skin deep
These past few days I’ve been obsessively search the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database to see if all of the products we use are up to snuff. As it turns out, most of them are not. According to EWG’s site, “Due to gaping loopholes in federal law, companies can put virtually any ingredient into personal care products. Even worse, the government does not require pre-market safety tests for any of them.” Even the brands I thought I could trust (like Dr. Hauschka’s and The Body Shop) aren’t worthy of that trust. I’m so bummed that all of the companies claiming to be good actually aren’t. The only exception I’ve found so far is Dr. Bronner’s, though I’m sure there must be others.
I was happy to learn that the Weleda Calendula Oil we use for Massimo rates well (although that’s one of the few Weleda baby products that rates well), as does his Dr. Bronner’s soap. His Burt’s Bees products are also a disappointment. Thanks to the Cosmetics Database, I was also able to find a great and safe sunblock for him for Florida. Only the best for my boy!
I was a Body Shop girl before moving to Tallinn, but once we moved there I started buying EVERYTHING from that store. Probably because it was one of the few brands I was already familiar with and liked, and there are several stores there. My foundation, face wash, toner, eye makeup remover, facial scrub, mask, and many of my hand and body lotions and lip glosses are from there. And now I feel I should find something else, considering all of my favorite products failed the EWG’s thorough testing. Ugh. I do believe knowledge is power, but sometimes it can be depressing!
seven months
Massimo turned seven months in Austin, Texas. Here he is on his Oma and Opa’s sofa with Bunny. Perhaps you also noticed his teeth? The two of them made their appearance recently and caused quite a stir (especially in the sleep department). Still, Massu remains as good-natured as ever and is having a blast with his extended family (pics of him with his cousin Una to come). The boy is far more interested in using his hands than his feet, so no crawling yet. He does a kind of backwards squirm, but he isn’t motivated to move beyond that just yet. Maybe next month, although a stationary baby is not a bad thing! I’m still able to run around the house without having to worry about him getting into things.
More pics from this month can be found on flickr.
down in the valley
I don’t know many (any?) lullabies, and the ones I’ve discovered either have not-so-nice lyrics (Rock-a-bye Baby, for example, since I don’t like the thought of falling babies) or have an annoying melody or sappy silliness about them. So I decided to take a song I liked the sound of and get creative with the lyrics. This is what I sing to Massimo each night as he falls asleep:
Down In The Valley – Valley So Low
Hang Your Head Over – Hear The Wind Blow
Hear The Wind Blow Love – Hear The Wind Blow
Hang Your Head Over – Hear The Wind BlowRoses Love Sunshine – Violets Love Dew
Angels In Heaven – Know I Love You
Know I Love You Dear – Know I Love You
Angels In Heaven – Know I Love YouBuild Me A Castle — A Hundred Feet High
So I Can See The Sun — As It Goes By
As It Goes By Love — As It Goes By
So I Can See The Sun — As It Goes ByThe Day Is Over – And Out Of Sight
Good Night My Darling — To You A Good Night
To You A Good Night Dear — To You A Good Night
Good Night My Darling – To You A Good Night
It’s a traditional American folk tune, and if you don’t know the melody, you can hear it here. I’ve been meaning to fully learn the lyrics of What a Wonderful World, too, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. What songs do (or did) you sing?
Hypnobabies holiday discount
I’ve sung the praises of Hypnobabies before, and here’s a little extra encouragement for those considering the self-study program:
This year, in light of our current economy challenges, we have decided to give a 20% discount on all products at Hypnobabies throughout December, as our gift to all Hypno-Moms! PLEASE use the following code at checkout to order: HOLIDAY.
I’m considering getting a few of the extra CDs, since I’ve already shared my program twice in Estonia and would like to have some of the extras on hand for future borrowers (in case they need them). On a related note, Hypnobabies also has the extras available as downloadable MP3s.
six months!
