Mom's Favorite Things

I've been wanting to keep a list of things I loved and found helpful through Mia's first year so here you go:


  • Baby Gear




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    • Dawson Swivel Glider Recliner from Costco.com - my favorite purchase thusfar. Everyone said a good rocker/recliner will make a difference and it's true. It is so nice to have to nurse or pump in, provide comfort in the middle of the night, rock Mia to sleep, etc... I had heard that having one with arms is a must and I wanted one that was comfy and looked nice - the wood ones did not feel so to me. But I didn't want to pay $700 or more which is what they were at BabysRUs and everywhere else. A lot of people use LazBoy types but I hate how manly and saggy they look. So when I found this one, I ordered it immediately. It has both the rocker and recliner feature, it's comfy and adorable yet firm enough to hold up for a long time. And the price couldn't be beat at $350 which was better even than any LazBoy or microsuede recliners I found. And the best part was that they delivered it to my house for free and since it's Costco, I knew if I didn't like it, I could return it for a full refund. And because of the neutral color, I can still use it in another room after we don't need it for kids anymore. 
    • Joovy Zoom 360 Jogging Stroller - I'm recommending this as a mid-price jogging stroller. It is probably not better than the Bob but I didn't want to pay $400 for it and because they get so much usage, I had a hard time finding a used one in a condition that I felt comfortable with. But I also didn't want to buy the cheapest one on the market, so I was thrilled to come upon this online recommendation for this as the best mid-price jogging stroller and I been so happy with it. It glides so smoothly, looks fab, easy to use, has great sun protection for Mia, maneuvers well, great safety protection for Mia and reclines almost 100%. I've taken this on some pretty intense hikes and it was amazing at maneuvering. I was very fortunate to find it on sale through Costco.com also for $180. I've had a few little issues come up but I contacted the company each time and they super helpful. I ordered the car seat attachment to be able to go on walks and ended up using this as our main stroller for the first year (besides the Snap and Go). And I'm so glad I did because it is so comfy to use. My only complaint has probably been that it it kinda big but I knew that going in. I still prefer to use it over the umbrella stroller because it is so smooth. I think they have an updated model now for sale. 
    • Diaper Bag backpack - I don't have one but I will next time and this would be my recommendation to new moms. Having a backpack diaper bag would be much easier to carry around on outings and while lugging around your child. You do not want to worry about balancing a diaper bag on one shoulder with your child in your arms. Though I loved having my diaper bag and all that I could keep in it, I have abandoned it and bought a regular backpack which I love using.
    • Ergo 360 carrier - the only carrier I've used besides slings and the Moby but my fave through all stages. The durability was great when she was a little newborn and then the ability for her to look outward from my chest can't be beat. I still use this and she will have it no other way. And from what I've heard, this is one of the safest for her hips. Pricey but it has absolutely been worth it. I take it everywhere. My only complaint is the velcro around the waist which sticks to different fabrics but I think they have fixed this now to a different fabric. If I were to buy again, I would probably get the cool fabric kind which was not available when I bought mine because this thing can get hot. 


    • My Brest Friend nursing pillow - the key to me sticking with breastfeeding. Solved the problem of how to situate Mia. In the beginning I even took it with me out and about because I loved using it.
    • Boppy Newborn Lounger - not a must but we love this thing still. It's the best thing I never knew I needed. I registered for it not knowing exactly how much I would really use it but it is amazing. It's basically a boppy without a hole in the middle - a perfect pillow to place Mia in when you we got tired of holding her. Mia loved sitting in before she started rolling and spent most of her days here. It was a perfect thing to put her right next to Matt and/or I on the couch while she slept or just looked around. Matt liked holding her hand while she laid in it while he

      watched TV. We loved it so much we took it when we travelled. We still use it now to put Mia in after her naps while she's still waking up. It also makes for a nice pillow for Matt or I to lay in while trying to get Mia down or while Mia is playing in the room and we just want to relax and lay on the floor. I also put a scarf around the handle and pull Mia around the house on it. She giggles hysterically. 
    • SwaddleMe original swaddle wrap - forget about trying to perfect the swaddle on your own with blankets. These are great!
    • Zipadee-Zip - to transition out of swaddle after baby starts rolling and we still use it today.
    • Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup - this has been Mia's favorite and she has used it since she was 6 months old 

