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Magic Sleepsuit Giveaway!

Remember the Magic Sleepsuit? Let's see if this helps refresh your memory: Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit was invented by Maureen Howard, a pediatric physical therapist and a mother of four. It was designed for babies who are approximately 3 months of age and have been swaddled, but are beginning to grow out of that stage. The Magic Sleepsuit provides babies with the cozy and secure sleep environment that they became so accustomed to with swaddling. It aids in making a positive transition into that spacious crib, and promotes back sleeping which all mothers know is the best sleep position for reducing the risk of SIDS. We first purchased  the Magic Sleepsuit when Claire was going through her "four-month wakeful" period — only...

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Are Two Girls the Best?

People often ask us how many kids we plan on having, and our answer is: "It depends." J and I made a deal before we got married. J wants lots of kids. Like, enough for a full soccer team. ("But I'll settle for a basketball team," he says. :roll: ) I was never sure if I wanted kids, but if I were to procreate I thought that two would be a nice number, the reason being that one would be too easy to spoil and three would be too much for me to handle. So we compromised. Since I would be the primary caretaker of the kids, we would aim for two. But if they were the same sex, we will...

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Our Favorite Baby Items

I've been meaning to do this for quite some time now, and I'm happy to finally cross it off my to-do list! I think that every mother has different products they consider "must-haves," in addition to some on the "don't bother" list. So I want to preface our lists by saying that every family — and every baby — is different, and while one product may work wonders for one family it may only collect dust at another household. Now, on to the lists! First up: our favorite specific items for Claire. In other words, our favorite items that we've found to be better than their competitors:   1.  Amazon Mom. I have written about this amazing service before, and it's quickly...

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Six Months

My little girl turns six months old today! On one hand, I can't believe that it's already been half a year since she entered our lives. On the other, I can't wait for what's to come. I'm eagerly awaiting her first steps and first word. I'm even looking forward to the teenage years, if you can believe it. (Toy courtesy of the super-thoughtful package Other Pieces of Me sent us soon after Claire was born) I thought that Claire was still behind on most of her developmental milestones, but upon more careful examination of the chart, it seems that while she is behind on some (eg, she has not rolled since the day she rolled twice, and she has yet to...

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Preserving Naps and Bedtime

I wish my daughter was one of those babies that can sleep anywhere. I wish she were a naturally good sleeper. But she is neither of those things, as she is a highly sensitive child who is always so transfixed by the world around her that she needs to be in a dark, quiet room free from stimuli (and in her own, comfy crib) in order to fall asleep and sleep well. And I am pretty certain that this isn't something that you can "train" a baby to do. I am a firm believer that every baby — every person — is different, and as a result, some are naturally more sensitive sleepers than others. Take my sister and I, for instance. When...

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