Bathtime with the Boys
November Favorites
We do bath time every night. If it wasn’t a particularly active day, we’ll skip washing their hair because they don’t really need it, but there is still a bath regardless!
Luke struggles in the evenings but he comes alive in the bath. David has loved it for a very long time, even before he could sit up well.
The two of them together in the bath is just the cutest thing. They don’t play together yet, but they are both so perfectly happy and content to play with their own toys and watch the water pour out from the cups. Luke, when he’s feeling particularly joyful, will splash like nobody’s business. I mean, he knows how to cup his hands just right to create a tidal wave effect and launch water directly into the bath givers’ face.
David is much more focused on pouring one cup of water into another, all while transferring a plastic golf ball with each pour.
David’s skin is very dry, very sensitive and rather rash prone (just like his mother), and Luke’s skin hasn’t had a blemish or issue since birth! Same parents, totally different skin types. I always tend to buy nourishing and moisturizing baby wash and lotion specifically for David’s skin, and I know it will work fine on Luke’s as well.
We’ve been using the Aveeno Lightly Scented Wash & Baby Shampoo for awhile and recently added the Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream into the nightly routine. Poor David was scratching his legs the other day because they had gotten so dry! I know it felt good when I slathered this cream all over him! Its fragrance-free, and the active natural oatmeal in the cream helps soothe any rashy or irritated areas of his skin.
This series of photos cracks me up. One with David laughing, one with Luke laughing, and finally one with both of them laughing together.
So after bath, we put David in his robe, which he adores, and he runs up and down the halls with pure delight. My mom bought this robe for him to wear around the pool, but we’ve been using it after bath for some time now. He looks so grown up in it, it kills me.
When I’m flying solo, if Justin is working or tied up, both boys get “diapered and lotioned” in Luke’s room. If Justin’s here, we’ll split the duties and take each boy to their respective rooms for getting into their pj’s. The biggest draw, other than the soothing benefits of this baby cream, is that it’s fragrance-free. So, no strong odor for sensitive noses.
Honestly? My boys are enormous. I have such solid men on my hands.
I’m sure Luke is thinking, “I got the lotion David, muah ha ha ha!!”
If you live in a dry climate, or are embarking on chilly winter days ahead, give the Aveeno Soothing Relief Moisture Cream a try! All products available at Walmart.
I captured this sweet moment when I was getting a shot of the cream for this post and it’s my new favorite.
Disclosure: Compensation/product for this post was provided by AVEENO. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO.
comments
Just a suggestion…we saw a pediatric dermatologist when my kids were little often…some very dry skin, some eczema. But the one thing he said was that bathing daily dries the skin out tremendously. So, unless they had some major blowout, they didn’t need it daily. Also, any fragrance in products made it worse. So no johnsons and johnsons for us :(. CeraVe was the lotion/cream of choice. They are Tweens/teens now and we still exclusively use CeraVe Cream!!
I’m sure they aren’t really bathed daily, but it makes for content for a sponsored post 😉
My son was referred to a pediactric dermatologist who actually recommended 1-2 baths a day followed by aveeno lotion to lock in moisture. He had very dry skin, think red rasht skin from head to toe! The baths plus cream helped tremendously.
Whoops, red rashy skin. Silly autocorrect:)
My pediatrician also said bathing daily and moisturizing while the skin was still damp was good! We actually were using Babyganics and then recently have been trying Tubby Todd. Both have been great, we will have to give the Aveeno a try soon! 🙂
They are bathed daily, I wouldn’t make something up like that!
I also bathe my little one daily. Not necessarily hair wash, and sometimes we even skip the suds, but it helps keep her on a super schedule that gets her all ready for bedtime a half hour later. When or if we skip her bath, we can guarantee her bedtime will be a little wacky.
We bathe daily too! We also don’t always wash their hair. Keeping the same night time routine makes for much easier bedtime. Your boys are adorable!
We bathe daily too, the routine is worth it to us. Dry skin remedy at our house? Probiotics! The change in their skin is AMAZING.
I have to agree with you, both my children suffered with dry skin and eczema as young babies/toddlers and the first thing our doctor told us was to cease daily bathing. It really dries the skin out and takes away essential oils from the skin and no amount of cream or oil will help in the long run. Bathing every other day allows the skin to recover, and once the children reach pre-school or school age they only need bathing a few times a week. I don’t mean to sound preachy but I’ve done a lot of research on this over the years! Incidentally, in the UK the best product we have for eczema or very dry skin is Epaderm. I don’t know what the US equivalent is but it’s a miracle worker and helps far more than any other product we tried. Hope that helps someone 🙂 xx
We also were told not to do daily baths. When our daughters skin gets especially dry we use vanicream. It’s amazing and also not scented.
