is waiting at baggage claim, you can change the baby’s diaper, or call the hotel shuttle.

4. Stay near the airport.

You don’t want to make a journey longer than you need to. If you can take a short airport shuttle to your vacation spot, then you don’t even need to haul a car seat along.

5. Sit still.

We live in NYC. If we want to go sightseeing, eat amazing food, or go to a museum, we can do that in our own backyard. So when on vacation, just stay in one place and relax. No need to figure out if activities are appropriate to do with baby, or how you will get there.

6. Don’t stress the small stuff.

Bring a few of your child’s favorites snacks that are easy to pack. But once they run out you may have to buy some food you wouldn’t buy at home (ie: snacks with added sugar). A few food indulgences aren’t the worst thing every now and then.

7. Be prepared, just in case.

Bring a thermometer, any over the counter medications you would give your child, such as Tylenol and also the dosage chart. You’ll feel at ease knowing that if your child wakes up in the middle of the night with a fever, you’re prepared.

8. Bring baby’s comforts from home.

Even if these items are bulky (blanket, stuffed animal, lovey), they will make your child feel at home in a new setting. This is important for your whole family, that your child sleep easily.

9. Take time as a couple.

Sneak in some alone time. Put the kids to bed early, take advantage of nap time, or utilize on-site babysitting services.

10. Extra hands.

If grandma is available and she is more of a help than an annoyance, bring her along!

Thanks to everyone who came out today for the new mom support group. We had a great turnout and lively discussion about taking care of yourself, going back to work and trying to get baby to sleep!