December iphone pictures....

Wow-eee December always chews me up and spits me out....but in a good way!! We have had birthdays, engagement parties, friend Christmas parties, church programs, family dinners, and lots and lots of wrapping!  How about a tour of the month via my iPhone.....

Midnight shopping at Target

Me and Jaclyn, mommies gone wild

Jackson met Santa at Jarrod work Christmas luncheon....no tears

Guess they needed a nap after their shenanagans....Lexi(yellow) has truly submitted to Kona

Holiday Decor in my house

THE YUMMIEST Creamer

'6 month' check up actually 6.5 months

Sweet sleeper....loves his left side like his mommy

Scott Family Christmas on my husbands side.....DELISH

Been so blessed with Christmas cards

My MIL finished my board with a real chalk board!! LOVE!

Grandma Jan and Santa Jackson

First taste of a lemon...he actually liked it

Well, thanks for reading, or should I say looking.  The pictures are truly my favorite reason for owning an iPhone.  Great for capturing split second moments!  How is your December going?

Thank you Pinterest

Pinterest is what all the cool kids are doin'!!  It's the latest craze and, in this case, its ok to go against the old saying 'would you jump off a bridge if everyone else did?!?!' Yes, jump, take a look, get sucked in like many of the people I know!! Pinterest is basically like an online catalog/blog where you can browse for practically anything!! If you are looking for a recipe, type it in and Pinterest collects all the 'pins' that have a reference to your search and presents them to you.  You then click on the picture that looks most like what you want and it will take you to a link where you can get a recipe!! If you are trying to decorate your child's nursery, type it in.  Table setting, type it in.  Birthday party ideas, type it in. I will never have to stress about my non-crafty brain thanks to pinterest! Ok so I needed a centerpiece!!

Here is my November craft!

Carve out a small pumpkin making sure you pick a pumpkin that sits pretty evenly on a table so your centerpiece doesn't sit crooked! Insert a plastic cup inside. The cup that will allow you to water real flowers (if you choose to make this with real flowers) or protect your silk flowers from pumpkin goo so you can re-use this next year!

Get something like this to arrange your flowers with:

Stick your flowers where you want them:

After you are done arranging, place the block of floral styrofoam in the cup and...TA DA.....

It was perfect for Thanksgiving!  Side note, the carved pumpkin only stays fresh for a few days so this is something you will want to make close to the date in which you need it.  Rotting, soggy pumpkins are not pleasant at the table!!

I am two for two this holiday season!! I am gonna go for a trifecta and craft in December....stay tuned!

5 month old little chubby ghosts

I love looking at Pinterest!! If you read this blog you know I am a novice when it comes to crafting so I do a lot of 'repinning' on Pinterest with the hopes I actually try out the things I pin.  October and November have made me feel abnormally crafty so here you go!!  Having a new baby also has made me want to mark each holiday with some sort of evidence of Jackson's growth. 

First you need a pair of these:

Then I painted a small canvas black and smothered those little feet in some washable white paint and with the help of my mom pressed his feet onto the canvas.  I truly thing this part requires 2 sets of hands.  Babies are unusually strong....sometimes I am SURE Jackson is stronger than me.

I added the eyes by dipping the opposite end of the paint brush in black paint! It made it super easy.  I used orange puff paint to write the greeting

Notice the cup of coffee....I think that should be added to your list of 'supplies'.  I added little ghost heads to the corners because they felt bare.  I don't like empty space.

Then it needs a ribbon to hang it with.  I used some old ribbon I had laying around the house, it happened to have wire boning but any ribbon would do.  I attached it using a hot glue gun.  Don't forget to date the feet prints on the back.

And finally here is the finished product!!! This was fun and I just LOVE his chubby little feet!!

Happy Crafting!

Happy Thanksgiving

'Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.' Psalm 136:1

'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.'

1 Chronicles 16:8

Happy Thanksgiving from the Takemoto's.  May today be full of reflection on the things the Lord has done for you and those you love.  He deserves all the praise!  We are so thankful.



