Top 10 Baby Items I Could Not Live Without :: Part Deux

Image courtesy of babble.com

My very first post on here {aside from my introductory post} was the top 10 baby items I could not live without. Read it here. I compiled the list when Big Squish was only 7 months old and before I was pregnant with Munchkin. Reading over that post, I still agree with everything I wrote and love all of the products, but there are definitely some I would add on. Since Squish, these are my new top 10 baby items:

{1} Fisher Price Little Lamb Swing :: I know I know, this is not new. It was on my first list, but it has been even more of a lifesaver this time around that I am putting it in the #1 spot and for good reason. Munchkin has been - how do I put this nicely - a challenge. If she were my first child I am not sure there would have been a second...certainly not 18 months later. Squish used this swing every day during his fussy time for his late afternoon cat nap. During the naps that Munch actually takes, she sleeps in this swing for nearly every single one from start to finish. Apparently she has decided her crib is the crib of doom and that if she sleeps and/or shuts her eyes in it she will die or something, but put her in this swing and she is out like a light. A few times I have woken her at the 4 hour mark. Take my word: BUY THIS.

The rest of these are in no particular order...

{2} Baby Bjorn :: As far as baby carriers and slings go, I have tried many:

- The Moby Wrap :: Nice, but it is way too long and wrapping gets all tangly and no matter how many times you do it or how many YouTube instructional videos you watch it takes forever. It is good for teeny babies to keep them high on your chest.

- Baby K'Tan :: Again, a lot of wrappy wrap but it gets stretchy and Munch slides around. Maybe she was too tiny or it was user error, but out of this and the Moby Wrap I preferred the Moby.

- Ergo Baby Carrier :: Suuuuuper duper comfy, never hurt my back even when Squish turned into Really Big Squish, and it can also be used as a back carrier which is a huge plus. Still, just not my cup of tea looks wise.

- Baby Bjorn :: LOVE. Quick. Easy. Strap it on. Baby in. Done. Cute. Stylish. Colorful! Perfect. Buy.

{3} Mia Bossi diaper bag :: I had this when I wrote my first post but I guess I didn’t realize how great it was. I bought that Ikat diaper bag for Munchkin and it is nice, but it is tiny. Too tiny for a diaper bag. It pretty much fits like 3 diapers and a travel set of wipes and a bottle. No bueno for the amount of baby stuff you actually need...like 32 diapers and 86 changes of clothes and 1499 pacifiers. I have the Maria style and it is AH-MAZING. Roomy. Pockets galore. And chic to boot. Worth every penny, and still looks brand new after using it nearly every day for two years.

{8} Miracle Blanket :: If you swaddle, the Miracle Blanket is a surefire win. Your baby will not be able to get out. We are talking straightjacket here. Comfy straightjacket, but straightjacket nonetheless. When Munchkin was young I loved the Woombie because there was no waking up involved to move her arms and wrap blankets. The Halo Kiddopotamus Swaddler is also great. But if you have a Houdini on your hands, stick with the Miracle Blanket.

p.s. I didn't mean to type 1-2-3-8 but it was funny so I left it :D

{5} Grobag sleep sack / Halo toddler sleep sack :: If you don’t swaddle and your baby kicks blankets off, invest in some sleep sacks. The prettiest I have seen by far is the Grobag sleep sack. I love it. I also have several by Halo which are great, but my favorite at the moment is my Grobag one. In addition to good looks, it is a substantial weight and very long so you won't necessarily have to buy several sacks as your child grows. For toddlers, Halo makes a sleep sack with ankle/feet holes. Squish loves his!

{6} Little Castle Glider :: I didn’t get a glider for the nursery when I had Big Squish. We had a comfy chair borrowed from my mother in law that was great, but I definitely would have preferred a glider. I did not appreciate how nice they are and what a difference it makes for both nursing and bottle feeding. My friend Andrika of Nursery Notations {which p.s. if you have not read is the BEST nursery/children's design blog out there} wrote this post on gliders a while back which is as in depth as you can get as far as I am concerned. I went with Little Castle and have loved every second of having it so far. Extremely comfortable, HIGH BACK which is KEY!!! (A lot of gliders do NOT have this, and you would not necessarily know to look for this with your first child. It is a MUST as far as I am concerned). My glider also reclines which pretty much takes me straight to heaven. FYI this picture above is not the style I have - I just loved the fabric!