  • Toys

    • NogginStik - pricey comparatively but this toy was key to getting Mia to do tummy time. And I've seen every age of kid have fun playing with it even though it's a baby toy. I've had some issues with the lights stop working properly but I would still recommend the toy because the company was so willing to help and would send me replacements for free and then ended up refunding me fully after the third replacement, even though that time I'm pretty sure the batteries just needed to be replaced. Oops! I didn't know then until I replaced the battery and it worked great again.
    • Baby Einstein Musical Toy - Mia's favorite toy by far

  • Apps & Tech
    • White Noise Baby app - free app - we use the hair dryer noise and use the sound timer to have the noise turn off an hour after we put her to bed because she doesn't need the noise all night long. This is also nice for longer road trips to put on a tablet in the back seat with her.
    • Video baby monitor - we borrowed one (Foscam) from a friend and will probably buy another one soon for downstairs for when we have babysitters. So nice to be able to check on Mia without having to open the door and interrupt her. And it's a great way for Matt to still feel involved while he is at work or travelling because he pull up the cam feed on his computer or phone. Our has a Foscam Viewer app that can be installed on phones and tablets which is so convenient.
    • Baby Daybook - if you are as structure loving as Matt and I, this is the best baby tracking app. We used this almost 100% of the time for Mia's first year to track diapers, feedings and her sleep. Takes a little extra work but so nice to be able to look at patterns and easily answers questions at the pediatricians office about how much she has been drinking, how many dirty diapers she averages per day, how much she is sleeping at night as opposed to napping during the day, etc... This is also a free app but I paid to have the pro version so we could use different devices to track the same data and keep it backed up.
    • Dormi app - an baby monitor app that can be used through any devices that I used when we were travelling and couldn't take our video monitor. I used a tablet as the child device and then my phone as the parent (monitoring) device to listen. 4 hours free per month but I subscribed for a while for only $1 per month for unlimited usage because I would use it anytime we traveled. There is a video monitor functionality but I didn't use it - just the sound. 
  • Food & Food Stuff
    • Anything by Plum Organics but I especially love their Mighty 4 and Mashup pouches. They don't add in sugar or any other artificial preservatives, colors, etc...
    • Annies Homegrown Organic Whole Milk yogurt - the first year, I just bought plain whole milk greek yogurt and mixed half a container of Gerber fruit puree in with it but this is so much easier and a great transition for Mia - and much less work than mixing
      • taste good
      • is full fat yogurt
      • low in sugar
      • natural ingredients and coloring
    • Cheerios - just plain old simple original gangsters - for snacks and for breakfast
      • cheaper than all the other snacks and just as healthy
      • low in ingredients and preservatives/sugar
    • Fruit - especially blueberries, peaches and watermelon
      • better than any other treat you could offer 
    • EzPz placemat - perfect for kids who throw everything like Mia. This suctions to the table and is super durable so even if it can't suction, Mia can't throw it. Super easy to clean and provides built in bowls so I don't have to use those and have her throw them. I use this for almost every meal and take this when travelling as well when I have room.
    • Nuby Floor Mat - we got this to protect the carpet because Mia loves to throw food all over and our last apartment had a carpeted dining room. But even now I use it in our tiled kitchen because it's so easy to pick up and hose down or throw in the sink to wash as opposed to mopping constantly. I also take it when we travel because I never know if someone else that we are staying with will have a carpeted dining room. It's just much easier to relax instead of worrying about whether Mia is going to cause a ton of work for someone else. 

  • Baby Products

    • Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash and Laundry Detergent - good clean products that Mia has never had a skin reaction to. We use both for our household and are quite happy.
    • MOP - Pear Gentle Shampoo For infants & toddlers - I would have just stuck with the Honest Shampoo but were given this as gift and I love the smell. So I use this for Mia's hair and the Honest for her body. Seriously this smell is amazing!
    • Coconut oil - as nipple cream for lactation cracks and soreness. Better than any lactation creams. No need to buy any of that other stuff. Honestly I used it all and coconut oil worked best by far. I filled up an old prescription bottle with it and kept it in my purse and used it whenever I felt sore. 