Pumpkin Pie and Candied Yam Recipes - Tis the Season

I am not much of a kitchen dweller.  So much so that before I got married, I rarely cooked a meal.  My old roommate Kelly (who is a whiz in the kitchen) can attest to that.  I used to buzz around the kitchen like a vulture waiting for a meal to drop and because my roommate was (and is) so wonderful, she would always make enough of whatever she was making for me.  Bless her, because I did not starve, gain 100 pounds from fast food and hey, I even learned a little.  Kelly, if you are reading, thank you!  I am happy to report that I have gotten much better since getting married!

My man is fearless in the kitchen and I have my MIL to thank for that!! So, Mama Kim, thank you!  J and I had an upcoming 'friendsgiving' to cook for and we had to provide the dessert last minute.  For someone like me, my shopping cart steers straight to the bakery to pick me up a pie.....for someone like my hubs, he hops online right there in the store and his shopping cart hits the aisles with all the essentials to make a pie.  So my fearless husband held my hand while we baked pies and candied yams, saint!  I thought I would share our recipes because our pies and candied yams turned out AMAZING!!

This picture is to prove that my friends and I have turned into adults that can actually make a decent meal!! Happy Friendsgiving!!

Our candied yam recipe is my mother in law's recipe and it is BY FAR the best way to serve your yams....just don't think about the ingredients, they are not for the faint of heart.

Candied Yam
**serving about 6 people depending on how many yams they eat**

• 3 large yams - they get quartered
• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup of granulated white sugar
• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 9X13 pan
• turkey baster

Preheat oven to 270 degrees
Peel and boil yams until almost soft
Depending on the size, half or quarter the cooked yams. Arrange pieces in 9X13 pan(s)
In a separate bowl mix the 2 types of sugar
After the sugars are mixed pour over the yams evenly making sure each one has some
Cut the stick of butter so that each yam has a square of butter on it (yes, you read that right - remember, not for the faint of heart)
Cook in the oven at 270 for 4-5 hours basting the yams every hour in the sugary butter, this will help them candy
Serve warm!

Pumpkin Pie
~From allrecipes.com

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.               
•  Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.               
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)               

Snapfish Picture Deal

You know you are a mommy when the memory card on your camera is always FULL.  You know you are a first time mommy when the memory card on your camera is full with what appears to be 500 of the same picture and you can't delete any of them! I am guilty of the latter.  I have good news.  Snapfish is having an awesome prints sale that is going on until November 6, 2011.

Drumroll.....100 prints for $1 or 300 prints for $3.  Keep in mind they get you with shipping but I did some research and this deal (even with the shipping) is much cheaper that Costco.

Check out this Snapfish link to get all those pictures printed.

You are welcome!

Yay Snapfish

Bloggers Block, Bible Study and a Baby

Its been 12 days since I have blogged. *Sad* There has been so much going on yet I can't seem to get any of it to come out right on here....I have a case of bloggers block.  You can stop now because there is no telling if this post will be anything worth reading.

Almost 2 years ago, the Lord called and allowed me to lead a small group of ladies at my home on Tuesdays nights.  What a wild ride to think He would use me to lead a small group - Glory!  We have done 6 in-depth studies and the Lord has done amazing things with us.  We have been as small as 8 and as large as 21....21 women loving Jesus in my living room, we almost made the walls fall like Jericho during that study!  We have seen prayers answered and many many holy provision.  We are in the midst of Beth Moore's - Believing God study and that is another reason why I have not been on the blog as of late. 

If you have ever done a Beth Moore study you know why something like this could keep me away from the blog.  Studies of this nature require full attention and frankly, I do want to do anything else; it is so good.  This study truly has been a 'fresh explosion of faith'.  I believe we are never in a study by chance.  God knows what each of our seasons call for and He ensures our needs are met - EVERY TIME.  This study has been for my particular season, Praise You Lord.

 And as usual, this guy has been keeping me from the blog.

He is growing at the speed of light.  Look at that face, doesn't it bring so much joy?  He is at the age where interaction is key.  While it is important for him to have independent play time, its crucial for him to learn to interact with people - enter playtime with Mommy.  We have been reading lots....well I have been reading to him and he has been doing this with his books

We started rice cereal and this man loves it!!! I knew he was gonna be an eater! He eats 6 teaspoons of cereal mixed with breast milk a day along with about 30 ounces of milk via the bottle throughout a day. We have kept his normal bottle feedings as of right now because there isn't much nutrients in rice cereal. He is a happy little man!

