Sunny's Notes

A professor in college told me a philosophy on how most college students think.  He said, "Most students decide at the beginning of each semester the formula...how to put in the least amount of work and time to get a grade that they are comfortable with whether it be an A, B, or C."  So true! 

Students are experts at shortcuts to get to their goals.  One of the most well known shortcuts out there is Cliff's Notes.   A prego friend of mine began reading Baby Wise and became overwhelmed.  She found out there and is a Cliff's Notes version of Baby Wise written by Sunny and sent it to me...I have named them Sunny's Notes.

Read her summary below.  (I have this available as a PDF as well...Email me if you would like me to send it to you)  Please note her disclaimer at the top.  I am not sure what all the "Contact Mom" stuff is about...must be the class?  I LOVE the fact that Sunny constantly tells you it is OK if your cycle is not perfect every time.  In my opinion, the book makes you think everything HAS to be perfect each time and that is not practical. 

(A quick couple of comments after reviewing these notes that I disagree with, but this is just my opinion...First, her suggestion to pump as early on as 1-2 weeks may be too soon.  Second, after 6 weeks, L hardly ever took a two hour nap.  To this day, we usually get anywhere from 1-1.5 hours)

The following is a summary of the principles I learned while taking the “Along the Infant Way” class. This is NOT intended to replace reading the book or taking the class. All opinions are my own, and have not been approved or endorsed by anyone associated with GFI. I am not a contact mom, only a mom who has sat through the classes and implemented the principles with my own child. I made these notes only to remind myself of the principles when I have more kids. I share this with you only to be helpful, not as an expert. –Sunny,

Ages are APPROXIMATE.

Use the principles found in the books to help you identify the “signs” in your baby’s day which indicate that it is time to transition to the next phase, or modify your routine.

Feed, Wake, Sleep…Feed, Wake, Sleep….Feed, Wake, Sleep

Every moment of your new baby’s life will fall into one of these categories…Feed,Wake, Sleep. Initially, baby will sleep a lot, but wake time will gradually increase. Because your goal is to keep the baby awake to take a full feeding, the feeding is wakeful and stimulating for the baby. It is therefore difficult to separate feed time from wake time. Here I will list “total wake” which will include the meal,

burping, plus any left-over wake for diaper changing, baths, playing, etc…

The Ezzo’s material often gets confused with “cry it out” theories from other books. This is not a correct association! If you use the PDF principles correctly, your baby should not have extended periods of crying unless there is another problem (like colic). If you have a lot of crying during either “normal cry periods” or “not-normal cry periods”, call a Contact Mom because there is likely a very easy solution. With my first child, I spoke with a Contact Mom on three different occasions about my baby’s crying... All three times she recommended an adjustment to my schedule which fixed the problem within 24 hours!!!

0 - 2 weeks

Feed=30-45 min

Total Wake (Including the meal) = 45 min

Sleep=about 2 hrs – 2hrs 15min

Your primary goal is to get the baby to take a full feeding every time. Sounds easy, but the baby will be very sleepy, which makes it quite difficult. See book for recommendations on how to keep the baby awake. Limit wake time during this period to just feeding time, which will likely take about 45 min.  Excessive wake time will result in an over-stimulated baby (which leads to disrupted napping).

Feed every 2.5-3 hours (and not less than 2hrs), except for one longer stretch at night. Wake the baby every 3 hours, except after the late night feeding (somewhere around 9-11 pm) you can just let the baby sleep until she wakes up, but do not let her sleep longer than 5 hours. Initially, the feeding times will likely vary significantly from day to day. By that I mean that one day you may feed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9, but if the baby sleeps 5 hours, your next feeding will be at 2 am, so the second day will be 5, 8, 11, 2, 5, 8, 11, and 5 hours later is 4 am......so every day looks different. (Around 6 weeks is when the times on your schedule become extremely consistent.) The important thing for a newborn is to focus on getting full feedings every time, and TRY to have 2.5-3 hours elapse between feedings. As soon as one feed, wake, sleep cycle is finished, you plan for the next one. Don’t plan all of the baby’s feedings for the rest of the day, because Murphy's Law will quickly come for a visit. No matter what time your morning started, you always schedule the next feeding time from the previous feeding time. Ex: if your first feed of the today started at 8am, plan for the next one to be 11am. If a cycle isn’t “perfect”, don’t beat yourself up, just try again next cycle – beginning with the feeding.

