Fisher Price Rock 'n Play

When our Pickle was a baby 5.5 years ago, I was against the Fisher Price Rock 'n Play for absolutely no reason.  I didn't have any reason to hate on it, but I was so worried about it being a crutch, and we had a Nap Nanny we loved.

(I'm going to go off on a tangent here for a moment that may be unpopular.  We had a baby who passed away just before birth, so I would never make light of the death of a child.  That said, I find it frustrating when perfectly good products are pulled off of the shelves because people either can't take the time to read directions, or wildly disregard them.  The Nap Nappy was a little foam seat thing that was great for babies with reflux or bad sleepers.  It said clearly in the directions to only put it on the floor when the baby was in it, and to strap them in.  People disregarded this and put it in their babies' cribs - babies rolled out, and they got stuck between the Nap Nanny and crib and suffocated.  Nap Nanny responded by improving the seatbelts and putting giant warnings on the seats to never be used anywhere but the floor while attended.  People again disregarded this, and a few more babies were suffocated.  Due to this, the entire product was pulled off of the shelves altogether.  The Bumbo appears to be headed the same direction because people keep putting the freaking things up on counters and leaving their children there unattended.  I am 100% certain that whole grapes have killed large numbers more children than any of these items, but they're still on the shelves.  I am all for protecting babies, like discontinuing drop-side cribs - but this was due to blatant misuse.  Anyway.)

So, when Peanut was born, we needed a new bouncy seat.  My parents offered to get us one, and instead came home with the Fisher Price Rock 'n Play.  They brought home this one (LINK):

It was about $60, more than I had expected to spend.  I didn't want to be ungrateful, so we accepted it with thanks, and I expected to not use it.  I had found some articles saying not to use it overnight due to SIDS concerns, so I figured it would be a last resort during maternity leave during naps.

...Until one day when Peanut was sleeping and I super had to pee.  I strapped him into it (we called it "the Monkey") and turned on the vibration unit... and it was magic.  It was the longest he'd ever slept other than being in my arms and rocked.  

I tried it again the next day, and it again worked like a charm.  So, I started bribing my husband to putting Peanut in the Monkey at night while I went upstairs to nap, and it again kept the little guy asleep for hours.  The vibration unit was gentle and silent, and lasted for months.  The monkey pad was super-soft.  

While we've never used this overnight due to those few SIDS concerns, this was our go-to nap solution for almost a year.  I would never leave a baby unattended in it, and it may not be the most solid solution if you have a baby who really likes to roll in his sleep (Peanut was a log until about a year), but it goes to 25 pounds.  It was a lifesaver!

Sophie la Girafe - Set of 2 Swaddles

It’s so hard to believe that our little Peanut just turned one year old.  He’s happy, running, and crazy.  He wears me out constantly, but it’s so hard to imagine our lives without him.  He is all boy – going, going, going.

However, when he crashes, he crashes hard.  He will flop over and curl himself up in a ball, and then pass right out.  One constant, however, is that he likes to have his blanket with him as a lovey at naptime.  He is too old to be swaddled (and never really took to it well), but he loves to wrap his blanket around him to feel safe.

Since I’m a little paranoid, I am choosy about what blanket he uses at naptime (I personally don’t use them at night still until he gets older, but that’s just a preference).  A friend had crocheted a beautiful afghan for him, but he never really took to it.  Even though I keep a close eye on him during naptime, I still didn’t feel comfortable with the velour and thick cotton blankets.  Then, I got a chance to use a pair of Sophie la Girafe swaddles.  (LINK)

These things are perfect for us.  They’re made of super-soft muslin – thin enough that you can almost see through them (and certainly breathe through them), but thick enough to provide just a little warmth to a wee one.  They’re huge – 47 in x 47 in square.  If Peanut did let me swaddle him, they’d still be big enough to accomplish it!  As it is, they’re a great size for when I need to nurse him in public – since it’s his lovey, he doesn’t pull down one of the Sophie muslins like he does a nursing cover, and it’s more than large enough to give us both privacy.  It’s thin enough that neither of us are hot, but it is thick enough to shield his eyes from the sun.  

