7 months and 5 days old

Mars is 7 months and 5 days old.

In the past few weeks, we've managed to change his bedtime from 10pm to 8pm. Our goal is to have a little bit of baby-free time before we go to bed, so we've implemented a nighttime routine that we do everyday. At around 7:45pm, we go up to his room, lie down and read three books. Afterwards, we let him play with his favorite toy, the Twilight Turtle. Seriously, he loves that thing! We've never seen him more interested in any other toy! After about five to ten minutes of quiet time with the turtle, we walk over to our bedroom and I nurse him to sleep. Sometimes, he wakes up when I try to put him down, or he'll wake up shortly after I put him down, but we're still working on that. Overall, it seems to be working really well.

This weekend, we plan to go hiking in the Presidio. Hopefully, the sky will be clear so we can get some good views of the Golden Gate Bridge! 

In My Bag: Going For A Walk to the Store

We're lucky to live within walking distance to a shopping plaza so it's nice to just walk over whenever we need something or if we ever feel like just shopping around. When we go on one of these walks, I usually wear baby in the Ergo and have a small clutch with just the essential mommy items. I make it a point to change baby before we leave, that way, I don't need to carry diapers or clothes with me. This is one of the lighter ways I pack when going out with baby.

1 bag: marc jacobs/ neiman marcus + target clutch

1 toy: teether

items for mama: sunglasses / daily planner / lip balm / phone + sanrio phone case / reusable bag / hand sanitizer

7 months and 1 day old

Mars is 7 months and 1 day old.

On Friday, he had his first fever of 101.6. He was grumpy all day (as you can tell in the photo above)  but finally, after his first stretch of nighttime sleep, he went back to his usual smiling self. 

Lately, he has been getting really close to his papa. He has the biggest smile on his face whenever J comes home from work. He also gets distracted by J when we're nursing so I have to ask him to leave the room, but when he's gone, baby will look around for him. Once, he even said, "dada" while looking for him, but that's probably just a happy coincidence. They are best buddies and it makes me so happy to see their relationship grow and to watch them play.

In My Bag: Picking Up a Perscription

I don't usually carry much with me whenever we need to make a quick trip to the store, especially if we're just picking up baby's vitamin D prescription. If we're driving, I usually have supplies in the trunk such as, diapers, wipes, trash bags, and extra clothes. For going into the store, I find that a small purse does the trick, especially when baby-wearing. 

1 bag: alexander wang rafael 

1 diaper: cloth diapers

2 toys: sophie / natural rubber paci

4 items for mama: lip balm / iphone / cards / coins / keys

6 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day old

Mars is 6 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day old.

He's tried a lot of new food this week including sweet potatoes and pears. It's really funny when he shudders in-between bites of food. New flavor experiences can be intense!

In My Bag: Mini Road Trip

When going on a longer trip, I make sure to bring a bigger tote with enough room for lots of extra diapers, clothes, toys, and other cleaning items. A regular diaper bag with many pockets makes it easier to organize, but if you're a bag-lady like me, and still want to get use out of your beloved handbags, then the secret is to use packing cubes or bag organizers. I got these little zippered, mesh packing cubes from the dollar store, so everything I pack has a place and makes items super easy to find. 

1 bag: balenciaga giant brief bag (discontinued)

3 Diapers: cloth diapers

2 outfits: sesame street onesies (discontinued) / pants (homemade)

5 toys: natural rubber paci / silicone teething ring / dad rattle and crinkle bear / black and white rings

2 items for mama: sunglasses / iphone

Going Out: Lyon Street Steps

We went to the Lyon Street steps for an urban hike yesterday. The weather was gorgeous and afterwards, we wandered around Union Street in the Marina District.

View from the top:

Another view from around the corner where you can see the Golden Gate Bridge and a better view of the Palace of Fine Arts:

Window shopping on Union Street:

Baby fell asleep pretty early on in the hike. After a two hour nap, he woke up with this very cute but grumpy face: