Ode to Golden Gate Park

There are so many things I love about living in San Francisco. Golden Gate Park has always been a favorite place and, now that we have Cal, I am falling in love with it all over again. From Koret Children's Quarter Playground (complete with vintage carousel!) to The California Academy of Sciences, to Stow Lake and Bison Paddock, there are so many amazing features to this truly remarkable oasis in the middle of the city. Cal has just started his park adventures and we look forward to many more to come!

Snappy Storage Solutions

It’s no secret that little ones come with a lot of stuff. As residents of a typical and not so spacious San Francisco abode, we have been fanatical about curtailing clutter in an effort to stop our cute little apartment from becoming overwhelmed with baby gear.

In addition to Cal’s bedroom shelves and adorable toy chest, we registered for storage bins that we knew we'd be happy to see in our living room. I love the bright punchy fox design on the  canvas toy bins from Three Sprouts and think the two we have add some fun to the apartment (they do contain toys after all!)  

We recently purchased a few additional soft collapsible boxes (on sale!) for the bottom section of our bookshelves so that when Cal becomes mobile (any day now!) he can access his toys easily and safely.

Here are some cute clutter toy containers – all are soft fabrics, collapsible (in case we want to easily store our storage down the line) and machine washable because, let’s face it, wash friendly is a prerequisite for pretty much everything we own these days!

Snap these goodies up top left to right: transportation, Dr. Seuss alphabet, owls and forest, brown geometric, blue and white print, blue stripe, fox, plain white canvas, yellow and white geometric 

Back to Bumpers

If you’ve had a baby recently, you are probably well aware of the controversy surrounding crib bumpers. When Cal was a newborn we read some pretty disturbing articles connecting an increased risk of SIDS to bumpers and promptly ripped the cushy little pads off of his crib. Oh evil bumpers – we wanted nothing to do with their potential airflow restriction and banished them to the top of our closet.

In the past few weeks, however, Cal has taken to rotating around the crib at lightning speed. Not one for gentle rolling, he propels himself with true gusto across his bed and must mush himself into the most contorted position possible before surrendering to a deep sleep. Many a night I find myself sneaking into his room in the wee hours and diligently re-positioning him into the recommended “back is best” location in the center of the crib only to find that, by the time I return to our bedside video monitor, he has flipped onto his front and is sprawled on his tummy, arms out,  a defiant starfish.

His nighttime romps recently became increasingly volatile. Last week, we were awakened by a panicked yelp and rushed to his to crib to find the poor guy had his arm stuck through the crib bar all the way up to his little shoulder. After a real tongue lashing from our bundle of rage, and a quick chat with our pediatrician, we conceded that a return to bumpers was necessary.

Our wild baby man can now flip himself across the crib with abandon. We have accepted that at this age - and given this baby’s activity level – the bumper is friend not foe.  This supports my general assumption that, as soon as we think we’ve figured something out, our little monkey will throw us a new curve ball.

I am no expert on bumpers or the potential dangers associated with them. Please consult your pediatrician for an expert opinion on the matter! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to the amazing love of our lives and the cutest dinosaur in town! CALoween (yes, I went there) 2012 brought some super scary hurricane weather to Auntie Rosi and Grandma Rosie in New York and some spooky sniffles to our little family of thee here in SF.

Cal has, so far, managed to steer clear of the yucky cold Nick and I picked up (knock on a giant forest right now, please) and attended music class today outfitted appropriately along with an assortment of other costume clad cuties.

Thinking of our loved ones back East this Halloween and hoping for a safe and quick return to business as usual as soon as possible! 

Super Solids

This month, we started Cal on solids. Given our poor little munchkin’s bout with a pretty severe case of GERD in his early weeks of life (check out my tips on how to navigate that super fun journey here), we held off on this new adventure until he turned exactly six months. Since then, we have been introducing a new food every four days and so far so good!

I use the Beaba Babycook and this little gem has made steaming, blending and reheating extremely easy. I prepare the food on weekends, measure portions out into individual freezer trays, and we are all set for the week ahead!

Watching his little face as he explores new tastes and textures is truly a priceless experience. We started with rice cereal and then moved on to banana, avocado, butternut squash, and sweet potato. So far, I think avocado is the front running favorite but stay tuned as things progress!

Here are a few tips that have helped us along the way: 

1. Timing is everything. We aim for Cal’s happiest times in the day when he isn’t too hungry or likely to fuss. 

2. Simplify your spoon. Cal did not take to the spoon right away so we found feeding him from our finger worked well until he became more familiar with the process.

3. Model the method. Cal was happy enough “trying” solids early on but it was pretty apparent he didn’t actually know what to do with the food. We started taking a spoon ourselves and exaggeratedly “chewing” and swallowing and pretty soon he was following right along.

4. Bring a friend to the table.  To avoid restlessness, we bring a toy or two to the high chair to distract and refocus if he gets a little cranky.  

5. Know when to call it quits.  If Cal is over it, he is over it – and trying to proceed once we reach a frustration point is discouraging for all of us.  As with so many things, best to move on to something else and try again later!