We also had a our first 'holiday' photo shoot.  This will be the first on many.

My little pumpkin man!! Its ok if you want to squeeze his cheeks, they are so cute!  My mine is already planning his Christmas pictures....I am thinking lots of presents around him...hmmmmm.

Well, that explains my absence from the blog.  Thanks for stickin' around to read it.  I am already thinking of my next post and I don't plan on it being 12 days away.  

Booty Duty

We, as parents, are in the business of taking care of all of our babies business and diaper rashes are....the business!  Man those things are persistant and their sweet little bottoms need our help!  Can you imagine depending on someone to make sure your pants were dry?!?! Better yet can you imagine not being able to tell that person that you are wet? Oh the defeat! Sometimes I feel so bad when I open a super soaked diaper, poor guy, its got to feel like a swamp down there.  My dude has had quite the rash as of late.  I have been reading that getting his new set of chompers could be part of the problem.  Nevertheless, I have been on a mighty mission to relieve him of it. 

Since I have been waging war with this stubborn enemy, I have found a few things that work so I thought I would share.  Now, I am not a doctor!  I am just a mommy doin' the thing, so I would encourage anyone to call their Pediatrician about anything that seems out of the ordinary when it comes to their little. 

Two days passed of using diaper cream and there was no change, in fact it was getting worse.  I called the doctor to see about a new rememdy.  At this point she said she felt like it had morphed into yeast...sad.  Like a butt rash isn't bad enough....

Yeast is not just a lady problem because all it needs is a dark, damp area to set up shop in - enter my sons diaper and sweet baby fat folds.  According to BabyCenter.com, you can tell it is yeast if in a few days your efforts with diaper rash cream and powder do not help.  It typically looks like little pin dots known as 'satilite lesions' as opposed to just a pink patch, but a lot of pin dots can mesh into a large patch so look carfully at the edges of the site to see if you can see what looks like pin dots and raised borders.  If your eyes behold these dots, its time for the big guns.  My pediatrician recommended the following steps to take to help get rid of this unwelcomed visitor. 

1) Get some Lotrimin or Miconazole Nitrate and apply it four times a day to the site
2) Use powder or cornstarch during the other diaper changes to keep the area dry
2) Change diapers frequently as to keep the buns dry
3) Stop using wipes and start using a wet washcloth for every change.  Wipes can spread the yeast and slow healing.  Also for every poopy diaper, a quick rinse in the sink would be best.  The stool is acidic, irritating the yeast rash.  This has increased my laundry but it has helped my dude and that is my job right??  Well so is the laundry...... I am a stay-at-home-mommy
4) Let the booty air out completely before applying the cream/powder and slappin' on the next diaper
5) Some play time with no diaper on is good
6) Natural sunlight, yeast hates it.  So strip the baby down and open the window shades, shed some light on the problem!! (you know you smiled at my word play)

I also added baking soda soaks to the mix.  A small tub or sink full of warm water and 1/4 of cup baking soda helps restore the normal acid base balance and soothe the area.  With some determination and consistancy coupled the above mentioned methods, I am happy to report that Jacksons issue is clearing up.  I have been applying Aquaphor to the area to help heal the dry skin now that the yeast has backed off as well applying Desitin at night since he goes longer without a diaper change.  The Desitin really shields from the wetness.  I have put the 'Butt Paste' on the shelf for the time being, it has proved just to be a 'cute name'. 

God's Word says that we are to be 'more that conquerors' in Romans 8 and while it is the inspired writer of Romans has our spiritual lives and freedom from sin in mind I have put this verse to use on my diaper rash issue because I believe God's Word is to be applied to all things in life.  So with that said, we are 'more than conquerors', the rash is gone and we have learned how to battle it next time. 

Can I get an AMEN!

