It’s been a while since I posted a video of Jasper, but certainly not for lack of trying. The day before Valentine’s day I tried to video tape him saying “I Love You” to no avail.. as soon as I pulled out the video camera he would lunge for it screaming “Baby! Baby!” because he knows that he can watch videos of himself (baby) on it.

So I’ve learned to be stealthy.. I sometimes go in the other room and turn the video on so he doesn’t hear the tell tale “blipup” sound of the video recorder starting and then walk into the room and hope he doesn’t notice me recording him.  It works on occasion.

But this particular video is something that my dad has been bugging me to get on film for a while now because it’s so vintage Jasper: Jasper running around the house at top speed, bear in one hand, the other hand waving wildly almost as if propelling him to higher speeds!   But because it’s not something he does on demand, I wasn’t sure I’d ever capture it… but I’m so happy I did!

Without further ado, I introduce you to Jasper Speed Demon:

I hope that someday, when the occasion calls for caution – like when he learns how to drive a car (!) – I will be able to teach my little adrenaline junky the value of slow and steady.  A mom can always dream right?  ;)

Filed under: videos by ariana
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Dear Jasper,

It’s your half birthday! Funny though, every day seems like your birthday because you insist on me singing happy birthday anytime we’re in the car.. or that I pick up my guitar. We sing happy birthday to you, to mum-mum, pop-pop, bear, daddy, paci and pretty much anyone else you know. And your first birthday party video and your first year video are in constant rotation at your request. I knew some day you’d like to watch them, I just had no idea it would be so soon!

This month you transitioned full time into the toddler room in daycare – which is a big change from the infant room, but one that it seems you were ready for.  You are saying so many words now it’s impossible to keep count, but I must admit my favorites are the ones you mispronounce.. like “bootash” for toothbrush!

When we go to the doctor later today I will be very surprised if you haven’t finally climbed the weight percentile a bit because you have recently decided that you like food – a lot.  In fact you have become such a foodie that there pages of certain books I have to be careful to skip over at bedtime like the donuts in the Dr. Seuss book that you think are cheerios, or the “Little miss muffit” page in our nursery rhyme book because you think I am saying “muffin” and then try to run into the kitchen to get a muffin!  Today you enthusiastically ate a huge helping of brocolli and I swear a mother was never so proud of such a mundane accomplishment.

You anticipate EVERYTHING, like when I start brushing my teeth you position yourself near my towel and wait for me to finish washing my face and hold the towel out for me to dry my face with.  But the cutest thing is that you say “thank you” while doing it because I always say thank you to you for getting me the towel!

Your imaginative play has grown so much the past month or two, you now regularly feed and give bear drinks and the other day I even saw you make two of your wooden characters kiss.  Speaking of play, you can build block towers at least 15 blocks high! I LOVE watching you carefully position them, checking their balance before cautiously taking your hand away.

When I watch you play like this I can’t help but be in complete awe of all you have learned in such a short time.  18 months to go from helpless to helpful, from screaming to singing, from being entertained to being entertaining.

I can’t even imagine how many more wonders the next 18 months will hold and I can’t wait to find out!

xoxo,

Your mommy.

Stats update: 23lbs 15 oz (still 10-20th percentile) and 32 inches (25-50th percentile – finally some height progress!)

Filed under: birthdays by ariana
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Thank you to everyone who shared their eczema experiences yesterday- if nothing else, I know we are in good company!

Now I am asking for your help yet again in my search for a good toddler vitamin.

I used to use a natural product called “babyplex” which were liquid drops that I could easily sneak into Jasper’s yogurt. Unfortunately, though Jasper has expanded his menu to include many new foods, he has decided he doesn’t like yogurt anymore.  Since he doesn’t eat anything else mushy where a liquid vitamin could be incorporated, I need something chewable.. but chewable by the world’s slowest teething toddler!

Jasper only has four middle top front teeth, three middle bottom teeth and two molars (on opposite sides, so no real chewing as of yet).  So it cant be anything too hard or that is a choking hazard.  It seems like most vitamins are made either in liquid form for babies or hard chewables for the over two set.

I’d prefer it be something natural..speaking of which, I have to put a good word in for Vemma NEXT, sort of a juice like vitamin drink (tastes like orange juice!). They sent me a sample to review and I love the natural ingredients and spectrum of nutrients they pack in there .  The only problem for us is that, as I’ve mentioned before, Jasper has an aversion to drinking anything that isn’t water -  so anything juice like is out for us!

Any ideas?