Sometimes baby will wake up too early, and you can rock them back to sleep so that they get an appropriate amount of time elapsed between feedings so that they are hungry enough to take a full feeding. Remember that your primary goal in this phase is a FULL FEEDING. Let all caretakers know your "goal time" to get the next feeding, and instruct them that if the baby wakes, they rock, sing, swing....whatever they can do to keep the baby asleep until you reach the 2.5-3hr time. However, if the baby is fussy and will not go back to sleep, feed the baby. (Always feed a hungry baby.) The last feeding may not have been successful (for reasons such as if baby fell asleep during the meal, baby couldn’t get latched on, etc…). If this becomes common (the baby can’t make it at least 2.5 hours) contact a lactation consultant or Contact Mom, because there may be a problem with your milk supply.

A suggestion to help Mom get rested: pump 15 minutes before your last feeding (10 pm for example) and then go straight to bed. Let daddy or grandma give the 10 pm bottle, and then they go to bed around 11 pm or so when they lay baby down. Then, Mom can wake up with the baby (around 3 am), and she was able to get 5 solid hours of sleep since Mom did not have to do the late night feeding. Daddy sleeps through the 3 am feeding, so he is rested and ready to help at 6 am, because he got 7 hours of sleep. Every night won't be ideal, but at least this way you both get some shut-eye

Here is a sample day for newborn (0-2 weeks)

6 am-wake, feed 15 minutes on L side, burp 5 minutes, feed 15 minutes on R side, burp 5 minutes,

change diaper 5 minutes...(basically this process take 45 minutes, even if baby only nurses for 30

minutes.)

6:45 am-9 am---sleep

9 am-feed like above, only starting on R side

9:45-noon---sleep

12 noon-feed

12:45-3---sleep

3 pm--feed

3:45-6--sleep

6 pm--feed

6:45-9--sleep

8:45--Mom pumps, then goes to bed

9pm-Dad gives bottle

9:45-Dad and baby go to sleep

2 am-Mom wakes up with baby and feed

2:45-back to bed

5 am- wake up with baby and feed

5:45-back to bed

8 am—1st feed of the new day.

Dad has been asleep since 10pm (10 hours). You slept from 9-2 and 3-5 and 6-8 (9 hours). My point is that even if you don't sleep that long, you can work it to where you both get “decent” sleep at night. Also, I recommend you nap during the day if you are tired or have a bad night, but you likely won't need to after the first week or two, once your baby is consistently going approx 3hrs between meals, and consistently taking 2+hr naps. If nursing, I do recommend that you get up with the baby at night, because you are still establishing your milk supply, and shouldn't miss a feeding (but it is fine to pump 15-30 minutes before a feeding then miss the actual feeding).

3 - 4 weeks

Feed= 30-35 min

Total Wake (Including the meal) = 45-55 min

Sleep=about 2 hrs – 2hrs 15min

2.5-3 hour cycle should be stable, and closer to 3hrs most meals, but each day may look different. Baby goes to bed awake and falls asleep on her own. Shouldn’t be much crying, but there may be a few minutes at “normal cry times.” Set your baby up for success with falling asleep….don’t over-stimulate the baby with exposure to TV, lots of light, over-stimulating toys or activities, large crowd of people. If you find that your baby is crying a bunch, cut back wake time by 5 minutes next cycle. (Contact your Contact Mom if you need help determining if you need to lessen your waketime.) You may rock baby and get baby sleepy, but lay her down awake.

5 - 6 weeks

Feed= 30-35 minutes

Total Wake (Including the meal) = 55-60 minutes

Sleep=about 2 hours

Stable 3 hour routine (6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9, 12). Begin each day at the same time by waking the baby for the 1^st meal of the day, and each day’s schedule should start to look the same (which is nice, because you can plan ahead and know what the baby will need at a specific time.) Baby should nap well for 2 hours. Nap time should remain at 2 hours each nap until the baby is 18+ months old, but the number of naps will decrease as the time between meals is extended. Establish the first feeding of the morning, and keep this consistent. As the baby starts to sleep better through the night, gradually drop nighttime feedings.

