My new Etsy store!

Big announcement: Bison Girl has an Etsy store!

If you are not familiar with Etsy, it is a marketplace for homemade goods, materials, and vintage/antique items. In short, it is way cool.

So what is Bison Girl selling on Etsy?!

Bison Booties, but of course.

I made my first pair of baby booties when I was pregnant with our daughter. At the time I had no clue how much wear she'd get out of them. Luckily, I made two pairs ahead of time. From birth to today, she wears her booties during every outing and most days she wears them at home too. We have hard floors, so without her booties, her toes get chilled.

Fast forward to today ... I have modified the pattern to my liking. I have also up-sized it for babies 6 months old and beyond (because I could not imagine a world without these perfect little booties). I can't keep all these great booties for myself. I have to let the world in on this secret.

See them for yourself: Bison Girl Etsy Store

I call them Bison Booties

They are fully lined and have a covered elastic back, so they comfortably stay on active little feet. On the inside, baby's feet rest on cuddly faux sherpa, which does a great job keeping the toes toasty warm. As an added bonus, the booties are considered to be "soft shoes" - which are best for infant/toddler foot development and balance.

Currently I make two sizes (but I will expand this soon).

• 0-6 month booties measure 4 inches from toe to heel. This size has faux suede or fabric under the shoe since at this age the baby will not be walking.
• 6-12 month booties are 4.75 inches from toe to heel. This model is designed for maximum safety of unsteady feet, so the under side has vintage deer leather (or another similar super non-slip surface).

Since the booties are made individually by hand, the sizes my vary a bit. For the best sizing, measure the baby's foot and add 1/4 inch. When in doubt, order up.

The 0-6 month size would make a great new baby gift, especially for infants born in the fall/winter. And I have booties for boys and girls!

Most questions should be answered in my store, but if you have any questions, just leave a comment under this post. Happy shopping :)

Makin' Baby Food

Kya is quickly expanding the variety of food she likes. And as a result, I've been making baby food like a crazy woman. I'm 100% thrilled to make baby food - it's just so very bitter sweet to see her growing up.

This selection of frozen food includes: center - apple, from left - squash, zucchini, pear, carrot, broccoli. Next up: rutabaga. I freeze each batch in small amounts (in fun shaped Ikea ice cube trays) and then I freeze the cubes in labeled freezer-safe bags. Wehn Kya is ready to eat, I thaw a few cubes (both the same or mix-and-match two or more flavors), sometimes I add a bit of baby cereal.

I get my instructions and recipes from the book: Top 100 Baby Purees (above)

I think this book is great. It is the inly baby food book I own, so I don;t have much to compare it to, but I do like this one. The illustrations are beautiful and the recipes incorporate the usual (carrots) and the unusual (rutabaga).

My top 11 and bottom 4 baby products for the first six months

Kya is six months old today. Wow. What a fun journey the past half-year has been. Along the way I have come to love (and not love) a few baby products. I've had six months to test everything and have come up with my top 11 and bottom 4 baby products from our first six months. I would like to say that everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so take my likes and dislikes as just that, mine.

Top 11 (in no particular order):

1.

Baby Trend Diaper Champ

This definitely keeps diapers from stinking up the room, and I like that I only have to take the bag out every few days. It does have a stinky "burp" ... but I'd much rather have that than a constant stink. Added bonus: it takes normal garbage bags.

2.

Sophie the Giraffe

If I had a buck for every stranger who said this would make a great dog toy ... I could buy 10 more Sophies. Arg. Kya loves it! She will chew on it all day if I let her. Which I do since it is made of natural rubber, BPA free, and painted with food grade paint. And it squeaks! She has actually chewed off all the color on one ear.

3.

Gerber Onesies

These are as simple as they sound: basic white undershirt. Benefits: they are cheap, they are soft, they are cute, and you can even buy them in most grocery stores. We had a three-pack of newborn long-sleve onesies (with caps over her hands) for kya when she was a tiny baby - perfect!

4.

Chicco Cortina Keyfit 30 Travel System (car seat, base, stroller)

It is rated the safest by Consumer Reports. That was enough for me. It is also very easy to clean, looks great, and Kya thinks it's very comfy. Definitely a winner.

5.

Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets

Ah. The days of a swaddled baby.

