Feeding Baby on the Go - Boon Spoon

This nifty little invention is a savior for parents bringing baby around town for the day.  I used to have to carry a baby jar of food and a spoon in a zip lock bag wherever we went.  This spoon is fabulous - it holds 3 ounces of baby food, and you simply squeeze to get the right amount on the spoon - then feed each bite.  I hear the boon spoon is also great for independent feeding because it's not as messy as using the bowl.   Many parents buy two so they could use while traveling for the day.  The Boon Spoon retails around $7.50 and you can find it at Babies R Us, or buy it here through our Amazon store for baby essentials. 

Funky Rug/Play Mat Doesn't Cramp Your Style

This is our new favorite baby item.  If you live in an apartment with wood floors, or a not-so-baby friendly rug, you find yourself at a crossroads once your little one starts to spend more time on the floor.  With limited ABC and 123 rainbow playmats to choose from, we are happy stylish Skip Hop decided that parents need not foresake personal style for romper room decor.  These neutral green and brown interlocking foam tiles are perfect for baby to roll around on and match most modern furniture styles.  Unfortunately, if you have a dog with clickety claws, you will most definitely get dents in the foam, but it's better than nothing.  This mat easily wipes down with a wet cloth and can be vacumed as well.  A bit pricier than most playmats at $79.00, think of it as a pseudo rug that works for both you and babe. 

Blinking Light From Baby Monitor Wakes Up Baby

My latest dilemma is that my 4.5 month old still wakes up at least 4 times in the middle of the night.  I am thinking that her baby monitor, which is the Safety First High Def Digital Monitor is either waking her up when she's in light sleep, or just preventing her from falling back to sleep when she wakes up.  I suspect this because when I click on the monitor to see the video, she is often staring right at me. 

The Safety First Digital Monitor does have its perks - no one else can see your little one, the range is 650 feet, the picture is super crisp and all our wireless networks and cordless phones and cell phones don't interfere with the reception.  But, the battery life is atrocious and this blinking light is starting to piss me off. 

If any of you have babies who don't sleep through the night and have a video monitor that lights up the room, think of ways you can eliminate this problem.  I plan on sticking a piece of paper over the light and taping it to the monitor. 

Baby Gladiator Sandals

I just had to write up a post about these adorable gladiator sandles that I saw online today from Bundle's online store.  I think these are THE BABY GIRL shoe of the spring/summer.  I am ordering a pair for my daughter and she can't even walk yet, but she can look hip and stylish in her long flowy spring dresses and gold gladiator sandals.   The Bundle store is located downtown at 128 Thompson Street, and has an amazing selection of hip, cool items for little one but you can order some product online at www.bundlenyc.com.  These sandles retail at $44 but they are sooooo worth it. 

Bumbo Foam Seat for Babies who Can't Yet Sit

We recently bought a Bumbo seat for our little girl.  Does she look happy to you?  My husband and I were looking for a way for our daughter to join us at the dinner table.  We'd be using the seat exactly against the recommended safety guidelines.  The Bumbo seat was recalled in 2007 for several skull fractures that took place when the seat was set table top.  Parents - stop leaving your babies unattended.  I am more concerned about babies sitting up before they are ready to.  My daughter seemed uncomfortable in the Bumbo.  I think part of the problem might be her chunky thighs.  They are too thick for the Bumbo to handle and she just seems stuck in there.  I'd be curious to hear from any other parents who use this seat.  So far, she can sit in it patiently for maybe a maximum of 5 minutes.

Great Baby Toy for a 4 Month Old

Most parents, or friends of parents with babies in the 3-4 month range wonder what baby toys would appeal to and delight their little ones.  I have often found myself googling "playing with a 4 month old" on the internet.  This age group is tough because the babies are just starting to amuse themselves - with their fingers, feet, strands of your hair...but not old enough to focus for long periods of time and don't have the dexterity and agility to push some of the interactive toys on the market with accuracy required to get them to light up or make noise.   The best toy we have for our daughter is Freddie the Fire Fly by Lamaze.  Freddie delights in that he is bright, multi-textured, has crinkly wings that are black and white patterned, a velvety soft body, a mirror underneath a wing, has teething rings..and a plastic pull out piece from the pocket of another wing...lots and lots to discover in one small toy that our little girl plays with and never tires of.  Freddie retails at $14.99 and is available at Toys R Us or any other number of baby stores in your area. 