{7} Grobag Egg thermometer :: Having the right nursery temperature is essential and this egg thermometer takes all guess work out of it...well, sort of. I think it is a couple of degrees off sometimes but you will know if the nursery is in the 65 range or the 73 range or what not. I don’t agree with its recommended temp suggestions as far as what is ideal for baby goes; they say something like 62-67 is ideal which in my opinion is the equivalent of a meat locker, so we stick with 72-73 degrees.

{8} Medela Symphony :: Since I pumped full-time with Munckin, my Medela Freestyle (which I LOVE) did not cut it. I rented a Symphony from the hospital - they retail for like $1300 - not a typo - and I got more than twice as much milk in half the time. If I pumped for the full cycle before the pump shut off, I got 11 ounces. In baby world, this is a lot at one sitting! Totally worth the monthly cost to rent.

{9} Dr. Brown’s bottles :: Munch was so tiny that she would not do the Playtex bottles I used with Squish as they have quite large nipples. She was also colicky and I had heard Dr. Brown’s were the best for colic...after using them for nearly two months now I agree wholeheartedly. The Playtex Drop-Ins are certainly easier and less time consuming as far as cleaning goes, but she just flat out would not use them and thankfully, Dr. Brown’s worked. For the record, I also tried Playtex Vent Air, Avent Born Free, the Adiri Nurser and Green to Grow bottles.

{10} Aiden and Anais blankets :: A lot of people prefer these as their #1 swaddle blanket. They actually just won this category in the recent Cribsie Awards. Munch was able to break out of these while swaddled, but overall they are my absolute most favorite blankets. They are soft, as light as a feather, a bit stretchy and have adorable prints. Even better, they have recently partnered with Target to create a less expensive line. Sold!

{11} I decided to do a mini list for #11 since the Fisher Price swing was a repeat, and there are just a few more items I want to include but don't want to type about!

- Favorite everyday stroller :: Bugaboo Chameleon

- Favorite jogging stroller :: Bob Revolution, and now we have the Revolution Duallie

- Favorite pack n play :: Baby Bjorn

- Favorite soap :: California Kids {AND their bubble bath comes with a bubble wand! So great}

As always, I will continue to compile more great products BUT I will not be having another newborn for a very long time...so top 10 list numero tres might be a few years down the line...

Tell me: what are your favorite baby/kid products that I didn't mention here? I would love to hear of new discoveries!

xoxo Sheridan

All images courtesy of manufacturer or diapers.com---heartsies.

Most Wanted :: Metallic Fringe Jacket

Image courtesy of Style.com

I am probably in the vast minority on this, but I would rock a metallic gold fringe jacket until the cows came home. Ah-mazing. {And don't even get me started on the matching gold mirror aviators and earrings...I mean does she own this look or what. SO fine}

Kaas Glassworks

Six years ago while I was browsing through InStyle magazine, I came across a little blurb about a quaint shop off of Bleecker in NYC called Kaas Glassworks that specialized in handmade decoupage. I was instantly smitten. I tore the page out and held on to it, and decided right then and there that the next time I went to New York I would make a point to visit. {I love finding special places like this}.

Three years later I met Biz. He asked me to attend a gala with him the following week in NYC. After approval from my parental units, I went, and was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to visit the store I had discovered so long ago. {Obviously was thrilled about the gala, too, but really thrilled about Kaas...love you husband}

Anyway, I made my way to 117 Perry Street and was worried I might be let down. I had wanted to visit for years and it could easily fall short of my expectations. Well, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The shop itself is the most beautiful, special, warm and comfortable place you could imagine right out of a novel:

Image courtesy of Urban Grace

Isn't it fabulous?! You step inside and are instantly overwhelmed in the most wonderful way with all of the hodge podge - and I truly say that very lovingly. There are literally stacks upon stacks of glass trays piled atop every square inch of table surfaces and covering every bit of the walls floor to ceiling. It is fantastic! They are the most glorious and unique handmade trays you can imagine. I was officially in heaven!!! This was my kind of place. I was honestly in there for about two hours during that first visit just looking through all of the treasures. The best part: they do custom work. The gala called though and I had to leave, but I could not wait to find that perfect something to have decoupaged for me.

Three months later, Biz and I were engaged and I knew instantly what his wedding gift would be: our wedding invitation, decoupaged onto a tray by Carol Kaas, the owner. I couldn't wait!!! He was probably hoping for something like guns or beer, but I knew somewhere deep down he secretly yearned for a tray. Since then, Carol has done numerous items for me: our vows for our first anniversary, a letter my brother wrote me at camp when he was 6, love letters Biz and I have written each other {obviously this was completely voluntary on his part and I did not ask him monthly for three years for this as my anniversary present...nope I did not do that} and every single piece is the most perfect piece of artwork. They are honestly my most prized possessions in our home. So personal, full of meaning, forever captured in such a special way.

