I was just wondering how to give all of our new and soon-to-be Moms some Mom-tested ideas, for what they're worth ... and then I thought, aha, why not blog it - and then other Moms can add their agreement, disagreement, or alternate suggestions if they are so inclined!! So here are some things I didn't know the first thing about 3 years ago ... I admit that the list will have a 6 month to 2 years slant to it (I don't remember much before that!!!)
1) Bouncy Seat (Toriana didn't like swinging and didn't really like rocking, but loved to bounce or be walked ... so this was a lifesaver for me!)
2) Chicco hippo travel seat - our "only" highchair until very recently - very portable, works nearly everywhere. Washable. Love it.
3) The BOB. With the Infant attachment. For any active Mom who plans on putting lots of miles on her stroller with Green Lake laps (or who anticipates off-roading on gravel and grass such as at convention), this stroller's for you. Easy maneuvering (2008 model and newer) means independently getting in and out of stores and bathroom doors, even. =)
4) Stainless steel child-sized silverware - a thousand times easier to use than the little plastic spoons once they hit age one and start to get some coordination
5) SecureTech Cabinet Lock from One Step Ahead - $5.95 ... so get a few of these for cabinets you're constantly using. Otherwise use a 5 pack of cheapos from Target and every time you wrestle one open, feel thankful that they are not securing the cabinet that gets used 3 times/day!
6) Keekaroo chair from Overstock ... comparable to the Tripp Trapp chair but at less than half the price ... only one color option but holds up to 250 lbs and is a GREAT way for Toriana to help me in the kitchen - she's counter high without sitting on it (which we tried ... I didn't like having to anticipate a tumble every second!) Perfect "grow with me" chair for using at the table once your toddler starts outgrowing the Chicco travel seat.
7) Backing up: from age 0 until 1 year, I was so glad we had the baby bath tub - the kind with netting for babies ... made this first time mama breathe much easier when it came time to bathe the itty bitty slippery baby bear! As time went on, she laid in it w/o the net and then eventually sat and splashed very happily in the whole tub ... thanks to Tyson's birth we graduated to the big tub and loaned ours out, but that was a sad day for Toriana - she loved it!
And then there is the Moby Wrap. I don't have a strong opinion to post regarding carriers - the Moby came in handy early on. The Baby Bjorn was easier to operate, more supportive, but the least comfortable for Toriana - seemed like it made her hips or legs hurt? Now, I love our loaner Ergo Carrier with Toriana on my back. I've heard that it has an infant attachment - so maybe with that it could be your "one" piece of equipment? I am SO much in favor of less instead of more when it comes to filling our house with soon-to-be-outgrown baby gear!!
So otherwise, for you local moms ... you should know that there is a daily 11:00 story time at Mockingbird Books by Green Lake. They have great music classes with Katy at the Green Lake community center for 6 months plus. I hear good things about the Mountlake Terrace swim classes - we'll start our first one on Friday (and the Waterbabies ones on the East Side). And my current fave consignment shop is Childish Things in Greenwood ... If you're wanting to go mall shopping, Southcenter's remodel yielded the coolest "family room" I've ever seen at a mall - check it out!
So, far from exhaustive, but nevertheless perhaps exhausting to read, there is my list! Ta ta!
5 comments:
So I can only say -- WHAT IS ALL THAT STUFF?!?! LOL! The options were much less when mine was a baby! Congrats to all the newer ones, though!:)
I can add:
Bumbo seat
Sling
And I'll vouch for the Ergo carrier. It's comfortable front/back, dad friendly (there are cuter similar carriers, but not exactly man-friendly prints)easy to pack along, easy to use, and easy to adjust between different sized wearers. Does not work well for the newborn-3/4 months. Is working well now even though I'm pregnant and the toddler weighs over 25 pounds.
And as the baby gets older, three toys that get used daily and have been used daily for months:
1) LeapFrog animal match magnet toy
2) Doll stroller and/or shopping cart
3) Musical play table
I can also say that the Ergo is the only way to go for carriers. I tried the Moby but it didn't work at all for me. I used the Ergo from day 1 with Mack...I had the infant insert. It is also very comfortable for long hikes.
A must is a portable high chair...I agree with you! And another thing we could not live w/out is our jogger. I've probably put 10,000+ miles on it and it is still going strong...Dreamer Design brand.
I also have to recommend the Britax brands for car seats for toddlers. We love our Marathon and it is very cozy for the kids. We also have a booster for Cohen and it is great too.
I recommend a jumparoo. Mack loved his used Fisher Price for ages 4 mo to 1 year.
A mobile for the crib can be a life saver too. My kids all liked their's for the first few months...helped me get a shower!
This is great Jill!
Great additions to the list Moms - thanks! One more suggestion: if you have a toy/gadget that seems like a dud, keep it a month or two and try it again - it may be a complete success the 2nd time around! (in our experience: see Bumbo seat!)
oh my...your list actually gave me a piles-of-baby-gear-flashback-panic-attack! I'm so glad I'm getting out of this phase and have gotten rid of most of it...I'm ready to toss the highchairs out the back door too on most days! lol!! btw..I totally agree on the "real" silverware...at least for my kids, it works better! :)
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