Hi, here in Germany most people bath their babies twice to three times a week and we only use clear water with a teaspoon of olive oil or almond oil. Babies skin will be soft as silk 🙂
When I was a freshly baked mom my midwife suggested me to give only things on babies skin that you would eat, so oil it is. My daughter is now 18 months old and I still run her a bath twice a week, the other days I use a cloth to clean her. Her skin is amazing!
Johnson and Johnson products (Aveeno is owned nu J&J) contain formaldehyde,which is a known carcinogen . I use the Arbonne baby lotion which is amazing or just plain organic coconut oil.
No they don’t. It was removed several years ago.
http://www.snopes.com/johnson-johnson-formaldehyde/
I absolutely LOVE I mean L…O…V….E when you do a baby post or post pictures of your sweet boys! They have such great spirits and it brightens my day! I also love the Aveeno baby wash. I recently switched to The Honest Company body wash and I miss that sweet lavender scent. Thanks for the post!
Memories you will treasure always. If Davids skin gets particularly irritated try the Aveeno colloidal oatmeal bath followed by their lotion. My girls are much older and we still use Aveeno products (Positively Radiant Daily spf 30 with a drop of your favorite foundation makes a great tinted moisturizer). Love the posts/snaps with your boys!
All 4 of my kids were enormous! But I loved it!!! They do eventually grow out of it:(
Such cute boys!!!
Kate, I love you, but I’ve been skipping the sponsored posts – which seems like the majority of your content recently. I’m so excited for you and your partnerships with these awesome companies, I just don’t find it compelling or interesting.
That’s okay, and I have details on sponsorships and why they are a part of this site on my FAQ page.
I can see why some might feel that way initially, but your reviews are honest and you dont always love every product. It gets expensive buying and trying new things…. If these companies are sending you products to try that’s great! The more reviews the better because it saves me time and money.
Kate. I have never written you before. I just want to encourage you. I can tell by all your post that you are such an amazing mother. I love that you are so open and honest about what your doing and the products you use. I have followed your advice on sooooo many products.
Please don’t get discouraged by the occasional negative comments some leave. That is just part of every profession I think. God is watching all and sees your sweet spirit. Ok. Now I’m rambling…just wanted to encourage you…smiles
Agree. Even if this blog is Kate’s passion, it’s also her job. I just don’t understand the naysayers. If you ignored every single thing that was sponsored in your life, Jessica, you’d be off of social media entirely, not watching television, or consuming virtually any content. If you don’t like it, read a book, not a popular blog. How do you pay your bills?
(Rant over. Never commented on any blog before, just exceptionally annoyed.)
Also, you’re the best, Kate. And I just can’t get over David and Luke’s expressions/smiles — so freaking cute.
Well it seems like you read this one Jessica 🙂 love you Kate and all of your posts!!! But especially the ones about momlife!
Kate, your boys are absolutely precious!
Your boys are so adorable!!! Love a chubby babies!!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kate. Thanks for sharing these sweet photos of your bathtime routine!
I’m a Family Physician in Canada, and I frequently see children with sensitive like David’s. One tip that many of parents have found useful is to shampoo/soap as the last step during bathtime, ie. let them play first and wash right before you take them out of the water. That way the child doesn’t sit in the soapy water and there is less time for the products to irritate their skin. I agree with the reader above that decreasing the number of baths may sometimes help with skin issues, but I also completely appreciate how important an evening routine is, so I say if the nightly baths give joy to you and your kids, do it. 🙂
Thanks for suggesting that!
We also use CeraVe for bad eczema but do a daily bath followed by the CeraVe cream on damp skin. I like Aveno products and have used them in a pinch on my son, but he does much better with the CeraVe.
Hi Kate!
I absolutely love how you’ve found a balance between posting about your boys and beauty products. I love to hear about your reviews and tips, but I also love to hear about what you are doing in your everyday life. Thanks for sharing!
Awwwww so cute! My kids all have sensitive, eczema prone skin and the only thing that works for them is Cetaphil. I do like Aveeno wash for myself though.
Baby chubby rolls are the best! My youngest is 2 and is starting to thin out so I miss that stage.
Kate! I’m a stepmom of two adult children and have never had my own littles, but I absolutely adore reading about yours! I have a slew of friends with babies and often find myself recommending one thing or another to them based off your reviews. I really appreciate your entrepreneurship in doing sponsored posts but making them so personal with fabulous pictures and entertaining content really makes me feel like you’re not giving me the “hard sell.” Thanks for bringing such balance to your blog.
