Update #3 – Quick Chek NJ Balloon Festival

Almost getting up to date with my posts!  On July 30, 2011 we took our first trip to the Quick Chek Balloon Festival!  We have never been there before and have been wanting to go for years (only to have previous plans).  So, we set the date and drove out there.  The drive wasn’t bad, only about 1 hour from where we live.  Kenzie of course was good in the car, sleeping for the drive over. 

When we got there, we took a preliminary walk around to see who had booths set up and which ones we wanted to stop at.  After getting something to drink (as it was another humid day), we decided to stop at the Kashi/Burt’s Bees booth.  Kashi and Burt’s Bees make some of my favorite products, so the short wait in line was worth it.  We got to sample some new products and even got a nice eco-friendly bag full of goodies to take home (reviews on products to come in a later post). 

Then it was off to the Johnson and Johnson booth.  I do not use Johnson and Johnson product for various reasons, but they did have a cool booth that any mother can appreciate.  Besides giving out samples, they had a diaper changing station on one side of an enclosed tent and a nursing room set up on the other side.  When running around with a child in diapers or nursing, this is a wonderful thing.  So kudos go out to J&J for at least thinking of the mothers.

After a little more browsing, we decided to find our spot to watch the balloons go up, and the concert later on that night.  I cannot explain to you just how beautiful  it is to see over 100 hot air balloons take off near sunset.  They had all kinds of balloons from various sponsors and even shaped balloons.   There was a penguin in a Hawaiian shirt and camera, a shark, a butterly, and even spider-pig.  Definitely a spectacle to see!

When the balloons had floated out of sight, we sat down to take a quick rest before the concert started.  At around 8pm, the Barenaked Ladies came on to perform.  I must tell you that they put on a great show that was also family friendly.  We are BNL fans, so it was nice to be able to actually get to see them live.   While the concert was playing they also brought out some of the balloons out to be lit up at night.  They were very pretty! Kenzie had a great time rocking out and dancing before she tired her little self out and took a nap. 

It was well after 10pm when we left, hitting a little traffic.  Kenzie fussed for a little while, but fell asleep not long after we started moving.  It was a long but fun day out!

Update #2 Sesame Place – July 22nd, 2011

Time for another update!  On July 22, 2011 we took Mackenzie for a trip to Sesame Place for the first time.  Of course the day we chose to take off and go on this trip had to be a 100+ degree day, but we went along anyway.  Mackenzie was good for the 1 ½ hour ride sleeping through most of it. 

After we had arrived, were admitted, found our locker rental (for diaper bag/purse storage), changed into bathing suits, and  applied sunscreen, we were ready to go.  We also signed up for a nifty amenity that Sesame Place offers.  Sesame offers to link your credit card to a waterproof barcoded wristband, that can be scanned at all stands and stores.  This allows the guests to charge their purchases without having the burden of carrying cash/credit cards with you. 

Being a hot day, our first stop was of course the Count’s Splash Castle.  The Splash Castle is a 12” wading pool with slides, fountains, water sprays in every direction and a big bucket that dumps hundreds of gallons every 5 minutes.  My little fishy had a ball!  She didn’t even get scared when the big bucket dumped water on her head.  She just laughed and kicked her legs.  After cooling down in the pool, we ventured off towards the water slides.  No I didn’t take Kenzie on them.  At 8 months, she was still a little too small in my opinion.  But her daddy sure did have fun on them while we watched in the shade and stayed hydrated. 

At a little before 1:00pm we decided t break for lunch.  Taking a small walk about a block outside of the park, we hit the Red Robin.  A smart choice as it was A) air conditioned, B) had an amazing turkey burger and C) kept us out of the 10 minute rain shower that decided to pass over while we were eating.  Mackenzie was very good and had a few small pieces of my turkey burger and wheat roll.  She was very attentive and tried mimicking our eating by pulling the whole burger to her mouth and trying to take a bite herself.  Lol.