'Rome Wasn't Built in a Day'

*Caution...If you are uninterested in a breastfeeding post, you might want to come back another day*

When I wrote this about breastfeeding, I was in the throes of it.  For some, one day the baby and mommy just 'get it' and breastfeeding becomes second nature.  That is not how our tale goes because Jackson was off of this mommy at 5 weeks and we never looked back so I will never know if we just 'would have gotten it'.  That is ok though because what we did worked.  Pumping was the name of our game and I am happy to report that so far my baby has been breast-milk-fed for 5 months.  One of pros of exclusively pumping for so long is that when a baby cries my milk doesn't let down! But turn on something that remotely sounds like the humming of my pump and my milk ducts go wild.  Weird how our bodies do that.  Huh, anyways.....My pumping status also allowed us to stockpile my liquid gold for the months to come so our plan is for Jackson to be breast-milk-fed till at least 7 months (yes, I have that much frozen)....D.A.I.R.Y. 

With that said, can you tell where this is going......I am in the process of closin' up shop.

Some mommies dread the day they stop breastfeeding which I will NEVER understand because I think I have been dreaming about this day since the moment we started this fiasco.  You know that saying, Rome wasn't build in a day......well, I have two Romes that are not going to stop in a day.  Closing up this shop is going to take at least a couple of weeks.  This, again, is something no one wants to tell you about.  What I don't understand is why something that hurts so bad when it comes has to hurt so bad when it goes.  Can't we get a break??  The answer is in Genesis 3:16 when the Lord is punishing Eve for eating the apple by telling her that her pains in childbearing will increase.  This boob business is a part of childbearing as far as I am concerned.  So until I am done having children me and my boobs will be at odds.

The world wide web offers a variety of different ways that assist in this painful process.  It suggests everything from cabbage leaves, to drinking sage tea, wearing sports bra, to icing them, stopping 'cold turkey', to binding them.....you name it, someone has probably tried it because desperate times calls for desperate measures.  Me, I have chosen simply to gradually stop breastfeeding by decreasing how often and how much I pump.  I may give the cabbage leaves or the tea a go if in a couple of days if things don't let up but we'll see.  I started this process by decreasing my pumps using Jackson feedings as a marker so when he decreased, I decreased.   I went from 8 times a day to 6 times.  Then I decreased to 4 pumps a day even though J was eating 5 times and at that point I was able to sleeping through the night!!  I have stayed at 4 pumps a day for a while now out of fear; full ducts hurt.  This weekend, with the encouragement of my life friend Pam, I dropped another pump.  I am at three pumps a day now.  PTL!

I would think everyone finds this process hard for different reasons but for me the hardest part has been not pumping as much as I know will offer some relief.  Its a small form of torture to know that just 5 more minutes and a few more ounces could be life changing and you can't do it.  To make less, you've got to pump less.  Less is more people.

Best part about closing up shop is that I get to eat things that did not agree with Jackson like beans, garlic, broccoli, COFFEE, ice cream, and cheese.  That is seriously exciting.  Mommies with sensitive babies can 'Amen' to this part!  And can we talk about the time I am about to acquire.  Pumping moms, you know what I am talking about!! Maybe my house will be cleaner or dinner started on time....maybe!

I think it is important to stop when you feel that YOU are ready.  It a place in mommyland that only you can decide.  I am happy my time has come and I am so thankful I am in a good place to stop.  So, in my baby memory bank I am adding breastfeeding to the list of things under the category 'this too shall pass'.  I esteem all you milk makin' mamas!!    

Blowing Raspberries and a Soak

Jarrod's grandparents live on the Central Coast.  Have you been to the Central Coast??  The weather is beautiful, the beaches are clean, the air is fresh, the fish and chips rock and the towns are one of a kind.  We love it there and while it is our trips to the beach are wonderful, I would trade them all in if it meant Jarrod's grandparents would be here in Fresno with us all the time. 

Why you may ask......................


This is why

I want Jackson to know what cloth he is cut from.  I want him to grow up being around his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Farmer.  He needs to see the Matriarch of this family cook every delicious meal with bacon grease and sew ANYTHING that needs fixing.  He needs to sit with the Patriarch of this family and root for Dale Earnhardt Jr as he laps a race track 600 times.  And when he is old enough, he needs to learn how to bait a fishing line from that same man.  There is something to be said about being in the presence of those that have gone before us.  We are making it a goal to take Jackson to spend the weekend with his Great Grandparents once a month. 