Kya gets hot when she sleeps and these breathe nicely to keep her cool. They are also very soft and get softer with every wash. We have a four-pack and just keep they cycled through. Now a days Kya sleeps with one every night, I use them as a nursing cover-up, they work great as a sun shade over her seat in the car. Added bonus: they roll down to a very small bundle so they are great for traveling too. They are sold at Target but I have heard they are not quite as soft as the ones sold online or directly from the company. No direct experience from me on that topic, just thought I should share.

6.

Bouncer Seat/Swing

We had both, but I know many of them are combined into one product, so I grouped them here. I actually liked having them separate because I found each has its own pros and cons. All in all, I am glad we had both.

BOUNCER:

Pro: easily mobile (in the bathroom when I needed to shower, in the kitchen when I was cooking, or even in the car for a trip); she liked this from day 1; we got a very entry-level hand-me-down that cost us nothing but worked great.

Con: she out grew it already.

SWNG:

Pro: she still fits in it, she has grown to like it more every month, cool sounds/music, runs on battery and plug-in power.

Con: not as mobile as the bouncer - we just use it when we are in the living room (which is actually quite a lot).

7.

Bumbo Seat

This thing helped Kya to sit upright long before she could on her own - which looked pretty funny early on. I bought the attachable tray and we currently use the seat as a highchair. It works decent as a highchair, but not great. Added bonus: super easy to clean.

8.

The First Year's Infant to Toddler Bathtub

I'm sure that just about any tub will work fine, but this is the one we have and I think it is great. It fits in almost any sink, which makes bathing a baby much easier than kneeling over a tub.

9.

Book: Touchpoints Birth to Three

This is my go-to book for all things Kya. I really enjoy the way it is written and the tone of the book. It is broken into stages by month, which makes reading the timely section quick and easy. I highly recommend this book to all new parents!

10:

My most favorite baby product has been this one:

Ergo Baby Carrier

I can't say anything bad about this other than I with I also had the backpack attachment (to tote around diapers and stuff). Kya seems very comfy, I am comfy. Added bonus: I can feed her in it. We bought ours from Craig's List, which was a great deal compared to buying one new.

11.

Last but certainly not least: a wonderful husband a very supportive family and friends. Without each and every single on of them we wouldn't be as happy and adjusted as we are today. Thank you all!

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Bottom 4 (in no particular order):

1.

Boppy Nursing Pillow

I'm probably going to get hate mail for saying I didn't care of this thing. Basically, I just couldn't get it to "work" ... which shouldn't be hard considering that it is just a pillow. I saw them at TJMaxx last week, so if you can't resist buying one, buy it there at a discount.

2.

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

I really wanted to like this. I also liked that the price was WAY lower than an automatic pump. Unless I wanted to give myself carpal-tunnel syndrome, I just couldn't get it to work for me.

3.

JJ Cole Bundle Me

I bought this as a car seat cover (super soft and cushy!) only to find out that it is completely unsafe. Because of it's cushyness, and the design (which goes under baby, between baby and car seat) it is impossible to correctly tighten the car seat straps. I returned it, unused. The showercap style seat covers are safer!

4.

Pampers Dry Max Diapers

I started Kya on Pampers when she was a newborn but by her second month, I noticed Pampers changed their box design. With a little investigation, I discovered that Pampers changed how they make the diapers. I asked around and quickly learned that a few of the parents I know had babies with chemical burns on their bottoms that they believe was caused but the new Pampers diapers. Needless to say, Kya is now in Luvs. I'd like to say she is in cloth diapers, but I haven;t taken that leap yet.

Becoming mommy

We're parents to a beautiful baby girl – Kya Rose. She was born on Saturday, April 3, at about 1 am. Kya was 7 pounds, 15 ounces and approximately 21 inches long at birth.

To say that we are totally, completely head-over-heals in love would be an understatement.

She's perfect in every way.

And, she even likes to sleep! In fact, last night she only woke up (to eat) once before 5 am.

She really likes to sleep – and cuddle – and she's darn cute.

It's already hard to imagine what life was like before Miss Kya.

More baby updates to come ...

Dancing baby

She's definitely making herself at home in there!

37 weeks: full term

Well here we are. Full term at 37 weeks.

Hard to imagine how quickly the past 37 weeks went ... and how slowly.

I've been having a few "pains" and Corey has had more than one hunch that the baby will be here sooner than later. Since I only have profile pregnancy photos (like the one above), I held my own impromptu pregnancy photo session after work today – in our dining room – with my camera, tripod, and self-timer.

