Top Five Essential Non-Essential Baby Items

When I was researching baby products, I was really hoping to find more blogs out there with suggestions on exactly what baby items I needed to buy.  That proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated.  So here we go...a top ten list of must have baby items (the essential non-essentials) that I think should be on any baby registry (in no particular order). These are items that I guess I could live without, but I can't imagine a life without them.

1. Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies Deluxe Gym

Especially when you have a baby who doesn't enjoy to nap, this baby gym is a great place to sit baby and let him  play while you work on chores nearby.  The key to this gym is the lights and sound. This electronic stimulation was key to gaining Ethan's attention when he was too young to really play with the toys. We have another baby gym that is not battery powered. I love that too, but it is better suited for quiet playtime now that Ethan is older. What could make this gym better? The butterflies could move! It's also a lot more fun the more and more you can find to hang on it. Lots of Links are a great start to adding your own accessories. So are Sassy Bugs on Board. Be creative! The price point for this gym seems to move all over the board. Make sure to be a savvy consumer and look for coupons, sales, or bargains!

2. Boppy Pillow

A Boppy pillow has been an invaluable item for us. Boppy pillows are marketed for a number of different uses, but it's best use is for lounging! Since Ethan was days old we used it as a safe comfortable place to sit him down. Even at 5 months old, it's still a great place for him to lay quietly and watch football on Sunday and Monday evenings. It's an important part of our night time (and sometimes nap time) routine. It's where Ethan lounges and has his evening bottle. Of course, they make a bunch of pretty and fun covers to customize them. Make sure to have an extra cover so there is always an extra ready to go!

3. Fisher Price Newborn to Toddler Rocker
I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I love our Fisher Price Newborn to Toddler Rocker. It's invaluable in our house. You can read more in my previous post entitled "The Chair."

4. Sleep sheep and/or sound machine
I've talked about my love for the sleep sheep before as well. You can read more in my previous post. If not a Sleep Sheep, any type of sound machine is a great investment. We have another variety of sleep machine that plugs in and runs all night. We really enjoy that as well. Anything to help baby sleep is amazing in my book! There is a travel version of the Sleep Sheep as well for when you're on the go!

5. Jeep Baby Carrier

Our baby carrier was freeing for me. It allows me to go out and be completely mobile and take baby everywhere with little fuss or hassle. The bottom line however, is that baby carriers are expensive! The Jeep carrier is great however, and is completely affordable. After you get the hang of it, the carrier can be taken on and off by yourself. It's easy to adjust the strap length to switch between adults. Baby can face either in or out, and can be carried safely from 8-26 pounds. The padded straps are very comfortable and make carrying very easy. Most importantly, I always feel like Ethan is very snug and secure in this carrier. I've also found that it washes well. We machine wash with cold water on gentle and hang to dry without any problem. Fantastic carrier at an even more fantastic price!


So that's my top 5.  There are so many more. What are your favorites?  I'd love to make my life easier!!!

Sing, Sing a Song

In my last post I began to mention that Ethan likes to sing. I usually sing to him while he's eating his cereal to try and keep him from getting bored. The last two evenings, he sang to me!

Let's Sit and Read...and Sing!

Yes, both.  Christmas evening Ethan decided it was about time that he could sit by himself.  He's come a long way very quickly since then.

Look what I can do Grandpa!

So big and tall!

He's a big fan of books too.  He loves to read, and Ethan was super lucky to get so many great books for Christmas.  We read a lot at home, and they read multiple books everyday at daycare.  The colorful images on the pages and the sing-songy rhymes are pretty good at keeping his attention.

Ethan started daycare on Monday.  So far, I couldn't be happier with the program.  He seems super happy there and seems to really enjoy the interaction with the adults and kids alike.  Being a learning center, they do all sorts of great things with the kids.  They read, sing, play instruments, dance.  He scooted though an obstacle course on his belly today, and made his first refrigerator art.  Ethan also was introduced to sign language for the first time today.  They are working on "more," "please," and "cold." All the teachers at daycare comment on how happy he is...even on his first day! We're so proud of how well he is adjusting.  He's even NAPPING!!

Speaking of napping, we started "sleep training" last week. I can't believe it, but it actually seems to be working! When Ethan wakes up at night, we work really hard to get him to fall back asleep without a bottle, rubbing or patting his back in his crib.  The goal is for him to fall back asleep, and if not, to at least delay the feeding by a half hour. When he calms down, we let him fuss in his crib until he falls back to sleep.  If he gets upset again, we go back in and start over. Repeat until he sleeps or until the half hour is up, whichever is first. The hope is that the next night, he wakes up at the new postponed time instead of his "regularly scheduled feeding."  Well, so far so good. He sleeps better and better every night. Last night he didn't wake up for a bottle after 10pm.  I'm sure being worn out by all the school fun is helping too, but I will say that it was working even before he started his busy weeks. If nothing else, he is definitely doing much much better at falling asleep on his own. Now to see how long it lasts...Until then, I will enjoy my zzzzzz's.

