Movin' On Up

a long long time ago, Baby C barely fit into her Maxi Cosi Cabrio Fix:

8 months later, C still barely fits into the Cabrio Fix...this time, for the opposite reason--she's HUGE!

When Baby R outgrew her Cabrio Fix, the twin bought her a new seat. It seemed like everyone, especially R, loved it. Their recommendation was enough for us and we decided on Tuesday to get C the Chili Pepper Maxi Cosi Priori.

We couldn't believe it when it showed up at our door two days later! J got to work installing it and C took her first ride in it today. Looks like C is a fan!

Look for a review on the Maxi Cosi Cabrio Fix soon!

Woodchuck in the Bed

Forget "Monkeys on the Bed"--it is now Woodchucks-In-The-Bed.

I thought it was kind of cute when we found her standing up in the crib. She thought it was hilarious and was so proud of herself. I snapped a picture then called J in to the nursery so that he could drop the crib.

End of story, right? Not so much since there are always two sides to every story.

Side one is pictured above. Side two, below:

And, that's not all. Oh no. C can still stand up in her crib, therefore she can still teethe on the rails. Awesome.

So, off to Etsy I went. Seems like it is a common problem as Etsians have come up with many solutions. I think I'm going to have to buck up and buy this one to save poor C's bed from further distress. At least it matches her bedding.

And finally, I leave you with a video of C's ever-progressing walking skills. She's come a long way from last time.

Review: Baby Bjorn Little Potty

A while back, I talked about Elimination Communication (from this post). When we finally got up to the suburbs on Wednesday, the twin and I went out on a hunt for the Baby Bjorn Little Potty (here on out referred to as the BBLP). After staring at toilets in the Babies R Us store, I decided to just go with the toilet that fellow EC'ers recommended. I had a few qualms about it, mainly that it wouldn't last her for the duration of her potty training (2 years old?) and that it looked difficult to get clean. Regardless, I bit the bullet and just bought it. It was only $12, right?

C was still sleeping when we got home but Lil' Miss was up and playing (we left the girls with our mom, Mimi). Those of you who know Lil'Miss personally know that she will not sit still for anything. We thought the BBLP would be a momentary distraction and she'd be on her way. Not so much--this BBLP held her attention and she sat on it for quite some time. (note that she still has her clothes on--we weren't pottying her!).

When C woke up, we immediately placed her on the chair (prior to the BBLP, I supported her on the big-people toilet). She knew what to do and, after a few minutes, out came a gigundo #2! Amazing.

After the poo, however, I had no idea what to do with the thing. I managed to plop it into the real toilet and then rinsed it out in the bathtub. Not ideal and not what I was hoping to do everytime this circumstance occurred.

Here are pictures of the two girls on the BBLP:

So, the verdict: Do I like this potty? Well, yes and no.

Yes, it is the perfect seat for C and she doesn't mind being on it at all. It does the trick and she goes potty (usually just #2 but often #1 as well).

The downside is that it isn't very convenient to clean. I posted a new thread on Diaper Swappers (my favorite cloth diaper community website) and received a few tips from some other EC moms--like place some toilet paper in the bottom so that the deposit lands on it instead of the potty; keep an antibacterial spray nearby and squirt it down after every use; etc. I've been doing versions of those suggestions with pretty optimal results.

All in all, it sure beats holding C up while she does her duty but it is a little bit messier than just placing her on my "throne". (by the way, I think this toilet will definitely come in handy when we are on road trips (or so I hear)!)

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. We use the BBLP so much that i just wanted to share my take on it!

Review: Leap Frog Baby Learn and Groove Play Table

Countdown to 100: Post 93

When we registered for this toy, we blindly followed the reviews and recommendations of parents before us. Of course we knew that a "Top Registry Item" meant that 1000s of parents had registered for it. Just because it was top, though, did not mean that it would have correspondingly top ratings.

My mom and the twin both found the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table (the old school version, not the new high tech one) at various Resale Stores in the burbs. When I saw those and Lil Miss putting them in action, I had registry remorse. Why did I blindly follow the registry recommendations? Surely C will be developmentally behind because she does not have the Fisher Price learning table.

Well, C finally gets to the point where she can really engage with the various buttons and features on our Leap Frog table. And, amazingly, she is enthralled. To the point that she even giggles when she spies it from across the room. Maybe it is a "top reviewed" item as well!

