My Favourite Baby Skin Care Products

Today I'm posting about my favourite line of baby products.  This is an unusual post for me because I never advertise products and have refused advertising opportunities in the past because Fresh Coat of Paint is just for fun! This is not a sponsored post but I am going to share my favourite products for Rudy's sensitive baby skin with you! 

I actually began this post months ago but work has been so busy lately that this post has been on the backburner.  I changed my mind today when I found myself chatting with a pregnant friend about Eco Chic Movement products.  I told her I'd write a blog post about them soon and with the recent headlines about the Johnson & Johnson and Honest Company lawsuits, this post feels timely.

Corey and I both tend to have sensitive skin and when Rudy was born, we assumed (correctly) that she would too.  We, like a lot of parents, researched almost every decision, wanting to give our child the best of everything and to shelter her from any discomfort.  With bath products and baby lotions especially, we wanted products that were mild and gentle and (obviously) not filled with irritants or carcinogens.

We tried several brands (were grossed out by some and just "meh" about others) and eventually found Eco Chic through a friend and have been using these Canadian made products ever since!  Why do we love them?  They are really gentle on Rudy's skin and have a very light, soothing scent.  After her bath, her skin feels clean with no residue, which is something that grossed me out about some of the other popular products we tried.  The baby wash/shampoo is castile soap based but it comes in a foaming dispenser so it forms a really good lather for a natural soap!  We also love the diaper cream and we actually get compliments from Rudy's daycare staff about the quality cream we send.  More importantly, she rarely experiences diaper rash since we started using it!  We use many of these products (like the baby lotion, baby face cream and the chest congestion rub) all the time but the baby wash and diaper cream are our absolute favourites!

I found myself recommending these products to friends so frequently that I reached out to the woman who started the line of products, Dr. Alexis Reid.  Dr. Reid is a naturopathic doctor based in Ottawa with a background in toxicology and chemical engineering.  She knows I love her products and I told her I was writing a blog post so she has sent me a discount code for my readers!

We love supporting Canadian companies and they're easy to order from the website.  If you're shopping for a line of natural baby products, check them out!

Bonus: Babies can be expensive so every little perk helps.  If any of my readers would like to try Eco Chic products, use discount code WELCOME3 at checkout for a 15% discount on your first purchase in 2016!  

You can also check out Eco Chic Movement at the Toronto Baby Show April 2 & 3!

And a special thanks to my friend Ana and her son Max for the bath toys, which coordinated beautifully!

Felted Rattle

The real estate market tends to be a little less chaotic around the holidays and I have learned to embrace the break and rest while I can, because work always gets crazy again in the new year.  As you know, I love crafts, and I've been wanting to try needle felting for a long time.

I finally bought some felting needles, some foam to use as a felting mat, and some soft alpaca roving and decided to give it a try.  I was going to start by making these dryer balls, but I decided to work on something fun for Rudy

For my first projects, I felted polka dots onto an Ikea blanket for our family room and I felted a fawn silhouette onto a baby blanket for a friend.  I'll post photos of both later, but in this post I'll share how to make the felted rattles that I've been making over the holidays.

To start, I needed an actual rattle.  I had thought of using an egg rattle like these but since I started this project on Christmas Eve, I had to get creative with the supplies that I had on hand.

Instead, I used plastic hollow Easter eggs (the kind you hide toys in) as a base.  I suppose a prescription pill container would also work.  I experimented by filling them with different things.  Small bells produced a chime effect when I padded the inside of the egg with tissue.  Bottle caps (ironically, from beer) worked well without any padding, as did uncooked pasta noodles.

Here's what I used for the project:

Plastic Eggs (any small plastic container will do)

Dry Pasta (or something that will rattle)

Tape

Thread

Felt Scraps

Felting Needle

Roving

I taped the eggs shut with electrical tape.

I covered them with scraps of felt, which I secured with thread to make the basic shape more round.

I then covered it in roving, which is basically wool fibre which has not been spun.  You can buy it at a craft store or online.  I chose alpaca roving because it is so soft.

