Toy, book and movie suggestions

Well I'm looking ahead at 1st birthday and 1st Christmas at home and wanting to put together a shopping/wish list for the boys.  A while back I posted a request on facebook for suggestions on baby/toddler toys, books and must have kid movies.  I am sad to say I didn't find the time to jot those lists down :( and now cannot find them on facebook.

So...

Today I'm posting a short list I can recall and hoping that folks take the time to post in comments their additional suggestions (again for some).

LIST 1 - TOYS

These are brands that are considered the safest on the market so that's my main reason for sticking to them....but the added bonus is that they are sturdy and timeless.  The downside is that they can be costly.  However, becuase of their durability they are perfectly fine when bought second hand off Craigslist, ebay or at some of the excellent second hand shops in Austin like the Pumpkin Patch.  In our house second hand is how we've come by most of these and we love them!  Most of these make the safebaby.com list for Lead-Free, PVC-Free and Fire Retardant-Free Toy Manufacturers which is nice.

Rootin' Ridge Toymakers - bonus here is that they are local http://www.rootinrdge.com/
Haba toys
Plan toys
Melissa & Doug
Greentoys
tinylove
wonderworld

Radio Flyer 12S Classic Walker Wagon
photo from Amazon.com
I cannot wait for the boys to have this wagon someday but might need a smaller dog.........



Some links for shopping:

http://www.hazelnutkids.com/
http://www.giggle.com
http://www.novanatural.com/
http://www.magiccabin.com/
http://www.underthenile.com/underthenile/index.php

LIST 2 - BOOKS

Anything from the "In the Woods" Series from Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick
this set is awesome
http://www.strangerinthewoods.com/



Stellaluna

Any from Van Fleet Books
http://www.dragonflys.com/

More books from the original list can be found on Liam and Henry's wish list on Amazon under Arlene Nohilly Liam & Henry Books (just easier to direct you there than copy and past so much)

So as many of you know, our world expanded on December 21st 2011 with the birth of our sons Henry John Kalmbach, 5.4 pounds & William (Liam) Fraser Kalmbach 4.6 pounds.  Things are still crazy with not much time for a lengthy blog post so we'll let the pictures do the talking.  Most are from the hospital and then a few from a professional photographer at the house.  The last one is taken in front of the mural in the boy's room at home.  A few are of Liam in the NICU.  Can you tell them apart?  Not everyone can!  It's amazing to me how fast the weight comes off!   I was 200 pounds and am now only 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight!

Just a week before our Christmas babies arrived.

Liam in NICU

Henry striking a pose

Michael on the uncomfortable hospital couch

Here's some pics after we've moved in an unpacked some. We're still patiently waiting for some things to be finished including the dinning area table we are having made from lumber milled off Micheal's folks place.

Below my Mom decorates my Christmas tree remarking on all the bird ornaments...and having trouble with the gorilla ornament (from the Houston Zoo)

The tree from outside

The Kitchen area furnished with antiques collected over the years (the giant seed cabinet came from Round Top and holds all the drawers any kitchen could want; the bar is an old general store bar from an Amish store in Indiana...the sink is from Brenham & the fridge is from Home Depot :)

This pantry door, as with most of our doors was a salvage from Michael's Grandparents old house.

Inside pantry (Micheal built the shelves, he's handy that way)

More shots from inside the pantry (we really love our pantry)

looking back down guest room hallway to main living area

Spare bath (yes, that's a tin shower, we had a theme ;)

Nearly completed nursery

I'm told the painting elves will be here tomorrow to complete the mural!

This will finish off to be a shared office, but until I can work at a desk and not have to work with my feet up because of pregnancy swelling it's that room....you know the one where you dump everything you don't know what to do with.

Looking from dinig area in main livinga rea into the Master bedroom (door to left goes to the utility room...which b/c of the rain we're finallly getting I can know call the mudroom!)

Master bedroom (aka my current office, note my office supplies)

Michael made this bed for us when we were first married and living in Gonzales. It's been in storage forever and I've soooo missed it....now I wish I could sleep in it but pregnancy reflux has me on the couch at night so I just work from bed these days :)

With help from the wonderful ladies at Meme's Quilt shop/lounge in Giddings I made the patchwork quilt on the bed.

Not yet finished, this is my 1/2 of the master bathroom and now that we know we're expecting 2 boys it's the only truly feminie domain in the house. Found the antique mantle and it'll get mounted soon hopefully. This is my space......so why do I envision rubber duckies, water guns and bubbles everywhere in my future???

Michael's 1/2 of the master bath (but he has to share the shower with me ;)

Both closets are accessed from the master bath so if one of us is getting up early you don't have to go back into the bedroom and wake the other (you can even leave through a back door in my closet that goes to the utility room)....this was important to Michael despit it being years since I was getting up hours before dawn to go birding for my thesis. Guess it made an impression :)

This closed steel door leads to a concrete room which is Michael's closet / and my tornado paranoia satisfying safe room / gun safe.

Man cave shower

My closet

Main living area (flat screen will be mounted on fireplace sometime soon I hope)

That's it except for the utility room, screened in porch and front porch.