Fun with sun(block)

I grew up in Florida and have heard all my life that sunscreen is a must unless you want to end up riddled with cancer and looking like Magda.

Things that make you go, "hmmm." I had no idea, however, that the sunscreens we've been sporting for protection from skin cancer are actually filled with carcinogens themselves. What? Yes, for real. Did you know that your standard sunscreens most likely have chemicals that can impact the regulation of the reproductive, nervous, thyroid and immune systems, particularly if exposures occur during pregnancy or childhood?

**Gulp**

I've spent the last day researching and reading all about the options. Aerosol sunscreens, while uber convenient for squirmy little toddlers and mommies at the pool without a partner to lather up their back, are so not good for you. Inhaling the compounds and chemicals that are only intended for external use could have a bevy of yet-unknown side effects. There are lots of healthy and more natural alternatives, but the problem for most people is that they don't appear on the shelves at Target, and they don't come in an aerosol can.

Today I returned my recently purchased $18 tube of California Baby back to the shelves of Target. The company recently changed some of their formula/ingredients in their products, basically lied about it for a few months, and now are trying to make it a non-issue to the consumers. I don't feel comfortable slathering up my babes with this stuff anymore.

Instead I logged onto SafeMama and purchased the Purple Prairie Botanical sunscreen (purchased from Good Things Green Things which was cheaper than Amazon). While it still may not be perfect (the only perfect sunblock is a hat/longsleeves/pants and sunscreen is still unregulated by the FDA), it is a comfortable alternative for our little family.

From the SafeMama website:

The sunscreen ingredient we mainly avoid is the synthetic chemical oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor which can affect the nervous system, has been linked to cancer in some laboratory studies, and creates free-radicals when exposed to the sun which are harmful. There have been some studies done that could classify Titanium Dioxide as carcinogenic to humans.  They are preliminary studies but the evidence so far is showing that rats exposed to an inhalation of the powdered form of Titanium Dioxide developed respiratory tract cancer.

Four months

Hello! I am FOUR months old, can you believe four months?!

Since the time change, I enjoy going to bed at 5:15pm and sleeping through the night!

I still do not like bottles, but I blame my mommy entirely.

I love to roll over and sleep on my belly with my bottom in the air.

I'm sitting up in my Bumbo all the time.

I am already in my 6 month clothes (which are super cute, BTW).

I am pretty much the most chill baby, ever!

Shop til you drop

I love a good consignment sale. 

Back in Charlotte, I went to all of the consignment sales at the beginning of the season to shop for Sophie. Here in Louisville I'm still learning which ones are worth my time, since my time is a little less these days. Little Treasures is my running favorite. Even though I really prefer girls clothing options to boys, I was still able to find some really cute jumpers for the little dude. I spent a grand total of $72 and walked away with all of this loot! We have anchors, watermelons, giraffe and smocks... all gently used (but already awash in Dreft and hanging to dry in my laundry room!) and all for the price of one brand new smocked dress.

Not only do I revel in the thrill of the hunt and being frugal, I'm also happy to lend a hand to the environment. According to this lady, it takes 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizer to grow enough cotton to make ONE new cotton t-shirt.

Snow day

It's a brilliant 65 degrees outside right now. Yesterday... 4 inches of snow. "What the what?" you say? I know. I layered up myself first, then Sophie, then Tucker. Then Tucker thought it would be a good time to fill his pants. So, mommy is already sweating and Sophie is starting to get ants in her pants, but Tux needed a diaper change. Off with the fleece jumper, and the cotton jumper, then do over. Then fun doesn't stop there. We spent more time getting dressed for the snow than we actually spent outside enjoying the snow. 

Later in the day, we Skyped with Yaya. Sophie needed some sympathy since her mean mommy made her go out and play in the snow. She told Yaya (and anyone else that asked), "It's cold out in the snow." And it sort of sounds like this, "Mommy made me go outside in my shorts and I was freezing! Someone help me!"

"It's cold out in the snow."

She was infinitely happier the next day in the sunshine with her pahcorns (popcorn).

Let him sleep...

We have reached the baby holy grail of sleeping through the night: 7pm to 7am (with only one nursing around 2 or 3am). And just yesterday I caught him napping on his belly. Folks, we have arrived. I am so smitten with this mellow little fellow.