Anyway, sweet sweet Carol sent this to me in the mail yesterday and you can just imagine my excitement when I opened it!!!


Isn't it beautiful?!?! If any of you need a special gift, something for your home, or are looking for the perfect way to encapsulate a memory, I highly recommend selecting a gorgeous piece from Kaas Glassworks or sending something directly to the store to have made just for you or your loved one. You will not be disappointed. View her collection online here {a little sampling of the many many sizes she does is below} though there are thousands more of these in store.


Thank you again Carol - you have no idea how special it is for me to have my own personal tray - I will treasure it forever!

Lots of love,
Sheridan
xoxo

How I Wore It :: Color Blocking Fun

I had a loooooong day of shooting today for our spring fashion issue at the magazine {up at 5:30am and got back home at 6:20pm} but it was worth every second. I hope this isn't a secret but the editors decided to use my line for the entire spread and it was FABULOUS! Everything went perfect, the model was such a rockstar, hair and makeup were genius; I can't wait to share the final result with you which will come out in the May issue. Stay tuned!

Anywho, I went to a baby shower this past weekend and decided it might be time to take off the sweat pants. Not gonna lie: getting this belt around my waist was quite a feat. I actually took it off in the car on the way there because it was ridiculously tight - breathing is a good thing - and just flat out uncomfortable. The decision came down to this: wear cute belt and give false appearance of small waist 9 weeks after baby, or eat. I went with eat. Buh bye belt.

Dress - Theory, Belt - Cynthia Rowley {on sale for $20!! at her boutique on Bleecker!}, Shoes - Christian Louboutin, Clutch - Marc Jacobs, Earrings - Miu Miu, Watch - Michele

Ok so this outfit really doesn't go along with my "reasonable budget" What I Wore's, but there will be more of those next week. Pinky swear. I also wanted to share what is actually happening on the sidelines at my house during these picture taking sessions - total craziness, as always. I literally have like 26.9 seconds to take photos before my attention is needed elsewhere... :)



xoxo Sheridan

p.s. Don't you just love Big Squish's new Native Kids shoes?! They are my {and his!} absolute fave. With socks. Without socks. Easy peasy and cute to boot. We got ours from Nordstrom but they are also available on Zappos.com.

Giveaway WINNER!

As soon as the responses started coming in for my giveaway I knew I was doomed. There were the entries that were beyond touching {a girl wanting to selflessly win for her sister}, to those that tugged at my heart strings {women who's husbands have been at war and they haven't seen them in over a year - TEARS}, to incredibly sweet ones telling me I was a rainbow, or a role model for pioneering my line and being a mother - also made me cry! - and creative poems that were so awesome, not to mention hysterical posts about need vs. want and glitter for breakfast {delish!}.

In all honesty I think it was incredibly difficult for me to select a favorite because I felt like I really identified with every single one of you...I truly wanted every single one of you to win. From students pinching pennies, to those mid-pregnancy girls wanting to hide the booty, to mothers drowning in diapers and tantrums and just wanting to feel pretty, to those on the wedding circuit with eleventy billion bridal showers to attend, soon-to-be honeymooners, wives looking to drop their hubby's jaws on date night...I mean Y'ALL! DO NOT DO THIS TO ME!! How was I ever supposed to select just one?! You were ALL deserving. I officially had Mission: Impossible on my hands.

So I read. And re-read. Every single one of the 200+ comments. And then read them again. After many hours of internal debate {I kid you not...HOURS}, I decided there was no fair way to select one over the other. I did not want to be faulted for selecting a "favorite" - which I would never have been able to do anyway! - so I decided the best thing to do would be to generate a random number online and match it up with the corresponding comment. That said, for future giveaways, if you all would rather me actually pick a favorite entry I am happy to...I just didn't want to get in trouble for playing favorites this time!

Without further ado, the winner is...

Amanda :)

Posted March 17th at 11:57am

So, lovely Amanda, please send an email to hello@sheridanfrench.com with your details! Size, address, etc. Congratulations, and more importantly, thank you. If you read her post you will see both she and her husband are serving our country. Thank you not only for supporting my blog and my collection, but to you and your husband for your patriotism. No words are good enough to truly honor what you both do.