We just got back from one of our trips to go see them and it was such a wonderful visit.  They could not get enough of that baby!! More than once they shoo'ed us out the door, babyless.  On the evening of our visit, Grandma had Jackson on her lap and she was asking him if he would blow raspberries at her and then she would show him how to do it.  She would stick her tongue out and blow making her tongue vibrate between her lips, Jackson giggled with delight every time she did it.  He would stick out his tongue like he wanted to do it back but then would just smile and giggle.  It was the sweetest thing to watch him play with her like that. 

The next day he had a major blowout and what did Grandma Farmer do, strip him down and plop him in the sink for a rinse.  Forget the wipes, lets just soak him....HE LOVED IT!!!

And so did she.....



It is moments like these that motivates us to get Jackson to see his great grandparents each month.  I never got a chance to know my great grandparents and since Jackson gets to, I am not about to let him miss it.  They are something special.

Who else is going to teach him how to blow raspberries.

Fall TV

Mommyhood has made me a master of the DVR.  I decided my brain was beginning to turn to mush so I started the blog and 'rekindled' my relationship with my Kindle (like my word play?!?!).  As Jackson gets older I find myself watching TV a little less which is a good thing but let me tell you....I LOVE me some Fall TV!! All the good shows make their appearance or glorious return in the Fall.  Guess what that means....the DVR is set and I am going to resume my position of DVR master!  For your viewing pleasure I thought I'd let you know some of the new shows that I am watching.

New Girl is funny and full of witty lines! Only 30 min long.  Its more a 'me' show.  Jarrod isn't very interested.  PG-13 from what I can tell.

Up All Night.  It's like someone put a camera up in my house and made a show of it.  I think a lot of new mommies will feel this way when they watch it.  It is sooo funny and something BOTH J and I like! PG from what I can tell.  Only 30 mins.

Revenge - drama, scandal, and suspense.  I am liking this one! Jarrod says its lame...so your men probably won't like it either.  Too bad for them!  PG-13/R - Nothing explicit thus far, just not for kids or tweens. 1 hour.

With all this said, I fully understand that TV will get harder for Jarrod and I to watch as Jackson gets older.  Nothing that is on past the 8pm hour is really suitable for 'family' TV.  I have to ask, what ever happened to the TGIF shows like Family Matters, Full House, Boy Meets World?  Or the Sunday night family movie on ABC with all the Disney films??  I have a feeling our future family nights will not be spent in front of a wholesome show like the family nights of my childhood.  I know Veggietales, Backyardagins and Disney will be taking over soon enough!

Happy Fall TV everyone! What are the new shows that you are watching?

Power outages, a baby and new mercies

Since becoming a mommy, the phrase 'can I get a redo' has left my mouth more than it used to!  This morning was no exception....not only was it a Monday but I needed a redo.  Jackson sleeps until about 9 or 9:30am and I have come to cherish my morning times.  I will get up around 7 or 7:30 to give myself about 2 hours of 'me time'.  I am still running a small dairy so pumping is a part of my early morning 'me time' but like they all say...this too shall pass.  Anyways, I got all settled in this morning as usual, opened my Bible and clicked on the machine....5 mins into it, it stopped....I looked at it in horror thinking, I have pumped so many dang times that I broke it!!  Not good.  Then it resurrected itself as if God called it back to life (wave of relief) but then died immediately (panic)....picture this happening all while I am hooked up...HAHAHAHA - on, off, on, off.  Why didn't I take the darn things off?  Good grief!!  It took me a few minutes to realize the pump was not dying (Praise Jesus) THE POWER WAS GOING OUT....actually by this point the power WAS out (Lord help me)!!!

*Excuse me PG&E.....I have to make my son's breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

What proceeded to happen next was truly just that of dominos....House alarm started beeping that the back up battery was being used....dog started barking at my fall scarecrow sitting in the dining room (really dog?!?!), baby is now awake and crying, I still have to pump, dog is still barking....can you picture my Monday thus far.  Ok, this mommy had to get it together and figure out how I was gonna finish makin' breakfast for the upset baby in the next room!! 

Maybe I could put him in the swing...NO, that requires electricity
Maybe I could turn on Baby Einstein....NO, that requires electricity
Maybe I will just turn his noise maker up to lull him back to sleep....NO, that requires electricity

WHAT DID MOMMIES DO BEFORE ELECTRICITY??  This morning reminded me why the Lord wrote my story for the 21st century, I would not have survived any other era!! 