To determine your desired waketime, decide what time you would like your baby to go to bed during his childhood… then add 12hrs. For example, if you’d like your child to go to bed at 7pm, then a 7am waketime would be appropriate for your family.

*Rule of Thumb: Time between nighttime/morning meals (Nighttime sleep) may extend to 6 hours at 6 weeks, 7 hours at 7 weeks, 8 hours at 8 weeks, and so on until 12 hours at 12 weeks – which should last until they begin school. Ex: Baby may eat dinner at 7pm, and then be down for the night by 8pm, and then wake at 7am for breakfast. This would be 12hrs between meals – or 11hrs of nighttime sleep.

Typically, parents do not need to push the baby for more nighttime sleep. A baby whose day routine (eat/wake/sleep) is well-adjusted will naturally fall into the above nighttime sleeping patterns. Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t fall into this exactly – just use it as a guideline to know if you’re “on-track”. Your baby may be a week or so behind this, which is fine.

Around 12 weeks

Same 3-hour routine, but no nighttime feedings (Ex: 6am, 9am, 12 noon, 3pm, 6pm). A 6th feeding can be added to the day if Mom’s milk supply needs it by waking baby once more in the late evening, feeding, and then returning to bed (Ex from above would include on more quick feed at 9 or 10pm.) Since baby will be going 12hrs between dinner and breakfast, Mom can also choose to pump once in the evening before bed to store up breast milk.

Around 16 weeks

Feed/Wake=1.5 hours

Sleep= 2 hours

3.5-hour routine. You are starting to extend baby’s wake time, which causes fewer naps and fewer feeding times. (Ex of feed times: 6am, 9:30am, 1pm, 4:30pm, 6pm—feeding right before bed to “top off”—no nap between 430 and 6 feedings).

Around 20 weeks

Feed/Wake=2 hours

Sleep=2 hours

Transition from 3.5 - 4-hour routine. (Ex of feed times: 6, 10, 2, 6). Three 2-hour naps. Be careful extending wake times. If your baby’s naps or waketimes start to suffer, go back to the 3.5 hour routine and wait another week or more before trying again. My 2nd baby didn’t transition to a 4-hour routine until she was over 6 months old.

6 months

Same 4-hour routine, but decrease 3rd nap to cat nap of 35-50 minutes (one sleep-cycle.)

8 months

Drop cat nap (only two 2-hour naps).

Follow “Extended Day” routine in the book to line 3 meals up with family meal times.

12 months

Drop bedtime feeding. 3 daily meals line up with family meal times.

Between 18-22 months

Drop morning nap. One 3-hour nap (after lunch) until age 4+.

Lastly, remember that God chose YOU to be your child’s parent…..not me, not your Contact Mom, and not the Ezzo’s – or any other parenting expert. Use your God-given discernment to provide the best care for your baby. These guidelines have worked for many, many parents. But, even the BEST “Babywise” parents vary from the routine from time to time. So don’t fret, the principles are designed as a guide, not a rule book. And HAVE FUN with your baby!--Sunny

Million Dollar Idea

You know the moment you think you have come up with the next million dollar idea and, BAM, you find out it already exists.  Utter disappointment! 

Well, I hadn't worked out the kinks yet, but I knew I needed to come up with something.  When milk would run down L's face and into the abyss of neck rolls, I would shutter. It is nearly impossible to clean their necks when they are very young.  Many infants break out into rashes because of this.  I was trying to think of an invention that would block all liquids from running down into her neck.

Then, I was introduced to Tommee Tippee bibs. 

Just like that, BAM, my million dollars vanished into thin air.  I soon recovered and was excited to learn of this product.  The unique absorbent pad around the neck helps catch leaks and spills and are machine washable.  They may not be as cute as some bibs out there, but this is a case of function over fashion.  L is almost 11 months and we use them daily.  I recommend registering for at least two, 2 packs of these.  I have seen them on Amazon and at Babies R Us.  For whatever reason, they are significantly cheaper at Babies R Us.