I also want to send out a MASSIVE thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single sweet person that became a follower and commented. I have been blown away by the events of this past week {I have had nearly EIGHT THOUSAND blog visits since last Monday, which for little old me is a really big deal}, and to have you all say such wonderfully thoughtful things about me and my line is extremely touching. I wish I could describe what it has meant to have such a surge in support and readership {327 followers and counting! My heart melts!}; again, all I can say is that I am blown away.

There have been countless times over the course of this past year/spring collection that I have been this close to throwing in the towel. It has been difficult beyond description to balance work with motherhood, especially now that I have just added a newborn to the mix, plus being a wife {which I fail at miserably some days}, and still finding time for myself, but your words have given me immense inspiration and confidence to keep going forward. Thank you.

You all make my life that much lovelier.

xoxo Sheridan

How I Wore It :: Anik Shorts {+Elements of Style love fest}

ATTENTION! Giveaway for a free piece from my spring line still happening down below. Three more days to enter and win!

So here is how my night went. Early morning, rather. Munchkin woke at 5am and after I fed her I went straight to pump. {For those of you who don't know what that means... minor detail... ignore... involves some suctioning and it's not cute so just disregard} The good thing about pumping is that I have 30 minutes to sit in peace and quiet and work, respond to emails, catch up on Sex and the City, eat chocolate almond butter, etc. When I finished pumping at 5:57am I had 6 emails, all reminders from myself for things I had to do today.

7:34am: Cut to breakfast in the kitchen with Biz and Big Squish. I sit down to check my iPhone and see the number in the little red email bubble that tells me how many new ones I have. I had to do a double take. 48?? Huh? Clearly iPhone is not thinking straight. Poor thing. I touch the mail icon to figure out what the deal is. ALL 42 new ones were from people leaving comments on here....I am immediately kind of scared and super excited as I have absolutely no idea what had happened in the last hour and a half to warrant this type of traffic.

Well! What happened was a one miss cutie cute Erin Gates posted about yours truly on her amazing beyond words blog that everyone and their mom and her mom has heard of {unless you are living under a neon green rock}, Elements of Style. I have been a looooong time fan of her always inspiring work, and to say it is an honor to have her give me such a rave review is the understatement of the century.

While all of this shock processed through my brain Biz was wondering why an entire 2 minutes had gone by without me speaking {that's never happened before}. I explained through tears of joy - I'll blame it on the postpartum hormones - and immediately went straight to Cloud 9. I now have 212 followers and counting!

Erin, THANK YOU for such a fabulously flattering piece, and Kyle, thank YOU for passing my line on to her in the first place. When you read Erin's post you will see that Kyle of the also crazy good blog Knight Moves told Miss E about me in the first place. LOVE!

Anywhizzle, I figured a What I Wore was in order for all of my spiffy new followers. My darling friend Justine presented me with a small request two days ago: that my What I Wore posts sometimes reflect clothes that are easy to come by rather than focus on those that are super high end. Deal! So here we go:

Biz tells me I need to pose like a model. Cue laughter.

Tank tops: J.Crew, Shorts: Sheridan French, Sandals: Cole Haan, Necklace: some oriental store in Dallas - can't recall the name, Bracelets: collected over years and years of travels, as well as scouring through my mom's jewelry box, Sunglasses: Target

Starts making fun of my less than par modeling skills. Thanks. Just zip it already and take the close up shots.

That leather cuff is actually from J.Crew kids. I ordered it for Squish because all 1 year olds adore leather cuffs, obviously, but for some reason he rejected its amazingness on the spot. I can't imagine why as there are skull and cross bones and lightning bolts all over it. I'm telling you the kid is crazy. Thankfully it fits me because I have mini wrists like the boys in the Lollipop Guild from the Wizard of Oz.

All of these items - except for the shorts, of course, have to buy the shorts - can be substituted with clothes from Target or Gap or any great store along those lines. Looking good does not need to take lots of money! Just be creative, put your own spin on it and everything will fall into place.

Thank you again to Erin, Kyle, Sarah, Daily Candy Dallas and all of my darling followers for your loveliness!

xoxo Sheridan

p.s. Erin you can be my BFF any time just stay out of the bus lane!

Sheridan French Spring 2011 GIVEAWAY!

:: PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER ::
...but keep checking back for more in the future!