As C gets older, this toy gets more interesting to her. I'm so glad she has it and that it entertains her. So far the A-B-C song and the 1-2-3 song are the most captivating for C. I, however, am particularly enamored with the Spanish button feature, especially when the woman in the toy sings out, "Arriba" and "Abajo". I've even taken to using those words ("High" and "Low") with C when we are playing.

Another great thing about this learning table is that kids don't get tired of it quickly. Our Bible Study leaders have a 2-year-old boy who we watched play with this very same table from the time we met him. And, in our Sunday School, kids 3.5 years of age still wander over and press all the buttons (if only we had batteries in it at church--it would be much more entertaining).

I have a feeling this toy will last us for a long time. Even J loves it

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. Baby C (and J and I) love this table so much that i just wanted to share!

Potty learning...!

So, I thought I wouldn't post anymore about C going to the bathroom on the toilet. But, when we met Mimi at the mall today and I had to go to the bathroom myself, I thought, "why not show her off?"

So, we took her into Nieman's (if only they knew!) and put her on the potty (don't worry, I cleaned it) and two seconds later, out came two little plops. Needless to say, Mimi was impressed!

side note: I actually took a picture of the next poo she made when we got home (you are probably either truly grossed out by now or beginning to realize how exciting this is for me!) but I decided to not post it. In case you are truly curious, it just looks like a mini version of what yours probably looks like :)

I think I'm going to go buy her this toilet tomorrow to celebrate her little victories...

It may look like a big chair but this mom talks about how she uses it for her little one (4 months old) to EC which is effectively what we're doing when we place C on the toilet :)

Review: Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo

A long time ago, Pre-C, I found a great deal on Craigslist for a baby papasan swing. Because J and I still only "owned" the Cabrio (tangent: I say "owned" because we did not purchase it from my parents until months after C was born despite using it for years. Thanks M&D!), I took the twin to the seller's house so that we could fit it in her nice SUV. When we got there, we found that they were also selling the above little number. They cut the twin a deal and she bought it for Lil' Miss.

We had read lots of reviews and it seemed like every single baby ever born was destined to love the jumperoo. Poor Lil' Miss, however, was a bit frightened at first...almost to the point of pooing in her pants upon entry (as remembered in this post). She eventually grew to love it and then, to outgrow it, as she became more mobile.

The twin was generous enough to let us borrow it for C. Much like her cousin, she was a bit unsure of it as well. However, she quickly caught on and became a HUGE FAN of it.

She initially loved the jumping sensation but, what is neat about this toy, like most Fisher Price toys, is that it offers different stimulation for different stages of infancy. So, while the jumping part was the basic fun feature of the toy, C soon discovered all the little doodads on it and then, wonders-of-wonders, the hanging frog and toucan. Who knew toys dangling above her head could be so exciting? Additional fun features besides the obvious are the spinning seat--C learned to tiptoe her way around in a circle because of this toy; the dragonfly teether; and the baiscs that allow you to adjust the seat and wash the seat cover (essential, in my opinion).

I will tell you that the past few times we've placed her in it, she gets excited and then quickly gets a slightly scared-get-me-out-of-here look on her face. I'm not sure if it is because she is still teething or if she is getting too mobile for it herself (sniff sniff) but it certainly was entertaining for the past three months!

I thought I had tons of pictures of C in the jumperoo but I can only find one of her that I've already posted. Hope it suffices:

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. Baby C and I love the Jumperoo so much that i just wanted to share!

Friday ramblings

Our day started at another Consignment Sale. J came with me for the first time and couldn't believe the line (I told him this was nothing...and maybe a sign that it wasn't a great sale!)

We traipsed around the sale for a long time just looking at everything. Lots of random, higher priced things. I decided to venture into another room and left J with C. When I came back, C was firmly planted on this little number, rocking away and having the time of her life:

so, we bought it. We're suckers.

C also ate banana with her hands successfully for the first time today (the other times she just smushed it):

In other news, C is 32 weeks today! This is what she looked like when she was 32 weeks in the womb. I only had a bit more than 6 weeks to go but it felt like for-evah:

Review: Baby Jogger Performance Series Jogger

I am falling in love with baby products. All of my past reviews have been raves but I really can't help but talk about the things that I love to use and therefore, use all the time. When you are using something day in and day out and it makes life with a baby easier, you can't help but fall in love with it.

This one baby product that I'm reviewing today is a brand new purchase for me but it was manufactured 7 years before Baby C was born!