Once the ball was covered, I began "felting" the wool.  I basically gently poked it over and over with the needle.  I was careful to begin slowly and at an angle so as not to break my needle or stab myself.  Felting needles are designed to pull fibres and sort of connect them.  If you look at them closely there are tiny notches in the needle shaft which catch the fibres.

I continued felting the balls and rolling them between my hands to round the shape out.  Eventually, there were no soft spots left and I had solid rattles.  Each rattle probably takes a couple of hours and it's the perfect craft to make while you're zoned out and binge watching The Good Wife.  ... Just don't completely zone out because felting needles are sharp and unforgiving.

I experimented with roving in different colours and even added some small amounts of grey to a cream coloured ball for a marbled effect.  What do you think?

Goodnight

This post is dedicated to my friend, V in the UK.  I imagine her to be reading similar poems to her baby girl across the sea...

The other day my mom reminded me of one of my favourite poems from when I was little.  I read it again recently and was struck by the beautiful imagery and the rhythmic, soothing language.  I found a used copy on Amazon and I think I'll start reading it to Rudy before bed.  I'm sharing it here because it's such a favourite.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

Eugene Field

 Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night

   Sailed off in a wooden shoe,—

Sailed on a river of crystal light

   Into a sea of dew.

“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”

   The old moon asked the three.

“We have come to fish for the herring-fish

   That live in this beautiful sea;

   Nets of silver and gold have we,"

            Said Wynken,

            Blynken,

            And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,

   As they rocked in the wooden shoe;

And the wind that sped them all night long

   Ruffled the waves of dew;

The little stars were the herring-fish

   That lived in the beautiful sea.

“Now cast your nets wherever you wish,—

   Never afraid are we!”

   So cried the stars to the fishermen three,

            Wynken,

            Blynken,

            And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw

   To the stars in the twinkling foam,—

Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,

   Bringing the fishermen home:

‘Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed

   As if it could not be;

And some folk thought ‘twas a dream they’d dreamed

   Of sailing that beautiful sea;

   But I shall name you the fishermen three:

            Wynken,

            Blynken,

            And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,

   And Nod is a little head,

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies

   Is a wee one’s trundle-bed;

So shut your eyes while Mother sings

   Of wonderful sights that be,

And you shall see the beautiful things

   As you rock in the misty sea

   Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:—

            Wynken,

            Blynken,

            And Nod.

How was your weekend?  Ours was lovely, despite Corey and Rudy both feeling a bit under the weather.  I worked a little but I took both afternoons off so we also got to focus on Rudy a lot.  It was a rare chance to see friends (We had two playdates!) and one of our friends reviewed infant CPR with us so that we can be confident when Rudy starts solid foods in a few months.  

After such a busy weekend, we are totally pooped!  Raising a baby really is a three person job.  

Tonight, we're eating soup and watching a movie before bed.  Rudy's asleep already and the dogs are grumbling at each other over who gets the bigger half of the couch...  Life is good.  Sweet dreams!

Thanks to our friend, Michael Budd for the photo.

DIY Baby Sensory Bracelets

"Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, And she shall have music wherever she goes."

I've been wanting to get a set of these Lamaze Wrist Rattles for Rudy.  They're supposed to be stimulating and people say they help babies discover their hands.  They make them for feet too.

As you probably know, when it's relatively simple, we prefer to make things ourselves rather than buy them.  This is not only because it's cheaper and it's good to know how to do, but also just because it's fun and allows us to customize things.

I bought some fabric scraps and a bell, but I already had velcro and ribbon from making her quiet book.

I used the hard plastic bag that the bell came in, to create a crinkle texture by sewing it inside the fabric and I used the velcro and the thickest ribbon to make wristbands for Rudy.  The best thing about making a toy for a baby is that it's okay if it basically looks like a baby made it.  All you want are contrast, colours, sounds and different textures.

I was very careful to use thick thread and double up on my stitches because I didn't want any chocking hazards.

As an extra precaution, we ALWAYS supervise Rudy when she plays with them.

She's at an age where she can't really grasp toys and yet she wants to be constantly entertained.  These wristbands allow her to entertain herself a little.

What do you think?  Would you make these?