As I mentioned before, though, they are first and foremost a lovey blanket in our household.  They have gotten softer and softer as I’ve washed them, but the adorable prints (one giraffes, one stars) have stayed vibrant and sweet.  Peanut loves the feel of his Sophie blanket against his cheek while he cuddles, and it keeps him warm without making him sweaty and uncomfortable.

I can’t recommend these swaddles enough!  They are baby-soft for newborns, but the muslin is strong enough to stand up to the wear and tear of a toddler.  They wash well, are sweet and lovely, and comforting. 

Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride

Our little man is almost a year!  It's hard to believe, but he's all over the place - boys truly are a different animal than girls are.

He just started walking about a week ago, and I think that we have this toy to thank for a large part of it:  LINK

The Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride, $29.99, was a recommendation from a coworker.  It has two functions - you can collapse the green part above so that it's resting on the wheels, and it's a riding toy (baby can also stand beside it and push it).  You can also leave it as shown, and it will function as a walker.

Our little Peanut is short, only about the 3rd percentile for height.  Hence, putting this in the upright walker mode at first was a little too much for him.  He kept it down in the rider mode, and pushed it around by standing beside it.  I think he did this so much that he left permanent grooves in the carpet from his race circuit.  It helped him to stabilize and learn the basic walking movements while still giving him a sense of stability.  (It also made a wonderful bonking noise when he ran it into something stationary -- or his older sister.)  

He now loves to use this in the walker mode (even though he's able to walk on his own), and has also discovered the joy in riding it like a little car.  His little legs aren't quite long enough to push him, so his sister is happy to oblige pushing him around.  (Please forgive the phone pic - I didn't have my camera nearby.)

As you can see, that's a face of pure joy.  This toy is easily worth the $30, and is durable enough that it can be passed on to friends or family when Peanut outgrows it.  Our daughter actually also enjoys playing with it a ton pushing her dolls around, to the point where I have to remind her that it's a baby toy! 

Tommee Tippee sippy cups

Whenever I am home with the little man, we breastfeed.  However, as a working mother, I have to pump while I am at work, and he has to drink expressed milk at daycare.

I did a ton of research before investing in bottles.  I searched the internet high and low for bottles that were the most compatible with nursing babies - lots and lots of "top five" and "top ten" lists.  There is a lot of variation, but the most consistent bottle brand I saw listed was Tommee Tippee.  They had them at our local Target in stock, so that's what we've used since Peanut went to daycare.  He's done great with them, but he's nine months now.  He's very, very active, and is starting to resist the bottle.  This is strange, as his sister, who also nursed, probably would have stuck with a bottle until she was three if we'd allowed it to happen.

I again did research, and found that Tommee Tippee was the top name in sippy cups for nursing babies.  I got lucky enough to get to try a few of their cups!  Here is their website for sippy cups:  LINK 

First we tried the 6m+ First Straw Transition cup (LINK):

It comes in a wide range of colors.  It's just the right size for a 6-month-old to use for practice - Peanut was easily able to hold the handles (which are also removable).  He did well with the straw, and loved putting it in his mouth.  He sort of understood the process, but I had a feeling that he'd do better with a spout.  (We've since come back to the straw with much more success!)

Luckily, we also had a 7m+ Trainer Sippee Cup (LINK). 

Again, they are just adorable.  The handles were very easy to use, but Peanut prefers to hold it like a bottle, so we removed them:

It's very hard to get a good shot of this little man these days just because he's a blur of activity, but he loves this sippy.  He began by drinking water out of it, but he's transitioned at daycare to also drinking breast milk out of it.  This has been great for many reasons.  It gives him more control over his eating experience than he had when the teachers had to give him a bottle, and it teaches him autonomy.  It's also a good transition away from the bottle that he would need to make at the daycare center we use at the time he moves to the 1-year-old toddler room.  

The cup itself is also wonderful.  It's BPA-free, which is important to me.  The spout is rubber, which he loves to chew on while he's hardcore-teething.  This style does not seem to leak at all, which is a big bonus to me since he likes to keep it nearby while playing.  It's also incredibly easy to wash, since the entire top is just one piece.  It's been a wonderful trainer cup for us.