Did you come up with any million dollar ideas for your baby?

Diary of a New Mom 2

In Diary of a New Mom, Nicole discussed how to make the most of your hospital stay.  Today's she writes about her first week Top 5 essentials...


Week One Essentials
1. Gerber front snap t-shirts

2. Boppy Nursing Pillow 

3. Aden and Anais Swaddles

4. Boppy Lounger - A newborn sleeps almost all of the time the boppy lounger is perfect to plop them in on the couch next to you.  

5. Disposable nursing pads - Medela makes a great disposable pad. These were a life saver for me as I had a couple of “blow-outs” when my milk came in. (Excellent suggestion, Nicole!  Definitely stock up on these in the weeks leading up to your due date if you plan on nursing)

Thanks Nicole!  For other first few weeks tips, click here.

The Diary of a New Mom

When I was pregnant I would hear other mom's say things like, "I completely forgot about this or that" when I would mention certain products or infant things.  I couldn't understand how they could possibly forget about it all.

Well, I started this blog when L was 6 months old.  I tried my best to remember all that I could, but I am sure I forgot about things from those first few weeks.  I asked my good friend, Nicole, who had a baby just 3 weeks ago to send me her thoughts about the first couple weeks of being a mom.  Low and behold, I totally forgot about a few things like those "other moms."

Nicole's first suggestion...Make the most of your hospital stay.


"Shortly before my daughter was born, my husband and I were having dinner with some friends who recently had a baby. They went on and on about their experience in the hospital like they were describing a recent stay at the Ritz Carlton. We could not stop laughing about how serious they were when they told us to stay as long as we possibly can. Little did I know that my friends were right! Here are some tips on making the most of your stay at Hotel Baby."

The Concierge Service

"Reason number one to stay the full duration. I’m not sure if most hospitals are the same but we had a Nurse and Nurse’s assistant for both Mom and Baby. There were also lactation consultants that would come by several times a day to see how things were going and to answer any question. The nurses are amazing, they know everything there is to know about newborns and let’s face it, we knew absolutely nothing. They were amazing in the middle of the night when the hubby and I felt hopeless in consoling a crying newborn.  I thought she needed to burp after feeding but she was “cluster” feeding which newborns do their first few days (I had no idea…again clueless) the nurse told me to pop her back on the boob and problem solved, she immediately stopped crying. They show you amazing tricks (swaddling, waking a beyond sleepy newborn to feed, newborn sponge bathing…you name it) and they will bring you anything you could possibly need (Popsicles at 2am while I was feeding the babe). I learned so much from them and it just made me more confident in going home to the unknown! Make the most of your stay, ask tons of questions and I seriously recommend staying as long as you insurance allows."


Keeping it Simple side note:  Couldn't agree more...Yes, it is hard to get a good night sleep in the hospital when nurses are constantly waking you up, but it was SO worth it!  I went home feeling comfortable with the basics.  Had I gone home after day 1, I would have been panicked!  Also, our nurse told us "cluster feeding" was a baby's first growth spurt usually 1-2 days after birth.  I think L ate every hour for 6 hours in a row!  It was a long one!


Nicole's second suggestion...taking advantage of the hospital supplies

The Freebies

"Okay, so maybe not totally free, but we all load up on the Keihls or Molton Brown bath supplies from our room when we stay at a nice hotel. The goodies at the Hospital may not be samples of products you can find at your luxury retail store but believe me they are much more valuable! What I wasn’t prepared for is all of the personal “cleaning” supplies that you will need after giving birth to your precious little one.  I‘m sorry if this freaks you out a bit, but it is what it is! The hospital will give you cleansing bottles, icepacks, and the most amazing mesh underwear in the world!"

"You can not get this stuff in any store so do not leave the hospital without it. I asked for new stuff each day when I took a shower and packed it up in my suitcase…I know I might sound like a crazy hoarder but I couldn’t imagine surviving the first week at home without this stuff, trust me on this one. 


