Mommy's Favorites

At almost 9 months Jeremiah seems to be too old for some of his baby toys and too young for the next batch of toys.  The rattles and keys don't keep his interest long anymore.  He's not quite sure yet what to do with the blocks and cars.  He does have some toys with beads that he likes, and he seems to like little things that spin.

We have found three toys though that seem to keep his interest for extended periods of time.

The first toy is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn House.  It has so many different parts for them to figure out and play with.  He started out just being able to spin some things on the front of it.  I was amazed at how quick he progressed to doing other things.  He opens and closes the door, opens the mailbox and pulls out the mail, rings the doorbell, and opens and shuts the window.  He plays with it almost every day.  There is still more for him to learn and discover as he gets older.  It is bulky and takes up a lot of space in our living room, but it is a must have in my opinion.  (You can sometimes find these on Craigslist for cheap.  That is how I picked up mine at a good price.) Some of the stores don't seem to be carrying it anymore so it might be discontinued soon.

The second toy is the Learn and Groove table.  As you push and pull the levers it plays music and sings songs.  You can take the legs off so little ones can use it too.  Jeremiah started using it while laying down and now uses it sitting up.
It has been fun watching him learn to push, slide, spin, open, etc. all the little gadgets on this.  I have seen these in most church nurseries so they must be popular. This has been one of our go to toys when we need to keep him occupied for a few minutes.

The last of my current favs is the Rumble and Learn Driver also by Fisher Price.  Jeremiah has the gear shifter down, but still hasn't learned to use a lot of the features.  He thinks it is fun non the less.  He tends to honk the horn with his mouth instead of his hands and steers with his feet.  Very fun toy and cute songs.

BreathableBaby Bumpers: I looked into these bumpers before Miah was born.  They weren't quite as cute as the traditional bumpers so I went with a regular bumper instead.  That was great for the first several months.  Then Miah became mobile.  He became very active in his crib at a young age.  I would lay him down at one end and find him at the other end 2 hours later.  He would wiggle his way out of his sleep wedge in nothing flat.  It concerned me, however, that I often came in to find him sleeping with his face smashed against the bumper.  After several days of this I decided it was time to value safety over fashion.

The breathable bumper still looks nice, and now I have the peace of mind that he is safe even if he wants to sleep against the sides.  (He did manage to get his foot out between the slats one day by pushing the bumper down with his foot.  Overall, I still think it is the safest option.)

Here is what Amazon says about them:

• Reduces the risks of suffocation, entanglement and climbing
• Soft and padded, keeps little limbs safely inside
• Easy-wrap design; adjustable to fit cribs with slatted ends, attaches easily with hook and loop fasteners, no dangerous ties
• Collapses to prevent climbing, patented and safety evaluated

They also make breathable blankets and are in the process of making wearable blankets and other products.
BreathableBaby.com

Nasal Clear Nasal Aspirator: Anyone who has tried to use the blue rubber aspirators probably understands what we went through when Miah had a cold.  We knew using the aspirator would make him feel better, but try convincing him of that.  The process took two of us.  One to hold him down and the other to try to suck the snot as he screamed and trashed about.  The tears would stream down his face.  I decided it was easier (on mom anyway) to leave him congested. 

Then I saw the nasal clear aspirator on a website.  It had multiple reviews saying that children actually liked to use this aspirator.  It sounded impossible, but I was desperate and willing to give it a shot. 

We read the instructions, turned on the music (the aspirator plays tunes), and headed towards or little one with the loud battery operated snot sucker.  To our amazement he just sat there totally still and didn't make a sound.  No screaming, no tears, no thrashing. 

To be honest I have no idea why kids like this.  The blue traditional bulb seems much less scary to me, but beyond all reason my child is another one of many who actually likes this contraption.  If you have a child that hates those standard aspirators, this really is worth the $20.  When they don't feel good they are miserable enough.  This will make life easier for you and for them.