We have not yet transitioned to the 9m+ Sippee Cup (LINK), but I am excited to do so.  There is a higher capacity for fluid in there, which will be nice as Peanut begins drinking more fluids.  The lids seem like they would be swappable with the 7m+ trainer cups, so I am also glad that I will have more options.  All of the Tommee Tippee cups are dishwasher-safe, so they are wonderful options for our family-on-the-go.

In short, I would highly recommend the Tommee Tippee line of sippy cups.  For our little man who is pretty attached to Mama, these have been an easy transition from the bottle and to a little more freedom.  We will definitely be using these long-term - and further exploring the Tommee Tippee line as he grows into toddlerhood!

Bitybean Baby Carrier

I am a big fan of babywearing.  We did a decent amount with Pickle when she was small, but have done a lot more with Peanut.  I mostly wore him in a ring sling when he was itty bitty, and have split time between that and a Tula as he's gotten older.

The Tula is great, but it has its downsides.  It's not at all compact - if I take it anywhere, it's like it has to have its own seat.  It's incredibly hot in the humid midwest summer, as mine is a canvas carrier.  In addition, it is pretty heavy - normally this last one isn't a problem, but it can be when I'm carrying it when Peanut is tired of being worn.  My ring sling is woven, so it has most of the same problems - it's great for trips, but it's kind of a bear to lug around.

In comes the Bitybean (LINK).  I had a chance to try one recently.  On paper, the specs are similar to the canvas soft-structured carriers - it's for infants and toddlers between 3 months old and ideally 3 years, from 8 lbs to 40 lbs.  It can fit anyone from a size 0 to a maximum waist size of 46 inches, but there's also an extender you can purchase that adds an additional 12 inches.  Like many others, it can be worn in a front or back carry.  So, already it's stacking up well against the competition.

Now, let's look at the ways that the Bitybean pulls ahead - and there are many!  Here are just a few:

- Price.  In comparison to the $115 to $200 that are common for canvas carriers, the Bitybean is only $59.95.  That's at least half of the price of most other carriers!  Like many of the other carriers, you can additionally purchase an infant liner or sleep hood, which are also both moderately priced.  I know that price is a huge reason that many women feel they aren't able to babywear, and the Bitybean really helps to make that concern vanish.

- Compact and lightweight.  This blew me away.  The Bitybean comes in a convenient little sleeve that is about the size of a soup can.  It also weighs almost nothing (8 ounces!), so I can throw it in my diaper bag/purse - as you can see below, I've tried to consolidate everything to one bag already, and the Bitybean (the orange and black tube at the top) fits in there easily and doesn't weigh it down.  

- Breathable and water-safe.  I mentioned above that I throw the Bitybean in my diaper bag - that's because it is incredibly convenient to wear out and about.  It is made of a light nylon/polyester blend, so it's almost the texture of a rain poncho.  This makes it incredibly breathable and lightweight in the summer, but it has the added bonus of working great while swimming or in the rain.  We wore it on a rainy day at a festival this last weekend, and I didn't have to worry about damaging it when it rained on it, or about it weighing a hundred pounds when it was saturated with water.  The bulk of the rain just slid right off the back.  Both of the kids have swimming lessons this summer, and so I plan on wearing Peanut in it in the pool.  I can't think of another soft-structured carrier offhand that is designed to be worn in the water!  (Check Bitybean's website for good pointers on water wear, like wearing your baby in front while in the water so you can make sure their head is above water.)  

Added bonus:  If you're prone to spilling (as I am), it's not a big deal, as most liquids just roll right off and/or dry quickly.

This is what we get when Big Sis takes the photos.

- Ergonomic.  I wore the Peanut, who is now just over 20 lbs, in the Bitybean for several hours at the festival this weekend.  My back didn't hurt.  I love the quickness of a ring sling, but the problem as a baby gets older is that it's not an even distribution on your back - the Bitybean was developed with parents and babywearing experts to make it safe and ergonomic for mama as well as baby.  I wore it the past couple of weekends while doing housework, and it was convenient and comfortable.  