  • Books

  • TV & Shows
    • Super Simple Songs (on Youtube) - Mia can't get enough and I've found these to be the most tolerable ones though there are some I find annoying or creepy. But as far as children's music videos go, they are the best! Our faves are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Little Snowflake, Sweet Dream (Goodnight Song) and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. All of these are so relaxing and Mia find them mesmerizing. My fave upbeat one is One Potato, Two Potato.
    • Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood - Mia's fave by far because of the songs mixed in. I'm not sure why more shows don't do the same thing. 
    • Big Block Sing Song (also on YouTube) - also music videos for kids but these are hilarious and witty. It's nice to find shows Mia can watch that we don't find obnoxious. 
    • Sesame Street songs - I'm a sucker for Sesame Street. You cannot go wrong.

  • Other Miscellaneous
    • Lactation consultants - find out what your insurance covers before you have your baby. And then shop around to find out who others have had great success troubleshooting lactation problems. I saw four different lactation consultants and they all said different things, taught different techniques. Only the last two actually solved my problems. Even if insurance doesn't cover it, one visit with a really good lactation consultant will solve your problems and then most of the time, you can email them or call them with questions once you have visited them once.
    • Drop in Mom & Baby classes - I found a class led by a lactation consultant in Palo Alto at The Parents Place that was phenomenal. It costs $15 each time but I probably went once a month and it was so worth it. The classes were grouped by your baby's age and we just came to ask questions to the lactation consultant and to the other moms. It was so perfect for me. I just kept a list of questions and then came. Things like how can I get Mia to do more tummy time (enter the NogginStik suggestion), troubleshooting sleep regression problems, how to get Mia to enjoy solid foods (enter EzPz placemat)
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Belated Update - We're Back to Blogging

After a year and a half break from blogging, we've decided it's time to return, especially since we are writing similar updates for our family anyway. So you'll find our blog has a facelift and we've added a special section on the side to share funny or interesting memories/experiences of ours. We are hoping to share a new one every week so check back often.

I may even try to go back and do some catch-up for the last year and a half. More on that later, but until then here is an update on our summer up to now.

At the Riverton, Utah July 4th parade

Playing at Pikey's

Playing games with Jack and Alex

We went out to Utah at the end of June for an extended family reunion on Matt's side but we also got to spend a couple days (including the fourth of July) with my sister's family in Fruit Heights and then a couple days with Pikey and family in Mapleton. It is so fun watching Mia interact with everyone at each stage of her growing. Last time we were in Utah she was just starting to roll - so she was still so fragile. Now she is running and moving constantly and can hold her own - so it was fun watching her with my nephews (Jack and Alex) and Pikey's kids. Being the only girl out of the group, it was funny to see the differences.

We had a blast with all of Matt's family at various parks throughout Salt Lake County, including one which had a splashpad Mia couldn't get enough of. Mia also loved being at the Riverton Parade and loved being allowed to stand in the street and gather candy. You can her trying to chew through an otter pop in the picture above.

With Pikey we loved playing with all of her millions of toys - Mia was in heaven! Matt took advantage of their theater room whenever possible. We also got to see Mary and Collin when they joined us all - along with Tori and kids and Johana and our nieces - for a day of swimming at Pikey's in laws house. They had an intense water slide into their pool which proved to be quite the conversation piece with everyone daring each other to go down. If the kids were too scared to go down by themselves, we sent Matt down with them which worked out great. I was thrilled to see Mia so happy in the pool because up to that point she had not been very happy in the water, always fighting me for her independence. But this pool had a wading area so she was in heaven being able to run around somewhat uninhibited.

Though I was sick and we were all tired from the action-packed reunion, we had a fun Fourth of July with Tori's family. The highlight of the night was watching Alex, Jack, and Bryan lighting fireworks and the excitement the boys got every time one went off. But Tori also made some delicious food and because they made aerial fireworks legal in Utah this year, we got to see many amateur firework shows from everyone taking advantage of that opportunity. It was terrifying and fantastic all at the same time.

