Saturday, October 26, 2013

Halloween Craftiness!


My sweet baby is getting oh so big. She's almost 7 months old. SEVEN! I love everything she's doing from sitting up by her big-girl self to blowing raspberries of slobber everywhere to her belly laughs. LOVE this child. We have so much fun together. And ooohhhh boy, can she snuggle!! Sweet little snuggle piglet. It's hard not to squeeze the poop out of her. :)

She's getting to that age when I can start utilizing some if my millions of Pinterest boards. I love Halloween time because there are so many crafty things that I can make for her. Next year, we will be doing some crafts together, but for now, while she's still figuring out how her hands work, I'll take care of the crafts. I made her a peacock outfit and we ventured to Boo at the Zoo last weekend. She loved it and she wore that costume like a true diva.

Let me just say that making a no-sew tutu is, like, the easiest thing in the world. And el cheap-o. I'll be making her a Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND Easter tutu, thank you very much. She will never want to see a tutu again by the time I'm done with her. Ha! I just googled how to make it and followed the 'ole instructions. All I had to do was tie the tulle around the elastic. Done. Then I just found a plain black headband and hot-glued a bunch of peacock-looking crap to it and viola! A peacock she was!




Of course, no costume is complete without the mother dressing up to match the kid. You know, 'cause it still has to be about me at least a little bit. I peacock-ified my eye makeup. What a nerd!


We had a great time at the zoo as a little family! Can't wait for the next holiday so that I can use it as an excuse to play dress-up with my sweet daughter!









Thursday, August 22, 2013

Babyfood!

I have been waiting for this Olivia's whole life! It's homemade baby food makin' time! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I have been 100% committed to providing la crème de la crème for my sweet baby when it comes to nutrition. Hence, the reason for my stubbornness to go through THREE bouts of mastitis and still continue to breastfeed. And now, it's time to give her the best of the best as we introduce solids. Fun!!!

I toyed with the idea of buying a Baby Brezza or a Beaba Baby food maker. But the more reviews I read, the dumber the idea sounded. There was a ton of reviews that said these things breakdown quickly, get disgustingly dirty {and not to mention - unsanitary}, and were generally a waste of money. Especially since I already have most everything that I need to make baby food. I actually just visited my kitchen and realized that not only do I have a restaurant-quality Cuisinart food processor, but I also have a KitchenAid blender, AND a Cuisinart hand-held blender with a mini-blender attachment - which is actually turning out to be PERFECT to make baby food! {All of these things were wedding gifts, but a good, old-fashioned food processor or a blender would be plenty.}


Duh. Why would I buy a baby food maker when I already have one? What am I - made of money?? Um, no. 

So, now - how do we do this? Well, easy. There are TONS of recipes for baby food online. And I stumbled upon this gem in my quest for good recipes: wholesomebabyfood.com. Tons of great baby food makin' resources, like when to start and what to start with. It also has great suggestions for how to prepare, store, and freeze baby food. Again, no reason to spend money on recipe books when you can literally find everything you need online. Of course, your pediatrician is also a good resource, especially if you have an awesome one like mine who also just had a baby.

Now my personal two cents on the issue is this: if you're going to spend time making baby food, you may as well make it in large batches and freeze it. It is time-consuming to make your own baby food, but if you make enough for two weeks at a time, you're only spending two days a month making it. This is where a little money is required because you gotta spend a little on storage containers that are BPA-free, and are dishwasher, microwave, and boiling water safe. I personally will not use a microwave to defrost my baby food and will instead defrost overnight in the refrigerator or heat it up using boiling water. I did a ton of research on the best ones, and the winner is the OXO brand storage container. They are specifically designed for baby food and are the perfect size for baby portions. And use common sense - freeze things that take time to make - like sweet potatoes or squash or other things that require cooking. Freeze them in the aforementioned containers and pop them in the fridge the day before you need them. Then warm them up to room temperature by leaving them in hot water for a few minutes. These are also perfect to throw in a daycare bag straight from the refrigerator once they have thawed. Easy!

And now for Olivia's first taste of something other than the milk from her Momma's body......SWEET POTATOES!! She loved, loved, loved her sweet potatoes!!