I am really pleased to have the Bitybean in my babywearing arsenal.  I still love my ring sling and my Tula, and they each have their time and place - but I can't imagine ever going back to lugging either of them around in my purse or in the car when the Bitybean performs every function they do and more.  Great, great buy - and cute colors (LINK)!

Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit

As I mentioned in my last blog (HERE), we are doing a mixture of homemade purees and baby-led weaning with our little Peanut now that he is over 6 months old.  The Baby Brezza has been great for us, it's worked out really well for him.

When we first ordered the Brezza, I wanted to find a good system for freezing and storing the purees.  When I made food for our older daughter four years ago, I had just frozen items directly in these little containers (LINK):

12 containers cost about $15.  Since I wanted to freeze a few weeks' worth at a time, it wasn't really cost- or space-efficient to use these for large batches.  The seal also wasn't one I'd use for long-term freezing, which I had learned back when Pickle was little.  So, I wanted something to use to freeze them that was a little more convenient.

I did a lot of research, and came across the Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit (LINK).  

These are two stackable trays that are air-tight containers that work a lot like ice cube trays, but more convenient.  Each slot holds 1 oz. of baby food, and there are 21 slots per tray.  Amazon has the two trays for around $28 (LINK), so you're getting 42 frozen items for that price.  Not a bad deal.

They are very good at freezing, and very easy to use.  The lids are secure and tight, I haven't had any freezerburn.  It's very easy to pop the foods out, since the cubes are frozen with a curved bottom (sort of like a half-moon).  You just push on one side of the cube, and it slides out.  Some foods seem to pop out better than others - if your cube doesn't want to slide out, simply run the bottom of the tray under hot water for about ten seconds, and then they should slide out easily for you.  Do not bend the tray like you would an ice cube tray, as that can damage it.  The trays are dishwasher-safe on the top rack, and wash well.

When the foods are frozen solid, I pop them out and put them in zippered bags, and then put the zippered bags in freezer-safe storage containers.  This is probably a little overkill, but it makes me feel safer to have the dual layers of protection.  

I originally got the little containers from the beginning of this entry to send to daycare.  The problem with those containers is that they're not tall enough to accommodate one of these frozen cubes.  So, even though it's a 2-oz container, you have to cut one of your 1-oz frozen cubes in half and jam it into the container - even then, it's sometimes hard to get the top sealed tight.  You would need two 2-oz containers in order to get a 2-oz serving.  Not very practical.

Next I tried the Sage Spoonfuls storage set (LINK), about $27 for 12 4-oz containers on Amazon.

These work well - since they're wider at the base, the rounded, long-ish cubes fit in here, and you can actually fit 4 oz of food into a 4-oz container.  I use these primarily, since they're a very secure fit of the lid.  I'd recommend them strongly if you don't mind the price.

However... they ARE a bit pricy.  If you skip the Sprout containers listed above, it's not a bad price (not what my husband says), but there are definitely other BPA-free options that work with the Mumi & Bubi Cubes:

- The First Years Ziploc Snacks-To-Go (LINK) - Run $5.75 on Amazon for three 8 oz bowls and three 4.5 oz bowls, all BPA-free.

  

These work great - we don't need 8 oz of baby food yet, so we're just using the 4.5 oz tubs.  They're big enough that the curved cubes fit in them.  I really like the lids, I feel like I can put them in a bag for daycare and they won't spill all over the inside of my bag.  However - we send two containers of baby food to daycare every day.  In order to get 10 of the 4.5 oz tubs, we need to get four of them.  4 x $5.75 = $23.  You're spending about the same price as you would for 12 of the Sage Spoonfuls (although you'll also have a bunch of the 8 oz tubs, in addition, which will come in handy later).  A little more cost-effective, but not as good as it could be for something that just doesn't have the same quality of product.

- Ziploc Extra-Small Square Containers (LINK) - I would get these at Wal-Mart, not Amazon.  They run $2.57 for eight of them at Wal-Mart, while you're going to spend $10.99 for the same number at Amazon.  Each BPA-free container is 4 oz.  