The Sweetest Moments

Since I've gone back to work, Corey has been handling Rudy's late night feeds.  Our video monitor allows me to reposition the camera remotely and I often check on them to make sure Corey hasn't fallen asleep.

It's during these quiet times that I often catch them sharing a really sweet moment.  Sometimes he's reading his novel to her, sometimes he's talking to her, sometimes they're both asleep while reruns of Fresh Prince play on the iPad and sometimes he's just talking to her softly and it melts my heart.

More often than not, they're both asleep and cuddling very sweetly.

These photos make me feel very lucky.  I'm saving them for Rudy because one day, she'll get to see that she had a special bond with her dad right from the start.

Meet Rudy

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Gertrude "Rudy" Lenore de Sa-Brown.  The newest member of our family was born on December 9th and had totally stolen our hearts shortly after we brought her home on the 11th.

Her Name

Named Gertrude after my mother and Nana (who are called Trudy and Gertie respectively) we call her Rudy after a dearly loved uncle who is no longer with us.  Lenore has always been a favourite name and we love the meaning of "light" since her birthday will always fall near Hanukkah.  The last name is fairly obvious but I surprised myself when I suggested hyphenating our last names.  I had always thought hyphenated names were unnecessarily complicated but the feminist in me couldn't imagine anything more practical and natural than our child sharing BOTH of our last names.

Falling In Love

Rudy was born crying and hungry.  Parts of her birth are still a blur but I can pinpoint the moment when I fell in love with my daughter.  We had just come home from the hospital a day or so earlier and I was holding Rudy against my chest.  She pushed herself away from my body and peered up at my face, blinking her eyes to try to focus.  Before that, I had loved her because she was my baby but I hadn't felt that profound bond that I had been expecting but at that moment, I knew I would do anything for her.  Forever.

Her Personality

In the womb, we called her Singleton and then Bruiser and it seems like we may have hit the nail on the head with the second nickname.  Rudy's tough and very strong for a newborn but has the sweetest, most heartbreaking cry (it sounds like  she's saying "laaa laaaaa laaaa") and she loves her daddy so much that she doesn't even mind sleeping against his hairy chest.  It's funny how even when they're so little, you get glimpses into their personality and we can tell that, as sweet as she is, Rudy likes to do things on her own.  She gets frustrated when I try to guide her while breastfeeding and apparently already knows better than me.  At five days old, the lactation consultant described her as "extremely competent for a newborn" and I beamed.

First Days of Parenthood

People always say time flies with a newborn but now I really understand it.  I don't even know what we've done the past few weeks but the days have sort of melted together and suddenly Rudy's bigger and we've found ourselves recognizing her different cries and in some sort of routine.  It still feels surreal but now we're in the parent club and life has changed forever.

I spent my pregnancy worried that I would change and not be myself and be too "mom-ish" after the baby arrived and now I worry that I haven't changed enough.  I mean, what am I supposed to do with this amazing little person and thank goodness she doesn't know that I have no idea what I'm doing.

I'll confess that the first few nights after she was born, I was afraid to put Rudy down.  I remember crying because I knew it wasn't safe for her to sleep on her side or stomach but I was terrified that if I let Rudy sleep on her back and she spat up, she would choke.  Everything is so scary at first!  For the first five nights of her life, Rudy slept on my chest and I propped my arms on both sides so that I couldn't roll over and she couldn't roll off.  I also didn't let myself really sleep because I was still worried I'd let her roll off me and she'd either fall to the floor or suffocate on a pillow.  Finally, my mother stepped in and pointed out that I wasn't sleeping and was starting to sound crazy.  Luckily, she pointed out that she had raised two children and that they both slept in cribs so (with a video monitor beside me, which we now refer to as "Rudy TV") I handed Rudy to my mom, who promptly had her happily sleeping in the crib for several hours at a time.  Thank goodness for Nanas!  I think my mother's the only reason Corey and I are getting any sleep... Which is necessary, since I've already started back to work.