And now, two weeks later, this little piggy eats a tablespoon of sweet potatoes, a tablespoon of green beans or peas AND a tablespoon of applesauce - all in the same feeding! Ha!! And this is after she gets a little nibble from me!! Love her. 

We are having too much fun making this baby some fresh, delicious food! I highly recommend it for all you mommas out there!







Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Oh, Hi!

Lots of things happening in the Brown household these days! Getting lots of coos and smiles from our sweetheart. She's so much fun to be around. She is really talking to us - like, she moves her little mouth when she's babbling and it really seems like she's forming words. I really believe that she thinks she's saying actual words to us. It's hysterical!! We're {sort of} sitting in our new Bumbo seat and we're {almost} getting too big for our favorite swing. What the heck am I gonna do with her when she grows out of her swing? Oh boy.



I've got 3 more weeks until I return to school {work}. 3 WEEKS. WHAT. THE. HECK. ??? Major sad face. But, really - I am ready to go back to school. I need to. Just to get out of the house and to socialize with humans that aren't still pooping in their pants. Don't get me wrong, I am in LOVE with the fact that I get to stay at home all day with Olivia and play with her and just be with her! But it's reaching unhealthy levels. I need to socialize.

So, I opened a new can of worms in my teaching world. I have decided that I don't have enough projects to tackle, so I started creating clipart. I had initially planned on opening an Etsy shop to sell my photo enhancement services, but let's get real. I don't have time for that. I mean, I'm a MOM. Who has time to sit around and make edits to photos all day? People that aren't moms, that's who. Instead, I started doodling away and my new clipart packages were born. I have 4 packages right now and I am going to wait until I have 10 to re-open my Etsy shop. Hopefully, that will be sometime between now and when Olivia turns 5.

Photo book! I am working on the cutest photo book for my cutie. I wanted to do something unique and different {not that photo books are unique and different} - but I keep seeing the same pictures with different kids in them. Like the onesies with the number of months on them. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to track Olivia's growth by using real pictures of her {not staged ones wearing the same outfit}. I love it so far:









I'm creating it custom using iPhoto by designing the page layouts first, then uploading the jpgs to blank pages in the layout of iPhoto. Love. So it'll be about this time next year when it's all done and printed. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Newest Pinterest find: Family Yearbooks. I LOVE the idea of doing a family year book every year. I mean, duh. It's still fun to look at my old yearbooks from school  - so OF COURSE it will be awesome and fun to look at family-based yearbooks for years to come. I love, love, love it and this will be the first one of many to come. Thanks, Pinterest! You have really turned me into a super-mommy craft addict teacher.

Things are basically the same as far as our schedule goes - and she hasn't really reached any other milestones yet- except that she LOVES talking to herself {and to us} - and she has recently discovered her hands. She slobbers all over them and sucks on them ALL the time. Hilarious, that child. Oh, and she can hold her own head up. She was sleeping all the way thru the night for a while there, but she's back to waking up once at night. I'm not too concerned though - she just gets a bite to eat and goes right back to sleep. The next big change will come here in about another month. She'll have to start sleeping in her crib {GULP} - and she'll start eating pureéd veggies/fruits shortly after that.
  


Well, it's 7:12am and the snuggle piglet is up! She's in her co-sleeper in our room just talking away to herself. I could sit here and listen to her all day long. It's so cute. She's even laughing to herself! I mean, I'm not sure what could possibly be funny on that wall that's she has a nice view of, but as long as she's entertained, that's fine with me. 


Sunday, May 19, 2013

A Day in the Life of Olivia

What do we do all day? Well, we do a lot. We love hanging out! It all starts at around 5:15am. She gets a little restless at around this time, wanting something to nibble on. I change her diaper and feed her for about 20 minutes and she usually goes right back to sleep. Some days, she wakes up earlier, but she always goes back to sleep. Now is the time when mommy contemplates getting up and getting her workout over with, but it never happens.

Next, she'll wake up again at around 7:15 to finish off her meal that she started earlier. We change her diaper, feed her and.....yep. Back to sleep. Again, this is when mommy thinks really hard about getting up to get her workout over with - but dangit - this little piglet is so snuggly - I can't do it. I usually let her sleep in our bed at this time of the morning. We love to cuddle.


