1. Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit
I LOVE the Magic Sleepsuit. It really is magic. It gives Abby the feeling of being tightly swaddled, and yet she still has the freedom to move her arms and legs. She always slept really well when swaddled, and we noticed she'd also sleep well in her carseat when she was all bundled up. So when I heard about the Magic Sleepsuit, I had to try it out. The company gives a money-back guarantee that it will work, so I figured I had nothing to lose. Abby went from taking 45-minute naps to TWO-HOUR naps, three times a day. Also, it kept her nice and warm during the winter months without worrying about a blanket covering her face. The neck is scooped really low so it won't risk getting near the baby's face. They have two sizes - 3-6 months and 6-9 months. Since Abby is small for her age, we just moved up to the 6-9 size this week. I'm so happy we have a few more months of being able to use the Sleepsuit, because I'm dreading the day we have to say goodbye to it!!!
2. Summer Infant Day & Night Video Monitor
I'm not sure if this exact one is sold anymore, but we love it. In the first few months, we'd watch it religiously as Abby slept, making sure she was still breathing. It was nice to be able to see if she'd lost her pacifier, was turned awkwardly, had her duck covering her eyes, etc. If we went in her room every time we heard a noise, she'd keep waking up. Also, she'll occasionally cry out in her sleep - we just have to check the monitor to make sure she's not awake or upset. This allows us to keep an eye on her without waking her up.
We keep it plugged in at night with the video off and the audio turned way down low, and during the day the battery lasts long enough for three long naps. It also has nightvision, which is great!
This seat always gets complimented, no matter where we go. It folds up into a 12x12 bag, so I can keep it in the car without taking up any more space than a little diaper bag. It snaps together in less than one minute, and it clips onto any rigid table. There are a few instances I won't use it (e.g. if the table seems filmsy or easily toppled), but most of the time it works out perfectly. It's cleaner than most high chairs in restaurants, it can't be tipped over by someone walking by, I can have Abby sit next to me in a booth so she's out of the way and won't grab a poor waitress walking by. I never have to worry about finding a clean highchair when we go out, and since I keep it in the car, I never have to worry about forgetting it!
4. Bumbo
The Bumbo chair was great from about 1 month until 4 months of age. Once Abby could keep her head up well, we'd sit her in the Bumbo whenever we could. She loved being able to sit upright independently, and I think it helped her develop good sitting posture (she was sitting unassisted by 4 months old). I've also heard that the Bumbo can help "get things moving" if the baby is constipated (luckily we never have that issue).
5. Pacimal
We first started out with a Wubbanub - a Soothie pacifier tethered to a little stuffed animal. After my sister lost Abby's, she went out to find a replacement and could only find a Pacimal... and I'm so glad that's all she could find! I love the Pacimal much more than the Wubbanub. The animal can come apart from the pacifier, so both can be washed independently of one another. Also, you can buy an adapter to make the animal attach to any pacifier you'd like (though Abby has always preferred the one that comes with it). When you wean the baby from the pacifier, the animal can serve as a "lovey" and soothe the baby without the use of a paci. We also have three of them - one stays in the car, one stays in the crib, and the third one is an extra, "just in case".
This toy is a lifesaver. It is a walker that's tethered to a play table, so Abby can walk around in circles to play with any of the 11 activities, and we don't have to worry about her getting into things she would otherwise reach with a regular walker. She's always entertained and can move from station to station as she pleases. I think it's also helped her develop her walking skills really early on!!! And as she gets older, the walker can be removed and it serves as a play table for toddlers!
8. Fisher Price Rock N' Play Sleeper
Of all the baby items we've ever owned, this is one of my all-time "musts" for any new parent. It is a little rocker with an inclined seat, so it can help babies with acid reflux. It is safe to use as a bassinet overnight. It doesn't need batteries. It has a safety belt to keep babies from falling out. It is extremely lightweight and yet very sturdy. It folds flat, so you can easily move in from room to room. It is a LIFESAVER, especially if you need to make a quick trip to the bathroom. Abby was perfectly content to sit and rock in this chair for hours at a time as a newborn.