Thank you, I really appreciate your comment! It easy to integrate my opinions and experiences with products when I’m working with a brand as I am extremely choosy about which brands I work with!
Thanks again!
It’s so great when you find something that works. My little guy had baby eczema and finally after a few trips to the dermatologist and some trial and error we use the California Baby sensitive wash and he gets lotioned up with cerave cream.
Hi Kate,
I have 2 girls that are 15 months apart, now 21 months and 6 months. We too use the Aveeno wash and lotion too! Our water is hard and dries all of our skins out. I have tried Johnson n Johnson and Eucerine and I can say confidently that Avenno is by far the best. And even washing their hair it doesn’t make it greasy as fast. We bath every other day, unless it’s a busy playful day and a bath is needed. Love your blog and the pictures of your boys. Have you tried potty training yet?
I haven’t seen a picture of your boys together in a while and oh my gosh the cuteness is truly overwhelming!!!!! I love those baby rolls. And those bath time pictures….classic 🙂
I, too, have very sensitive skin and find that Aveeno works well for me so I’m glad to see it’s a good fit for your boys! In regards to your sponsored posts, any time I find a product I love I tell my friends about it. Like most of your long-time readers, I feel like you’re a friend of mine, and enjoy reading about products you like using for yourself and your family. It feels like I’m chatting with my sister about products we love! The fact that you’re receiving a form of compensation for them is awesome, two thumbs for you!
Kate,
Your boys might enjoy a water table since they love to splash and play in the water so much! They can be a little pricey but if you get a quality one your sons can play with it for years. Here’s a link to one just for an example. It might be a good investment if their doctor ends up suggesting fewer baths. Thanks for sharing Luke and David with us… they are so precious!
http://www.childtherapytoys.com/store/product9399.html
Duh! Forgot the link! 😉
Kate, you posted a “Typical Day” post a while back and I have one thing to say: please put your kids to bed later than 6:30 at night. That is way too early. Here’s a tip-if you put them to bed later, they’ll wake up later and you won’t have to have such early mornings.
That’s not necessarily true, Maria. Mine went to bed at 630. We tried later do they might sleep later and they didn’t. They were just tired because they hadn’t gotten enough sleep.
Here’s a tip- unsolicited advice to a stranger telling them what to do with their children comes across as rude and is never welcome. She doesn’t share so we can critique her parenting; she shares so we can enjoy that aspect of her life with her.
This is absolutely not true. Many of the sleep “experts” say that an early bedtime is absolutely appropriate for little ones. Going to bed later does not always equal a later wake time. That was never the case for my two little guys. I love it when people try to present “what worked for them” as “what is correct”. You keep on doing what works for you Kate!
Hey Maria! We don’t put them to bed at 6:30, it’s more like 7:00p. And they are both absolutely ready by that time! And I have to agree with a few other commenters, putting them to bed later doesn’t mean they’ll sleep later. Some nights, like a bible study night for example, David wouldn’t go to bed until after 9:30p and he would still be up early the next morning! Fact is, they wake up early and that’s okay!
Hi Kate:
I know this is a sponsored post and you are not soliciting advice on baby products, however, I just wanted to offer a recommendation because I am such a believer in this product line and want to spread the company’s positive message of being “leaders in providing wellness information, while sharing the dangers of toxic chemicals in personal care and home products with families across America.” I thought someone would have already recommended the company, but since that has not happened, I felt compelled to do so – I figure the worst that can happen is that you ignore me!
I love, love, love (did I say LOVE enough?!) the Ava Anderson Non Toxic line, especially Ava Baby Body Wash and Shampoo, for my 7 month old daughter! It’s perfect for sensitive skin due to the fact that it’s completely non-toxic. The ingredients of the body wash/shampoo are: organic chamomile flower extract, organic coconut oil, xanthan gum, radish root extract, organic calendula flower extract, organic shea oil, organic apricot kernel oil, and organic lavender essential oil. My baby’s skin is insanely soft and smooth, and I attribute that to the use of Ava Anderson. From one mom to another, I just wanted to let you know that I swear by it, and I truly hope you (or anyone else reading this!) will give it a try some day. Also, side note since you love hair products: the Ava Anderson Shampoo has changed my hair in a way I never thought possible. I had been suffering from inexplicable damage to my fine, thin hair over the past year to the point that my hair was breaking and not growing (possibly due to high iron content in our well water), and after using the shampoo for a few months, it was shinier, stronger, and actually grew! It’s the only shampoo I will use now.