So there's a glimpse into our little world as new parents.  We are in awe of our amazing daughter who has miniature versions of my hands and Corey's feet.  We're (barely) managing to keep up with the laundry.  I only shower every three days.  We've learned to sleep a few hours at a time.  Diapers and baby spit-up don't gross us out at all.  Barkley and Cheetah seem to recognize Rudy as a pack member and not a toy.  Leaving the house as a family takes an unnaturally (and sort of inexplicably) long time.  The generosity of friends and family has lead to a plethora of baby items and clothes, which seem to inhabit every nook and cranny of our tiny house.  I've been psychotically and aggressively getting rid of extra clothes and furniture (You should see all the furniture that's gone to our curb over the past few weeks.  Nothing is safe!) to ensure that there's still room in this house for the dogs to move around with all of Rudy's extra stuff.  The house is a mess.  Life has been turned upside down... And we are so SO happy!

Baby's First Month Snow Globe

I cannot take credit for thinking of this craft.  I actually saw the idea on Pinterest and traced it back here and decided to expand upon the idea.

Since "Little Bruiser" is coming in December, I decided to make her one for her room.  I thought we could take it out each year around her birthday and she could use it as a nightlight for the month and look at it as we tell her the story of how she was born.  For us, this is a baby craft but it would also make an equally lovely winter or holiday craft.

Here's how I made it:

1.  I hit up the Dollarama for a mason jar (without markings) as well as some fake snow and a little battery operate street lamp.  I've found that there are tons of little lamps this time of year at most dollar stores.  I already had gold spray paint, glitter, a hot glue gun, paper, a tea bag, pom-poms and chopsticks.

2.  I spray painted the lid of the mason jar gold.

3.  I then threaded the wire for the lamp through the lid (remember mason jar lids come in two pieces) and I glued the lamp to the inside of the lid.  I used glue and pom-poms to hide the wire.

4.  I printed my date and then rubbed a black tea bag on the paper to give it an antique look.  I allowed it to dry before cutting it out and used hot glue and chopsticks to secure it to the inside of the jar.  Other ideas besides a date could be a message or even a short poem.

5.  I added fake snow and gold glitter.  There is no water in the jar so the snow doesn't really fall slowly but the snow and glitter stick to the sides of the jar and the lamp due to static and I think this makes a really pretty night light.

Who Will She Look Like?

Okay, I'm going to start by saying that I do not have Corey's permission to creepily morph his photo onto our ultrasound photo of Singleton (or Bruiser, as we call her now.) but I really do think she looks like him a bit in the face.  What do you think?  He's not happy about the photo but he already knows I'm a huge dork so it's not exactly a surprise.

Did you ever wonder what your baby would look like?  We're getting closer to our due date and I never got around to having a 3D ultrasound so now it looks like we'll just have to wait and see.  I'll admit that I'm a little curious, since it's difficult to imagine her as a person without a visual.  We already feel like we know her a little and we interact with her when she lets us.  So far, we've noticed that she's VERY active, seems to hate anything resting on my belly (she kicks at it right away) and seems to only calm down for soft music and long walks.  She also seems to recognize Corey's voice and is always more active when he's talking.  All that's missing from our imaginations is her face.

Do you guys remember that hilarious scene in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days where Kate Hudson's character tries to freak out Matthew McConaughey's character by morphing their faces and making a photo album of their pretend children?  That scene always has me in stitches!  Remember these lookers?

So, I was tempted to make my own at MakeMeBabies.com.  The process isn't exactly scientific and the result wasn't hideous but it does seem to have and unsettling quality, don't you think?

Those eyes!  A little freaky, right?  Let's hope the real version is a little cuter and a lot less sinister.  Here's our 33 week ultrasound photo.  It's the first time we had a chance to see her face.  Look at those cheeks!

Just a few more weeks to go!

Push Presents: Yes or No?

Push presents, baby baubles, pregnancy perks, third trimester trinkets... what do you think of this tradition?  Is it an obnoxious sign of our consumer-driven society or is it a nice acknowledgement of the work and sacrifice required to carry a baby?