Filed under: Mommy SOS by ariana
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The good news, actually GREAT news is that ever since I wrote about Jasper waking up in the middle of the night crying for food, his eating habits have taken a dramatic turn for the better. My little picky eater that previously subsisted solely on  yogurt, hotdogs and egg (and small portions at that) has now turned positively ravenous.   Not only did the quantity of his food intake dramatically increase – at least ten fold – but he has expanded his food repertoire to include dozens of new foods. He now regularly eats chicken nuggets, brocolli, smoked salmon with cream cheese on toast (!) , quesadillas, pizza, hummos, carrot zuchinni muffins, and his absolute favorite: guacamole.

He’s actually downright obsessed with guacamole.. there have been several times when I’ve gone to get him in the morning or picked him up from daycare and his first words to me were “guacamole!”

It’s like the hunger switch finally flipped on in his little body and I’d guess he’s gained a good two pounds over the last few weeks.  It’s wonderful and a little strange to watch him go from food averse to ravenous  – I’m not used to having to plan tons of snacks and meals for him! It’s really a huge relief.

But the most shocking development of all, was that yesterday at daycare he actually drank milk for the first time! I had all but given up on him with the milk.. but they mixed half water half milk in a cup for him and he actually drank the whole thing and then asked for more.  They were as stunned as I was and even took a picture as proof.

Now the bad news: he’s developed ezcema :(

It started with some redness on his cheeks, and then progressed to an agressive and constant scratching of the back of his neck. Inspection of the back of his neck showed patchy redness, which has since developed into raised red bumps covering the whole back of his neck and traveling down between his shoulders. He also scratches his whole head, though I’ve looked at his scalp and don’t see the bumps, but I know it’s still bothering him – I see him scratching at night on the video monitor.

I’ve been wracking my brains trying to determine what food could be causing this, or even if it’s food at all (could it be detergent?) but the timing of it, coinciding with him eating so much more makes me think that possibly he has a sensitivity to something he’s eating and now that his food intake has gone up, so has his exposure to the allergen.  The one that makes the most sense is wheat because there was a while where he was eating tons of muffins and crackers with his guacamole, but I’m just not sure.  There is soy in the crackers that he eats, so I’m wondering if that could be it. But again, I just don’t know.. and I’m reluctant to put him on some sort of gluten free diet when he’s JUST finally eating so well!

He has his 18 month well visit on Friday, so hopefully the pediatrician will have some ideas, but I’m not too optimistic.. allergies are just so mysterious. In the meantime, I haven’t even been sure what to put on the rash. On his face I use Weleda Calendula face Lotion which seems to actually be helping. It didn’t help on the back of his neck though.  I recently tried Weleda diaper care too but the rash is still there.

If anyone has any eczema experiences or treatments to share please do!

Filed under: allergies, solids by ariana
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Normally I am a big fan of Target, I mean as much as one can be a fan of a big box store.. I’ve blogged frequently about my Target finds, baby and otherwise. But now they are on my shit list.  Remember these adorable ministar fur lined boots?

I bought them a little over two months ago and Jasper has worn them nearly every day since then.  So the other day Jeff noticed that they were SUPER tight on Jasper, his poor little toes were completely squished. I was surprised because they used to be really big (we bought the XL size, 18-24 months) and Jasper NEVER grows out of things before the age range due to his small height and weight percetile rankings.  But I chalked it up to his recent insane growth spurt and just resolved to find him new boots.

Fast forward a day or two and I take a closer look at the boots lying next to each other and notice this:

WTF?

I inspect the little tiny size tags and see that one is an XL (18-24 months) but the other is a M – 6-9 months!! My poor little guy’s left foot has been squished into a shoe that is several sizes too small for two months now and I can’t believe I only just noticed this.. not to mention Jeff, my parents, his daycare providers who have all put these shoes on him and taken them off again numerous times.  Credit being overtired, overworked or just distracted, but somehow this just went under my mommy radar.

My first thought was how much I LOVE these boots and that I would be really upset if they were no longer available, so I was relieved to find that they do still have his size online. My second thought was that since I was going to Target anyway that day that I would return them to the store and get a credit so I could order the correct size online.

Imagine my surprise when I got to my local Target and Jean the “customer service” manager flat out REFUSED to take them back.

“They are used, there is nothing we can do with them” he insisted.

He treated it not like it was Target’s mistake for selling me two mismatched shoes in the first place, but as if I were returning them as a whim, like I had just decided after wearing them for a while that I wanted to return them because I didn’t like the color or something.

He took NO responsibility for them being packaged wrong (a manufacturer default if I ever heard of one) and completely brushed me off.

I was PISSED, and I still am. What sort of customer service is that? Had he run my license he would have seen I am not some sort of serial returner of used Target products, I am a busy mom, a frequent target shopper who was sold a defective product. All I wanted was a replacement product, not even my money back.