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The Sitter’s Sitter

Last week, Nick and I indulged in not one, but two nights out of the home past 7pm at the same time. This is quite a remarkable feat for us having spent the last six months socializing in shifts so one of us is home to put the little one to bed.

The amazing Grandma Patti and her friend Nadine (a truly dynamic babysitting duo) took care of Cal on Saturday night so Nick and I could attend a party. Celebrating one of Nick’s good friend’s engagement was definitely a great reason to raise a glass, or four, but what I learned from this second night out was that the temporary freedom afforded by a wonderful care taker has its limits. Specifically, those limits become quite apparent at 5am when the wonderful babysitter has long since departed and you have a little early bird eagerly chirping from the room next door announcing his enthusiasm to start his day.

There is not enough water, Advil, and coffee in San Francisco to fake the energy needed to pull off this kind of early morning wake-up call with true gusto. Upon reaching the realization that the little bugger was not going back to sleep, I found myself whining into my pillow for Mary Poppins (or at that point, let’s face it, a Poppins intern on their first assignment would do) to magically appear and whisk little Cal into the living room for a few hours of quiet playtime while we slept off the night before. What I needed was a sitter’s sitter -someone to finish the job!

While at six months we are definitely turning a corner in terms of being more comfortable leaving Cal at night, I have to remember that, upon our return, our wonderful care takers will turn into pumpkins and we will ultimately be left with our own little pumpkin who has no idea that it is the weekend or that we might really need him to sleep in just 2 extra hours just this one time! I may have been too ambitious with two nights out in one week - take it easy with that return to socializing after hours, easy does it. 

Indian Summer

Summer has made it to San Francisco! As usual, the warm weather is showing up fashionably late around here providing a true Indian summer.  With the rest of the country breaking out the fall sweaters, we are soaking up some much deserved sun and today the high in the city reached 77 degrees!

While Nick and I stole wistful glances at the bright sunshiny day from our office windows, Cal beat the heat with Nanny R down the hill at Washington Square Park. With a little picnic blanket playtime (ahem –  note the unaided sitting position!) and a nice shady spot for lunch and follow-up nap, our adorable little munchkin really had it made.

We know the fog won’t hide out for long but we’ll happily take the t-shirt and bare leg weather as long as we can!

From the Weekend, with Love

This weekend we hit the road for an overnight visit with good friends. Lane was one of my very first friends in San Francisco and we have know each other for over 10 years. Now that she and her husband, Curtis, have adorable little Tinsley (and another baby girl on the way in early 2013!) they have settled back in their hometown of Fresno. We don’t get to see them as much as we'd like but when we do we always have a wonderful time!

Tote the Line

This week, San Francisco’s checkout bag ordinance took effect, requiring that all retailers make the switch from plastic to paper or compostable bags and charge customers a dime for each one. While we always make an effort to reuse shopping bags and request paper whenever possible,  admittedly there are many times when we fall short. 

The new ordinance has me renewing my commitment to this effort and embracing a whole new meaning of BYOB. Fortunately, the reusable bag business is booming and I am spoiled for choice.  My favorites include Flip and Tumble and Baggu. Surprisingly sturdy, they are also incredibly light weight and easy to scrunch up (many even come with their own little pouches) and stash in your purse, glove compartment, or desk drawer. 

Red and white, anchor, yellow seahorse, green, blue and brown, yellow and tan, stripe, elephants.

The Preschool Primer

On October 17th, Nick and I are attending the annual preschool preview night at The San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. What’s that you say? Our baby is not quite six months old – we have plenty of time? Ah, if only that were true!  With some preschools in the city accepting applications to a waiting list upon birth,we might be actually be lagging a bit behind.

There’s no doubt that applying to preschools is a competitive sport here. On average, San Francisco families apply to 5-10 preschools for their first child (admissions preference usually given to siblings so the first time round is the toughie.) This preview night is a must-attend event and our chance to schmooze with over 100 preschools admissions representatives in one giant toddler-focused exhibit hall.

Now that we are just a few weeks away, we are officially in training. While we will attend with minds wide open, we also want to be prepared. We are doing our homework and there may or may not be spreadsheet involved. Armed with some wonderful recommendations and research from great online resources such as Golden Gate Mother's Group and Savvy Source, we are fine tuning our list and honing in on our targets. We’re coming for you, preschool preview night, game on!

From the Weekend, with Love

This weekend, the next round of great toys and resources that we were so lucky to receive at Cal’s shower came out of storage and into rotation. First up: the high chair! Cal will be starting solid food in just a few weeks and is already looking good in his new seat at the dinner table.  

Also new to the game: ExerSaucer’s Active Learning Center and The Graco Bumper Jumper. Although he is already taking both by storm, nothing compares to Cal's feet when it comes to the ultimate entertainment resource. 

Walks in the park, visits with good friends and prime seating at Ten-Ichi's sushi bar. All in all, not a bad little weekend. 