Little Noses Saline Spray/Drops for Dry for Stuffy Noses, 1-Ounce (30 ml) (Pack of 6)- We used these saline drops with the aspirator which makes it work even better

Eurobath: Miah started sitting up recently which caused me to start rethinking bath time.  I had been bathing him on this great little bath pillow.  It had worked really well for the first 6 months.  It kept him warm and he never fussed during his bath.  Now he wanted to sit up and play and I wasn't too excited about the idea of sitting on the floor holding him while my legs fell asleep.

I started looking into all my options.  I found bath bumpers, inflatable tubs, non slip mats and bath rings.  I read review after review and wasn't finding anything that seemed like a great option.  The inflatable tubs were seeming like a good option, but I would still have to hang on to him to make sure he didn't fall over and end up under water.  The bath ring reviews said they dug into the baby's legs and were hard to open.

I must have looked at more than a dozen products before I came across the Eurobath.  The reviews on this product were amazing (638 ratings of 5 star on Amazon).  I read through several pages of reviews on this product and decided I had to have one.  This tub has many great features.  First of all, it has two sides - one for babies and one for unassisted sitters.  The baby side reclines and contours to their body.  I used this side the other day when my little one had a tummy ache.  This way he could recline and relax. The other side is shaped so that they can sit up unassisted and won't fall down.  It is contoured between their legs to keep them upright.  Now Miah can spend as long as he wants playing in the bath and I can sit and watch him without having to hold on.  Miah likes that their is plenty of room for his tub toys and they can't float too far out of his reach.  He also likes that the water comes up to his chest to keep him warm while he plays.  Mommy likes that it is easy to clean and takes less water than a normal tub.  (For those of you with small tubs like mine, the dimensions say it is 21" wide but our tub is 19" and it fits fine.  I just leave it in the tub when not in use.  It is also really light if you need to move it occasionally.)

If you're child wants to play for long periods of time in the tub like mine does, then this is a must have item.

PRIMO EuroBath Pearl White- Our new tub
Leachco Safer Bather - Infant Bath Pad - Blue Fish - The bath pad we used until now and loved
Tubtime Tugboat- Miah's favorite tub toys
The First Years Sit and Store Parent Bathing Seat and Stepstool - We don't have this but it looks like it would be a great addition.  It can be used for sitting by the tub, storing toys/soap, and as a step stool.

Huggies Snug & Dry: These are the best diapers, and most moms I have talked to agree.  I asked a ton of moms when I was pregnant what diapers they use.  The overwhelming majority was Huggies.  They hold a ton and seldom leak.  When you start getting blow outs it is time to move up a size.  Costco seems to have the best price (starting at size 2) but Walmart's price is almost as good.
Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 5 (Over 27 Lbs), Disney, Pack of 112 Diapers


Butt Paste: This product was recommend to me by a mom, and it is the only thing we have used to prevent diaper rash.  It works great.  Goes on and wipes off easily.  We used this daily when he was a newborn and he never got diaper rash.  Now we use it when his bottom is a little red and it makes it better quickly.
Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Diaper Rash Ointment, Tube 4 oz (113 g)


Diaper Genie II Elite: We had a Diaper Genie II and loved it.  Totally controls odor and the refills aren't that expensive.  However with the regular one you had to stuff the diaper through an opening with your hand and hope you didn't get any on you.  I tried the Elite version at church and it was so much better.  It has a foot pedal which opens it.  You just drop it in and take your foot off the pedal to close it.  Spend the extra and get the Elite if you can.  If not, get the regular version. If you are concerned about the cost of the refill bags I heard that some just use the diaper genie for poopy diapers and use a regular garbage can for the rest. 
Diaper Genie II Elite Pail System
Diaper Genie II Refills - Pack of 3
Diaper Genie II Pail System
 

There are so many great baby products out there.  This blog is dedicated to those that make life easier or more fun for baby and for mommy.  I love that thanks to the internet I can read a review before I purchase a product and see what other mom's think.  This website is along that same line.  I have found a lot of great stuff in the past few months of being a mom and wanted to share the ones that I think are gems.  Hopefully you moms will find some items that you would not have otherwise found that will bless you and your little ones.  If you have a must have mommy or baby item let me know.  I'm always looking for that next great find.