Littler Inch turned six months today! We can’t believe that half a year has already passed since Massu’s birth and that in just another six months he’ll be a full year old. We neglected to measure and weigh him today, but he’s been focusing more on growing up rather than out. We’re hoping he’ll fit in his current size a little while longer, because he went through 0-3 and 3-6 clothes months ago. 9-12 months fit best at this point.
Massimo still enjoys rolling over, and even rolls back now and then. He loves his tummy time, and props himself up really high with his strong arms. He also sits quite well, but still has to be supported sometimes. His front to back balance is good; it’s the side to side that gets him. He grabs everything within reach (including other babies), and goes to great effort to get things that are just out of his reach. He especially likes any toy that makes a crinkling sound. I give him different pieces of paper and little baggies to play with, so he can feel the different textures and hear the different sounds. (As long as he has a pacifier in his mouth, he doesn’t try to eat them.)
Speaking of eating, he’s still breastfeeding exclusively, but Stefano and I are going to purchase something organic this weekend so he can try his first solid food. We haven’t felt in a rush about feeding him solids, and will likely take the slower baby-led weaning approach. We’ll see. I’m sure we’ll have some hilarious photos (and perhaps videos) to share before long!
Massu speaks and Daddy listens
While it may be true that every parent gets carried away when interpreting their child’s lingo, I can say with great certainty that I understand one of Massimo’s first words (perhaps even his first). Massu has spoken and the word is dada!
Our friend Annely noted over lunch today that fathers tend to spend less time with their children than mothers, leading to more instances of the child hearing the mother and others refer to dada. If that is true, perhaps it is a sign that I need to work less in the office and spend more time at home with the little guy. Another response is that da is easier for babies to pronounce than ma, which sounds plausible to me. However, the most outlandish explanation is that the ma in mama comes from the first letter of mother, while da in dada does not derive from father but was rather adopted by men due to our desire to have the child acknowledge us first and the fact that it is a common sound made by infants. Although I must admit that the last explanation holds true to the nature of the male species.
While these are some fairly good explanations for why there often seems to be a phenomenon of infants saying dada before mama, I think I know the answer to why Massu is saying dada first. It has to do with the simple fact that whenever I spend time with him, I repeat dada over and over again! Now let’s hope he doesn’t pick up on too many of the words I repeat frequently.
big monkey
I’ve mostly steered clear of baby-ish print clothing for Massu, but I couldn’t resist this sleeper’s monkey print. It was partly the colors, too, but I admit I envisioned my baby waddling about and looking as cute as can be in this outfit after a good night’s sleep. As it turns out, out little monkey is rather big and so he’ll have outgrown this sleeper long before he’s walking. As you can see, it already fits like a glove and it’s only his second time wearing it!
brrrrr
Okay, so it hasn’t gotten consistently cold here yet, but if there’s one thing we know about Estonia it’s that it gets cold (and dark) in the winter. Massimo is therefore super happy about his nice, warm hat and scarf set that his aunt made for him. Suur aitäh, Tädi Mairi!
sit, sitter, sittest
One or two months ago, Massimo downgraded (or upgraded, depending on how you look at it) from three naps to two each day. The inevitable was finally upon us: we needed to hire a sitter so that I could get some work done. Infant care is unusual in Estonia, since most moms are able to stay home (and get paid) for the first 18 months of their child’s life. In my case, the publisher I work for is based in the US (where 18 months of leave is called quitting). And as a freelancer, I would simply lose my clients if I took that much time off.
We really didn’t have a clue where to find someone (especially someone who speaks English), so we started asking around. And those people said they would ask around, too. That led to one interview. The girl was nice though not particularly assertive, but Massimo howled when she walked in the door and the two times she tried to hold him. That’s unusual for him, so we figured it was his way of saying, “I don’t think so!” The hunt continued. With no progress. I am so thankful a friend referred me to www.4families.eu. We posted our profile and searched through the nanny listings. Interview number two went much better. The test day went well. The first week passed with no bumps. And so there you have it, Massu has a sitter! This will be her third week with us, and Massu has a blast whenever she’s here. And I am able to get work done. Last week I managed 23 hours, not including the hours of freelance editing. Not too shabby!