The freebies also apply to the baby. Her little traveling bassinet in the hospital had a container underneath that had a supply of awesome baby goodies. There was about a week’s worth of diapers and wipes, extra hats and socks (we had nothing this small at home), tiny bath tub for sponge baths, thermometer, bulb syringe and hair comb (your baby may not need this but mine came out with a full Elvis Presley head of hair). Load up on all the goodies, after all you are paying for it!"


Keeping It Simple Side Note:  I COMPLETELY forgot about those underwear!  They take the term granny panties to a whole new level.  Nicole is right!  They helped me survive the first couple weeks.  What a fantastic suggestion by her to ask for a few extra pairs from the nurses!  I wish I had done that!  No one ever gave me an ice pack...it would have been good to have one...I found many different ones online, so I am not sure which one Nicole used.   Sorry, no picture for you, but definitely inquire about them during your hospital stay.


We had the same experience as Nicole regarding the baby rolling cart.  The nurses told us we could take everything in the cart with us except the blanket and the sheets.  We received various brushes in grooming kits as shower gifts, but the hospital brush is our favorite to this day.  It was especially useful fighting the cradle cap early on.  Nothing fancy, but very useful!

Thank you, Nicole!  I will share her other first week stories in another post.

Pump-a-thon

Pump-a-thon is the perfect title for this post!  When I think about running a marathon (or actually think about my friends that have run marathons because I, most definitely, have not), I think about goal setting, commitment, time management, exhaustion, preparation and calorie burn. 

ALL of these things directly relate to pumping and going back to work.

WARNING:  I have given this warning before, but if nursing at all weirds you out.  Do not continue reading.

When I began nursing, I set a goal of 4-6 months.   I lasted 4.5…BARELY made the goal.  I am happy to share my experience…what I thought worked, what didn’t, and what I will do differently next time.  I touched on this briefly in my Liquid Gold and Billy Madison posts so please you those as a reference as well.

STORING

Things I did right:

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

• I used the Medela pump and thought it was great.  No complaints.  If you are planning to go back to work, the manual pump just won’t cut it.  You must have the electric one.  To justify the price…it will cost less than you would have to spend on formula in the long run.  As a cost cutting suggestion, put the pump on your registry.  You will most likely not get it because it is expensive and is a pretty awkward gift to give.  BUT when you close out your registry at most places, you receive a discount.  Be sure to buy your pump at that time to take advantage.

Additional Medela Bottles

• You will need more than the 4 bottles that are included when you purchase a Medela Pump. 

Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bag

• Use the Micro Steam Bags to quickly clean your pump accessories.

Lansinoh Freezer Bags

 

·    Buy some freezer bags for storage.  They sell a few different kinds, but I used the Lansinoh ones. One of my friend’s husbands said they freaked him out when he opened their freezer and had to read “My Mommy’s Milk” every time.  I have to agree with him on that, but they did get the job done.

·    Be sure to get out your pump, figure out how it works and have it charged before you plan on using it for the first time.  It will be painful for you if you are not prepared and have to wait for the pump to charge.

·    A few helpful suggestions on how to start pumping that I read that rang true for me…wait an hour after the first morning feeding to work in the daily pump session because your production is typically lower in the afternoon.  (If you have not introduced the bottle to your baby yet, just pump once a day)  

What I did wrong:

·    I started pumping at 8 weeks periodically.  Next time, I will start around 6 weeks and make sure to do it daily.  I would do it randomly thinking I would have plenty stored up before I went back to work.  FALSE!

·    Try your best not to use the freezer supply before you return to work.  I was careless with them because, again, I thought storing up would be easy.

·    Store 2-3 ounces in each bag.  Once you thaw it out, you are not supposed to refreeze it and are forced to throw it out.  I made this mistake the first few bags by putting 4 ounces in a bag.  It took no time at all to thaw out 2 ounces at a time.  I would run the bags under warm water for a minute or so.  Ask your doctor about further suggestions on how best to thaw out frozen milk...for example, microwaving is not recommended because it creates hot pockets that could burst in your baby's mouth.

