Mary Lauren Weimer
My Top 10 Disney Baby Basics for New Parents
Let’s face it, the needs of new babies are fairly straightforward: comfort, feeding, warmth, and love. But will all of the baby products available these days, it can be hard to wade through the extras to get to the essentials.
Here are my top 10 baby basics from Disney Baby! Keep them in mind for shower gifts, baby registry items, or things to stock up on as baby grows.
Nursing Mamas: Making Pumping at Work Easier
I’ve heard it said that although breastfeeding is natural, it doesn’t always come naturally. It can be difficult to learn the particular dance of mother and baby: establishing the perfect latch, learning to be comfortable in the various nursing positions, and knowing how to follow your baby’s hunger cues.
Add a breast pump to the mix and suddenly it’s easy to feel like what’s supposed to be so very natural is far, far from it.
After my middle child was born I worked full time in a counseling center. I was very lucky to have a private space and a nursing-friendly work environment. I was dedicated to breastfeeding so I spent time between sessions attached to my pump, writing client notes and making phone calls. It wasn’t always easy and it took a little getting used to, but after a few months I was a pumping pro.
For those of you who may be facing a return to work soon, I thought I’d share some tips that I found helpful. I hope they’re helpful for you, too.
What Babies Can Teach Us about Thankfulness
The moment I became a mother there were suddenly one thousand reasons to be thankful: ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. The sound of his breath as he slept. The way my heart overflowed when he’d finally arrived, a perfect blend of his daddy and me.
Even though that was a long time ago, I’m still counting my blessings every day.
November is the month we set aside to focus on gratitude. If you’re like me, your Facebook feed is sprinkled with daily reasons for thanks, many of which are related to parenthood.
But have you considered that babies themselves have a lot to teach us about gratitude?
There's No Such Thing as Too Many Grandmas
Growing up, I was jealous of my friend Kelly whose Granny lived down the street. She’d walk to her house after school, where I could imagine milk and cookies awaited her on the Formica kitchen table. Sometimes she got to spend the night there, in a bedroom painted pink just for her.
My father’s mother passed away before I was born, and although my mother’s mother was still living she was a plane ride away in Florida. We called her every Sunday and visited occasionally but our relationship was mainly of the greeting card variety.
My own lack of a cookies-after-school grandmother has made me so grateful for my kids’ relationships with theirs. Not only do they have two very loving, very involved, and very attentive grandmas of their own, they have an extra. There’s no such thing as too many grandmas.
Four Fun Ideas for Incorporating Music into Your Child's Play
When my son was a year old, I reluctantly enrolled the two of us in a “mommy and me” music class at a local university. I was reluctant because I imagined having to sit in a circle with a group of overly enthusiastic moms while our babies alternated between screaming and hitting each other on the heads with tambourines. What would it be like? Would I feel silly? And most importantly, would my baby get anything out of it?
I’m happy to say that he did, and I did too.
I shouldn’t have been surprised: the benefit of music for babies is nothing new. It soothes them when they’re upset and energizes them when it’s time to play. It helps them develop pre-literacy and language skills, and can be a great tool for self-expression.
Here are some easy ways you can incorporate music into your baby’s play. Take it from a mom who knows: it’ll be great for both of you!