It was a good thing I was home alone because it was a bit of a circus getting the camera focussed (with the use of a chair), setting the camera timer, moving the chair, and scooting myself and belly into the frame (all within about 10 seconds).

Anyway, here we are.

Round and ready.

Childbirth and bobsledding

I watched a lot of hours of the winter olympics last month. And, surprise, surprise, I've been thinking a lot about childbirth. Childbirth and bobsledding – did you know the two have a lot in common?

The following paragraph really sums up the relationship between the two:

From Birth Day by Dr. Mark Sloan

Human childbirth is like an Olympic bobsled run. There are two participants with well-defined roles: a mother who does the pushing and a baby who steers the course.


There is a well-marked start and finish, and in between there are banked turns and the real possibility of disaster.


Down at the finish line, there's a throng of cheering supporters, some ready to assist when things get tricky, others simply milling around with cameras and champagne.

Childbirth isn't exactly like a bobsled run, of course. There are no helmets or spandex racing suits, for one thing, and it's usually not snowing on the participants.


Childbirth is also a bit slower. A bobsled in mid race regularly reaches 70 miles per hour or more. A baby at its zippiest has a top speed of roughly 0.00000025 mph.

Photos from Flickr - click on each photo for a larger view and credit information.

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At a minimum, I expect all my hospital visitors to be as spirited and excited as mister belly paint!

We'll be full term at the end of this week and I'm getting the "whenever you're ready, I'm ready" feeling.

I'll try to keep this blog updated with the inevitable "we're heading to the hospital" announcement.

35 weeks down, 35 days to go

No, I didn't give up blogging for lent ...
Although it probably seems that way!

Yikes.

I'm going to play the pregnancy card and say that I've been tired ... and busy. It's really sinking in that we're going to have a baby in about a month. A BABY! Whoa!

Not that we're not ready – we totally are – but wow. A BABY! A eating, crying, pooping, adorable, cuddly, brand new baby.

About this baby ...

- She has had the hiccups at least once a day for the past three days. It's usually after she's very active. I think she gets herself too excited.

- She (and my belly) arrive places before I do.

- She wants you to vote on her arrival date (if you haven't already). The deadline is this Monday.

I have a doctor's appointment next Friday and then I will have an appointment every week. The nurses already know me by name - which I think is hilarious. Time for our birth center tour and birth plan and packing ... and waiting.

Tic toc, tic toc ... when will baby arrive?

Got a hunch about baby Hager's arrival date? How about her weight?

Make a guess by commenting on this post with your name, the date you think she'll arrive, and her weight at birth. Her weight will be a tiebreaker in the event that more than one person guesses the same date.

Some info that may help:

- Due date is April 1, 2010

- We are having a girl

- She is very active and is currently "head-down"

- A few of the Sisters at work think I'll deliver "early"

- My mom was overdue with me by about a week

- My belly has been measuring about one week big

Good luck!

No prize - just some good ol' fashioned fun.

One guess per person.

Last day to submit a guess is Monday, March 1.

Baby got wheels

Today the baby received some transportation equipment (Chicco Cortina Key Fit 30), compliments of Great Grandma Katy (thank you!).

After the pieces were all assembled, Dottie (my favorite childhood comfort – a Cabbage Patch Doll) got to take it for a test drive.

Here is Dottie in the car seat. The set also came with a car seat base that will stay in the car (not pictured).

The car seat fits nicely onto the stroller for rolling around with the little one.

I think she likes it!

Here she is ready to explore the world in the stroller (without any of the car seat parts).

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As for Corey, baby and I, we'll be exploring Kenmare for the next few days - visiting Grandma and Grandpa Hager and family for Thanksgiving.

gobble gobble gobble.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's a girl!

We had our 20-week ultrasound today and are proud to announce that we are blessed with a healthy baby girl!



Caitlyn and Grandma Rene joined Corey, me, and baby for the event. The ultrasound was amazing but the preparation for it wasn't quite as fun. I was instructed to drink 32 ounces of water one hour before the appointment and not use the bathroom until the end of the appointment. I've never been so unbearably uncomfortable.

Of course, it was well worth it!



The ultrasound tech said she is a very active baby – just kept moving the whole time. As expected, her movements resulted in a few blurry photos (see foot, above). My dad (Grandpa Z) thinks all her movement means that she'll make a great 800-meter runner. I think it means I'm going to have lots of sleepless nights.