Playing with Alex's Cozy Coupe

Loved having someone to play with

Fell in mud but she don't care

Parade

Pooltime with Pikey, Blake, Tori and Alex

Mia, Pikey, Blake

Julie, Johanita, Matt, Blake, Mia, Pikey, Landon

Mary

View of the pool and waterslide

Johanita, Me, Noah

After our trip to Utah in July for a family reunion, Matt and I spent 10 days in (or traveling to and from) Tokyo, Japan. Matt had a work conference there for 3 days; so I happily joined him, while my mom watched Mia for a week and then my friend, Lauren, and mother-in-law, Kathy both watched for a couple days each too. I think you all probably saw our travel updates through social media so I won't repeat too much. But we had a wonderful time together exploring Tokyo and enjoying time together. Though we truly missed Mia (at least for the first couple days :), it felt amazing for me to be able to wander around and not have to worry about anyone else for a little bit. It was a great reminder to me that I am more than just Mia's mom, which is hard to see when taking care of a toddler all day, everyday. The food was interesting, and Matt opted to eat at Domino's Pizza and McDonald's the last couple days. Imagine his surprise to discover that a large Domino's pizza was almost as small as a personal pan pizza in America. But there was tons to explore around Tokyo, tons of people, and we had a good time despite the very hot and humid weather.


Yoyogi Park

Garden at our first hotel

View from the Imperial Garden

Imperial Palace grounds

Shibuya Crossing

Akihabara

Asakusa street shopping

Me at a shrine, but I can't remember which one

Me at the Senso-ji Buddhist temple

I found Godzilla while walking through Shibuya

Infamous Shibuya honey toast

Since Tokyo, we've had fun enjoying the summer together as a family - going to the beach / boardwalk in Santa Cruz, including taking Mia on carnival rides, taking Mia to a concert at Google, dining at the Costco Food court, you know the usual.

Mia enjoying the park (almost daily)

Mia at Matt's work party at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - loaded up in her wagon about to walk the boardwalk together

At the beach

Swimming at my Aunt Lori's house

Unfortunately, my sister-in-law, Paige passed away suddenly on August 6th. Paige had gastric bypass surgery (the most drastic kind) done about 12 years ago and has had many health problems since. Her death is attributed, at least in part, to complications from this surgery. So Matt, Mia, and I made our first road trip together down to SoCal to attend her funeral and spend time with my brother, Ryan, and our niece and nephews.
My oldest brother, Ryan, and his wife, Paige

The funeral was beautiful and was a great reminder of all the wonderful things Paige has done for others. Though she was quite the firecracker and at times could drive me crazy, she also had become the older sister I never had. Unfortunately the last year and a half, I did not talk to Paige much due to disagreements that don't matter now, but I will never forget how she had reached out to me when I was in the hospital after having Mia knowing that I was struggling. I can't even begin to imagine how Ryan and his kids feel, or will cope, as they move forward without their wife and mother. But I also know she is finally at peace now, after struggling so much with her health, especially in the last couple years.

Though it was a sad occasion, we really enjoyed being with Ryan and his kids and introducing them to Mia, who couldn't get enough of their trampoline - or the chickens they raise (that live under the trampoline)! We ended up extending our trip a couple days to take advantage of extra time with them, sneak in a visit with Lane and Kathy, and see Dave Romney and his family. Mia had a blast digging through all of the boxes of Kathy's old toys that her kids played with. Matt and Mia were elated when Kathy sent us home with the race car that can be taken apart and put back together - Matt's favorite toy as a child. At least once a day I find Mia holding the little yellow wrench tool to the wheels trying to figure out how to take the wheels off herself.

Matt is busy back at work and looking forward to another business trip to Vegas in a couple weeks. But most importantly he has the glow of football season on him. I'm constantly amazed at how much joy football - and really Fantasy Football - brings him. He is dying to watch games with Mia and already tries to explain the sport to her. She likes to lounge on his lap and watch sports with him and clap her hands.