Battle of the Swings

So, I'm the type of mom that likes everything to be shiny and new.  I think I suffer from "New Mom" syndrome but I am slowly recovering.  They say that babies either like the swing or the bouncer, well our baby liked neither. When I was selecting items for my baby registry, I thought this Graco Swing and Bouncer 2-in-1 swing was the answer.  It looked sleek and new and it seemed to match our furniture, which in a small apartment is key when trying not to look like you are running romper room day care.  Anyway, the Graco swing has just sat there for the last 3 months because our daughter cried every time she sat in it.  I think the problem was that it had too much of an incline for her small back.  She has reflux and is sensitive to sitting upright, hunched, down on her back - basically any position.  Well, back to the swing.  When I was pregnant, my girlfriend gave me her old Fisher Price Cradle Swing.  It sat in our storage room this entire time.  Why?  Because it was kind of old and run down. Finally, we brought it upstairs and assembled it this past weekend. What happened was we had a HAPPY BABY sitting in a swing.  So, learn from my mistakes and don't get that Graco swing.  I think it may come in handy around 4-5 months when babies have an easier time sitting up, but for the early months - the cradle swings are the way to go in my opinion.  What do you think?  We still use the Graco as a bouncer seat and put our daughter in it on the table while we eat dinner - but that's about it.  

Baby Distractor

I love this portable mobile from Tiny Love.  My little girl hates being bundled and going out for a walk.  Especially now that she is finally at the age (10 weeks) where she actually looks around and assesses her surroundings.  I have the Bugaboo Cameleon and I use the Bassinet right now.  Well, she is bored and angry whenever we leave the house.  I spent the first few walks with her screaming for half the way until finally exhausted, she falls asleep.  Just last week,  I attached the Clip and Go Tiny Mobile to the top of the canopy and it's a whole different story.  She still is agitated after being bundled but stops crying once we get going and the mobile turns on.  Now, I'm not saying this is a 100% fix, nor do I think it will work for babies less than 8 weeks who don't seem to care at all about mobiles.  It didn't work for her several weeks ago.  But, it's my best friend and companion right now.  

Activity Gym for Babies with Pets or Dirty Carpets

If you are like us and have a dog and a small NYC apartment, you find yourself scrambling for areas to put your little one down for tummy time.  Our carpet is always covered in dog hair and most playmats seem too open. Also, whenever I put my daughter on the floor our dog finally sees his opportunity to get his slimey kisses in.  I recently discovered this great compromise.  "Bright Starts Baby's Play Place" has collapsable borders that keep baby contained in an enclosed environment.  It's meant to adapt to your baby's growing developmental needs as they eventually crawl and sit.  The mat is $79.99 at Toys R Us but I found it for $68.00 at Walmart.  

 

Petit Bateu Side and Bottom Snap Onesies

Okay, so as a new mom (my little bub is 2 1/2 months old), I am really reluctant to put anything over her head.  Yes, I know she will get used to it and I'll get more comfortable handling her little fontanelles but when she is cranky and hungry and has spit up allover her 3rd outfit of the day - these amazing onesies from Petit Bateu are a lifesaver.  For one, they offer the benefits of a onesie as opposed to a side snap tee that rides up all the time and ends up around my little one's armpits.  And more importantly, I don't have to mess with her head which makes the $16 price tag sooooo worth it.  They sell them at the Greenstones on 1st Avenue between 73rd and 74th, but not at Lester's.  Or you could just go to the Petit Bateu on Madision.  Or check out their site and buy them online at Petit Bateu.