Honestly, I was undecided about how I felt until my morning sickness returned in week 21 and I was in bed upset about it one day (I'm in control of it now) when Corey said something sweet and perceptive.  He said that after I delivered, I'd have a new baby and I would no longer be pregnant so a push present would probably be redundant at the time because I'd be so happy to have my baby and no longer be pregnant.  However, with months to go and terrible symptoms, he thought I could use a little something shiny now... to make me smile during the bad days.  We call it my "Puke Present"!

Jewelry is pretty out of character for me... Remember when I asked Corey to buy me a sensible ring so that we could put more money towards our renos?  We're also generally pretty frugal and prefer to buy things used or make them ourselves.  Still, this little trinket makes me smile... especially since my fingers are too swollen to wear my engagement or wedding rings.

We have friends who have decided that both mom and dad deserve push presents and we have friends who have ignored this new trend all together.  What's your take?  Do you like a little bling with your baby or would you rather spend the money on a fun date night before the baby comes?  Perhaps a newborn photoshoot with a professional photographer, a prenatal massage or something practical for the baby would be nicer than a little blue box?

It's Been a While, Baby! (FAQs About Our December Arrival)

You, dear readers, have probably been wondering where I've been and I'll confess that I've been feeling so guilty for not posting sooner and it sort of feels like I'm coming crawling back to you.  I want to thank you first of all for your patience.  I am touched to see that you're still checking in with the blog and leaving comments.

Now for the big news, which you've probably already guessed from the picture:  WE DONE GOT KNOCKED UP!!!  Yes, that's right!  We were lucky (Trust me, I know just how lucky we are!) enough to be able to plan the little one's arrival to coincide with my least busy time of year at work (because very few people buy houses over Christmas) so I'll be able to take a few weeks to recover and start back at work in time for the spring market!  Such is the life of the self-employed, right?  On the other hand, Corey is so excited to take on the role of Super-Dad when I go back to work, so our non-traditional setup will end up working out quite nicely.

Now I feel like I'm talking to a friend I haven't seen in ages!  There is so much to tell you and to share about the past few months and we've had some other developments in life (Which I'll share in other posts.) but for now I want to tell you all about what it's been like for us since April... and, trust me, there have been some ups and downs!  Since we've already shared the news with our family and friends, I'll do this "FAQ Style" since everyone seems to want to know the same things.

Was it planned?

Ha!  Everyone seems to be curious about this because we're getting married in August!  While technically in the realm of "none of anyone's beeswax" we are pretty open about answering this question.  In truth, it was planned (some would say SUPER-planned) but still unexpected.  Here's what I mean:

Corey and I have known for a long time that I wouldn't want to take much time away from work.  When we discussed actually having a baby, we decided that August and December would be the two best times of year for me to deliver.  Back in March we discussed our limited window for conception and we decided on a whim to start trying that month if we were going to only give ourselves a couple of months a year.  I had seen many close friends battle with fertility issues and I had a sinking feeling that we may have trouble too, so I figured we'd give ourselves every extra chance that we could.  Well, the rest is sort of history.

How did you find out?

I found out at only 3 1/2 weeks, which is really early, but I was already starting to feel funny.  I think the turning point for me was when I cried all the way to work one day, feeling like a failure for absolutely no reason.  When the mood swing passed, I realized that it had been really out of character for me, so I bought a test and took it while Corey was at work.

I actually didn't read the instructions and threw the test in the garbage when I didn't immediately see a second line.  It wasn't until later that I went back to check on it.... and called my mom in a daze!

How did Corey react?

I told him in the car that day after I had picked him up from work.  His face turned bright red and a vein started popping out of his forehead.  He also couldn't really discuss it for the rest of the day because he was just in shock.  I think we both were.  His reaction worried me for about a millisecond but I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about.  By the next day, he was even more excited than I was!  It's really sweet!

What about your wedding dress?

Luckily, I hadn't found a wedding dress yet when I learned our news.  Even more luckily, I have an amazing dressmaker who is willing to do most of the work very close to the wedding... so we can correct for my changing shape!

So the wedding is still on?

It depends on how I'm feeling when you ask me. ;)  Seriously, Corey has heard me promise to call the wedding off about a dozen times during hormonal outbursts.  The day I could no longer zip up my pants was BAD!  However, Corey's been picking up the wedding planning slack so that I can focus on my two jobs (my actual job and growing a person) and it looks as though we're going to make it.