I know I am just a random stranger lost in a sea of blog comments (not even an Ava Anderson representative/consultant!), but I couldn’t help but offer the suggestion in case you actually do look it up: http://www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/
(P.S. I have been following your blog for the past 3 years ever since I found and used one of your up-do tutorials for my wedding hair, so please know that I sincerely enjoy and appreciate all that you write!)
I second everything Meaghan said above. Ava products have saved the skin of my children (one of whom has lots of allergies and skin that shows it), my nephew (who has the worst eczema I’ve ever seen), and my husband (who finds himself in poison ivy a few times a year). They are completely non-toxic and perfect for sensitive skin, and they feel and smell amazing!
Your boys are precious and we love Aveeno products in my house too! I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and the both have particularly dry skin.
And all of the “mommy bashing” needs to stop. We all raise our children differently and that’s okay. If they are happy in the bath tub EVERY night, let them be happy!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your life with us Kate! Love your sweet little family.
I love the Aveeno baby fragrance free lotion. I had exzema for years on my hands and once I started using that lotion routinely, it has cleared up. It moisturizers but doesn’t stay sticky at all, so I am more likely to put the lotion on and still go about what I am doing without all the grease on my hands. Love it!
Kate, you had a snap chat of a drawing that a follower made for you, do you mind sharing her site?
Thanks
http://www.meganlkelso.com !
Kate, in the past I was definitely one of those who would comment about sponsored posts and forced content, but I just wanted to say, that I feel like there has been such a turn around in recent months! I think you are kicking ass and you are my favorite read that I look forward to every day. I appreciate you taking feedback into consideration. I love the blend between beauty and family and I feel like you keep it so real for the modern mom! I also am obsessed with your periscopes and snapchats! Seeing new periscopes out make my day! Anyways, I just wanted to leave a comment because I really think you are doing such a great job these days! And side note, I have two under two that are 14 months apart and we bathe every night too! Routine is a high priority in our house, so as much as reality allows, we stick to our schedule. My girls also have the best time in the “tubby” and it’s a great activity that relaxes them and winds down our days. At 6:30 my husband and I rally the troops for Baths, Bottles/milk, jeopardy and bedtime. It’s my favorite part of each day!
Sounds like we have a similar life! Thanks for your comment! Since the blog is such a personal thing for me, it’s definitely affected during different seasons of my life! I can say I’ve very much been enjoying it as well and have really felt engaged with readers! 🙂
Thanks again, your comment means a lot!
Kate, they are so sweet and there is nothing like snuggling with your babies after a bath- they smell so good. I use Aveeno Eczema Hand Cream. My hands get so dry and painful in cold weather and this is the only one that actually helps with healing and makes my hands feel silky.
Kate, I’ve been using this lotion for years with my three children (6,4, 2) and we rave over it. We lived in MN and now PA so their skin is so dry in the winter.
Your boys look like mine, healthy so squeezable. Love it!
These boys are so stinking adorable! Those rolls are too cute!
I personally enjoy the sponsored posts because it’s great to find out about products by word of mouth and reading reviews. I get why you do it and fully support it. I’ve tried many of the products in your sponsored posts that I may not have before reading your reviews. I read your blog often and have faith that you wouldn’t steer us wrong nor make up material just for a post.
Keep up the great work! 🙂
I get very dry skin in the winter and have found that I don’t really need to wash every inch, every day. So for my kids I used to just wash their head, armpits, diaper area and feet.
Then you don’t need to use as much lotion.
Your boys are adorable!
Adding my voice to, “Your boys are so darn adorable!” We use the same Aveeno baby wash and I use the normal “adult” Aveeno lotion on myself and my 15 month old son. We both get so dry and it helps greatly. Now I need to go find that toddler bathrobe I know I have somewhere!
I was curious so I just checked, and the Aveeno Daily Moisture baby and adult lotions have EXACTLY the same ingredients and the adult one is $1 cheaper. Win!
For the winter, I may need to try this creamier baby version you have, though, for extra moisture!
What an adorable post! I enjoy your website & remember bathing my girls, who were 14 months apart. Such good times and happy memories. Enjoy your little ones! Thanks for such a positive and fun website.