I especially love this flattering angle of myself. Maybe I'll tape this to her co-sleeper so it's the first thing I see when I wake up. Motivation for staying awake and working out. Meh.

After our morning cuddle, I finally decide it's time to get my workout over with. But little bit still isn't finished sleeping, so I just move her to her to her swing. She loves to swing. Most days, she'll sleep until 9:30. It's during this time that I finally do get my workout in.


After my workout - she usually wakes up. It's almost like she knows I'm working out and she lets me finish it before she wakes. Or maybe she's just tired. Who knows. Another diaper change and feeding for my buddy.

Play time! She loves this time. She's really starting to participate in play time. For the first few weeks, I think I was just playing with myself. She had no idea what was going on. But now - she coos and talks and SMILES. Lots of smiling. She especially loves her giraffe rattle. We play until she gets bored of it. Usually lasts for about 45 minutes.



Nap time. She will either nap on me while she's in her little carrier - like right now - or I'll hold her or she'll go back in her swing. She's starting to only take 20-30 minute naps. This girl loves to be awake during the day. She doesn't want to miss anything. But she knows that nighttime is for sleeping. She's a great little baby. All babies are great, but she is especially great because of this.

It's during this time that, if I'm feeling especially brazen, we'll venture to Target (where I am becoming a regular) or to Publix for our grocery trip.

She'll wake up, get a diaper change and another feeding and off for more play time. Then she'll doze off for another quick nap.

At around 6:00, she'll eat yet again and we'll get ready for our nightly walk. Today is a little rainy, so we may not get our walk in. I hate that. I love routine and I especially love our walk. She loves looking around at everything and it gives us a chance to get out of the house. Layla Brown especially looks forward to this time every night. Plus, it's an extra workout for me. We usually do about a mile.



Then, we come back and sit outside and play ball with Layla Brown. We usually listen to some Pandora, do a little dancing and then the fussing commences. This is fuss hour. She's worn herself out from the daily activities and she's ready for bed. This is when the swing comes in handy again. I can put her in there and she can occupy herself long enough for me to make and eat dinner.

But - routine first! We start our bedtime routine at around 8:00 - as long as she isn't too fussy. I think our little routine has been what has caused her to be such a great sleeper. It's bath time, then we change into our jammies, and eat for the last time.






She loves her bath time. Such a sweetie.

I try to put her in her co-sleeper right after she gets her little belly full - while she's still awake so that she can learn how to fall asleep on her own. This isn't always the case, but she does do a great job of falling asleep alone. Very seldom does she cry when I put her in there.

Bedtime is 9:00. I'd like to start reading her a book when she gets a little older, so we'll push our routine back at around 7:45. I've got LOTS of books for her. I can't wait!!

I put her to bed and turn on the monitors and then it's a little mommy and daddy down time. Sometimes, I'll have a little glass of vino and we'll watch a movie or we'll just have a little chat time. It's the perfect way to end our little day. I'm usually in bed by 10.

I love our days together and I know they will be coming to an end before I know it.  I'm enjoying every minute of these days with my sweet baby girl.








Tuesday, May 14, 2013

All Smiles

We got our first smile last week!  It was the moment that you realize that someone is actually in there! It's not just a pooping, sleeping, eating "thing" - it's a person that loves to smile. I love it. And now I cry every time she smiles at me. I don't know why.




My little girl is getting so big already. It goes by too fast. She wiggles, she's looking at everything now - and she's smiling. I can't get enough of her. We snuggle and play and she is starting to interact with me. I still don't get a smile every time I play with her, but she's only 6 weeks old and I know it will just be a matter of time before she's laughing her head off at her silly daddy. Speaking of silly, my little angel is going to be such a character. She already is, actually. See:


What a silly little goose!

Olivia experienced her first Derby 2 weeks ago. Us being from Louisville, she will get plenty of opportunities to dress up, waste money, and drink ridiculously sugary drinks. But for now, we will just take advantage of the dressing up portion. Incidentally, Olivia has a knack for gambling. ORB {Olivia's initials} won the 139th Kentucky Derby. And yes, we put a nice little bet on him to win! Olivia will be choosing our horse next year, too.



We went to the pottery place this week, too and had her little footprints put on a cute little plate. She hated it, but we loved it! I'm sure she will love eating off of a plate that her feet were once on. Ha! But it's really cute. Her name will be added by the professionals there. I did enough damage.


Last, I want to address the baby clothing situation. Whomever is responsible for sizing this stuff needs a lesson. The newborn stuff is too small and the 0-3 months stuff is too big. And there's nothing in between. Ugh. My child will likely go naked until she catches up with the "normal" sized babies.
Someone needs to design some clothes based solely on weight. Instead of weight ranges. I mean, the 0-3 month stuff is designed for babies from 8-12 lbs. 8-12 lbs!! That's 3 different sizes of bowling balls!! And we all know that different sized people use different sized bowling balls. Same thing for babies and clothing.

I may have just found a way to stay at home. But first, I would have to learn to sew.....



Tuesday, April 30, 2013

One Month Later

It's already been a month. A month! How is that possible?! Olivia and I are getting used to each other and we're hanging out all day together and I LOVE it. We go shopping, I read her stories, we take bubble baths, we play dress up, and we snuggle. And nap. LOTS of napping going on. Well, for her. Not so much for me. I'm busy making photo books, wasting time on Pinterest, and doing copious amounts of laundry.

So far, she kinda just stares at me when I try to play with her. She's still so little, she has no idea what the heck is going on or where the heck she is. Ha! But she's definitely starting to look around more and more. And I think she is starting to recognize my face. Before too long, she'll be driving. Ugh.



I've been looking for activities and things to do with babies as itty bitty as she is and there's a lot more to do with newborns than you'd think! I wanted to wait until she was a month old to start tummy time, and we tried that yesterday. She wasn't impressed. Of course, we'll keep trying because I know how important it is to get them on their bellies so that they can strengthen those neck muscles. I don't think we are going to have a problem with this one, though. I'll lay her on my chest to snuggle and she'll raise her little head for a few minutes at a time! She's amazingly strong. Strong like bull!

We found a great Pandora Radio Station that we love listening to - Lullaby Themes. It's awesome. I sang "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid in its entirety yesterday to Olivia. She loved it. She thinks I have the voice of an angel. She told me.


I put together a Pinterest board of activities that I cannot wait to do with my little one. I'm bummed though because by the time I will be able to do most of these with her, I will have to go back to work. Sad face. Praise God for teacher's schedules, though! And weekends.

Here's my board. Click the pic to visit. Lots of good stuff on here. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Breastfeeding for Dummies

I am so dead-set on breastfeeding my daughter. I want her to get the best of everything, including what's best for her little developing body. And honestly, I must say that part of it is also the fact that I don't want to spend extra money for formula. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?! And the other part is that it's been a challenge and I have accepted. Bring it on, breastfeeding woes.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those moms that turn my nose up at other moms for not breatfeeding. It's a personal choice and there's nothing wrong with either method of feeding. I just personally want to go the b-feeding route. For the nutritional benefits, the fact that it's free, AND because I'm too lazy to get up in the middle of the night to make a bottle. Yep. That's the kind of mom I am.

As of today, Olivia is 19 days old. I've had cracked, bleeding nips, soreness beyond any pain I could have imagined, and mastitis in my left breast. Still battling that, actually. I'm on antibiotics for that and I am learning very quickly that heat and pumping around the clock are the keys to the cure. But the good news is that the nip soreness and bleeding and scabbing (ew!) is over. My right boob, Olivia, and I are completely in sync! So I know there is an end in sight to this mastitis pain.

For new moms who are quickly learning that breastfeeding isn't a walk in the park, here is my advice and some tips:

- Breastfeeding HURTS. At least for the first few {or more} days. Your nipples probably went from zero action to NON-STOP tongue lashings and hard-core suckling in a matter of hours. It's normal for it to be painful. Don't let someone tell you it's not supposed to hurt. IT HURTS.

- To alleviate the pain, you need Triple Nipple Cream. For some reason, no one told me about this until I was in my 6th day of agony. If you're still pregnant, buy these ingredients NOW so that you can already have it ready. You will need it.