  I have to tell you, that Red Robin has a great kids menu.  I have been looking at kids menus as we go out to plan for future dinner/lunch trips when the kids get older.  With many healthy options such as grilled chicken, turkey burgers, melon as a side, etc.  I would definitely bring my children back there when they are older.  After a nice filling lunch, we headed back to the park.

Back at the park we took another stop at the locker, and pushed a sleeping baby along the main road to catch glimpses of the 2pm parade.  Very cute from what we saw.  Too bad Kenzie slept through it!  Next, it was off to Big Bird’s Lazy River.  The lazy river is basically a long pool path with a slow current where you can float along in an inner tube.  Halfway through there is a pool area with a fountain where you can stop to splash around.  After a few times floating slowly around (which this mommy and baby enjoyed immensely) it was back off to the water slides. 

At about 6:00pm after much playing, shopping, picture taking and sweating, we decided to head off home.  Our little princess was so exhausted from her busy happy day, that she slept the whole way home.  All in all we had a wonderful day despite the 106- degree weather.  I cannot wait to go back later on this year.  Sesame Place is definitely somewhere I look forward to taking our girls back to in the future years to come.

Much Needed Update! Mackenzie's First BeachTrip

Ok, so I have a lot of updating to do since my last post.  I guess the first day to start with would be our first beach trip with Mackenzie. 

On July 16, 2011 we took a nice drive down to Sea Girt, NJ.   After packing the car and making sure that we had plenty of food, sunscreen and diapers for the baby we hit the road at around 8:30 am.  A little over an hour later, we had reached our destination. 

First off, I must say that Sea Girt is an absolutely beautiful beach.  According to New Jersey magazine it is considered one of the most family friendly beaches, and I can see why.  The beach is clean, no trash, no alcohol, no noisy boardwalk, and no rowdy people. 

When we first got there, the beach wasn’t too crowded, so we found a nice spot and set up our new tent.  I got Mackenzie changed into her bikini and lathered on the sunscreen.  We then took a nice walk down to the ocean.  At first Kenzie was a little frightened of the crashing waves.   But as soon as she realized that after the big boom the water came up to her feet, she was happy. (For those of you who don’t know, Kenzie thinks she’s a little fishy and loves the water).  She had a ball!  She was jumping around like crazy and smiling everytime the tide went back out and pulled her little legs along with it.

After about a half an hour, we took her back up to the tent to play in the sand for awhile with her new Melissa & Doug sand set.  Kenzie played around for quite a bit enjoying the new textures that the sand provided.  She even attempted to "stir" the sand with her spoon.  After awhile my little princess was ready for her afternoon nap (and so was mommy, lol).  So we cuddled up under the shade of the tent with a bottle and went out for a nice cat nap.

Lunch time came not long after, so we took a block and a half walk to a nice little restaurant called the Parker House.  It has a nice outside seating area that gives you a nice view of the quiet town of Sea Girt.  Their menu offers many great appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entree's.  The food was wonderful!  I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the area. 

Then it was back to the beach.  Let me tell you something…we left our tent, cooler, towels, etc on the beach while eating just to find that everything was still there when we came back.  Talk about a safe beach! 

It was back down to the water for our little fishy for some more splashing around in the waves.  After about a half an hour it was time to walk down the shore to find some shells for Kenzie’s scrapbook.  She enjoyed the warm weather and salty air as we found some nice small shells for her scrapbook and some bigger ones to maybe do a shadowbox with.  She weaseled in some more time in the water before we went back up to the tent for some more sand play.  All in all she loves the beach!

We went back to the Parker House for dinner and had a nice filet mignon for mommy and some bread for Kenzie.  After some relaxing out of the sun (as it was steaming out), and a certain little girl falling asleep we all packed into the car and took the drive home.  Kenzie took a nice long nap all the way back to the house and woke up nice and refreshed! 

In conclusion, Sea Girt is a safe and family friendly beach in a small quiet town.  We found the Mackenzie absolutely loves the ocean and playing in the sand!  It sounds like we found the perfect beach to take our soon to be two little girls to in the future! 