As a pretty serious runner, I knew I wanted a pretty serious running stroller. I did a lot of research and discovered the Baby Jogger Performance Series Jogger.

If you clicked on that link, you found that stroller costs a lot of money. After just dishing out a lot of money for another, every-day stroller (more on that one later), I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a jogger. So, to craigslist I went! I finally found one that was really reasonable ($50!), the only downpart I could find was that it was so old.

We bought it on Thursday afternoon and I took it for a spin soon after we returned home. In fact, C and I ran to the consignment sale that I was a seller at, bought 5 toys, put them in our Ikea bag, and ran back home.

Gotta love that Ikea bag. Seriously, though, it is a great stroller. Even with all those toys and C in the seat, it felt like I was barely pushing anything. Of course, now it is snowing and I can't go running but, come sunny days, I'll be out again. Can't wait!

Please note: I was not compensated for this review (though i wish it were! sheesh that would have been nice!). This review is based on my own opinion. I love this jogger oh-so-much that i just wanted to share!

Review: The First Years Infant to Toddler Tub

In a phrase, "I heart this tub". It is on my MUST HAVE list for babies. Along with the Fisher Price Rainforest Booster seat (see this post), this is one of my top baby items that i absolutely l-o-v-e love. Baby C's first bath experience was...interesting.

Well, to be fair, her very first bath experience was brutal. She's born, she's placed on my chest and then, 10 minutes later, because she wasn't screaming loudly enough (seriously, that is what they told us), she was given a rough sponge bath. Well that certainly made her scream loudly!

Her first bath at home was a sponge bath. She found it both shocking and intriguing...the face says it all:

Now she thoroughly enjoys herself and can't get enough of her bath. She'd stay in it all day if we let her. This bath is great because it starts out with a newborn in their little sling, then they can recline in the tub and, finally, they can sit up in it. So it grows with the baby and it is comforting to them because they feel secure. i can't say enough about how much I love this bathtub!

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion. Baby C loves this bathtub so much that i just wanted to share!

Review: Johnny Jump Ups and Walkers

Do these items look like weapons to you? According to most pediatricians they can damage your child! In our tiny household, it appears we laugh in the face of those warnings.

And literally, we laugh. C LOVES to play in both of these apparatuses, both of which can be found at her Mimi's house. I think she gets excited when we pull in the driveway because she knows these toys will be waiting for her to play in! Not that she really knows when we pull in the driveway since she is in a REAR FACING (very important!) car seat...but still.

Whenever she gets in the Johnny jump-up, she goes crazy ga ga for it. Yes, it has the potential to damage your child's hips but that is continued use for long periods of time. I only let C get in it for AT MOST 15 minutes so I think she is fine. And the pure joy that it evokes in her is so hard to pass up--it makes all who witness it laugh out loud. I'm willing to gamble that she won't have bad hips just so she can jump for joy (again, literally). *Also, please note that they warn it could fall of the door frame molding. Make sure, if you purchase this toy, that the door you afix it over has very sturdy ledges. If not, your baby could fall and hurt herself.*

The other toy she loves to play in is the Walker. Also NOT recommended by your local pediatrician because it could put early strain on your child's joints and delay walking. OR your child could fall down the stairs while walking by them (note: close the door to your stairs or install a baby gate!)

As my mother said, I was put in those walkers early on for quite longer periods of time than recommended and i still learned to walk when I was 8 months old! Developmental delay? not so much.

The great thing about this walker is that you can adjust its height as baby grows and it has interesting toys for them to reach for and play with. C is continually amazed at the bears. The tray is a nice feature, too, because you can place other toys (we aren't quite at the finger food stage yet but I suppose you could leave finger food on the tray as well--just make sure you clean it properly first!) C doesn't know how to put one leg in front of the other yet but I personally feel like this walker is good practice for her!

If we ever bought a larger house, I'd definitely invest in these two items. As it is right now, once or twice a week in them is very exciting and all she needs. You can find a lot of these used (make sure you check the fabric for any fraying, etc. Don't want that baby to fall out!) on Amazon or Craigslist or at Congsignment Sales/Stores.

Here is C before we went back home. She was fighting sleep today and didn't want to tack a nap so we distracted her:

In the interest of full disclosure and so i cannot get sued, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. We cannot be held responsible for your child or any injury he/she should sustain while using one or both of these toys.

Please note: I was not compensated for this review. This review is based on my own opinion.C loves both of these "toys" so much that i just wanted to share!