The Next Big Step

Cutie Pie is pulling up and trying to stand. So far walking is not going so well for him but he's a fighter and he's not giving up! I can only imagine that he will take off in another couple of months. The kids he plays with at school seem to all walk around nine months so I'm preparing myself. I'm starting to look for baby shoes.

It is one thing to dress Cutie Pie in the cutest of clothes. Buying him shoes is a whole new ball game. I've looked at shoes online and tried to learn about sizes and the flexible soles that will allow him to still grip the floor with his feet. Of course, I don't want to buy him any old ugly shoe. I've got to find something cute that doesn't cost more than my own shoes.

I visited a few children's shoe stores last week. I didn't bring Cutie Pie because I was hoping to actually concentrate on choosing a shoe, rather than chasing a baby down the aisles of the store and trying to persuade him to not eat the store's merchandise. Unfortunately, it turned out that I needed Cutie Pie with me because I picked out all the wrong sizes. His feet seemed so much bigger in my mind!

I thought that buying shoes was my only big decision for this month. According to my research Mommies can't just write their child's name on their shoes with a Sharpie. Apparently, many Super Mommies also buy shoe labels so they don't get lost or mixed up with their friend's shoes. You can't just make and print your own labels because plain old labels won't last long on a child's shoe. You've got to get a special sticky label made especially for all the wear and tear a toddler can create. So I checked a few websites for labels.

Mabel's Labels is advertised in every parenting magazine I've ever read. They say I need to choose a picture to go with my child's name on the label to help my pre-reader identify his label. Good grief! There are princesses, sports, pirates, bugs, dinosaurs and just about anything you can imagine. But somehow I just can't decide how to label my child. It seems like such a big decision. This is the picture he will identify with himself! I'm leaning toward the dinosaur by the way.

I also checked out Oliver's Labels and Labels4kids.com. Who knew there could be so many choices for a simple name label? Oliver's Labels has more colorful labels and the shoe labels are shaped like feet. They are very cute. Labels4kids has special right foot labels that make a big picture when you put the shoes next to each other. This way, the child can tell which shoe goes on which foot, assuming that Mommy positioned the labels correctly in the first place. I can so see me doing that.

With all the decisions to be made, I'm hoping Cutie Pie takes his time learning to walk. He's getting around quite well crawling for now.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Help! I'm Buried Under a Mountain of Baby Stuff!

One of the things that has surprised me most about having a child is the mountain of stuff you have to take with you every time you leave the house. A simple trip to the ball field the other day required an hour of preparation. Now I know why people with small children don't like to leave the house. It's not worth the trouble.

We had a mat to lay on the ground so Cutie Pie can crawl. We had teething rings, toys, the mesh feeding thingy that he likes, ice, diapers, bibs and a change of clothes. Of course, no matter how much you plan and pack there is always something you forget. Cutie Pie could have used a fewer teething rings and more toys. Once again, Mommy failed to anticipate Cutie Pie's every need and want. Did you know that there are actually websites with packing checklists for baby? Apparently Mommies just don't have any excuse for forgetting anymore!

Cutie Pie seemed to enjoy himself. He loves to practice the fine art of flirting and the ball park gave him the perfect opportunity. Cutie Pie smiled and cooed at all the ladies and had them eating out of his hand. Then he got bored.

When Cutie Pie loses interest in something, Mommy's challenge begins! Here Cutie Pie, play with this teething ring. Cutie Pie drops it. Here try this toy. Cutie Pie looks away and starts making warning grunts. Would you like a piece of ice? Yum! Then I swear Cutie Pie repeated me. He said Yum, too. Except the tone was different and kind of unpleasant. I was in trouble and I knew it. The game was over. I thought fast. I had already gone through the whole mountain of baby stuff so I had to play the trump card. I scooped Cutie Pie up and took him to the car to nurse. I watched my husband win his company softball game through the back car window. By the time Cutie Pie drifted off to sleep, the game was over.

I wish that was the end of the story but it's not. Then I had to take my sleeping infant back over to my mountain of baby stuff and pack it up. By the time I got home, I was completely exhausted. It's not easy moving mountains.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com