Please speak up with other suggestions if you made mistakes when stocking up.  Look for another post about what I did when the time came to head back to work.

Flying My Freak Flag

Today I am flying my freak flag for you all...

My cat had a sex change operation.  It is true.  From the moment I got Simon, I knew he wanted to be a girl.  I kid!

Before you go off and call the crazy bus on me, let me explain.  Yes, my cat had a sex change operation.  No, he didn’t “want” to be a girl.  He had horrendous health problems as a kitten and the vet recommended this surgery to help ease his chronic blocked bladder that would ultimately kill him if it was not corrected.  A cut here, a snip there, and Simon was officially Simone.

Around the time he became a she, I was shopping for a cat carrier.  I was choosing between the only two options on the shelf…

                      

I contemplated for a little while and decided since my cat was a girl now, I could buy the pink one.  I excitedly purchased it, loaded it in the car, drove home and showed it to my husband.  Oops!  He was NOT amused!  We had a bit of a disagreement that went something like this:

He said, “Our cat will not be a cross dresser.  Simone’s chromosomes are still male.  The pink carrier is just taking this whole thing too far.”  (Although I was getting a bit frustrated with his attitude about this, I thought it was pretty cute he was trying to hang on to Simone’s manhood)

I said, “Really?!?!  The actual amputation of the penis wasn’t taking it too far?”

He moved on with his argument, “I have to carry the carrier too and I don’t want it to be pink.”

Aha!  The real reason he was upset was surfacing!  Good thing this conversation happened.  Years later, when we were discussing the stroller for L, I recognized the fact he didn’t want to be strolling around town with a pink stroller.  I respected that and we went with a gender-neutral stroller. 

The color was the least of our worries when purchasing a stroller.  It is a BIG decision!  You really need to evaluate your lifestyle to figure out which one is best for you.  I will share with you what we did as an option, but I am not forcing it upon you.  Staying with my theme “Keeping it Simple,” we decided not to do a big travel system. 

We registered for the Bob jogging stroller and have been really pleased with it! 

It maneuvers smoothly and folds up in one easy step.  However, it is pretty heavy and bulky.  To solve this problem, we also got the Snap n Go for me to run quick errands and for air travel.  If you decide to get a Snap N' Go, make sure that the car seat you decide on fits into it.

I HIGHLY recommend both products.  We have been pleased with them and haven’t felt like we missed out by not having a travel system.

Other moms out here…what do you suggest? 

Braveheart

Everyone told me that during labor I would be so tired/in so much pain that I wouldn't feel embarrassed.  FALSE!  In the back of my head I was thinking "this is mortifying" the entire time.  And to the faceless lady in the room who yelled out "Come on, momma" during my final pushes like we were at a high school pep rally, not cool!  If I could have felt my legs at that moment, I would have gotten up and clocked her. 

This next part will seem totally random, but I PROMISE I have a point...

My husband is obsessed with the movie Braveheart.  We watch on it on all vacations with my in-laws.  He sometimes wakes up in the morning feeling pretty awesome because he dreamt he was William Wallace the night before (painted face and all).  We joked (well, I joked and THINK he was joking) if L would have been a boy, her name would be William Wallace.  In his head if you have a Scottish accent, you are instantly awesome. 

Well, having already experienced all of the awkwardness that goes into the childbirth experience, we were dreading the lactation consultant coming in to basically feel me up.  Low and behold, she had a Scottish accent!  To my husband, it didn't matter how many times she said, "gotta make sure the baby is gettin' the groceries" as she was squeezing my boob, she had achieved William Wallace status the second she opened her mouth.  During a very long speech about nursing, she informed us we needed to track all feedings, wet diapers, and "poopie" diapers on a sheet of paper.  This is a task typically assigned to the dad in the hospital since mom is still moving slow.  Here is a picture of our log to give you an idea.

 

Doesn't really seem like the best system, does it?  I recently learned about a new app, Baby Connect, created just for this purpose.

At a price of $4.99, I think it is well worth it!  I would have loved to known about this last November.  If you are expecting, go ahead and download it on your baby's daddy's phone to be one step ahead before heading to the hospital.  Be sure to forward this on to him!  You can synchronize it to other phones as well  when mom is feeling more up to the tracking task.