A few weeks ago, I took Mia to a gymnastics/tumbling class with a friend and she absolutely loved it! Definitely plays to her strength of being fearless and always wanting to be moving. So now I'm looking into making this a regular thing for us to do together - and how to bring in a little money to fit it into our budget.
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Third Trimester

Better late than never I guess.

The third trimester of my pregnancy ended up being probably the best one in my ways - though it was not without it's own challenges. I entered it at the end of February and felt great with the nausea now gone. This was also the trimester of gifts and baby showers so that added to the perks.

I really started getting bigger which brought the challenges of what to wear and how to move... and growing pains. At one point, Matt said it looks like ate a watermelon because the rest of my body generally stayed the same except for my stomach which shot out.

Though I never had the swollen ankles until after I gave birth, I promised my co-workers that I would stop wearing heels when the third trimester started so I had to learn to live with flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes and other flats.

Me at the beginning of the third trimester

Feeling so good, I could still go hiking

Then just as soon as I started to get too comfortable, Mia started making herself cozy on my ribs. There were times where it literally felt like she would rest her an arm or leg in my ribs. Several times I would be in work meetings and gasp quickly because she was moving around - sometimes it felt like she was just swinging her arm across my belly and it did not feel good.

I loved feeling her move when she wasn't hurting me - and was terrified when I didn't feel her regularly. I even had to make two extra trips to my OB to have them monitor me. The second time, Mia took forever to move around and let us know she was okay. It took me drinking two cups of very cold water and then a piece of chocolate to get her moving.

Because of the nausea and being told to eat whatever made me feel good previously, I got into some bad habits of eating lots of sugar cereal, fruit and regularly drinking orange juice and chocolate milk. It's no wonder, I failed my first glucose test. After scaling back on my carbs, sugary drinks and fruit intake, I barely passed the second test but with a warning from my OB that she wanted me to eat cautiously and that she would know from my regular urine tests if I was being naughty again.

Can I just say that one of the worst ideas is having a pregnant women fast at all - especially for a three hour test! I thought I was going to die having to sit around and not eat for that long - or that Mia was going to eat me.

Being on the brink of having gestational diabetes was no fun and after hearing that GB can cause bigger babies, I really paid attention to what I was eating. This became especially unpleasant when my nausea returned again in the last month of pregnancy and left me without much of an appetite again.

Now on a brighter note, I have amazing friends and family who threw me celebrations and showered us with gifts for Mia which helped distract from the discomfort. The first baby shower was thrown by my previous SVCF co-workers who surprised me when I thought I was just going to have lunch with them. They threw a rock and roll shower to go along with my nursery theme. We even played music games like guessing songs with the word baby in it. Check out the photos below from this shower:
Nicolette, Julie, me, Sarah (the host), Diane and Christine

Diaper cake made by Diane - I think. It's been awhile :)

One of my favorites memories of this shower was not only the good food, but the hilariously adorable names for each food item.

If you can't read these labels, they say "New Kids on the Block of Cheese" and "Veggie Gibson Tray"



My next shower - and last hurrah before Mia came - was a girls trip in Vegas with my college besties. Laura, Briauna and Anna and I all joined Jodi, Darlene and Amanda in Vegas for a weekend of fun. We discovered the amazing world of Vegas "$20 foot massages" which really meant full-body massages. We loved them so much, a couple of us went back and had another on the following day. I got to spend time with Jodi, Darlene and Amanda and their kids and had a blast partying it up with Briauna and Laura. I hadn't seen Anna in years - and she flew out with her own newborn - which was amazing and I'm so glad she was willing to make the trip.

We spent a day of fun people-watching at the Flamingo pool after a run-in with security while Laura and Briauna were trying to break into the pool without having to pay. Darlene and I were laughing so hard that we missed spotting the security who walked over and angrily told them to back away from his fence. They got chewed out and then the guy said "Just go around to the front gate and you'll get in for free - all ladies are free today." Sheepishly - but laughing hilariously - we walked around to the front only to enter a "spring break pool party" that was not fit for us married mamas but made for great entertainment.