At the follow-up appointment with my doctor, we found out that our baby girl has mild pelviectasis. Basically it is a slight enlargement in one of the kidneys. The doctor assured us it is nothing to worry about. She was actually more concerned/surprised that the lab technician said we're having a girl, because it's much more common in baby boys. Go figure!?!

The doctor wants to keep an eye on the kidney (in most cases it'll return to normal size) so she requested another ultrasound next month.

I know what that means ...
... another morning of an uncomfortably full bladder

... but most importantly, another chance to watch our beautiful baby. So worth it.

Just to be sure, we'll also get a gender reading again.

Today was magical!

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To answer the inevitable question - we do have a few girl names picked out but we're not sharing until baby is born. If you know me well, you know how indecisive I can be ... so this process just might take until birth anyway.

19 weeks

As of today, we're officially half way to the due date. It's amazing how slowly ... and quickly ... and amazing ... this journey has been. I can feel the baby kick almost every hour (wonderful!). And when the baby is really kicking, Corey can feel it too. I'm so excited that he can finally connect to the baby this way.

We have the "big ultrasound" the day after tomorrow - Tuesday, Nov. 10. So if you haven't guessed if we're having a boy or girl, be sure to soon! The big reveal coming Tuesday!!!

As for my expanding tummy - it appears that the bump is not leaps and bounds bigger than week 17, but it's definitely moving up. I can feel when the baby is resting on one side now too - some days the bump is kind of lopsided.

Last week I started twice-weekly water aerobics with some ladies at work. I've heard it's a great pregnancy exercise and I have to say, it was perfect. The water really felt nice and the exercise was the ideal pace/intensity. As an added bonus - we use the pool at school, so it's free and convenient! Let's see if I can keep up the habit all winter.

17 weeks

People at work are definitely starting to notice my bump.

Today in the cafeteria, a table of women about my mom's age asked me to come over so they could admire my tummy. Although it may seem odd, it was actually rather enjoyable. There's only so many times in life where someone wants to admire your expanding waistline.

This photo is the first with my maternity jeans on - I couldn't bear the thought of trying to squeeze into my "regular" jeans.

Blue or pink?

Today at my baby check-up, I scheduled our ultrasound appointment!

If the baby is cooperating, on November 10, we'll find out if baby Hager is a boy or girl.

I am so excited! We'll actually get to see the baby! Amazing!

Plus, I can finally start sewing little dresses or little super-baby capes.

According to variety of old wife's tales, we're having a ...

10-week appointment heartbeat 165 - girl

15-week appointment heartbeat 140 - boy

needle/thread movement test - boy

Chinese gender calculator - girl

For what it's worth, Corey and I are both first-born.

What is your hunch? boy or girl?

Week 15: Where did you come from?!

I didn't realize I was "showing" so much until I took my "week 15" photo today. Wow. Seems that I have officially popped.


July 30, week 5


Today, week 15 - baby is the size of a navel orange (4 inches) and will be the size of an avocado (4.6 inches) next week.

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I'm at home today - trying to fend off a cold. I've been attempting to naturally treat myself with steam (boiling a pit of water), Vicks rub on my nose and chest, tea with honey, chicken noodle soup, gargling, and a nasal rinse. Something seems to have done the magic because I'm feeling much better! In case you're not familiar with the pregnant lady restrictions of medications (it's a LONG list of no-no's) - let me just say that it's far simpler to treat myself with natural remedies. I found this website to be a huge help.

A new life

Corey and I are going to be parents!

We're due April 1, 2010, which happens to be Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. Yes, we're over-the-moon excited. This has already been an amazing journey and yet I know the best is yet to come.

I've got a mini-library of a few baby books, so I've been tracking the baby's development - did you know the baby is the size of a lime right now?! fascinating! The books also include pregnancy symptoms ... just in case the nausea and vomiting aren't enough of a constant reminder - ha!

Speaking of nausea - ginger ale and cranberry juice is my new favorite drink. I call it my "magic potion" because it always seems to calm my stomach.

Speaking of stomach - wow I can't believe how my body has changed already. Since this is a G-rated blog I'll just say that my tummy area sure seems to be thicker and rounder than it has ever been. As strange as it may sound, I love it.

Speaking of love - my sweetie husband Corey is amazing and I can't imagine traveling down this road without him. He'll be a wonderful father and I'm so lucky that this baby will have him to look up to.

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For those of you that know me all to well ... you might like to know that I've already started sewing for the baby. Surprised? I didn't think so. Photos coming soon.