seven months with miles

Oh sweet boy, how have so many months already passed us by? These past few weeks, our sweet Miles has grown and changed so, so much. 

He started crawling on Father's Day! It's still a bit of an army crawl, but he's getting quicker at it every day. The biggest motivators to get him to start moving are things he shouldn't have (like phones and cords and computers) and books.

Speaking of books - he LOVES them. Both for being read to and for chewing. When we pick one up and start reading, Miles gets so excited and start bouncing and squealing and trying to grab the pictures on the pages. Right now, favorites seem to be Little Blue Truck and Angus and the Ducks.

He can now sit unassisted for several minutes at a time, though he hasn't quite figured out how to get into a sitting position on his own. 

His food repertoire grows daily, and he's caught on to drinking water from an open cup (when it's being held by mom or dad).

We've officially outgrown 3-6 month clothes and are fattening up daily, as proven by those leg rolls :)

He's really taken an interest in rattles and anything with a tag on it. He studies these things intently. I only wish we knew what he was thinking!

Our love for this little man grows daily... he is such a joy to be around and is filled to the brim with personality. I can't wait to see the new adventures month seven holds!

six baby basics that got us through the first months with a newborn

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The Internet - namely Pinterest - is flooded with "must-haves" for baby, but babies don't actually don't NEED a whole lot to get through the newborn phase - diapers, milk, and mama and they're pretty much good to go. For that very reason, I won't call these items "essentials," but they have definitely made life easier. Now that we've survived the early days and have the benefit of hindsight, these are a few things that would definitely be on my personal must-have list if we ever decide to embark on this parenting adventure for a second time (many, MANY years from now).

Teeny, tiny baby Miles - the day we brought him home from the hospital. *Cue the tears*

Penaten Creme

We recently discovered this miracle of a diaper cream here in Germany, and it is THE BEST. Having tried Desitin, Aveeno, and a few others we had samples of, I can definitely say that this one does the best job at keeping baby's bottom rash free. Technically, the translation is "wound creme," and you can supposedly use it for eczema, blemishes, etc., too! We've even used it to help clear up a mean drool rash on baby G's chin. Though it can't be found in U.S. stores, you can get it on Amazon. Bonus points that the easy open tin is way simpler to maneuver one-handed than the tubes most diaper cremes come in.

Cloth Diapers

We literally use these for EVERYTHING (except diapering, of course, because WHO HAS THE TIME AND ENERGY FOR REUSABLE DIAPERS. Seriously though, you mamas who've committed to cloth diapering, I applaud you. We'll be keeping Pampers in business for the next couple of years, thankyouverymuch.) These magical little squares work as burp cloths, clean up messes, can be tucked under the chin to catch dribbles while feeding, and even for play (I swear - all the toys and this kid LOVES playing with a cheap piece of cloth). We have two packs of them, and I can just throw them all in the wash in hot water to get nice and clean. 

Changing Pad Liners

Whoever invented these is a true genius. No one tells you when you buy the cute changing cover from Land of Nod that it's only going to be on said changing pad for approximately two diaperings (if you're lucky) before you have to wash it again. Babies have a tendency to pee (and poop) at the exact moment when the diaper is off - not to mention the oh so fun up-the-backers that result in an immediately soiled changing pad cover as soon as you lay the kid down. Poopsplosions are real, people. These liners save the day and (usually) keep the cute cover from getting dirty!

Puj Baby Tub

I have to admit, this is a bit of a splurge for a glorified piece of foam, but boy do I love it! Being able to put baby in the sink has saved my back, and I'm a huge fan of not having a baby tub take up precious space when not in use. Just get a suction hook for your shower and voila! - out of the way. Also note: if you think the Puj isn't fitting your sink properly, try only folding one side of it - most of our sinks are too shallow to fold both sides, but it fits like a dream with just one side. We just moved Miles to an inflatable in the real bath tub at 6.5 months, and boy, do I miss the days of the Puj.

Snuza Sleep Monitor

Since we saved a whole bunch of money by opting for a security camera and iPhone app instead of the traditional baby monitor, we felt pretty good about splurging on this breathing monitor, and I honestly believe I would not have slept those first three months without it. With all of Miles's grunts and noises and random breathing patterns in those early weeks, I thought I might lose my new mama mind. We've only had a handful of false alarms (mostly due to a loose diaper), and personally, I'd rather be woken up by a false alarm than living with the very real anxiety of ohmygodismynewborngoingtojustrandomlydecidenottobreatheinthemiddleofthenight. Is it entirely necessary for a new baby? No. But it sure did give me the peace of mind to get some much needed rest.

Baby Massage

So I realize this isn't a product, but it is a basic skill that truly kept me from going crazy a few times. Miles was an incredibly gassy baby, and up until about 4 or 5 months when he figured out how to get rid of it himself, he would get so fussy with gas pains. Having little luck with the other tricks, I learned about the "I love you" stomach massage through a desperate Google search. I would start it, and he would almost immediately pass gas and be so much happier! We tried so many things, including diet changes, gas drops, bicycle legs, and football holds, but this one was definitely the winner. 

If you're expecting or just embarking on the crazy ride of parenting a newborn, maybe you'll find some of these things to be your favorites, too. If you've already been there and done that, what are your essentials?

simple suppers: pesto pasta with mozzarella and roasted cherry tomatoes

These days, I'm all about the quick dinner ideas. Back in the U.S., I used my crockpot often for its ease of use, but here, I don't have my beloved crockpot (or my stand mixer... or the Keurig... or my nice large refrigerator - there are a few things I'll be glad to get back home to). So, if a meal can be made in 30 minutes or less and still taste delicious, it gets a thumbs up in my book. I discovered this delicious creamy pesto pasta on Pinterest and decided to give it a chance. We all know Pinterest can be hit or miss, but Josh and I both agreed this was definitely a winner.

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Creamy Pesto Pasta

from Amy Johnson | She Wears Many Hats

Makes about 6 servings.

~ 1 cup of basil pesto (recipe here)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound favorite pasta, cooked

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pesto and mix into the oil. Be sure to stir often as the pesto warms.

When the pesto is warmed and just a little bubbly, slowly stream in the heavy cream as you stir. (You can always add more cream it you'd like.) Add some pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Turn down the heat and continue to stir to incorporate the cream and pesto. Salt and pepper to taste.

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If you wanted to make this recipe even easier, you could just buy some good pre-made pesto in the grocery store. However, I found it to be pretty simple to make my own in my new, highly coveted Magic Bullet (or as they call it here, Mr. Magic). Oh, Germany.

I topped it with a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a little garnish of pine nuts, parmesan, and basil, and some roasted cherry tomatoes. To make those, just toss the cherry tomatoes in olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and stick in a 400F (200C) oven for about 15 minutes or until the skins burst. They get juicy and sweet and add a great fresh flavor to this dish - don't skip them!

If I'd had it on hand, I probably would have reduced a bit of balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the top and gone full caprese with this bad boy. And if you didn't want to go meatless, you could always add grilled chicken for some protein, which I'm certain would be a delightful addition.

So there you have it! What are some of your favorite quick, go-to dinners?

In case you're looking for an easy dessert, too, check out the recipe for this Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble I made this weekend.