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Working Out with a Baby - Arms & Chest
Being a Mom, you may notice a lot of changes in your body. Many women, myself included, complain of upper back and neck pain. Three weeks after my son was born while I was sitting at the kitchen table my husband commented on how hunched my shoulders had become.

Benefits of Playing On Vertical Surfaces
Most kids (and adults!) these days are stuck in a pattern of constantly looking down. They play with their toys on the floor, work on school work on their desks, color at the table, or watch videos on an iPad or other device. Encouraging your child to play on vertical surfaces in an easy and quick adjustment to make and offers many benefits:

Baby Balance - Improving Your Little One's Balance Through Play
So your baby is walking, now what?! As Eli got closer and closer to his first birthday and began to progress from crawling to standing independently I heard so many times “everyone wants their baby to walk, until they start to walk.” As a first-time Mom I would roll my eyes and shake my head. Of course, I knew it would be an added challenge and a change to our daily routine, but I couldn’t wait for this next big step in E’s journey.

Pound a Ball - Toy Review
How many toys are kiddos given where they have free rein to pound on with a hammer?! The Pound a Ball toys are great for developing hand strength and fine motor skills by grasping and manipulating the hammer and helps kids develop hand-eye coordination as they have to manage hitting one ball at a time with the hammer.

Diaper Pails - Diaper Genie vs Ubbi Diaper Pail Comparison
I wanted our nursery to be a warm and inviting space and did not want to get hit in the face with the smell of dirty diapers every time I walked in. After doing some research we narrowed our diaper pail choices down to the Ubbi or the Diaper Genie. Here are the things that we considered and why the UBBI DIAPER PAIL was the winner for us

Everything's Coming Up Roses - Floral Nursery Inspiration
The entire journey from finding out you are carrying a child, to the delivery of that child is something I can’t quite put into words. The emotions of seeing that positive test, to hearing their heartbeat, to seeing their little profile, to finding out gender, decorating the nursery, and then to finally meeting that precious baby 9 months later have truly been the most amazing times of my life so far. Yes, about 1 Million decisions have to be made during that time, which can be stressful, but at the end of that 9-month marathon it’s all worth it!

Wild Symphony by Dan Brown - Children's Book Review
Who knew that New York Times Best Seller, Dan Brown, is also a professionally trained piano player and a music composer! Wild Symphony is his first step into children’s writing and he did not disappoint! In this unique and interactive book, each page represents a different animal/s and includes a small rhyming story about that animal.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddlers - Sensory Friendly
There is nothing like the smiling faces of your child opening gifts on Christmas morning, so I make a concerted effort to buy things for Eli that he will enjoy while also being durable and educational. Here is our list of sensory-friendly ideas for your kids stocking stuffers that we think they’ll love

Not Throwin’ Away My Shot - Hamilton Musical Nursery Inspiration
When we finally bought our house and moved in, I wanted to do something big for a nursery and I knew I wanted it to be different. My favorite thing ever is going to the theater and seeing a show. I started to think of ways I could incorporate my love for theater into a nursery, because between my job and my hobby this kid would be spending a lot of time in the theater.

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle - Jungle Theme Nursery Inspiration
When we decided to start trying for our first baby my husband and I decided that we wanted to be surprised by the gender. We both love a good surprise! This decision ended up being much more difficult than we assumed, we were content with purchasing gender neutral clothing and trying to decide on one name for each gender, but what about a nursery theme! We each had our own wish list when it came to the nursery.

Don't Break The Ice - Fine Motor Skill Toy Review
THROW BACK! When I first got hired at the pediatric clinic, I inherited an entire closet of games and activities to play with my kiddos. I spent at least an hour exploring all my new goodies and when I stumbled upon Don’t Break the Ice I was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia.

On Top of Mountains - Mountain Themed Nursery Room Design
It seemed like a no brainer to us that the nursery should have an outdoors theme. We both love being outside in nature. Some of our favorite trips have been 5 day backpacking adventures in Northern Michigan and Utah, we fell in love with our first home because of the woods and hiking trails out back, and we are always, ALWAYS down to go for a hike. We truly hope that our son grows up with as much of a love of the outdoors as we do.

Working Out with a Baby - Stroller Stretch
As the weather gets warmer I know I have had the itch to get outside as much as possible. I am very fortunate that Kalamazoo has an abundance of safe, clean, paved walking trails that I take full advantage of. My son loves being in his stroller! For the time being, he is still rear facing and I love soaking up our special time together as I watch him take in his surroundings

Magformers Review - Magnetic Kids Toy
This toy hits all three of my qualifications for a great toy! Magformers are brightly colored magnetic shapes that are affordable, versatile and quiet. These will have any kiddo spending hours engaging in imaginative play.

SpinAgain Fat Brain Toys - Toy Review
The SpinAgain from Fat Brain Toys is a fan favorite in our clinic - we have one in almost every one of our treatment rooms! This spinning stacking toy has six fun shaped and brightly colored disks that little ones love to watch spin all the way down the corkscrew pole.

Working Out with a Baby - Quick Core Strength Workout
Working in the pediatric clinic I interact with new moms daily. Even though I am working with their child I often get questions about the best exercise to help these new moms get back to pre-baby strength. I think any new Mom would agree that the hardest area to rebuild after having a baby is their core.

Squigz “Fun Little Suckers” - Toy Review
One thing you should know about me: I love a good pun! Fat Brain Toys Squigz are “Fun Little Suckers” lol. Every time I see their logo on the box I chuckle. These little guys are one of my all time favorite toys to suggest to parents.

Working Out with a Baby - Squats
I have been physically active my entire life; I was a competitive gymnast from the time I was 6 until my freshman year in college when a knee and back injury ended my career. These injuries and my love of staying active are what drove me to a career in physical therapy.

Moby Baby Wrap Carrier Review - Why We Love this Wrap!
Early on in my pregnancy I began researching different options for wearing my little one. I am constantly on the move and knew that I wanted to have an option that would keep him close to me while allowing me to be hands free.

Easter Basket Stuffers - 5 Sensory Friendly Ideas for Babies
Since Eli was born I have found that all holidays seem to be a little bit more magical, and Easter is no exception. I’ve already started scouring the internet to find Easter basket stuffers, especially sensory friendly ideas for babies!