Baby's First Christmas

Well, the holiday has now come and gone. Of course, it's always bittersweet to see the holiday pass. For anyone who says that four months old is too young to enjoy the holiday, I say "bah humbug!" Sure, Ethan may not understand, but we made sure to let him take delight in every aspect that we could. He was a huge fan of our Christmas tree. How can you not adore those magical brightly colored twinkle lights and shiny ornaments? He was able to rip the paper off his gifts and was often fascinated by the bold colors of the gifts inside. He loved the sound of the crinkling tissue paper, and tasted his first Christmas bow. Even though many of the gifts are a bit advanced for him (many of them rated at 6-9 months) he still enjoyed the noises they made. It was a busy holiday for a little guy. Two Christmases. One Christmas Eve, one Christmas day, one January 2nd. Not to mention a weekend visit from Aunt Karen and other small gatherings. I can't begin to detail our first Christmas adventure, but I can definitely say that Ethan loved the attention and the smiling faces he saw. He thinks some of our friends and family are pretty darn funny!  (and he's probably right!)

Santa also gifted Ethan the following week off work with Mommy.  The week is not all fun and games though.  We started the week with a sick Mommy (again!) and then a sick Ethan. We continue the week with numerous meetings and appointments. We closed on our house refinance, met with daycare, and got a new shower installed (just to name a few). Ethan also got his second round of four month shots. He had no rash, and showed no signs of any complications. Hurray!!!! No matter how hectic, Ethan and I really enjoyed our time together. He can be quite the Momma's boy, and of course, I encourage it! :)

Now the new year begins and brings exciting things for our little man.  First change? Ethan begins daycare! Until now he's been spending his days at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was fantastic to spend his days with family until he got "a little older" and we are blessed that he had that opportunity. However, if a baby can be described as social, Ethan fits the description. He's going to love the interaction and should thrive on their focus on learning and development. I am also looking into new and fun activities for Ethan. A mommy and me yoga class perhaps? Swimming classes? Baby gym? Only time and some careful exploration will tell!

Wishing everyone a great new start in 2011!

Catch up!

I haven't posted anything in awhile. It's been a busy few weeks.

Ethan had his first round of four month shots and his follow up appointment at Dupont Children's Hospital. He's been cleared for any return visits to Delaware, and the Walking Pneumonia is still the prime suspect for his 9 month hospitalization. He's growing big and tall. Now a whopping 26 inches, putting him in the 90th percentile for his height!

In the past few weeks, we've been though a four month growth spurt, complete with sleep regression. (Full nights of sleep--I miss you, please come back soon!) Ethan is also working on teething (poor little guy).

On the fun side of things, Ethan's big personality just keeps getting bigger and bigger. My favorite new trait is his desire, nay ability, to own the room. He's a rock star. He loves going out in public so he can solicit attention from passers by. He'll even resort to letting out loud happy screams, look around mischievously to see who looked at him, and flash them his winning smile. It's very deliberate. The world is wrapped around his little finger, and that's just the way he likes it!

He's also dying to be mobile. He's so close he can taste it. Of course, as I have mentioned before, he can walk assisted. Putting him down on the floor and letting him toddle to the thing he wants to investigate is quite amusing and interesting. It sure solves a lot of "what do you want?" mysteries. He's also starting to roll around quite a bit. He's long since mastered rolling onto his side, but occasionally makes it over to his belly, and sometimes from belly to back. I take back any comments about him not wanting to crawl. The fire in his eyes has ignited. He's a quick learner. It will be soon soon.

Oh, and he's eating baby cereal! It was love at first bite! Some nights are more of a struggle than others, but it is helping him sleep a little better at night, so it's worth it. Sometimes he fusses, sometimes he grabs your hands and jams the spoon in his mouth. We all have our moods I suppose!

So, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Santa is coming early this year, and we're celebrating with my family tomorrow. Stay tuned as photos are sure to follow!  Here's a sneak peek from our holiday so far:

Happy Holidays!!!!! :) :) :)

I got a brand new pair of roller skates...

If you've spent time with Ethan, you know how extremely high energy he is.  I love this HP commercial, and it reminds me of Ethan every time (seriously, I now know not to get him a walker). Good job HP.

Enjoy!

Wall Decor

It's been awhile since I've written a post about something other than Ethan's growth and development.   I've been meaning to add this how-to, but imagine... slacking when you're adjusting to life with an infant!

This is a name banner that I made for Ethan's room.  I had seen these letter banners sold by The Land of Nod.

I liked them, however they didn't really seem to fit the nursery.  Additionally, I hate paying for something that I can easily do myself.  I wanted to stick with an animal theme for the letters.  I started in the scrap book section at the craft store, and purchased a few animal print pages. I used the computer, picked a letter style, and typed out ETHAN in a large font size (I believe I used 72pt).  I printed out the letters, traced them, and cut them out.  Stopping now would make the paper too flimsy, and leave it prone to curling over time.  To give the letters strength and shine, I used a spray on acrylic spray (a matte spray would reduce the amount of shine). The acrylic should be applied to both sides of the letters to keep them nice, solid, and without curl.  Then it's just the trusty hot glue gun and some ribbon.  I used a sheer white ribbon to not clash with the animal print, but some pretty polka-dot ribbon could be really nice with some bright patterned letters. 

Anyway, its a great way to add some good fun on the cheap!