In the words of Braveheart, FREEEEDOM!!!!   This app will give you the freedom from keeping manual logs that leave you more confused than not.

***Keeping it Simple sidenote***Someone recently asked me about the Itzbeen (around $20).

It sounds like basically the same idea as the app, but all the timers seem complicated to me and a bit unnecessary.  I like the app better because it is not an additional electronic to carry around along with your baby monitor and phone, it is cheaper, and I have heard it is very simple to use.  Feel free to pipe in if you have used either and have a strong opinion.

Don't forget to enter the 10,000 hits giveaway!

Meet Sophie

A while back, my friends and I were discussing Starbucks.  As shallow as this sounds we decided that we felt pretty cool walking out of our local Starbucks with the official Starbucks cup.  You know the feeling, right?  I mean celebrity superstars can afford many things I can’t even dream of buying, but I can afford the $4 coffee they drink.

Don’t even get me started on the red holiday cups and how excited I get when they roll around.  It has fallen in line with stockings, Christmas trees, lights and carols as must have to get the full feeling of the Christmas spirit.

Well, there is a person (or thing) in the baby department that falls into the Starbucks category.  You must meet Sophie.  When I met her, I was skeptical and thought, “She’s cute, but has a high price tag”  Once I got to know her, I realized she was so much more!  She squeals with delight when squeezed by L which gives our poor cat, Cleo, some relief in this department.  She became L’s (and my) new best friend. She soothes L at times of need.  She provides entertainment for L on road trips.  She is carried around by the coolest of celebrity tots.  Alas, meet Sophie!

Sophie has actually been around since the 1960s in France, but just started making waves in the US a few years ago.  She was rejected from many retailers because of her high price tag.  Finally, Helene Dumoulin-Montgomery was able to find a Beverly Hills boutique to sell her giraffe and place her in celebrity baby baskets.  Sophie took off from there and can be found at multiple retailers across the country. (information gathered from this article in the LA times)

Her price of around $20 is quite high compared to her $3 competitors.  In my opinion, she is absolutely worth it!  I am convinced that the teething process is the worst through infancy.  You all need to appreciate each one of your teeth because you earned them!  Sophie is the ONLY teething toy L will chew on and it instantly calms her down.   Children’s Tylenol and Sophie are my prefect formula for teething.  I realized how dependent we had become on Sophie when we could not find her one weekend.  I tore the house up looking for her.  L and I both missed our new friend terribly. 

Sophie is such a genius, well thought out product.  The reason she has been the most popular girl in pre-school is because she appeals to all 5 senses (taken from description on Sears):

Sight: From birth to 3 months, a babys eyesight is usually limited to high contrasts. The attention-catching spots all over Sophie the Giraffes body provide visual stimulation and is easily recognizable object to reassure and comfort.

Hearing: Sophie the Giraffe's happy little squeak keeps baby amused, stimulates hearing and helps baby understand the link between cause and effect.

Taste: Sophie the Giraffe is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint and is completely safe to chew. The soft texture and many chewable parts (ears, horns, legs) make her perfect for soothing babys sore gums during teething.

Smell: The singular scent of natural rubber from the Hevea tree makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for your child to identify from all the other toys.

Touch: Touch is the first means a baby has of communicating with the outside world.

Definitely register for Sophie or buy her for your friend at the next baby shower.  Your baby can look like these celeb tots as you sip on your Starbucks…throw on some oversized sunglasses and a hat and people may just mistake you both for celebrities…

Don't forget to enter the Barefoot Designs giveaway.  Click here for details.

Liquid Gold

WARNING:  If nursing at all weirds you out, then do not continue reading.

This post will be most helpful to you if you plan on storing up milk, referred to in my home as liquid gold (LG), for returning to work.  I was under the wrong impression that it was relatively easy to stock up on LG based on one friend's experience, so did not make it a huge priority.  (This may not at all apply to you...I know some people that have donated their LG because they had such an abundant supply)  When I headed back to work, we depleted the entire freezer supply in a week, and I was frantic to keep up with L's feedings after that.  Having to increase the number of the pump sessions in the bathroom at work was no easy task.  It was always fun when people would come into the bathroom and ask "what is that noise" forcing me to discuss it with faceless strangers in the next stall..."Good for you sweetie!  Keep it up."  Anyways,  L started demanding more food as she was growing, and I had to begin supplementing formula sooner than I wanted to. 