In honor of the start of spring this coming Sunday and all the cheeriness that goes along with it, I am doing my first blog giveaway! I have one piece to give away to one {maybe two!} darling Southern Eclectic readers. All you have to do to be in for a chance to win a free piece of clothing from my Spring 2011 collection is:

{1} become a follower and
{2} leave a comment telling me which piece you would love to have and why you think you are the most deserving of it

Be creative! Can't wait to hear your responses... Check out my website here for all of the styles and fabric options, as well as How I Wore It for some great tips. I will announce the winner on Monday!

xoxo Sheridan

p.s. Check out Daily Candy Dallas today! The sweet sweet girls over there did a feature on my spring line. Thank you! So thoughtful :)

Discuss...

Image courtesy of Liv-Chic

We likes? We no likes?

I am thinking this could be very cool in a little girl's room as the focal point, playing the rest of the room off of it, perhaps keeping everything else white/lucite/minimal...then maybe another big pop of color with an Andy Warhol Marilyn or Elizabeth print over the bed.

I am also thinking this could also be very uncool though, way too over the top, and no matter what you did it would look gaudy.

We likes or we no likes?? I can't decide....but methinks I am kind of leaning toward likes.

Pity Party

I am in major need of one right about now. Here is my schedule for the past 8 weeks. Just for giggles we'll start at midnight:

12:00am - 12:25am: feed and burp Boop {I am thinking this might be her blog name by the way, given because she has such big eyes that resemble one Miss Betty Boop. Hope you likes, but I'm open to other suggestions}

12:30am - 1:00am: pump. Catch up on Sex and the City via iPhone. I am midway through season 4 right now. Carrie and Big are trying to be friends. Yeah right. Clean breast pump contraptions and finally...

1:10am: sleep

2:00am: She's awake again. Feed and burp.

2:30am: pump. More drama between Carrie and Big.

3:10am: sleep

3:30: wake. Big Squish is cold or hot or can't find his paci or can't find his giraffe and is crying through the intercom.

3:40: sleep

4:00-4:30am: wake. feed and burp. Too tired to pump.

6:00am: Want to die. Boop is screaming. Feed feed feed burp burp burp.

6:30am: sleep. Already hear Squish on intercom. Kill me. Biz gets up with Squish. Romance!

8:00am: Biz has to go to work. Wakes me. Die. Eyes stuck shut. Put on Big Squish's reading video to distract while I go upstairs and get Boop. Try with all my might to not fall asleep while walking back downstairs. Feed, burp, attempt to shield Boop from flying trains and Hot Wheels being hurled at us by Squish to get attention.

9:00am: Put Boop in her crib. Keep monitor off for 15 minutes because will gauge eyes out with icepick if I hear the crying. Pump while doing everything I can to prevent Squish from pushing tables and flower vases over. Throwing iPhones at toddlers is definitely not child abuse, right?

9:15am: Turn monitor on. Still crying. Go upstairs to move to her swing.

9:17am: Back downstairs. Have lost Big Squish.

9:20am: Finds Squish. Hiding behind my bathtub. Pooping. Awesome.

9:21am: Diaper change. Gag vomit x 1,000,000 at size of it. Surely this amount is abnormal for a one year old? Seriously considers whether or not to call Guiness Book of World Records??

9:22am: Still hear baby crying. WHERE IS THE ICEPICK?

9:23am: Downstairs. Hey, Squish, want to go watch Elmo in Mommy's bed? Praise Jesus he agrees!

9:24 - 9:30am: Six minutes of bliss while Squish stays still and watches Sesame Street and I get to lay down. Amazing. Best six minutes of my life to date.

9:30 - 10:05am: Play Thomas the Train with Squish. I am starting to think I have the ability to sleep with my eyes open. Extreme talent.

10:06am: Oh yay I'm so shocked Boop is awake again how surprising that she didn't sleep well once more and is already starving after two hours great good awesome let's all do a jig PLEASE child eat more than 2 ounces this time I am begging you.

10:20am: My mom calls my cell. I answer while holding Boop in my left arm and balancing the bottle against my chin. She wonders what type of hair cut she should get. Lord give me patience. I don't know. I'll tell her to get a mohawk if I can just hang up and focus.

11:30am: complete blur of bottles, diapers, trains, monitor screaming, dogs, cats, and screening phone calls from crazy next door neighbor lady {9 cats she has I do not lie}

11:30-12:00pm: feed lunch to Big Squish. It's great he's saying "eat!" now. Finally, some cooperation. To the kitchen we go! Nope. Wait. I spoke too soon. For some reason it is a huge surprise that we have to sit in our highchair to eat lunch every day. Commence completely over the top screaming. Fabulous. Now need icepick plus earplugs. I show him vegetable packs. Happy again.