These are by far the most cost-effective method.  They fit the cubes pretty well, although I haven't tried to get all four oz in there.  The downside of them being the most inexpensive is that they're definitely not as durable as the other options.  These are meant to be disposable eventually, and they don't seal as well.  They are also not as durable, the tops can sometimes break after usage.  But, for $2.57 for 8, it's not like you're making a huge investment to just go buy more.

So, that was likely way more information than you ever need about transporting pureed banana somewhere.  I just know that it took a lot of trial-and-error for me, and it would have been nice to have definitive information on how to freeze and store these.  The Mumi & Bubi work just great, and are worth the investment, in my opinion.

Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker

I have posted before about how I used the Beaba Babycook baby food maker when Pickle was small (LINK).  It worked great for us, but it was put into a storage unit after Pickle began really eating solids, and then that storage unit got flooded.  We needed to find a new solution for our little Peanut.  (We do a lot of baby-led weaning, but I also wanted to do some purees.)

I price-checked the Beaba versus the other items on the market, and came across the Baby Brezza (LINK).  It was about $77, as opposed to the $120 that the Beaba Babycook cost.  As far as I could tell, they did the same things, so we decided that was a better option for us this time around.

I've made several batches of baby food, and it has worked seamlessly.  It so far is almost identical in function to the Beaba Babycook.  There's a water reservoir on the back, which you fill, and then that pipes the hot water into the chamber where you're steaming the food.  That chamber also has a blade in it, which can puree the food when you're done.  

The Baby Brezza has a slight advantage on the Beaba in that you can choose to "steam and blend."   You can just punch in the amount of time you need to steam your particular food item, then walk away, and it will blend the food automatically at the end of the steaming session.  The Beaba did not have this function back when I used it, so this was a nice little touch.

The Baby Brezza also comes with four little storage containers in which you can store and freeze your baby food.  You can then defrost them by putting them right back into the chamber.  The Beaba didn't come with any storage containers, and the ones they had for sale were very expensive compared to others on the market.

All in all, I think that the Baby Brezza was a better buy, since it was over $40 cheaper for the exact same functionality.  I would recommend it to first-time baby food makers.

Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra

Pumping can be a huge part of a breastfeeding mother’s life.  I pump at work and occasionally at home to maintain/boost supply with our little Peanut.  When Pickle was little, I pumped for the first five months while her mouth grew big enough to be able to nurse.  I’ve spent hundreds of hours attached to a pump over the last five years – but both as a mother of two and an employee, I don’t have the time to just sit and devote time to pumping.  I have to be able to multitask while I am providing that nutrition for my child. 

When I was pumping with the Pickle back when she was a baby, I tried and ordered a very simple halter-style pumping bra.  It was a lot like a sports bra that had a halter strap that goes around the neck, and a cloth band that goes around the breasts, much like this.  

The practical problem with this is that I usually try to, you know, wear a shirt to work.  In order to use this bra, I had to take off my shirt (and usually my nursing bra) to wear it, or had to wear it underneath my clothes all day – and since it rides so high on the back of the neck, it was always visible.  As such, I ended up only using it a few times before giving up and just holding the flanges.

Now, I’ve been lucky enough to try the Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra (LINK)  It is a bustier-style pumping bra:

The first advantage of this is that I could simply pull up my shirt, put on the Simple Wishes bra over my nursing bra or tank, and still be warm (and as modest as possible while pumping) – no more stripping down.  I know this sounds like a small thing, but the pumping room at my office is freezing, so this is a huge benefit!

A really huge benefit of the Simple Wishes hands free bra is how it is sized.  The company provides a great tutorial video on how this works (LINK).  In essence, the back is similar to a regular bra, but it has Velcro instead of hooks, so that it can be resized up to ten inches to accommodate a wide range of sizes.  You can also resize it as you go through the course of nursing – changing breast sizes is a common issue as your supply adjusts and engorgement wanes, and you don’t have to go out and purchase a new pumping bra if/when it happens with this product.  There’s also a removable zippered panel in the front – this is great for if your breasts are closer together vs. further apart.  