LG began to be a hot commodity.  If we accidentally spilled some, my eyes would fill up with tears.  The term "pump and dump" that I would so casually tell my other friends to do after a big night on the town before L was born was no longer uttered. 

I recalled hearing about a product when L was only a couple weeks, but didn't purchase it.  BIG MISTAKE! It would have helped so much and I wish I would have started using it right away!  Please know I hate the name of it . It really tests my maturity level and make my want to giggle like a school girl.  Trust me though, you need to buy one...

Milkies

This product is so genius I can't believe it was not invented sooner.  The naked truth is when you are nursing, you can leak any time during the day and when nursing on one side, the other leaks.  You can wear your Milkies (cue school girl giggle) all the time or just when you are nursing.  They catch the otherwise wasted LG.  You can store up to 3-10 additional ounces in a day, if not more.  It was recommended to me not to start pumping until L was 4 weeks old, but this provides a way to start storing right away.

You can search their site for a location that sells it near you.  They also sell it on Amazon and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Side note - A little advice on storing up...I would only use your freezer supply when you absolutely have to.  Before I knew how hard storing was going to be, we would use it carelessly and wastefully.  Treat it like the liquid gold that it is :) 

Can we come up with a new name to call this product?  Any ideas?  Gold Catcher?

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The Bopster Family

The Boppy

When to use: Immediately when you begin nursing to whenever you stop nursing

My husband was convinced that the Boppy was a gimmick, but after seeing it in action, he is now a believer! We had so much trouble trying to get L in a comfortable position in the hospital for nursing; we tried stuffing pillows all around me, nurses giving me tons of suggestion by showing me different positions, etc…Finally, one nurse asked if we had anything at home we planned on using and to have someone bring it to me. My sister was nice enough to make a special Boppy trip. BINGO! We kept it by my side for months! It kept both L and I in comfortable positions when nursing. It comes in many colors, sold in stores everywhere, and also comes with slipcovers for easy washing. You can even custom order your slip cover if you want from the Boppy website.

*Helpful Hint - Pack the Boppy in your "hospital bag." They recommend trying to nurse as soon as possible after the baby is born and it will make your life easier having it there and ready to go.

The Boppy Lounger

When to use - from the time you bring your baby home from the hospital until they are starting to rollover

I know! I know! Another Boppy product! I promise they are not paying me to say this. I stumbled upon this one by accident. We were sent this as a baby gift when L was around 4 weeks old. I almost returned it because I felt like baby stuff was taking over my house and I have to admit it, it is a little bit of an eye soar. Oh man! Was I glad we kept it! It will be my future baby gift for all of my friends and it should be yours too. At the fabulous price of $29.95, you can even buy it for your friends with triplets.

The BL is not only portable in your house, but for travel, dropping off at the grandparent’s house, or squeezing your little nugget in between you on Saturday mornings. I am a little embarrassed to say, but it was nice when I barely had time to take a shower some days, to be able to put her in the bathroom with me. The BL works perfect for things like that! It is, by far, the most portable device out there.

Since it is a fairly new product, I have yet to see it in a store (let me know if you find it somewhere), but they do sell it various places online. They sell a slipcover for it too. I am convinced it will become a new staple registry item and Boppy will develop cuter slip covers for it like they have for the original Boppy.

Compared to similiar product:

Nap Nanny

WOWSA...the price of this one ($129.99) is enough to make you run away! It is hard to tell by the picture, but the Nap Nanny is much bigger than it looks making it hard to pack.

*Side note - I have been lucky that L does not have acid reflux. An advantage to the Nap Nanny is that it is recommended for this condition and many of my friends swear by it for this reason! I would not spring for it before your baby gets here, but it is something to keep in my mind if your baby does have acid reflux.

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