Screw them.

Ok, rant over.   I feel better just having gotten that off my chest.

Hope you all had a great Valentine’s day. Jasper and I were sick the whole weekend (now there’s a shocker).  In fact the whole Target trip was instigated by the fact that I ran out of Puff’s plus tissues -  and at the rate I was going through tissues (about 1 a minute!) that was a dire situation.  I had actually run out the night before and my poor nose had the chapped red soreness to prove it.  I was searching around for some sort of lotion to apply so as to tide me over until I could refill on Puffs when I spotted Jasper’s Weleda Diaper Care….

RELIEF!

Yes people, I put diaper cream on my nose.  Don’t knock it until you try it! :)

Filed under: Rant, random musings by ariana
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I have a few moms expecting this month, the perfect excuse to dig out the crochet needles and dip into my growing yarn stash!  It’s surprisingly difficult to find the exact pattern that fits the thickness of the yarn you like and the style of hat, so I thought I’d share some of the patterns I’ve used and continue to go back to.

First of all, if you don’t know how to crochet, there are a gazillion free  videos and web pages that will demonstrate the basics and how to do each type of stitch.  I am not super skilled at crocheting, I know how to chain, single crochet and double crochet and that’s about all I need to make a basic hat, but if you are still not convinced, the knifty knitter (available at any craft store) is an excellent SUPER simple tool that pretty much no one can screw up!  Lots of photogs use the KK to make hats for their newborn shoots.   To make a basic hat on the KK is just a matter of wrapping the loops and lifting them over each other, the instructions that come with the KK do a good job of explaining how to make a basic hat, and there is a good tutorial on ILP on how to make an earflap hat.

I really love earflap hats, and I did make one with the KK once, but I do find that I prefer to crochet these.  Here are a few projects I’ve completed and their corresponding patterns.

The lion brand Yarn “Mini Hat Trick” pattern (you have to register on their site to get access to the link) is one of the only ones I found designed to be done with super chunky yarn, which means it goes very quickly!  The pattern also includes instructions for different sizes from baby to toddler to child. The baby one fit Jasper percfectly from 3-6 months which thankfully was before Jasper decided that wearing a hat was a special kind of torture!

The pattern includes earflaps and a brim which you leave off if you prefer.

I also did this one as a birthday gift for a friend’s baby girl for her first birthday using the toddler size instructions:

To make the flower embellishment I just used two different colors of felt and a pretty button in the middle.

I then experimented with the super popular Crafty Rah Rah “Brr Baby Beanie” hat, which I also love:

Unfortunately, Jasper was entering into his “I’ll wear a hat over my dead body” stage and didn’t love it quite as much as I did:

I also made one in white, he seemed to be tolerating it better here (I think he was a bit younger and less anti-hat!)

But for the newborn hat I had in my head I wanted a helmet shape (ie no point on the top) plus earflaps and braids.. so I used this free basic newborn beanie pattern as the basis for the top of the hat and sort of improvised the ear flaps and braids.

I’m not really sure if it’s because my bear model has a different shaped head than a newborn, but it looks a bit long.. wondering if I should have done one less row. Which brings me to the one difficultly about doing newborn hats – not having easy access to a model to test them out on!  I really want to get a cheap doll that has the same proportions as a newborn both for trying out hats and for posing too. When I photographed newborn Madeleine her big sis had a doll that I used to position and check the contour of the light and get my settings before placing the baby in position.. it was so helpful and I swore that I’d get a doll of my own to use for just that purpose. (Does anyone know of one that isn’t too expensive or creepy?)

But more than just for props or for their practical use as an accessory for your baby, I find the true benefit of crocheting (or handwork of any kind) is it’s incredibly calming effect on me – once I start I get totally addicted.  Like a reading a gripping novel, I find myself staying up late and doing “just one more round” before bed!

It also has a nostalgic feeling for me because in Waldorf school we did so much handwork (Steiner advocated for handwork as a way to develop the mind) – something I’m really looking forward to Jasper getting to experience when he goes to Waldorf school.

But even if you don’t believe in any of that, at least your baby will have lots of cute hats to wear this winter :)

Filed under: photography by ariana
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Cockadoodle doo!

Today’s mommy SOS comes from JBhat’s friend Shannon:

A. has decided that she is getting up at 5.  That means leaving the room, running around trying to find me – which most days I am in bed – or up exercising.  I calmly but sternly tell her it is not time to get up, put her back into her bed and leave the room.  That is not good enough.  She continues to get out.  Or she will climb into S’s bed and wake her up, thinking it is really funny.  Poor S!