Triple Nipple Cream
Miconazole Cream {anti-fungal yeast treatment that can be found anywhere}
Polysporin
2% Hydrocortisone Cream

Mix equal parts of this together and slather it on those suckers. Instant relief. Some may be reluctant to put these chemicals on their breasts for fear of harming the babe. Just wash it off really good before feedings. It's fine. Some doctors even say it's not necessary to wipe it off, so it's fine. Your kid is going to be exposed to a lot worse in life, trust me. I am convinced if I had heard about this cream earlier, I could have avoided mastitis.

- If you get a blocked duct, you'll know it because there will be a little {or big} knot in your breast. Don't do like I did and avoid it. I was scared to touch it because I'm a big wuss. I don't know what I was afraid of, but it just gave me the willies. Well, it turned into mastitis. So, my advice is to massage that sucker hard core with a REALLY hot rag over it. And then pump, feed, pump, feed, pump, and feed. Nonstop. For as many days as it takes to get rid of it. And it could take a while! Like a week or more is not uncommon.

- An electric toothbrush {or any other vibrating device.....} can help massage out any clogged ducts that you may experience. I've "heard" that this works wonders. So, if you are one of those ladies that has something around the house that vibrates, you might could try this. That's all I'm gonna say about that trick.

- If you get a fever, do not wait for it to go away. Call your doctor immediately so that you can get on antibiotics. A fever is a sign of an infection and you need to get rid of that ASAP. Antibiotics will help you. Do not be afraid to take them - if they were unsafe, doctors wouldn't let you take them.

- For me, breastfeeding whilst having mastitis has been the worst pain I've experienced. I'm venturing to say that it's worse than labor pain. It feels like needles being sucked out of my nips. But I have a trick that is helping with the pain. Even though its time consuming, especially at night, it's worth it. I pump, then feed immediately after. For some reason, it helped. Also, Lansinoh makes these smooshy heat packs that you can pop in the microwave that are good for sticking into your bra. Feels nice and helps break up that little stubborn bastard knot that won't seem to go away. Any hot compress will work. Keep heat on your boob for as long as you have the clog. It helps soften it up and relieves the pain a little when it's feeding time.

- If you come to a point where you are crying every single time you feed from a certain boob and you are starting to feel like a failure and not enjoying motherhood, this is when your friend the bottle comes in. Pump on the side that hurts and feed your wee one from a bottle. It's okay. I sobbed on the day that I decided to do this because I felt guilty {guilt: my new best friend now I'm a mom} for confusing the poor child. My biggest problem throughout all of this is feeling guilty. It sounds silly, but I felt bad for not being able to tough out the pain. I felt guilty for giving her a bottle! But here's the thing: you have one job and that's to make sure your baby is fed, healthy, clean, and continues to grow. You also need to take care of yourself. And enjoy being a mom. Bottle feeding is 100% completely OK! Your baby is still getting nutrition and you aren't in pain. Give those honkers a break. I did and I'm glad. But don't forget to continue to pump! You still need to pump every 3-4 hours. Or whenever your baby eats, so that your supply won't dry up.

- Finally, the #1 best thing that I've discovered is Lecithin. It works like a charm. Lecithin is a soy supplement that helps your body emulsify fat. And for unknown reasons, it helps unclog clogged ducts. And prevent them. It is perfectly safe and natural and breastfeeding women from around the world take it all the time. Ok, I have no idea if women around the world take it, but it's doctor approved and that's good enough for me. I am convinced it helped break up my clog.

I wrote this post over the course of about a week. When I started it, I was finally feeling confident about breastfeeding. Then 2 days later, I got mastitis. Now, on day 23 of Olivia's life, I am feeling much better. My clog is still present, but it's tee tiny now, and the pain is virtually gone. I wrote this in hopes that someone else out there that is in pain and going through the emotional roller coaster that I am still kinda going through will see that it DOES get better. Stick with it. Take breastfeeding breaks when you need it. And know that this time will fly by, so do whatever is necessary to enjoy it.

The last tip I want to share is to keep a log of feedings, poops, and pees. I use SmallNest. {http://www.smallnest.com/} It's an app I have on my iPad and phone. It's easier than writing it all down. You just want to make sure that your little one is pooping and peeing enough, and it's good to know exactly when the feedings take place and for how long.

Hope that helps at least one person!
Happy B-Feeding!