I rarley post, but just had to on this one! Your boys are just absolutely adorable! I had to yell out for my youngest son to see their cute pics! He is 6 and is eagerly awaiting his twin brothers arrival in February. So he loves to see babies and chubby babies are my favorite!! My kids have sensitive skin also and I had to switch to ALL detergent, free and clear since I had my first. He also used to break out and we couldn’t figure it out, till I narrowed everything down and it was perfume, air fresheners, and candles, along with the laundry detergent, that made him have rashes! So that’s why we switched to ALL and we are chemically free. Yes I’m aware that’s not a real word. LOL! Also tons of people with food allergies have eczema. Anyway, I’m rattling along! Enjoy your sweet boys, they grow up so quickly! Im expecting our 6th and 7th son, so I really enjoy reading any posts baby related.
Hmm I will definitely give that detergent a try!
My babies always got rashes with Aveeno and Burt’s Bees products. The only bath soap I use that doesn’t cause any reactions for them is by Mariana Chicet. It has like 6 ingredients in it only send its the honey soap. She has a great gomage exfoiliator that works better than the clarisonic. Very gentle products with few ingredients.
OH… MY…WORD! How is it possible THAT much cuteness can be in one family (I’m including Mom and Dad too!). Seriously, I could just squeeze those cheeks!!! From one Mom of two boys to another, you are clearly raising to happy, healthy boys. Keep up the great work mama! And have a wonderful Christmas! <3
*two… oops!
Ah-dorable babies! OMG they are so sweet.
Kate, you really made my day with this post. Your boys are just too cute. I was laughing so hard, my husband had to check out what I was looking at. My Mom used Aveeno products on me many years ago!
I know this is unrelated regarding product, but I also appreciate your reviews and even sponsored posts. Thanks to your advice, I finally bought an Hourglass powder and LOVE it.
I seriously love Aveeno products. I recently bought their CC cream and am obsessed!
I think you do a great job at making the sponsored posts interesting and fun…I LOVE reading about your boys because they are adorable and I also have 2 very young boys. And I always trust your opinions, sponsored or not, I know you wouldn’t recommend a product if you didn’t really like it. Your blog is the only one I read every day!
Hi Kate, I personally have no kids yet so can’t go into all the details like the others but as I have friends and family with small kids I find it very interesting to read about your experiences as I feel they’re very honest and of course your boys are super cute!
Here in Germany we have a page called http://www.codecheck.info where everyone can see the INCI list of e. g. cosmetics and other products and check out if there are things in them which are less recommendable or worse. This page works together with an independent magazine called Öko-Test (=eco test), which I use to check out my skincare as well. I just wondered if you have something similar in the US.
LOVE all things Aveeno – and I cannot get over the cuteness of that picture with the smiles and mohawks!
Don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Aveeno oatmeal bath packets – it’s a really moisturizing mix of oatmeal and other stuff that dissolves quickly in the bath and is super nourishing for the skin. I use it a lot in winter. Not sure if it is kid-friendly (it is not scented, though), but might be another Aveeno product to help the super dry skin.
all i could think when viewing this was, “darling boys and TWO in diapers!?” bless you, mama!
I have to say, I’m surprised at some of these comments, and slightly embarrassed that you might think they represent a high number of your readers. But they don’t. So let’s just clear that up. As a blogger I know there are logistics to keeping a site like this up & running, not to mention just being compensated for the investment of time and energy. The way you run your blog is not really up for debate. Most people have no concept of what an investment this is. Anyway, long rambling just to say I think you do a fantastic job (truly) & I’m a huge fan. Keep doing what you’re doing! 🙂
The boys could not be any cuter. What a fun time…especially during the holidays.
Kate, thank you so much for this post. My son is almost 8 months and we don’t bath everyone night because of his dry skin, but he still has it. I saw your post and ran out to Target that day to get the lotion, and we are HOOKED! His skin felted super soft and well moisture. You have saved my son’s skin!
This lotion was in a baby shower gift from my sister and I love! My daughters cheeks have been a little chapped from the Michigan cold and the dryness of our home, it gets the job done and isn’t greasy.
My daughter has had eczema and dry skin since birth and Aveeno has been the only thing that has actually worked. She only gets a bath once or twice a week though,because of her dry skin…
Hi Kate, I highly recommend trying Ava Anderson Non-Toxic. I saw others suggested it and I am sure you have heard of the line before. The diaper cream is great and I bet it will work well for your boys. You can use it as a diaper cream but also as a all over cream. It is non-toxic (search the product line in Skin Deep to verify) and I have seen some great results from it (and not just on children).
Good luck!
Also, do you have a PO box? Have you thought of getting one? I am sure people would like to send you products to try!
I’ve been using Aveeno for last 2 years at least. I have bad dry legs and it works! Love Aveeno and your blog. You’re boys are adorable!