Officially A Mom

It happened.

After much gnashing of teeth. Crunching of numbers. Searching online and general anxiety...

We bought our first car.

AW & I have been very fortunate to not have a car payment. Both of our cars have been pretty reliable and best of all, thanks to our parents, they were paid off!

I loved it. I didn't care that my car was missing the right side mirror. I didn't care that it was full of dings & scratches. I didn't care that it made some horrendously loud squealing noises every time we cranked it. I just reveled in the fact that we did not have a car payment.

I would say, "I want to drive our cars til the wheels fall off".

Well about 5 weeks ago I got a flat. We replaced it. Then about 3 weeks ago we quickly discovered that my air was only half working. It would blow half out front & half on feet. Which hey, I can take the heat but my poor baby in the back seat was having to sweat it out!

That, I can not take.

We talked about it. Which car is for us? What do we want out of it? And we came to the horrid realization that the best vehicle for our family was the...mini van.

Yes, I said, mini van...

I have always said I would never drive a mini van no matter how many children I have. But, alas, it was the only vehicle that made sense.

It's large enough so we can have more children in the (far off) future. It's roomier than any SUV. And it's sooo easy to get in & out of!

& admittedly, I LOVE IT!

And so does Anderson (of course):

So, which van did we get?

A 2008 Honda Odyssey:

AW said this purchase makes him feel like an official parent. 

It makes me feel like an official boring, dorky adult.

I PROMISE this is not the beginning of mom-jean wearing & tacky holiday sweaters or tennis shoes with jeans.

I'm hoping I can make the mini van look cool & young.

We'll see...

So, since we just got this beast I can't tell you ALL the things I love but I'll name the few loves I have so far.

1. Automatic sliding doors! I just hit a button & those bad boys open on their own for me! That is a HUGE help since I'm always toting Baby & bag at the very least.

2. Cup holders! My cup holders in my other car had long since disappeared.

3. It has a HUGE trunk! I would've snapped a pic but it's full of junk at the moment.

4. Working A/C in the front & back!

5. Rear windows that roll down! Gone are the van windows with the clippies! Who knew?!

6. ROOM! Seriously, look at all that space!

So if you see us cruising around town give us a wave! We're still cool!

My Mommy Must-Haves

Every mommy has their favorite things for their baby! With so many friends expecting I thought I'd share what my favorite things (thus far) have been! Be sure to share what your favorite things are too!

1. EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY

This company has wonderful all natural products! These are the ones that I have (Bottom Spray, Baby Lotion, Baby Wash, Happy Mama Spray, Nipple Butter, Bottom Balm)!

The body wash is the only wash we've used on Anderson. They even used it for his very first bath in the hospital (per my request)! It smells like orange & vanilla and is so gentle on his soft skin. I love everything I've had from them. 

Oh yeah! And I have their coconut Lip Balm as well (not pictured) which is WONDERFUL to keep your lips moist but safe for sharing kisses with Baby!


2. SOPHIE

Seriously, is there a parent with a teething baby that can survive without Sophie? Her legs are just right for chewing on plus she's easy to clean when she gets dropped on the floor. Just a little soap & water!

3. BABY BULLET

I love my bullet SO MUCH! My mom got me one for my baby shower & I was so excited. Although Anderson has been on a "food strike", before that happened I was cooking up a storm. One sweet potato made about 10 servings! It is SO economical. Obviously you don't have to have the "Baby Bullet" specifically to make your own baby food. But I just really like mine. I love the little storage containers & I won the steamer from this great site! 

Maybe I should just make the steamer it's own category. I love it that much! Not only is it good for steaming sweet potatoes and the like but also I can steam my pump parts & bottle parts & pacifiers & Sophie! When I first got it I was looking all around for new things to steam. It's AWESOME!

4. BUMMIS TOTS BOTS EASY F1T

For all you CD'ing mamas out there! This is by far my favorite diaper! It's very absorbent with it's hemp insert. It's not bulky like the BG's & it's one size! I found them at a wonderful store in Huntsville, A Nurturing Moment! Seriously, THE BEST!

So there you have it! My favorite Baby Things. What are yours???

Be Still My Mommy Heart

My baby boy did 3 new things in less than 24 hours last weekend!

It was almost more than I could take.

Of course there is great joy in watching your child grow & develop & learn new things but it is also bittersweet at times. I know I have a long road ahead if these 3 things made me a little teary. But I just couldn't help it!

1. He found his toes! Ok, this one didn't make me teary, it made me smile. Is there anything quite so adorable as a baby putting their sweet baby feet in their mouth?

2. He started taking a sippy cup! Seriously...this one did hurt my heart a little bit. He looks so big! I knew he was ready because whenever we have a cup with a straw he tries to hold the cup & he puts his mouth on the straw. He doesn't quite know what to do with the straw once it's in his mouth but he knows that's where it goes! It's funny!

3. His last new "trick" was sitting up in the grocery buggy like a big boy. He loved it! He was mesmerized by everything & everyone around him.

Look at those tiny feet dangling there...