Deciphering Baby and Toddler Sizes

Baby sizes can be really confusing, especially since many stores display them differently. Here is a quick guide for you.

1. Preemie size is for a Preemie. This is not for a small baby. Usually even if your baby is small, they are still too long for a preemie outfit.

2. Newborn size is a good choice for a smaller baby (under 8 lbs) for about the first month of their life.

3. Month Sizes are displayed differently depending what store you are in. You will see 0-3 or 3 for average babies aged 0-3 months old, and 3-6 or 6 for average babies aged 3-6 months old. Remember when you just see one number, such as 3, that means the baby is up to 3 months, not just became 3 months. This seems to be a confusing point.

4. Now the tricky part. Some stores skip 6-9 months. The reason for this is that babies don’t grow as rapidly during their 6-12 months, and there isn’t much difference between 6-9 month clothing and 6-12 month clothing.

5. The next size is 12-18 months or 18 months.

6. The next size is 18-24 months or 24 months. So in going with the previous patterns, 18-24 should be the same as 2T right? Wrong. This is where it switches. Size 18-24, or 24, is for babies ages 18 months to 24 months. Size 2T is the size for the entire year of the 2 year old child, not up to 2 years old as the previous sizes have followed.

7. 3T is for a 3 year old, 4T is for a four year old, and 5T is for a five year old.

8. Then there are youth sizes 3, 4, and 5. If you go to the front of Gymboree, you will see size 4, if you go to the middle of Gymboree, you will see size 4T. What is the difference? Not much. The “T’s” are usually a little wider in the tushy to allow for a diaper, or if your child still has “baby fat” or hasn’t thinned out to look more like a kid yet. I find that they are not that much different in size. They usually are different in price, however. Youth sizes tend to be more expensive than Toddler sizes.

--Remember that these are made for the average size child. If your child is between the 25-75 percentile, they should be able to follow the sizes according to their age. If your child is below the 25 percentile, they might need to go down a size. If your child is above the 75 percentile, they will need to go the next size up.

--Also Gerber brand is tiny. Buy a size up.

I hope this helps!

Oooh You're My Best Friend

What makes a Best Friend? I’ve been asked this question before, and since I have THEE best friends a girl could ever have, so I feel that I’m a good person to ask!

You know you have a great friendship when:

1. You can give and take equally in the friendship. Sometimes life can be hard and we need to take more than we give, but it should even out.

2. You have different lives than your friend but that doesn’t affect the friendship. My bestest friend does not have children, has been married for a lot less time than me, and even lived in Sri Lanka for half a year. None of this made our friendship less great.

3. You can tell your friend 100 good things in a row and she won’t be jealous of the good in your life, or you can tell your friend 100 bad things in a row and she will not be annoyed, judgemental, or think you’re a downer. These are also the first people that you want to tell when you have good or bad news.

4. You don’t have to compete with them. If you are going through something difficult, you can talk to them about it without them saying, “well that’s nothing, I’ve got it way worse, listen to my problems.”

5. You can tell them I love you without feeling weird about it.

6. You can have fun with them.

7. You could not see them for a while but then “pick right back up” the next time you see them.

8. You can allow them to see you without make-up, or without a clean house.

9. You can vent to them and they understand that you’re just venting, and they don’t try
to fix it.

10. They make you feel good about yourself!

I Am Thankful...

1. For healthy children.
2. That the only complaint I have about my Husband is that he doesn’t put the twisty tie back on the bread.
3. For the best friends a girl could ever have: Danielle, Beki, Joann, Shannon, Jaci, Carrie, and Dale.
4. That I get to work at “Stay at Home Mom.”
5. For coupons.
6. For my Crockpot.
7. That I only had to pay for a babysitter like twice in five years.
8. For candy.
9. That Caura’s Kindergarten is half day.
10. That Aubree likes to hold my hand.
11. That Saige smiles every time you smile at her.
12. That praying works and God is good!

A Thanksgiving Tradition

Thanksgiving is on Thursday! What a great holiday! It is a holiday that forces you to find something to be thankful for, you get to eat delicious food, and it is a holiday that any American can celebrate (regardless of religion, race, occupation, position in the family, etc.)

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is a very special family tradition: making homemade raviolis. This is a tradition on Danny’s side of the family, and I have been very blessed to be included. The recipe is from Danny’s Great-Great Grandmother, who came over from Italy. They are so fun to make! You make a flour mountain, then make it into a volcano with egg lava in the middle. You mix up the egg and add some flour to make a dough. Then we roll out the dough, add a cheese mixture, and cut out a ravioli. Of course we also get to make a huge mess!

Just A Spoonful Of Sugar

The Facebook status question was "Help! How do I get my 3 year old to take her medicine?" This was the boat I was in a few weeks ago with my own three year old, the sweet but "strong-willed" Aubree.

What we tried:

1. Putting the (already grape flavored) medicine on a spoon and expecting her to open her mouth and take it.
2. Putting the medicine on a spoon and telling her that after she took it, she could have a drink.
3. Putting the medicine on a spoon and telling her that after she took it, she could have a piece of candy.
4. Explaining to her why she had to take the medicine.
5. Threatening her with a punishment if she didn't take her medicine.
6. Putting the medicine in a medicine dropper and squirting it into her mouth while holding her down.
7. Putting the medicine in a little bathroom cup and letting her drink it up with a straw. (This was semi-successfull...we were on to something).
8. Doing it the Mary Poppins way, "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!" Success!!!!

We actually put the medicine in a bathroom cup and added some sugar, then let her drink it up with a crazy straw. We had no more problems.

On a side note, yes, I know I've made another reference to another Julie Andrews movie. I love Julie Andrews. I will watch anything with her in it.

Nature Color Hunt

I took a section of an egg carton and colored in each of the six egg spots with a different color that could be found in nature. I gave Caura and Aubree directions to explore the yard and find something of each color and put it in the correct color spot.

This is what Caura came up with.

She loved it. Aubree, not so much.

On a side note, I had bronchitis the past week. Then I went outside to play and ran all around. Then I started wheezing so badly and could only take very short breaths. Danny then took my spot outside. When Aubree realized that I wasn't coming back out, she came inside and asked me what was wrong. I told her that I couldn't breath very well. She then went into the bathroom, filled up her bathroom cup with water, and gave it to me saying, "Drink this, it will make you feel better." I took a tiny sip. She put it next to me and said, "I put it here if you want more." Then she gave me a hug and I thanked her for taking care of me. She said, "You're welcome."

Sometimes she's a bugger, but she is also so so sweet.

Free Chives!!!!

Chives (also known as scallions or green onions) are used in many recipes. They top potatoes, they are added in soups and stir-fry dishes, and they are used to make sauces. I like chives because they are part of the onion family and have a mild onion taste, but act as an herb.

Do you know that you can continually grow chives from ones that you buy?

Go buy a bunch of chives (they are on sale for a $1 a bag at Acme this week). When you go to chop the chives up, make sure you leave the bulb with at least half an inch of green still attached, making sure you do not cut off any roots. Put the bulb in a tall glass or vase of water, not completely submerging the bulb in water. Place the glass in a sunny spot, such as a windowsill. Every day you will see the chive growing, and in about a week, they will be tall enough for you to have another bunch to chop up. Repeat.