Baby Gets Packed

Away we will go for the holidays

Packed enough for a year but gone just days

Packing for baby is no easy feat

We need the travel stroller and car seat

Also the Baby Bjorn so I can see

All the things that will be brand new to me

Diapers and Aquaphor and wipes for poo

Three outfits per day and pajamas too

Mom packed different sock choices for each dress

Two options for meals and pump for her breast

My swimsuits and float and coats and mittens

Despite the weather all will be smitten

I counted ten burp cloths, blankets and toys

Food, bibs, utensils, and teethers, oh boy

Along with a first aid kit and my meds

If not we’d be at the ER instead

She stashed toys, blocks, sippy cups and my snacks

Is there nothing that Mommy didn’t pack?

Inflatable tub, towels and shampoo

Plus soap, bath toys, and a changing pad, too,

My suitcase rocked the fifty pound limit

Mom packed all but the kitchen sink in it

As you can tell Mom likes to travel light

Since for her baby all must be just right.

Parenting dreams versus reality

As seen in New York Family magazine: http://www.newyorkfamily.com/meet-baby-elle-belle/

Hi there! I’m Baby Elle Belle–the newest blogger here at New York Family Baby. Although I’m only ten months old, I’m pretty savvy when it comes to blogging–so you can expect to hear from me just about every week. That’s right. I’ll be blogging regularly from the perspective of a happy, hilarious, and sometimes harried baby, and what it’s like growing up in the city during my earliest days. Here’s a little peek into my world…

In my family, here’s what the typical dream sequence looks like: Mommy checks amazon.com yet again and finally finds exactly what she’s looking for: a book called How to Raise a Perfect Baby: A Step-by-Step Guide for Type A, Overachieving Parents, Who Are Used to Everything Going According to a Detailed Plan and On Schedule. She hits the “buy now” button before rubbing her belly and then alphabetizing her cookbooks for the third time this week.

Fast forward two months. From the moment we arrive home, Mom’s guide book works like a charm. I enjoy my three-hour schedule of eat, play, and sleep. I nurse every two hours without fail, nap at each scheduled interval for a full sixty minutes, and play like a pro. I never cry. I communicate via telepathy. My poos never are stinky and don’t require frequent changing. I don’t like dirtying myself so I simply don’t spit up. I am the perfect baby.

And here’s what the reality is like: Truth be told, I’m not a perfect baby. For instance, I cry…a lot. I sleep when I feel like it. I pee and poop often and sometimes it goes everywhere. Although I don’t mean to, I sometimes aggravate my parents. But after several months, we’re rocking and rolling and enjoying each unique day while learning from each other.

So let me tell you a little about me. I’m a baby! And while I’m almost one, I haven’t always been this slick and smart. Back as a newborn, I didn’t like to eat much. I’d fall asleep nursing and Mom would have to tickle me and nudge me along. I wanted to eat when I was hungry so I fed on demand. (Heck, does anybody eat at two-hour intervals?) And I didn’t like to sleep on schedule. I wanted to rest during the day so I could really enjoy life at night. Or if Daddy was holding me, I liked to sleep on his chest. He’s so much more comfy than my crib mattress. Plus, I wasn’t ready to play. My activity mat was cool and all but I just wanted to be held and loved. The world was, and still is, so new to me and I’m just trying to figure it all out. Ten months later so much has changed and I cannot wait to tell you more about it, but first things first…

If you’re going to follow my adventures please have an open mind and an open heart. After all, I’m still just a baby and tend to be very sensitive. (I know this because all my diapers and wipes and things say so!) I have a lot of important observations to share, and cannot wait to give you inside access to Elle Belle’s head so you big people can finally understand what us little babies are trying to communicate.

We’re brilliant communicators if you pay close attention. You’ll see that I have oodles of important info on babies to share from how to win nap time battles to how to prevent your ambitious tot from scaling the walls and escaping from his or her crib. Most important, because everything is so new and exciting, I hope you’ll appreciate my enthusiasm and find the happy baby inside of you, too.

Twas the night of our first feeding

Twas the night of our first feeding and all through the apartment
The kitchen was stirring and baby had not one hint
The high chair was placed at the table with care
With a vinyl plastic cloth placed under there

The rice cereal was ground to a powder as told
Then added some water and breast milk of old
So the milk would give baby a familiar taste
As we begin introducing foods with haste

When from the high chair there arose such a clatter
We had a food fight; all over went the batter
Mommy tried very hard to get me to eat
My not so delicious rice cereal treat

Doctor said start with cereal so Mom did
But it is very bland and boring so she hid
Her thoughts that I would enjoy sweet potatoes better
Before writing the rice cereal rejection letter.

I at least enjoyed the spoon for just a minute
Before the rice cereal was placed in it
I took one big bite and then a little more
Then pushed the spoon away and threw it to the floor

"Now Baby! now, Baby! now, just give it a try!
Try it, you’ll like it- the best rice Mommy can buy.
Take the spoon to the mouth-we are having a ball!
Now just eat one bite; you don’t have to eat it all!

I tried it again and took one more cereal bite
Rice dripped right out of my mouth and I saw the fright
In Mom's eyes at the whole eating solid foods thing
So Mom tried to make it fun and started to sing

And then, in a second, Mom sang three blind mice
Which distracted me just enough to eat some rice.
As Mom drew in her hand, and was turning around,
Down went the rice cereal to the floor with a bound.

I was covered in rice, from my head to my toe,
And I laughed and giggled and Mom wallowed in woe.
A spoon of cereal was flung at her rack,
And I looked like an angel, just smiling right back.