For my shower, I wanted to just spend time together and keep it simple with everyone having to travel, so we ate at the only restaurant that sounded good to me at the time - and a fave - Cheesecake Factory. Below are photos from the trip:

Jodi, Anna (from Georgie), Briauna (from Florida)

me, Laura (from So. Cal), Darlene and Amanda




Massage beds

Me, Briauna and Laura 

We passed this sign and realized that none of us had ever stopped and taken a photo so we did. And Briauna taught us the art of jump photography. I wasn't sure if jumping was the best idea with my pregnant belly but I couldn't help join in the fun. 

Flamingo Pool Party

Dinner at the Cosmopolitan (I think)

Piano Bar at Paris Resort

My previous co-worker, Olivia, who I stopped in to see 
Visit to the Venetian, where I used to work
Being pregnant in Vegas was not the most fun idea but I managed through it and it was worth it to have a last trip before the baby came.

My next shower was hosted by my church friend (and co-Primary teacher and visiting teacher), Emily Hawker, and other friends, Holland Denny, Sariah Tolley, Becky Castillo and Ally Okasaki. This shower was a French-themed garden party based off of the first event Emily and I put on - "Christmas in France" Relief Society Christmas Dinner in 2013.

Everything about the shower was gorgeous! Check out the pics below. This one was attended by a mix of church friends, family and others.


 


Emily's backyard

Gold Chiavary chairs



Beverage cart with fresh raspberries 


Beautiful naked cake made by Sariah


Additional desserts

Paper flowers


Jillarie McMillan, Holland Denny, Emily Harris

Eddy & Ally Okasaki, Emily Hawker, Erin Parkes

Jeopardy type game made by Becky Castillo


Matt's cousin, Ben, felt that every baby needs this shirt

Holland and Sariah

Me, Linda McGhee, Katie Chernikoff, and Melissa Abbott

Being pregnant didn't stop me from still having fun and I enjoyed monthly karaoke nights with friends. I'm not sure people knew how to act when I was dancing around with my pregnant belly and singing songs like "Naughty Girl" by Beyonce.


At Dave & Buster's for Matt's birthday party
I got tired just walking around so I had to sit and relax. 
My last shower was also a surprise thrown by my AHA coworkers during a work day. They also did a rock and roll theme and had adorable decorations and delicious food. Below is a copy of the slides from the a game during the shower where they asked Matt questions and then I had to answer them verbally and we compared answers. Matt's are shown on the screen.



Homemade cake pops and cupcakes

Adorable clothes as decor with cute little paper guitars

The signed onesie

They made VIP Passes for all of us with Mia's sonogram photo
I continued walking almost daily throughout this trimester after work, but that even that got hard. With Mia growing and filling up my tummy, I quickly became out of breath. My walks got shorter and slower but I think they helped my mood and my overall health.

Another fun part of the third trimester was preparing Mia's nursery. I had all these visions of what I wanted but the downside was that I had no energy to make them happen. So my friends, Nicolette and Christine, stepped in to help me and here are some photos of what we did.

Made the Rock Star marquee letters out of cardboard letters and ping pong balls. Bought old records at Goodwill and painted them for like 2 weeks! It felt like it took forever and I was worried Mia was going to come before I finished.

Each record has a letter of the alphabet with a corresponding musical instrument

Four of them just say "McGhee"
Collage of classic pop/rock albums Mia needs to learn mixed with photos of Matt and I
The last pregnant photo I took before Mia came. Seriously I was huge!
As you can see, the last trimester was fun and busy! I truly had no idea what I was about to embark on and did my best to try to prepare. I remember putting stuff into Mia's diaper bag before she came and thinking how exciting this was going to be to carry around. It's a good thing I waited for this trimester for the fun stuff because otherwise I probably would have sat around worrying about how uncomfortable or was or how bad I felt. 

A huge shout out to those who shared their love with me, Matt... and soon to come Mia. I really needed that extra love throughout my pregnancy and appreciate the simple acts of kindness from everyone. It truly does "take a village to raise a child" but I think it also takes that village to bring that child into the world.

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