Have you had a lot of morning sickness?

Yes, and I wish they'd re-name it to reflect the all-day spontaneous vomiting hell that it really is.  Thank goodness for prescription anti-nausea meds, because I don't know how I would have continued to function without my little pills.  People always say that nausea is a good sign of a healthy baby, but I'm beginning to think that's just a fairytale they tell crazy pregnant chicks so that we remain calm.

What about other symptoms?

Soooo many that I never knew were even symptoms.  Every time something weird happens with my body now, I'm on Google just to make sure it's normal.  HOW HAD I NOT HEARD ABOUT ALL THESE MESSED UP SYMPTOMS???  Basically, the answer is that people don't mention them because they're gross and weird and I suppose once the baby comes you sort of forget how much pregnancy sucked.  It's basically like having some other person's body on loan for several months.  And that other person is a disgusting hairy fat man who has a beer gut and yet cannot drink beer.  Also he's constipated and gets nosebleeds.  Sometimes he yells at complete strangers and he's also a terrible driver who likes to eat weird food (think CRAZY cravings) and take naps.  Basically, this man is the worst and nobody should want him around but instead EVERYONE loves him and wants to pat his belly and comment on his massive man-boobs.  Yes, that's how I feel.

My pregnancy has also come with the rare symptom of sudden onset depression.  This doesn't affect me most of the time (never while I'm busy or occupied with something) but it has come in outbursts and it was really scary for both of us until it was diagnosed and I was told that it's linked to hormones.  I'll write more about this in another post, but I feel it lessening in the second trimester so I'm optimistic that it will be easier to cope with once my hormones are more in balance.

These symptoms have meant that after a long day at work, I haven't had much energy left over to blog.  I'm starting to feel better though so I'm excited to resume one of my favourite pastimes.

Have you enjoyed any aspects of being pregnant?

Yes, of course it hasn't been all bad.  Friends and family have been really excited and supportive and we are lucky to have several friends who have (or will soon have) 2014 babies so there's tons of excitement around us.

I think my favourite thing has been taking time each day to go for a long walk with Corey.  It's good low-impact exercise for me and it gives us time to talk about our days and discuss the baby.  Seeing Corey so excited to become a dad has been amazing and I think the experience has brought us even closer.  I loved when he covertly videotaped our ultrasound (until he got caught) and I see him watching the video all the time.

I also love how thick my hair is getting and how sweet strangers are when we tell them.  When I'm not puking my guts out, or feeling depressed, the world seems to be filled with cupcakes and rainbows.  Speaking of which... I feel like a cupcake right now.

Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?

Everyone says they'll be happy either way and I suppose that's true in a way, but I've always pictured myself having a girl.  I don't know why, and it shouldn't matter, but I'm sorry to say that I was sort of hoping for a little girl.  That's not to say I wouldn't adore a boy to cuddle with... it's just not the picture I had in my head, if you know what I mean.  To compensate, I've been trying to get myself excited about having a little boy and I find that it's not as hard as I thought it would be.  We don't know the gender yet, but we did verify that it's just one baby (there are twins in both families) so we're calling it Singleton.

When will you find out the gender?

We'll probably wait until after the wedding.  If I find out now, it will be hard to focus on anything wedding related because I'll just want to plan for the baby!

Have you thought of names?

We have a girl's name but we're still in negotiations over our top boy's name. ;)

Have you thought about the nursery?

Oh, we chose our nursery colours last year when we painted the living room and have been planning it for ages.  I can't wait to start work on it this fall!

Are you showing?

It's so hard to say.  I've definitely been bloated for ages but my stomach muscles sort of gave up a couple of weeks ago and this ginormous gut sort of popped out.  People say it's carrying like a boy but I keep laughing and just telling people it's hamburgers.  I seriously wonder if it's all the carbs I ate to curb my nausea in my first trimester but the bump feels pretty solid so it's possible that some of it is uterus.

I don't know.  People are really complimentary to pregnant chicks but when they say I'm glowing, I'm about 90% sure it's just sweat.