Kelly Tirman » Baby

Linden Estelle is Five Months Old

kellytirman — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:56:55 +0000

Linden Estelle turned five months old today. I can’t believe how fast time is flying. To ensure I remember all these special moments I will be taking a “birthday” picture every month for her first 24 months as well as charting her developments.

Summary of Linden’s development this past month:

Rolls over while on her back
Will clasp her hands together
Will pass objects from one hand to another
Will play with her hands and toes
Has become interested to animals. (i.e. reaches out to pet them)
Will lift herself up to a sitting postion when sitting in a car seat, bouncy seat, swing, etc.

The Outtakes:

What? Are you looking at me?

Wanna watch me kick my feet?

Seriously, are we done yet? Will you please pick me up already?

<3.

Don’t you just LOVE the Onesie Linden is wearing? I found them on Etsy. They are made by Watch Me Grow, a wonderful mom owned small business. Help support them by clicking here and liking them on Facebook!

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About Kelly Tirman

Kelly Tirman is the mom behind kellytirman.com and serves as Sr. Manager of Operations for Walmart’s Global eCommerce User Experience, Insights & Analytics teams. Kelly’s blog focuses on sharing ideas on urban living; including general lifestyle, raising multilingual children and organic beauty.

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Dolphin Organics, Only and Always Natural

kellytirman — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:33:41 +0000

Many people are surprised to find out that although a label says “natural and organic” what it may really mean is “contains natural and organic ingredients along with a bunch of other crap”.

As a mom, I have often been frustrated by brands that CLAIM to be natural and organic. This is one of the reasons why I blog about organic beauty. I want to be able to celebrate companies that are actually making real organic and natural products with quality ingredients.

Dolphin Organics is one of these companies.

While at Blogher11 I had the pleasure of meeting the founders of Dolphin Organics. I fell in love with their story and bonded over our mutual understanding that what we put on our body is just as important as what we put in our body.

I was eager to take their products for a test spin – they kindly provided me with a few samples and an adorable onesize for Linden.

Here are the top ten things I like about Dolphin Organics:

The labels are straightforward, simple and easy to read so I know exactly what is in them!
Instead of being filled with water the first ingredient is ALOE. This provides a more concentrated and stable product.
The packaging is made with Post Consumer Recycled material.
The products are never tested on animals.
The shampoo and body wash actual has a nice lather which is often hard to find in a natural product.
The products are tear-free so it doesn’t bug our babies eyes.
The products are truly unscented.
The products are hypoallergenic.
The conditioner does a great job of detangling hair and doesn’t weigh down beautiful curls.
Great price point compared to other organic and natural products.

About Dolphin Organics
Dolphin Organics™ is a New York based family-owned and operated company committed to making the best, most honest organic and natural products for your baby. For more information and to place an order check out dolphinorganics.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and friend them on Facebook.

Have you read the ingredients on the back of your baby’s beauty products?

About Kelly Tirman

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Linden Estelle is Four Months Old

kellytirman — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:29:05 +0000

Linden Estelle turned four months old today. I can’t believe how fast time is flying. To ensure I remember all these special moments I will be taking a “birthday” picture every month for her first 24 months as well as charting her developments.

Summary of Linden’s development this past month:

Will hold head steady when we sit her up
Will reach for and grasp objects
Will explore by mouthing and/or banging on an object
Is drooling (a lot)
Will clasp her hands together
Will open mouth when watching others eat
Will babble, making almost sing-song and motor boat sounds
Will recognize familiar faces
Will scream if annoyed
Will smile at herself in a mirror
Will look at you when you call her name
Enjoys being cuddled
Rolls over while on her back

The Outtakes:

Help! I can’t seem to stop drooling on myself.

Does this pose make me look serious? I don’t want people to think I am all fun and games, ya know?

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Linden Estelle is Three Months Old

kellytirman — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:38:01 +0000

Linden Estelle turned three months old today. I can’t believe how fast time is flying. To ensure I remember all these special moments I will be taking a “birthday” picture every month for her first 24 months as well as charting her developments.