The Parker House

Melissa & Doug Sand Set

Ergo Baby Carrier Review

Ok so I said I would update with a review on the Ergo Baby Carrier.  I bought my Ergo a little over a month ago, due to needing a back carrier to carry Mackenzie around once this pregnancy gets a little further along and I can no longer front carry her. 

Mackenzie is an almost 19lb baby and using the Baby Bjorn and Moby have been giving me such bad back pains lately.  So , under the referral of many friends I decided to invest in an Ergo.  I chose the Ergo Original carrier in Galaxy Gray.  It is a cute neutral color with stars embroidered on it and a beautiful star pattern on the inside. 

Ergo Original Baby Carrier - Galaxy Gray

The first couple of trips we took were short maybe carrying her for between 30-60 minutes during our usual weekend running of errands.  First, I front carried her.  Even while 3 months pregnant I had no uncomfortable squishing of the belly or pains in my back/shoulders.  Mackenzie seemed to like it and was very content with being snuggled and being able to look around her at the same time.

At our next shopping trip, I switched her to a back carry.  While it was something new to her and I both, she soon settled in just looking around and within 10 minutes she was fast asleep.  One great option that the Ergo offers is an attached hood.  After being snapped in to the appropriate level, Mackenzie’s head was perfectly supported for a nice comfortable nap.  Again, no back pains or discomfort.  After a day of switching back and forth between the front and back carry, I arrived home still comfortable. 

Since our first trip out I have used the Ergo many times from just doing things around the house to taking a trip into New York City.  The Ergo has become my new best friend.  It is very convenient to take places especially while on the run or shopping alone. In short the benefits that I have found while using the Ergo:

• It is easy enough for one person to put on alone.  Some carriers require the help of a partner to strap the baby in, which eliminates the option of going out alone with your baby.
• It provides a great back support and leg support for the baby, while still being comfortable for baby.
• It distributes baby’s weight evenly, eliminating stress on the back and shoulders of the parent.
• It has three different holds (back, front and hip) which are all comfortable to use.
• it fits a variety of heights/waist sizes so that both parents can use it.
• It is very fast to put on.  Nice carrier for when you have to get in and out of somewhere in a hurry.  I do like wraps, but as any baby wearing mama can tell you, it is time consuming and not ideal for errand running.
• Sleeping hood does adjust so that as the baby grows it can still be used.
• I can throw it in my washing machine when needed to be cleaned.
• It has been weight tested to 90lbs (recommended for up to 40lbs) so that there is no need to buy another carrier.
• I don't find it to be too hot or smothering in the summer weather.
• Has a variety of accessories available to be used with the Ergo (something I plan on buying later on).

Something to watch out for when using the Ergo, is to make sure that the waist strap is around you rwaist and not your hips (my first mistake) and that all straps are tightened properly (waist, back, shoulders).  If these steps are not following, the baby will fall too far into the carrier, which I can imagine to be uncomfortable and not very safe.

 In conclusion, I would definitely recommend anyone who is looking for a carrier to invest the money in an Ergo. 

If you own an Ergo/accessories and have any comments/suggestions, please email me at CelticPrincessMe@verizon.net  I would love to have some feedback from other users for a follow-up post.

Mackenzie's First Yankees Game!

So, this past Sunday 6/12/2011 we took Mackenzie to her first New York Yankees game in NYC.  She took the light rail/PATH/subway rides very well.  I don’t think she fully understood why we were getting in and out of the big metal boxes.  She was in her glory though as Mackenzie is definitely a people watcher and enjoying watching the different people going to and fro throughout the streets of New York.  I took her in the ErgoBaby carrier so that she would be nice and content with the walk, and that I would have less hassle ( a review of the Ergo to come later). 

Before the game we decided to stop at the baby boutique Giggle to check out the double strollers as they carry some of the higher end models that we were considering.  With baby #2 we are on the great search for a good and convenient double stroller.  After checking out the Bugaboo Donkey, which is Bugaboo’s newest and only double stroller, I fell in love.  With a steep price tag of $1,500.00 it is put on the big maybe list.  But, I still have a few months to make my final decision. 