The Better Bath

The weekend is here! Now that I wake up to a little munchkin every day at 6am (if we are lucky and he feels like sleeping in!), Friday night fun comes in a whole new form. These days, A 30-45 minute pre-bed soak is my perfect work week wind down and on most Fridays I get to indulge.  

I am now a master at perfecting the process. Behold, my bath list essentials: 

Beautiful bath oils, a nice, natural sponge, a good, dreamy read, a lovely libation, a decadent candle collection, and the perfect playlist. 
My soaking songs:  

The XX – VCR

The National – Fake Empire

Norah Jones -  Sunrise

The Shins -New Slang 

Bon Ivor – Flume

Willie Nelson - Always on My Mind

Phoenix – If I ever feel better

Modest Mouse – Float On

Jack Johnson – Banana Pancakes

Stan Getz & João Gilberto - The Girl from Ipanema

Regina Spektor  - Fidelity

Zero 7 -  In The Waiting Line

Simon and Garfunkel -The Only Living Boy in New York -

Coldplay - Yellow 

The Backup Backpack

Fjallraven Kanken Backpack

One of the great tips we picked up at our childbirth preparation class was the idea of putting together an emergency backpack. We live in earthquake territory but I think this is a good idea no matter where you call home. 

Since wrangling Cal out the door for a 10 minute trip to the store can often take longer than the errand itself, I certainly can’t imagine successfully rounding up the essentials and exiting with any speed or dexterity during an actual emergency. Hopefully it will never be used, but in the event it is needed, the backpack is ready to go!

We consulted a few resources and came up with the following list: 

1. Premixed formula and baby food

2. A large bottle of water

3. Bottle, nipples and sippy cups

4. Emergency phone numbers in a ziplock bag

5. Diapers and wipes

6. Hand sanitizer

7. A warm change of clothes

8. Mini first aid kit that contains a fever reducer and thermometer

9. A pacifier and a comforting toy or blankie  

10. A large blanket or several thick swaddles  

11. Flashlight

12. Cash 

 *These items work for our backpack but for a comprehensive list, consult the experts!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Today we took Cal to his first baseball game!  An absolute champ, he was all smiles and completely enthralled with the excitement and energy of the afternoon. Daddy has been rooting for The Giants for 30 plus years so I think it’s safe to say that our little SF native has a lot more games ahead of him (hopefully with a Giants win next time!) 

All Hail the Single Mother!

How do single moms do it? This week, Cal and I experienced Daddy’s first work trip since we became a family. We had a lot of laughs, and Cal mercifully slept like a little champ so, all in all, I do declare the experience a great success. I have to admit, though, that this very brief exposure to single parenthood made me really appreciate what a wonderful partner I have in Nick. We truly do tackle the challenges of being new parents as a team.  

It is a  big challenge to juggle the early wake up call, morning, evening and middle of the night feedings  -complete with their own routines, frenzied commuting, demands of the office, and the most important job of soaking up every precious minute we can with our little one. We lean on each other daily to find a balance that puts us in the best position to succeed at home and at work (some days are more effective in that regard than others...)

It’s crazy enough taking good care of a newborn and managing a full time job.  Knowing that many moms (and dads!) are doing it all on their own, each day, every day, makes me want to pass out purple hearts in parenting.  I don’t know how they do it, but I salute them one hundred percent!

From the Weekend, with Love

A day with Grandma Patti and Grandpa Bob! Happy Napa baby!

So spoiled with good weather! 75 in San Francisco on Labor Day!

Chasing the Sun

It is pretty typical for San Francisco residents to flee the fog and get out of town on summer weekends. With so many incredible locations a few hours away - Tahoe, Monterey, Wine Country, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, Yosemite… and my love letter to California destinations could go on and on… - we really are spoiled for choice.

Since the car is one of Cal’s least favorite places, (I know, I thought all babies were lulled to sleep in their car seats too - not so with our little one!) we haven’t made it out of the city as much as usual. This weekend, however, we are tackling the car seat meltdown head on and driving out to Napa for a brief country escape and  a little time with Nick’s family.  Sunshine here we come!

Splendid Stacking

One of Cal and Nanny R’s favorite places to hang out is the children’s room of the Russian Hill Bookstore on Polk (great resource for new and classic books and toys.) Nanny R has been buzzing about the building block sets there for weeks now. At first I was skeptical -  blocks are blocks right? As long as they can be stacked, and knocked down, any old model will fit the bill.  But, being that Nanny R is kind of super amazing baby whisperer, I figured we should probably let her guide us on this one.

I am so glad I did because these blocks from Uncle Goose are truly something special.  Handcrafted in Michigan, the embossed designs are utterly charming and printed with non-toxic, child safe inks on sustainable local wood. Although Cal isn’t ready to stack them yet, he is already marveling at the rich colors and eye-catching design.

We have the Classic Goose but there are lots of other specialty sets including foreign language, nursery rhyme and even the periodic table of elements set if you’ve got a budding scientist on your hands.

Happy building!