Category Archives: Baby Stuff

Earthquake!

Posted in Baby Stuff, Parenting by

So I should mention that we did feel the earthquake here in San Francisco a few days ago.  It was considerable enough to wake up my husband and I at 3:30am, although I feel like the earthquake I felt back in Virginia in 2011 was worse (maybe cause it was longer?).  We had no damage to our home, our little monster slept through it, and my husband easily went back to sleep (I, however, had to go pee and any pregnant woman knows how that goes).  Many of our friends here, including long time San Franciscans, said that it was a big earthquake.

The next morning had me thinking about the true safety of our home.  We have our earthquake supplies to last us three days.  But we don’t have any of our furniture tethered to the wall or anything.  If this earthquake happened in the daytime and was just half a magnitude bigger, who knows what would have happened to my son with the furniture.  I mean we have our normal baby proofing in place like plug covers and gates, and I did make sure that there’s nothing hanging over  his bed.  So I quickly went on Amazon and bought this, this, and this (because you can never have too many first aid kits).  Hopefully we won’t have any more significant earthquakes any time soon, but if we do we’ll be more prepared.

Wonder Weeks

Posted in Baby Stuff, Parenting by

We are a generation that tends to read and learn in preparation for anything, and being a first time parent is no exception to that rule.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that families (in the Western World at least) are more nuclear families, either by choice or because of other circumstances like work (which is our case).  And because of that child rearing isn’t learned through extended family members.  Thank goodness for the internet and books!

A few of our friends are pregnant with their first child, and I have been asked for recommendations for their respective baby registries.  The one book that both my husband and I give a ringing endorsement for and highly recommend they put on their registry  is The Wonder Weeks.  It is written by two Dutch psychologists and the book is based on psychological research (that has been empirically tested; SCIENCE!).

Why we love this book above all others?  It’s based on science, it isn’t patronizing, and, for the most part, spot on regarding our son’s mental development.  I think my husband loves it more because it also provides activities parents can do with their child to help them through each developmental leap.

The book was recommended to us by other friends, and now we are paying it forward to future parents out there.  Go get it!  You can get the app, which is a great succinct version of the book.  But if you want to be completely thorough I highly suggest you order the book from Amazon.  You don’t have to read the book in one go either.  You can just read the chapter when your kid is about to enter their next developmental leap.  And if you sign up for their e-mail alerts, they will e-mail you a week before they are entering a leap to remind you to read up.