For those of you who have not heard of the store, it is amazing!  They carry a lot of “green” products and higher end baby gear.  It was nice to see the newest baby products as well as accessories to some of the wonderful products that I already own.  We ended up buying Kenzie something called Lil’ Peanut (which is her nickname).  It is the cutest little stuffed doll nestled in a peanut bed.  It is so soft and she just loves to chew on it. 

After the trip to the store, we headed off to Yankee Stadium.   Mackenzie got much attention from the employees there that thought she was just too cute.  And of course she just hammed it up smiling and waving at everyone. 

 Sitting on the floor directly behind home plate gave her a great view of the “baseball men”.  She sat well through 2 ½ innings and then took a nice long nap until about the 7^th inning.  She had a grand time watching the Yankees win the game and wasn’t bothered by any of the loud sounds or cheering.  All in all the game was a success and we ended up finding her the cutest hat. 

When we left the Stadium it was back on the subway and off to dinner.  We stopped at our favorite Japanese BBQ place Gyu Kaku.  It is a unique place where the food you order comes to the table raw and you cook it yourself on a grill in the middle of your table.  As always, the food and dessert was great and we all left stuffed.  Kenzie of course just had a ball playing with a set of chopsticks and watching things get grilled, even though she was a little cranky.

After dinner it was time to head back to the trains and back into New Jersey.  By the time we got home, it was time for our little princess to go to bed.  All in all I would say our first trip to the Yankees game went relatively well, and I can’t wait to take her back into NYC. 

A list of links to places and products mentioned are below:

Giggle Baby Store

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

Bugaboo Donkey

Lil’ Peanut Doll

Hello Everyone!

After reading many inspirational blogs, I have decided to start my own to chronicle my life as a brand new mother.  I guess the best place to start would be in the beginning.

My name is Natalie and I am 26 years old.  I live in a small suburban town in New Jersey with my fiancé Matthew, and our beautiful little princess Mackenzie.  Life here is pretty hectic as a full time working mother of a 5-month old, but we make it work. 

A little over 4 years ago, my doctor informed me that I would not be able to conceive naturally due to health issues.  This depressed me greatly, but I figured that when we were ready for a child we would find a way to get the very expensive IVF sessions that was predicted I would need.

In February of 2010 after being nauseous for over two weeks I took a pregnancy test to find it come back positive.  Even though it was a big surprise and we weren’t planning on having a baby yet, I was ecstatic!  My pregnancy was not a very good one.  I ended up being nauseous until the day I delivered and even ended up hospitalized due to pregnancy induced gall stones/pancreatitis.  But,  I went through it all knowing that in the end I would have a beautiful baby girl.  After 18 1/2 hours of induced labor, Mackenzie Charlotte was born in November of 2010.  She was my miracle baby. 

The first few months with Mackenzie were really hard.  She had trouble latching at first and lost over a pound within the first week of life.  After fixing that problem, her weight gain was still very slow, even though she was nursing constantly.  At two months old she was only at her birth weight   After many trips to the pediatrician, we learned that Mackenzie has a fast metabolism.  So, she had to be supplemented with formula.  After about 2 weeks of supplementation she refused to nurse and is now exclusively on formula.  By her third month check-up, Mackenzie was at a normal weight for her age.

Now Mackenzie is 5 months old and boy has time flown by.  She is a whopping 15lbz 6oz and 26 ½” at her last appointment at 4 months.  She is a very happy baby who wakes up smiling and chattering.  She is rolling over from back to tummy, putting weight on her legs, and grabbing at everything she can put in her mouth.  

This past week we have had a very big surprise added to our already busy life.   We have found out that we are expecting another baby this November.  I know it will definitely be a hard transition from one child to two, especially with Mackenzie being so young.  But, I am confident I can do this.

So that is my story so far.  I am going to try and get on here to update this on a daily basis if possible.  There is always something going on at our house, so I’ll always have something to write about.