12:15pm: Boop screaming. Put Squish down for his nap which, thankfully, he loves. Straight to sleep for him. Straight to baby's room for me. Feed burp feed burp diaper change number 7 of the day for her. Only wet though, zero doo, because this is the 6th day without any doo which is super duper fun. Yes, good times.

1:00pm: Baby down. Squish asleep. Bed calling. But work begins. Return phone calls, reply to emails, figure out where shipments are, which stores need different sizes, talk to my mom again about which haircut is perfect for her, side bangs, Nicole Richie circa 2007 maybe, I love you but please just pick a style and wait at least an hour before calling me again, email production manager in Bali about spring 2012, what fabrics will I use how much are they where can I get them in the markets or do I print my own and if so what will that cost but is it worth it in the long run, go away pool man I don't care if you put one chlorine tab or two in this time and I am going to kill the lawn mower people if they use the loud leaf blowers and wake up the kids, why does my stomach hurt so bad? Oh. Right. Food would be good. Breakfast at 2:30pm. Great.

2:30pm: Sleepwalking to kitchen. Hear Big Squish on intercom. Please Lord present the icepick right in front of me now so I can just get it over with.

2:35pm: Downstairs with Squish. Mommy needs food. Now. Inhales nearly entire jar of chocolate almond butter. Bliss and peace on level of Dalai Lama.

2:40pm: The Gremlin is screaming again. Not the nice looking cute fluffy Gremlin Gizmo. Oh no. By 2:40pm Boop is a full blown Gremlin. She doesn't cry she spits out fire flames. Feed burp feed burp OUCH I forgot to pump ouch ouch ouch ouch

3:00pm: Put the Gremlin back in her swing straight away. Must pump stat to avoid explosion. Please Squish please come downstairs with Mommy without screaming your head off to intentionally wake the baby {how does a 20 month old just inherently know what will make you as frustrated as possible? Anyone??} Yes good idea bring your excavator!

3:10pm: Pumping. Squish playing in corner with excavator. Slight moment of peace. Maybe I can do a blog post right now and multitask! Genius!

3:12pm: No Big Squish you may not touch Mommy's laptop while she is using it. No. No no no. Stop. NO. Ok so much for blogging. Hide the laptop. Is it time for Biz to get home yet? I wonder if he is open to adopting a 13 year old girl to be a built-in babysitter? Will have to discuss with him this evening. Hey Squish let's go outside and throw the ball for the dogs and play with your dump truck.

4:30pm: Exhaustion. Eyes. Heavy. Please. Squish. Let's. Go. Inside. Thinking to myself...surely the dogs can be babysitters for just 20 minutes? That's all I need. Quick 20 minute nap. Realize that I actually consider that for like point 2 seconds which in turn makes me realize just how sleep deprived I am.

4:31pm: "Mommy tain! Tain!" You want to play with trains? "Tain." Ok. Let's go play with trains.

4:33pm: "Mommy guck!" You want milk? "Guck." Ok let's go get some milk.

4:35pm: "Mommy soodie!" You want a smoothie? "Soodie." Ok. Here's a smoothie.

4:35.30pm: "Guuuuck!" You just said you wanted a smoothie. "GUUUUUCCCCKKKK!" I start mentally making my Christmas list in my head. Numero uno: icepick.

4:36pm: "Taaaaaiiiiinnnnn!!!" Ok let's go back and play with your trains.

5:00pm: Convinced the Gremlin is dead. She has never gone more than two hours between feedings. Go upstairs to check. Lord almighty she is still asleep. I'd like to thank everyone who made this moment possible...my Miracle Whispers womb sounds CD, my Target sound machine, the mobile from Pottery Barn above her crib, her pink fleece Kiddopotamus swaddle blanket, Fisher Price for making such a wonderful swing, and Justin's Chocolate Almond Butter for getting me through the darkest of times.

5:04pm: Back downstairs with Big Squish. To my amazement he is still playing contently with his trains. Blog now? Maybe?? Stealthily sneak to my chair and laptop.....

5:05pm: "Mommy! Miss you!" I melt. I missed you too sweet thing. Ok let's play with trains. Blogging can wait.

5:15pm: RELIEF. Biz walks in the door just as Boop wakes up. Feed burp diaper. I am so frustrated I am a thousand miles behind on work, on the verge of tears, and she smiles. That is all I needed. Change mental Christmas List #1 from icepick to spa day... Move icepick to #2 just in case.

Most Wanted :: Spiked Stilettos

I probably need more money than in the whole Monopoly game to buy these. They are so fine. Too much or just right? Would you wear them?