Finally my brain started to overcome the chaos....I have an AC adaptor for my pump in my car!!  THAT'S IT!! I hauled my pump out to my dark garage (power is out remember) and climbed in the front seat.  I felt terrible for being in the garage while my baby fussed in his crib but nursing mommies know that the milk will not wait!  Half way through my pump session I ran into the house to binkie him and make sure he was ok then back out to the garage to finish.  One word - CIRCUS!  I am happy to report that 20 minutes later, 2 binkie breaks and the help of my 4 horse power engine breakfast was done.

I sat in my car this morning and said, Lord, I need a redo.  Guess what He said....'my mercies are new every morning' Lamentations 3:22-24.  I (we) get a redo every morning!!  I (we) get a fresh start with each new sunrise.  Now granted the sun had already rose on this day but I believe God can give us a redo anytime we ask and believe Him for it on top of providing them to us each morning!! How gracious is He.  With two feet standing firm on that promise, I felt power despite my powerless house.  With that promise on the forefront of my thinking, I had set my sights on the God of redo's and my morning started to turn around.  Jesus makes everything better, don't you agree?!?!  

Hey PG&E......can the next power outage wait until I am done pumping?!?!

The 'yeses' that matter

We dedicated Jackson to the Lord this past Sunday.  Well, the way I see it, we actually dedicated Jackson BACK to the Lord for it is he that gave him to us in the first place. 

The Pastor asked us.....
Will you raise this child up to love the church.....YES
Will you raise this child up to know God's word....YES
Will you raise this child up to live for God....YES
Will you stay married for this child....YES

We said YES without hesitation.  We stood with family, friends and our church and said YES to God's will for our son.  It was a beautiful moment.  I couldn't help but think about the last time a 'yes' meant this much to me.  My mind went to August 1, 2009.  On our wedding day we each said 'yes' when the Pastor asked us if we'd have each other in marrige, but that yes was said by each of us individually.  On Sunday, we said yes together, in unison, over the matters of our son.  A memory that will be tucked in the sweet places of my heart forever.

Jackson has been entrusted to us but his story has been written by God whom has no boundaries.  There is no one who can dream as big for my son as the God who made him.  I needed to be reminded that Jackson's story is already written and my job is to help sharpen him for all that God has planned for him.  I am ready in a new way to raise Jackson and it is so exciting.

On this day I will write this Scripture in his baby book, 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that 'for no matter how many promises God has made, they are YES in Christ.  An so through him, the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God'.

Jackson, all the God has promised in his Word is yours to have in Christ.  May we loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven!! AMEN!

These are the yeses that matter.

Pastor Dan praying over Jackson

Such a special day for our family (4months old)

 

More Things I Love

Now that The Boss is 4 months old there are some new things that I love!!

MAM Pacifiers - Jackson is using the 2+ month ones.  He can hold them in his mouth very easily and they are orthodontia friendly.

Fisher Price Swing (still) - a swing is a new mommies best friend.  I plan on using it till he reaches the weight capacity.

Baby Einstein Play Mat - J loves all the colors and things hanging. It has helped him learn to reach for things.  His little feet kick the rattle ball on the bottom right of the canopy and when he hears it I swear he kicks it again to hear it more.

Baby Einstein Baby Mozart Video - who knew a still picture of a lemon or raindrop with music in the background could be so entertaining but for his learning mind, ears and eyes it has FUN written all over it.  I am a pumping mommy so having him watch this while I pump has been so helpful (I limit him to only once a day).  J's right side of his head is flat, way flat so I lay him on the left side with blankets propping him up so his left side gets action while he watches.

Bright Starts block set (J loves the 'crinkle' sounding ones) - love love love these.  The crinkle sounds are the best.  He is learning how to use him fingers when grabbing these.

Bright Starts Giraffe - this is probably his favorite if I had to choose based on usage.  This toy keeps his attention.  He currently loves the plastic parts hanging, they are good for chewing.

And last but not least......Sophie Le Giraffe - She is the best.  Easy for his learning fingers to grasp.  He has learned how to grab her and put her in his mouth.  Perfect teething toy.  She is easy to clean too!!

Well, those are my 4 month finds that are winners in my book!!

Got any recommendations for us for the upcoming months??