My eyes-how they twinkled! my dimples how merry!
My hands were all sticky and sweeter than sherry!
My little mouth frowned with each attempt to eat
I just wanted my milk from my Mommy’s teat

We’ll try cereal again for four more days
Then introduce a brand new food for me to graze
Soon my palate will appreciate finer food
For now we’ll try to get Mom in a better mood

We will take a warm bath with our rubber ducky,
And we smile in the bath, I am so lucky!
A splash in the tub and shampoo of my head,
No more rice cereal; nothing more to dread.

Mom spoke not a word, but just gave a smile,
And filled all the room with joy for a while.
And pulling my ten toes right up to my nose,
And giving a nod, out of the bath I rose!

Mom thought how she wished I liked my solid food meal,
But was just pleased to be done with this landmark ordeal.
Mom gave me a big kiss and hugged me oh so tight,
"Happy first feeding my baby; have a good night!"

Crawling Cutie

Once baby crawls there is no turning back. 

Baby goes and you hear squeals then a whack.         

I go one hand one foot and then the next.         

Mom cannot turn her head or send a text 

Or I'm chewing something that I should not,     

Banging the curio or kitchen pot.
Toes curl and hands clap as I make my way;     

Eyes brighten as I grunt crawling all day.
If Mom walks away she tells me don’t move;

I don’t listen and follow my groove.    

I crawl at lightning speed under the chair     

Making sure she follows me everywhere,   
Pulling up on the table and each edge           

Mom watches carefully - her safety pledge.        

I crawl around – exploring on the go       

Taking all in as Mom says yes or no. 
         As I try to find my way all around    

Moving quickly with my 18 pounds. 

Mom is so proud of my rapid motion 

But wasn’t ready for the commotion.          

She keeps it safe; listens for my click clack.

I'm on the move after every knick knack.

Careful what you wish for – it makes Mom fear    

The next stage of walking coming this year. 

The cutest thing to admire and see:   

Small steps for baby; big deal for Mommy.

Shower Power

Mom always visits once a day

But things tend to get in the way

It makes her feel as good as new

Washing off spit and residue

It wakes her up and she feels clean

Ready now to care for her bean

 

This bean needs her to keep an eye

On me always and time flies by

Mom showers when I take a nap

Or during other times she maps

Like when dad’s home she takes it slow

Not just with five minutes to go

 

It’s always like a mad dash run

Serving its purpose but not fun

Proud to say she did it –if fast

She just wants her good friends to last

Mom really showers every day

At least to wash the gunk away

Welcome to my life in rhymes

Elle Belle is a beautiful baby girl who lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her magnificent mommy, dapper dad, and her five-year-old four-legged brother (who's adopted). She enjoys reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, trying new foods, doing yoga, taking walks in Central Park, putting things in her mouth, and cruising around NYC in her stroller while making everyone smile wherever she goes.

Her own smiles, coupled with her mommy’s passion for motherhood and writing rhymes, has resulted in a beautiful marriage of poetry and parenthood.

 

Meet Elle Belle

Dream Sequence: Mommy checks Amazon.com yet again and finally finds a perfect match for a book called “How to Raise a Perfect Child Step by Step for type A, overachieving parents, who are used to everything going according to a detailed plan and on schedule.” Babies for Dummies is not the right fit for her perfect baby.

From the moment we arrived at home, mom’s guide book worked like a charm. I was a perfect baby. I enjoyed my three hour schedule of eat, play, and sleep. I nursed every two hours without fail, napped at each scheduled nap interval on the dot for a full nap time, and played like a champ. I just wanted to please my parents and start listening well at any early age. I never cried. I communicated via telepathy. My poos never were stinky. I enjoyed sitting in pee pee diapers and did not require frequent changing. I did not like dirtying myself so preferred not to spit up. Other babies are ill mannered, sloppy, and too noisy.

The Reality:  After nine months, we are rocking and rolling and enjoying each unique day and learning from each other. But truth be told, I was not a perfect baby.

Let me tell you about me. As a newborn, I didn’t like to eat much. It was boring and I was sleepy. I would fall asleep nursing and mom would have to tickle me, tap me with wet washcloths, and nudge me along. I wanted to eat when I was hungry not just at two hour intervals. So I fed on demand. Heck, do you eat at two hour intervals? And I didn’t like to sleep on schedule. I wanted to sleep when I was tired which usually was during the day so I could really enjoy life at night. Or if daddy was holding me I liked to sleep on his chest. It is still the perfect resting spot for me. He is so much more comfy than my crib mattress.  Lastly, I was not ready to play. The world was, and still is, so new and I was just trying to figure it all out. My activity mat was cool and al but I simply just wanted to be held and loved. And I was both…very much. As a newbie, diaper dandy, or any other names the older babies called me, I had a lot to figure out and I wanted to do it my way. Nine months later so much has changed and I cannot wait to tell you more about it but first things first…

If you are going to follow my adventures please have an open mind and open heart. I am still just a baby and tend to be very sensitive. I know I am sensitive since all my diapers and wipes and things say so. I have a lot of important observations to share that some adults don’t always like to hear. Like although I am a super happy baby, things still make me cry-like if I am tired, hungry, peed my diaper, or cutting a tooth.  As everything is new and exciting, I hope you will appreciate my enthusiasm for this whole new world and find the happy baby inside of you, too.

Tugs on Heartstrings: Mommy and daddy opened their minds and hearts and give me their everything and then some. They really get my baby babble and trust their instincts allowing us to be the perfect family that we are meant to be.  I look forward to sharing tips as I learn them and telling you about our dreams and reality in the coming days.