9. Moby Wrap
The Moby Wrap is a versatile wrap that allows you to wear your baby in a bunch of different ways. You always tie it on the same way, but depending on how you tuck your baby in, you can hold them in a cradle position, an over-the-shoulder position, or even a front-facing carry. Abby went through a phase when she was about 6 weeks old where she'd cry at the same time every night. The only thing that would soothe her was being walked around in the Moby Wrap. I don't use it as much anymore, only because I've transitioned her to the Ergo Baby Carrier (another great baby item!) since it can be worn on the front, back or even side, but every now and then I'll tie it on and wear her around the house.
Moby:
Ergo:
10. Go Baby Go! Crawl and Cruise Musical Jungle
This item is no longer sold in stores, but I found one in brand new condition for $20 on Craigslist. It is Abby's favorite toy! She can pull herself up on it, cruise around it, play with the animals, throw the balls, and dance to the music. It keeps her entertained for a long time, and I can see it staying that way for months!!!
This high chair is great. It has four settings - regular high chair, high chair on a kitchen chair, booster seat on a kitchen chair, and toddler seat. The high chair can detach from the base and can reattach to a regular kitchen chair. The base can then convert to a toddler chair. There's also a booster seat attachment that can go on a kitchen chair, too. So basically this high chair can be used by two kids at a time. It's also really easy to clean, either by wiping it down with a damp cloth (I did that just before taking the first picture below, which is why it looks shiny) or popping it in the washing machine. The tray comes off and can be washed easily, and there's also a smaller tray underneath (which we haven't used yet). There's a cupholder, too! I also like that the tray has a plastic piece that goes between Abby's legs, so if I put her in it and she's wriggly, I don't have to worry about her slipping through the bottom before I get a chance to strap her in. And the straps are easy to use, too - there's a 5-point harness that can convert to a 3-point harness as she gets older. And the straps easily come off and can be washed in the washing machine, too.
Before Abby was born, I always told people "I'm going to have her in her crib from day 1, and she won't be in our bedroom". Well, I didn't know what I was talking about. Abby was in our room in a Pack N' Play for 3 months, and I loved it. The best part about this particular Pack N' Play was the newborn napper and the vibration feature. There's a vibrating box that connects to a control panel, and you can turn it on at different levels. As the baby moves to the bassinet and then the lower setting, you can move the vibrator to the different spots where she'll be laying. Unfortunately we lost the vibrator box when we went to Cape Cod when Abby was 2 months old. But it was great while it lasted.
The newborn napper is a soft, cozy cradle that connects to the top of the Pack N' Play. It kept Abby right at my level when I was in bed, so I could easily check on her. The Pack N' Play also had a nightlight, so with the press of a button I could check on her in the middle of the night without waking her up.
These light muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling! I used these the most when Abby was a newborn - they're square, so you can get a perfect swaddle without ending up with excess material. They're also a little stretchy, so you can tighten them around the baby as much as you need. Target sells A+A blankets for about $10 less, but they're a little smaller (maybe 2 inches on each side) and from what I've heard they're a little thinner. You can get a 4-pack, which will give you one for the house, one for the car, one for the stroller, and one for the diaper bag! They're light enough that the baby won't overheat in the summer, but thick enough to keep them warm in the winter. These are great blankets!!!
This $20 tent was a lifesaver last summer! It was nice and cool in the shade of the tent, and it had plenty of airflow to keep Abby comfortable. It was also private enough for me to nurse her on the beach (though we had to drape a towel under the front to give me a little more cover. It's roomy enough for an adult to sit in it, and it was so easy to put together!!! I can't wait to use it again this summer!
I loved this infant seat. Although Abby is well within the size limitations (30 pounds or 30 inches, whichever comes first), I've moved her to the convertible car seat, just because it seems a little bit roomier. But the Chicco seat is really easy to install, especially if your car has a LATCH system. There's a little handle in the back that you lift to release the seat from the base/stroller, and the belts are really easy to buckle, too. The infant seat is a little heavier than the Graco, but we went with Chicco because this seat had the best ratings on Consumer Reports, and I'm very happy with our decision. It's also easy to take apart so you can machine wash the fabric, and the Cortina stroller is also great to get in addition to the infant seat.
And of course, no Abby A Day post is complete without a picture from today!!! I let Abby try some pickled herring, to see if she has a taste for Jewish food...
I guess not!!!
And how cute is this outfit I picked out for her at the Carter's outlet last weekend?
She must've still had the herring taste in her mouth...
I did something similar today on Momfish! :) I love the pictures of her in a sleep suit & the Bumbo - her faces are so cute. Love her!
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