Other relevant info:

A. currently shares a room with S. – which will change after we sell our house and buy a new one.  She is not potty trained – that process is starting in March.  I have not tried letting her entertain herself yet…in another room.  I have tried giving her books in bed but that doesn’t seem to work.  I worry about her being alone in the living room while I shower – as she tends to be on the naughty side and I worry she will get into something and hurt herself.

This SOS is actually quite timely coming hot on the heals of our  transition to big kid bed dicussion last week  – it’s just the sort of thing that I fear when we transition Jasper who like clockwork wakes crying at 5:30am every morning. Currently I go in and comfort him and he usually falls back asleep for an hour and a half, but I don’t know how this would all play out should he have the independence to get out and roam about on his own upon waking!

But more than just the issue of a toddler roaming free, is there hope to solve the root of the problem i.e. getting the little one to sleep later in the first place?  Later bedtime, shorter (or no?) nap? Any other ideas? If anyone has had any success, please share your methods!

Filed under: Mommy SOS, sleep by ariana
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Fisher-Price Fun 2 Imagine Cash Register (also available for about half the price at TRU where we got ours!)

With Snowpocalypse II coming and this time NOT sparing the New York area I thought I’d recommend one of the toys that we’ve gotten the most mileage out of over the past few months!

We original got this cash register as a gift for Jasper’s friend Daphne for her second birthday. Daphne liked it, but not nearly as much as Jasper who can’t get enough of all the buttons to press and the wind up to open drawer!

It even has a separate button for sale (coins drop into the drawer) and change (coins come out the little ramp on the side).  The coins are color coded and are different sizes so the toddlers have to match the coin color with the correct slot so the coin fits – that’s the educational element.  My only complaint is that sometimes the large red coins in particular get stuck unless you press sale or change to clear out the coins first, but Jasper actually sort of likes it – he says “stuck!” and I’ve taught him to press one of the buttons to clear it.

It’s rare that a toy holds his attention for more than a minute or two these days, so I thought it was worth recommending if you are stocking up on a few things to entertain your toddler during the impending storm..

Speaking of which, poor Jasper is sick AGAIN. Nothing like spending two days trapped at home with a whiny crankenstein because his cough is keeping him from sleeping.  Poor baby.. and poor mommy :(

I hope he gets better soon so we can at least get some sledding in!

How do you all keep your tots entertained during extended periods at home? I need some new craft and activity suggestions so we both don’t lose our minds..

Filed under: Jasper Recommends by ariana
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My mom’s friend Linda gave us this old highchair to keep at my parents’ house. We never loved it as a highchair – Jasper would keep sliding out of it until rather recently due to the awkward 90 degree angle of the seat. ( It is also HUGE and looks like it’s made from an airline seat circa 1960!) But recently, we discovered it’s true value – as an art table!

The giant tray with it’s upturned lip is perfect for keeping pencils and crayons from rolling off and the best part is that if he draws off of the paper it’s no big deal – unlike when he used to color on the coffee table and I used to have to spread extra paper underneath to protect it.

Just an idea if you happen to have an extra from a friend or a relative, or if you come across a really cheap one at a garage sale.  Or as a use for your baby’s own high chair if he/she has graduated to being pulled up to the table in a booster seat.

Also, I have to put in a good word for colored pencils as an alternative to crayons – no chance of melting or getting crushed on the floor or carpet :)

Hope you all had a great weekend – snowpocalypse or not!

Filed under: sanity savers by ariana
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How to use Lightroom (or ACR) to adjust the white balance of your image and then how to check and finetune it in Photoshop. This tutorial uses the CMY % method of correct skintones that I first learned about in Katrin Eismann’s book, but she credits Dan Margules for the theory.

It sates that the C value should be 30-50% of the M value, and that the Y value should be 1/5-1/3 higher than the M value.

BTW, C=Cyan, Y=Yellow and M=Magenta!

In this tutorial I eyeball the correct WB and then check my percentages using the info palette in PS. I then use a color balance adjustment layer to tweak as necessary.

You can see from the brief bit of playing I do with the color balance controls how much easier it is to get in the ballpark with just those two WB sliders.

As always, post any questions in the comments.

xoxo

PS, big thank you to Amanda from the Clickin Moms forum for allowing me to use her gorgeous photo for this tutorial! :)

PPS: IMPORTANT! In the like 5 minutes since I posted this I have been involved in a discussion where it was pointed out that Katrin Eismann’s #s might be a little heavy on the cyan and that the correct ration is actually C= 1/5-1/3 of the M value.  I didn’t want to rerecord the tutorial,  but the same technique applies, you would just warm up the image even further in LR or ACR than I did until that C value dropped even more.

Filed under: Photoshop Tutorials, photography, photoshop by ariana
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