MommyBeta Podcast This Week: Taking Credit For Satan's Gift

Click here to download or listen to this week's MommyBeta podcast! Its all holiday talk this week! We discuss teaching our toddler's Christmas words like Satan and Satin and Santa. We also discuss the Elf On The Shelf and creative ways to play the game, and whether or not to take credit for Santa's big-ticket toys. And don't miss our gadget gift guide! 

One in a Flash

I can’t believe I’m writing a post about my daughter turning one. Didn’t we just come home from the hospital? I asked my husband this very thing this past weekend, and he agreed, “It does seem like it,” he said. “But some things also feel very far away like swaddling or waking up throughout the night.”

Thank goodness! I wasn’t really a fan of either of those things. My husband was always better at swaddling and I always woke Elle up after she fell asleep nursing when I tried to swaddle her.

Regardless, I loved every bit of it. There are so many amazing memories and emotions we’ve experienced this past year: 

• I distinctly remember the feeling of pride when others commented on how early she was lifting her head. “Why, you’re right? She does have a very strong neck.”
• Excitement over her first tummy time to see how she did – and she liked it!
• Anticipation in her rolling over and sheer joy over every new accomplishment
• The tenderness of her first hug to me or the first time she laid her head intentionally on my shoulder
• My (real) tears of happiness from her first giggle outburst
• Immense appreciation for my hubby every step of the way from all the support in the hospital to still waking up in the middle of the night when he has to work the next day
• Her first word, “Yum” and then dada and mama
• The feeling of accomplishment when getting her down for naps, knowing when she is tired, hungry, etc.

 Some of my favorite things:

Her little fake cry when I’m putting her down for her nap or bedtime and getting her into her sleep sack. She’ll still fake cry but reach her other arm back to put it in the sack. So cute!

• If she notices we aren’t in the room while sleeping or gets scared, she’ll stand up and start crying. As soon as we walk in the room, she drops in her crib and closes her eyes, but frequently checks to make sure we are there.
• When I pick her up, she squeezes me super tight with a big hug
• When I go to get her from her naps or in the morning and she is standing and smiling with a big grin, and her big cheeks are warm and soft like marshmallows
• Napping and snuggling with her
• Seeing her laugh and make a funny little squealing noise that just sounds like happiness
• Seeing her shake her groove thang!
• The way her top lip curls up like a bird and her mouth drops when she is in deep concentration

It's totally true what they say that the moment you hear your baby cry when she is born, and you hold her in your arms and look into her eyes, your life is forever changed -- in an awe-inspiring way. I wish I could write down and capture every memory but who has the time? We’re all too busy experiencing life and who can complain about that. Happy Birthday my sweet tootle. I love you more than you'll ever know. 

Win A Pottery Barn Kids Halloween Costume of Choice - Any Size

Yes, it’s true. Halloween is two months away but we all know that the early bird gets the worm or in this case, the best costume. If you haven’t already seen Pottery Barn Kids’ line of Halloween costumes, your search is now over. The costumes are so adorably cute and evoke the true spirit of Halloween. I love how they have that homemade look too – though that of a super talented DIYer. For the rest of us, they have made it easy, well until you have to choose which costume for your child.

     

Are you up for the challenge because Pottery Barn Kids is giving one lucky winner a free costume! This costume can be for any size, retail value $54-$89. Please share your top three choices for a costume and they will ship whichever one is available to the winner. So which will it be? The rat, owl, puppy, dinosaur, fairy, caterpillar? The options are endless; how will you choose?   

        

To enter:

• Like MommyBeta on Facebook
• Like Pottery Barn Kids on Facebook
• Leave a comment with your top three choices of a costume. PBKids will reward the winner with one costume in top three.(Note: you must include your email when you comment so that we can reach you if you win.)

Contest closes Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

    

We're trying out a new service for managing giveaways. The first two actions are mandatory for entry (each gives you one entry) and the second two are optional, but each give you two additional entries! Let us know if you have problems with this new way to enter.

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Breakfast Success!

Thanks to all your helpful advice, breakfast has been going great. Elle loves blueberry pancakes, toast, and boiled egg yolks. She even had her first crepe yesterday and loved it as you can see in the video below. Nathalee also recommended trying freeze dried fruit for snack foods which Elle loves and I also tried giving her a fruit puree mix from Trader Joe's and she actually liked it. I make 95 percent of her food but with fruits I've been willing to try almost anything. The mix just has organic apples and bananas and citric acid as a preservative so that's ok, right? Have you discovered any new snacks for your little ones?