Summary of Linden’s development this past month:

Will lift head and chest while laying on stomach
Will turn her head from side to side
Will grasp and hold on to objects (like my hair)
Responds to the shaking of her rattle
Will recognize the breast prior to feeding
Smiles when smiled at
Fully communicates hunger, fear, and discomfort through facial expressions
Will calm down at the sound of my voice or while being held
Now anticipates being lifted
She reacts to “peek-a-boo” games
Able to successfully sit propped up
She has started to watch us eat
Will hold a short conversation with you (i.e. goos back and forth)
Tries to place ALL items in her mouth
Likes to bear weight when held in a standing position

The Outtakes:

Really mom? Don’t you have anything better to do?

I am seriously getting bored with this…

Come on, stop taking pictures and pick me up NOW!

Don’t you just LOVE the Onesie Linden is wearing? I found them on Etsy. They are made by Watch Me Grow, a wonderful mom owned small business. Help support them by clicking here and liking them on Facebook!

See the rest of this series:

About Kelly Tirman

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Baby Products for the Urban Minimalist – 0 to 3 Months

kellytirman — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:25:06 +0000

Confused on what you REALLY NEED for your baby? Don’t have a ton of space in your urban dwelling? Here is a complete list of products that should get the typical urban minimalist through the first three months.

Moses basket – Even better than an empty dresser drawer; a moses basket is a perfect place for an infant to sleep. It is also easy to move from room to room which is great since the average newborn sleeps roughly 16 hours a day.
Puj Tub – Finally a infant bathtub that isn’t awkward and is easily stored out of sight no matter how small your place is.
Baby wash – This baby wash from Nurture My Body is organic and leaves your baby smelling divine. It is a tad on the pricey side but use it sparingly and it could last you a good 3 months.
Organic JojoBABY Oil (basically organic jojoba oil) – use this to give your baby a massage. Jojoba oil is much better for your baby’s skin (and the environment) than traditional baby oil or baby lotion.
Mother Love Diaper Rash & Thrush – An all-natural herbal salve for diaper rash and it also great for soothing nipples. Buy one jar for baby and one jar specifically for your boobs.
Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat – This car seat has a removable all-weather boot with blanket flap that keeps baby warm during our crazy cold San Francisco summers. This product also doubles as a “bouncy chair” while you are in the house.
Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Carrier Stroller Frame – A lightweight stroller is a must! When folded it is small enough to hang on the back of your front door.
Kimono tees – Sometimes onesies can be a pain in the butt. These work day or night and don’t have to be taken off to change a diaper. You are probably gonna want half a dozen of these suckers.
Cotton pants – For wearing with the kimono tees when it is too cold to only wear a diaper. You are probably going to want 3-4 pairs.
Monthly onesies (0-12) – These onesies are perfect for taking pictures in. Wearing them will also eliminate questions from strangers asking, “how old is he/she?”
Moby Wrap with SPF 50+ – Not only will keep the baby calm this wrap will double as a wrap/shawl for yourself. This product will literally give you back your hands and allow you to get things done. With a little practice this will allow you to breastfeed and ride public transportation at the same time.
Organic Cotton Cloth Diapers – Instead of using these as diapers use them as burp rags and changing pads.
Muslin swaddles – These ones from aden + anais are large enough to ensure a good swaddle and can also be used as a burp cloth, nursing shield, stroller cover or portable crib sheet. Plus they are super soft and get better with each wash.

But what about a diaper bag?
Many hospital (example: Kaiser) will often provide you with a diaper bag, besides as a chic urban professional you must probably have a dozen or so over-sized purses cluttering up your closet. Use one of those! If not, swipe one of your husband’s backpacks/messengers bags. If you still insist that you NEED a “diaper bag” I suggest a Skip Hop Duo because it fits nicely on a stroller.

How about diapers? Should I buy cloth or disposable?
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area I suggest you checkout Earth Baby’s Diaper Service. They deliver compostable diapers and wipes right to your door and pick-up your soiled ones.

Note(s):

Make sure you swipe the following items from the hospital prior to your departure.
If and when the time comes that you feel you NEED something that is not on the above list (example: a huge ugly baby swing) try picking one up on craigslist.

About Kelly Tirman

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