My favorite part of the Simple Wishes bra is very basic – it gave me back time.  I had two hands free to work while pumping, or to hold/care for my little ones if I was at home.  I wasn’t tied down to the pump like I was in the past, I could type or read, use my phone, and so on.  I think that one of the big reasons that women discontinue pumping (and, in turn, breastfeeding) is just that they hate being stuck helpless while pumping, and this bra can really help avoid that from happening.

I washed this before wearing it, and had absolutely no issues while doing so – I just followed the instructions, washing it on cold and hanging to dry.  It’s been soft and comfortable, and not constrictive.  It’s done a great job at supporting the pump flanges – I’ve used both the standard Medela flanges and the Pumpin Pals flanges with it, and both have worked great.

I’d strongly recommend this pumping bra – for less than $40, which is less than you would spend on a single bra at Victoria’s Secret, you get a great pumping bra that should easily be able to last you the whole time you breastfeed/pump.  The company also has a great 30-day money-back guarantee, which is rare for such a product.  All in all, a great buy!

Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper

When Pickle was born, we started bedsharing around 6 weeks or so – it was the only way she would sleep.  I read up on all of the literature, and found ways to make it work safely.  I’ve been a little nervous about doing it with the Peanut, though.  I don’t know if he just seems littler, or what it is, but I’ve had anxiety about bedsharing.  But, due to breastfeeding, I wanted to have him close to me at night, so I didn’t want to put him in his nursery in a crib yet.  I wanted a safe, separate space where he could sleep that was close to the bed – because, let’s be honest.  I’m lazy.  I don’t want to get up out of bed fifteen times a night to nurse him, I want him to be close by.

Enter the Arm’s Reach mini co-sleeper (LINK).  We received ours as a gift from family, but they currently run about $169.  There is also a larger size, but I wanted the smaller one so that I could still easily get in and out of bed around it after my C-section.  

The Arm’s Reach has two modes in which it can be used.  It can be set up as a free-standing bassinet, totally separate from the bed.  We’d used it that way for the first six weeks of Pickle’s life, and it worked well –but I still had to get up and out of bed to soothe or nurse her.  I knew that I wasn’t really looking for that with Peanut, so we instead set it up in the co-sleeper mode.  To use the co-sleeper mode, one of the sides of the sleeping area rolls down for easy access from your bed.  In order to ensure that the baby does not roll out and into a gap between the co-sleeper and the bed, a tether is provided that you use to attach the co-sleeper closely to the bed – it goes between the top mattress and the box spring, and has a plate that you attach on the far side of the mattress.  Thus, the co-sleeper is securely attached right beside you for easy access to the baby in the middle of the night.

At first, we had some issues with the height of the co-sleeper, as we have a tall bed.  The co-sleeper was shorter than the bed – this made me paranoid that somehow a blanket or something would fall into the co-sleeper from the bed, since there was a drop down.  I went to the Arm’s Reach website, and got some leg extenders (LINK) - they worked great.  They raised the co-sleeper up to the appropriate height, and there’s no danger of anything falling into the baby’s sleeping area.  I could hold Peanut’s hand or soothe him when he needed it without having to even stir from where I was sleeping.

He loves to prop his feet up on the side.

The sides of the co-sleeper are mesh, so they are breathable if the baby gets too close to them.  There are also pockets on either end – these have been invaluable.  Each night before bed, I load a bunch of diapers in there, as well as one of the smaller sized packs of diaper wipes, some diaper cream, a changing pad, and a peepee teepee (don’t judge, I have a pee-er).  I don’t have to even get out of bed to do a diaper change, which really accommodates my middle-of-the-night laziness.  

As the sides are fairly shallow, you want to change to another sleeping surface when the baby starts rolling.  We found a crib that converts to a daybed, and have put that in a side-car setup attached to the bed so that Peanut still has a safe surface, but I can still nurse him with maximum ease.  There was no difficulty of transition, since he was already used to a similar setup with the co-sleeper.  This is a great short-term solution to facilitating easy sleeping arrangements with a newborn, I would strongly recommend it.  There are now similar products on the market, and I’d imagine that they’d work similarly well.