{Here I am feeding my little buddy hands-free! Look Ma- no hands!}






This post is based on my personal experience and should not, in any way, be used as a replacement for medical advice. Readers assume any and all risks associated with the suggestions of my motherhood expertise.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

DIY Newborn Photography

So, I've already posted a few tips and tricks to doing your own maternity photos. But now that your baby is here, it's time to think about capturing those moments when your itty bitty is still itty bitty. It won't last long! If you splurged on your maternity photos and don't have the funds to host another professional shoot, take matters into your own hands. It CAN be done, and it can be done for a reasonable price. I am still a huge supporter of professional photographers and I strongly believe that the expense is well worth the investment, but when you simply do not have the extra cash lying around, make the most of it and DIY!

Oh, and by the way, I birthed a baby! She's officially here and you can read all about it by clicking here.

My sweet baby is so easygoing and having her first photo shoot was a pleasure. She loved getting dressed up in her tutu, pearls, and head accessories. It went well, but I did do some research before delving into this little project. Here are the tips that I found for doing your own little photo shoot:

1. Feed your baby until she's milk drunk. Nice and full is the key. Wait about 10 minutes, the change the diaper. {If you want to take naked pics, take them first and FAST!}
2. Make the room very warm, like 74 or higher.
3. Set up all your goodies before feeding and diaper changing.
4. Have a big soft bed or cushiony palate ready. Put a Boppy pillow underneath a big, neutral colored blanket so that your LO can be propped up real nice.
5. Look at Pinterest for photo ideas and then come up with your own spin on them. I get tired of seeing the same crocheted hats on babies. They all look the same! Take your baby's personality and
add his or her own flair! Or create a personality for her, since you know, she's only 12 days old. I love putting U of L {for those of you living on the moon for the last month, the Louisville Cardinals won the NCAA Championship and I couldn't be more excited about it. Go Cards!} stuff on her, but instead of buying a bunch of team onesies or outfits, we did a little black and red tutu {compliments of the MIL} and I got the cutest black and red headband to match. It screams CARDINALS without actually saying it, you know?
6. You need a friend or lover boy to help you. Have neutral colored backgrounds ready for them to hold up so that you're not capturing Sparky in the background licking his butt at the same time you're  trying to capture a sweet baby moment.
7. Take some pictures while she's sleeping and some while she's awake. Both are cute and fun! And don't delete the outtakes! Those are hilar!
8. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. You don't need. 55,000 perfect pictures. Get a dozen or so great ones, and you'll be just as happy them!

Here are my faves. She's such a diva. I'm smitten.
















Thursday, March 21, 2013

My Top 25 Must-Have Books for Wee Ones

Yes, I'm a teacher and yes, teaching is going to weave its way into my child rearing. But reading to your little one isn't necessarily something that only teachers know is good for them. Duh. It's common sense. Read to your kids! Every night. Yes. Ev-er-ry  ni-igh-ht. Lots of research has shown that reading to your kids at very early ages stimulates their minds. Ok, I totally made that up, but I really don't think it's ever too early to start reading to them. I can guarantee that it's never made a kid stupider.

I remember being read to all the time when I was little. And I get such a wonderful nostalgic feeling when I come across some of the books that I may have "forgotten about", but are still buried deep within the depths of my soul. Some of the books that I've put on my top 25 must-have list are such books, and others are newer books that are truly amazing and should definitely be in every kid's library. This list is comprised of picture books and is geared towards children ages 0-5, but most of them can easily be enjoyed by kids as old as me {30+}. Without further aideu:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

2. Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch

3. I Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer

4. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

 5. The Three Little Pigs {any author of the original story}

6. Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss

7. Put Me in the Zoo, by Robert Lopshire

8. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
9. The Poky Little Puppy, a Little Golden Book Classic*
*It should be noted that I am not a fan of the Golden Books...Most of them are silly, outdated, and don't really tell a story. They're just words on pictures, in my opinion. But this one stuck with me and it's the one exception to this rule.

10. Tikki Tikki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel

11. The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

12. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

13. Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems

14. Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin

15. Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems


16. Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

17. No, David! by David Shannon

18. Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt

19. The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

20. Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Horrible, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

21. Go Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman

22. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

23. The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audry Wood

24. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud


25. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg