Personalized Pacifiers Reacalled

Jut recalled "It’s MY Binky" Recalls Personalized Pacifiers Due to Choking Hazard. Just yesterday they announced this recall. Apparently there were two cases where the nipple detached from the base and ring causeing a coking hazard. These pacifiers were not sold at our store, but at Nordstrom's and many other boutiques. If you have one of these pacifiers make sure to return it to the store you purchased it from or contact It's MY Binky directly! PLEASE if you know anyone who may have this pacifier please let them know!

Read the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's full report

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #8- BPA-free Bottles

There has been a lot of recent controversy over plastic bottles. There has been a chemical BPA (Bisphenol-A) that has been found most prevalent in water bottles, baby bottles, beverage can linings and dental sealants. It has been controversial, because the tests are not conclusive enough and the FDA is not updating their requirement for BPA in food. You can read more about BPA here.

The best idea , in our opinion is to keep away from BPA bottles. Here is a list of some of the bands of BPA-free bottles.:

1. Born-Free. They have wide mouth and regular bottles. Also they come in glass or BPA-free plastic. They run about $10 a bottle or you can buy a set of 8 bottles for $78. You can purchase them on their website.
2. Platex Nurser. These bottles have a drop in disposable lining. The disposable lining make cleaning easy and fast. The bottles are cheap, about $4, but remember you have to keep purchasing liners!
3. Dr. Browns Glass or Dr. Browns BPA free plastic bottles. If they don't think BPA is bad enough to recall their BPA bottles why make BPA free ones?
4. Adiri Natural Nurser. This bottle looks like a boob, but if you can get over the exposed look than it's a great option!
5. Evenflow Glass Bottles or Evenflow Classic Tinted Polypropylene bottles.
   
6. Medela
   
7. Nuby Standard Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, Standard Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, 3-Stage Wide Neck Easy Grip Feeding System with Non-Drip Nipple

Whatever bottle you choose just research them and make sure they are BPA free! Also there are alot more bottles that are deemed safe. You can check out a detailed list of bottles and sippy cups here!

Healthy Popsicles

Popsicles are fun in the summertime even for a teething toddler! Sometimes you can find small Popsicles at the store, but watch that sugar intake! Here are a few fun popsicles ideas to make your own:

• grapejuice or applejuice
  
• smashed strawberries and strawberry yogurt (this becomes more of a creamsicle)
• freeze chocolate milk

For us moms- take the popsicle and dip in chocolate and re-freeze :)

Here is a good popsicle mold at Amazon.

Deceptively Delicious

So, I am sure most of you have heard about Jerry Seinfeld's wife's new cook book right? Well Jessica Seinfeld was on Oprah and I got the scoop. What an amazing book! Here's a quick lowdown of what her "secret" is: she purees veggies and fruits and mixes them within her recipes. For example she makes chicken nuggets with a batter made with spinach and sweet potatoes., Mac-n-cheese with butternut squash, Cauliflower in scrabbled eggs, carrots in brownies!

We are all about veggies!

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

Read more about getting your toddler to eat his veggies!

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #7- Convertble Carseats

Toddler carseats, front facing or convertible carseats are often overlooked in a baby registry. New moms are so excited for that new infant carrier that they don't realize baby only sits in there until they reach a certain height or weight, which is most likely less than 1 year. For me, I was able to lug around the infant carrier until my little one was about 8 months old. Than I switched to the convertible carseat. The convertible seat is able to face rear or forward.

Here is the deal:
Infant carriers are nice- they are convenient and make life easy when the baby is small. Once the baby starts to get heavy- lugging around a 18lb child in a 13lb carrier is not so fun. Also- these are INFANT carriers. These are meant for babies who cannot support their neck. This is why baby is at a 45 degree angle in the seat when properly installed.

Once you are ready for the carseat you can use the convertible carseat and have the baby rear facing. After they are at least 1 year and 20lbs you can face them forward.

So, now that you realize your child will be in the convertible carseat for a longer percentage of time versus the infant carrier, you can see why it is important to register for a really nice one. When baby is about 1 year you may not feel like spending $200 on a carseat, but if you already have one from your shower, no worries!

Our favorite Convertible seat:

The Britax Roundabout Carseat

Why we love it:

• It holds a child from 5lbs to 40lbs (you can in get by with getting only this one seat - until they are ready for a booster!)
  
• Plush fabrics make it cozy
• Easy to install. We love easy!
• Seatbelt does not rub baby's neck like other seats
• High safety ratings
  

Traveling With Baby Tips

Phew! After a fun trip to Chicago I have learned a few things about traveling alone with baby.
Let's look at them:

• You NEVER can pack too many diapers
• You will forget something- most likely it will be something you need :)
• Do not count on children sleeping the whole way- partial, maybe
  
• Be prepared to break routines
• Realize that there is a high chance of NO sleep for you :)
• Fun music in the car is a lifesaver! (check out Barenaked Ladies- Snacktime!)
• Food is your friend!!!! Check out this travel container for your child
  
• Pack just one more outfit than you think you need
• Bring a new toy for your child to play with in the car. This little doggy set is PERFECT for travel

Remember that even though the journey may be tough it will be worth it!

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #6 Infant car seats

Something I didn't realize before I had my baby was the fact that those infant car seats really only hold them for approximately 6-8 months. Once your baby either reaches a certain weight or height they have to switch to a convertible car seat. Although some do hold baby that weighs up to 22lbs, most likely you will NOT use the seat that long. Why? For one, once your baby can sit up completely on her own, she will want to see more while riding in the car. Two, the infant car seat is around 12 lbs, plus add the 15-17lbs of your 5 or 6 month old and you will not be able to carry that thing, at least not very far!
Many of my friends switched their baby around the age of 6 months. Some people love the convenience of the snap and go on the stroller systems and waited until 8 months but not many people I spoke with went much longer than that.
I do think you should get a top rated infant car seat- safety being the most important criteria, but that doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive one. You definitely should get a nice convertible car seat since your baby will be in that one for a longer period of time.

Don't worry about spending too much on the infant seat. Although the Peg is rated well for safety, but so is the Graco SnugRide and is almost half the price, not to mention the base is 50% less than the Peg base!

Another thing to take into account is how much each seat weighs on its own. I know the Britax one is also top rated, but it weighs about 3 lbs more than some of the other ones... ok, so 3lbs doesn't seem like a lot, but once you put your baby in it and try walking around town- you will notice the weight!

Our favorite infant car seat is: Graco SnugRide.
Top rated for safety and ease of use by leading consumer magazines, it's no wonder that the SnugRide® is America's favorite infant car seat. Equipped with a 5-point harness, an ergonomic carrying handle, a stay-in-car base, a canopy, and an infant head rest for added comfort and support, this SnugRide® infant car seat will serve you and your baby well.

The little swimmer

So, now that summer is here the pool is the perfect place to get your baby comfortable with water. I recommend starting early. One way to get them more comfortable with water is include them in your daily shower routine. I probably started this when my son was about 5 months old (once he could sit up completely on his own and was stable). I put the baby tub into the shower with me and filled it up half way with warm water. I dumped in loads of water toys and while he played, I took a shower. It now is so apart of our day that I think he looks forward to it. At 13 months old, he doesn't mind if the water sprays directly over his head, onto his face! It is so funny. I taught him how to blow bubbles in the tub water and getting comfortable with getting his face wet. I also have those stackable bath cups and started pouring it at first over his hands and body, like a waterfall and than later over his head. He loves it! Teach your baby how to splash the water with their hands.
Now that we have been going to a pool, he is like a little fish. He gets so excited and runs around the kiddie pool, so much he always manages to trip and fall face first into the water. Does this bother him?! Not at all- he thinks it is hilarious!
Things you can try at the pool:

• Twirl him around and around- either on his back with his head and shoulders supported or in your arms facing you
• Hold him closely, facing you with his legs extended. This should result in the natural tendency to start kicking their little legs.
• Someone once told me that if you blow really hard directly into your baby's face, they will hold their breath and you can than dunk them completely under the water! (Please note: I am not saying you should do this right away, or at all for that matter. I am not a swim instructor, so do this at your own risk- but I did try it and it worked for me and now I can submerged my son's head underwater briefly)
• Many stores sell fun water rafts for babies. They have ones with shades, like the one in the photo (that is my little hipster at 10 weeks!)
  

Give it a try and let us know if you little hipster loves the water as much as mine does!

Baby Registry 101- Lesson #5: The Pack-n-Play (or travel crib)

I don't think I have seen a registry without one on it! I know when I was registering for one I was clueless as to what features to look for, what price range to stay in and what brand to stick with. After much research and real life experience I have created this checklist to assist you while you pick out yours.

1. Lightweight. The point of a pack-n-play is that it is meant for travel. The lighter it is the more likely you will say "Let's bring the pack-n-play"
2. Easy to clean. When you see pack-n-plays at your local baby stores you will find some fun mattress designs. Remember though you will be covering that up with a mattress cover (or another pad) or a sheet. Also remember babies sometime leak through their diapers so having a wipe able mattress pad is essential!
3. Size. This is really a choice you need to think about. If you will only be using one for some travel or a few nights at grandma's than a compact one might be good. If you expect you will be traveling for long periods of time or using the pack-n-play at homes that are not baby proof, then it may make sense to get a larger one.
4. Sturdy. Make sure that the pack-n-play is sturdy and your 13 month cannot climb out! I know it's hard to imagine that far in the future, but it will be here FAST!
5. Fun Features. The only feature I have seen on a pack-n-play that seems worthwhile is a vibrating motor. This is only because my child loved her bouncy seat and we ending up using this feature on our Pack-n-play. A feature we didn't use? The AUX jack.

Graco and Baby trend make some great pack-n-plays. When you find one you like read reviews about them. You can find great reviews online or ask friends who have a baby to help you pick one out. After a few years of baby experience a mom can steer you in the right direction!

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #4 - Gender Specific Items

This has to be one of my biggest bet peeves....PINK strollers! Don't get me wrong. I love pink! However, on big ticket items it is best to pick a gender neutral color!
Items to keep neutral include the following:

• Strollers
• Highchairs
• Carseats (although it is recommended to get a new carseat every 2 years)
• Excersaucers
• Bouncy Seats

Let me state the obvious reason that is often overlooked...what if you have another child that is not the same gender?! People forget- you usually only get 1 baby shower! I just feel bad for all the little brothers out there that are strolling around town in their sister's PINK stroller! Another thing is that the pastel colors are not seen very well by babies. They see red and black first... If you know you are only going to have 1 baby then go all out and get PINK everything.

For those of you who REALLY want gender specific colors- pick a few key smaller items- a fab pink blanket, pink shoes, pink clothing- you get my point? Accesorize with pink or blue!

Sun safety for babies

Okay- so all the sunscreens state clearly not to apply to infants or to consult a doctor. So what do you do to prevent baby from getting burnt?!

• Get a UV protection tent that is well ventilated.
• Put on a fun Sunhat!
• Keep under a shade.
• Wear protective clothing (Rash guards are great)
  

When I had to expose my baby to the sun- I still applied sunscreen for babies. I just made sure to give her a bath afterwards.

Now that I have a toddler (that does not want to wear a hat at all times) I found that the spray sunscreen works for her scalp. Her hair is so thin and is not protected from the sun.

Here are some key spots on their body that are overlooked:

• Scalp (as I said USE the spray sunscreen! How easy is that?)
• Nose
• Ears (they also have a sunscreen stick that my friend told me about- it makes applying so much less hassle!)
• Feet- bare feet or even feet in sandals!
• Hands
• Knees

Apply and reapply sunscreen! Most children get 50%-80% of their lifetime exposure to the sun before they are 18. (1)

(1) www.KidsHealth.org
Sunburn Instructions

Bath Toys and ... Mold

There is no sure way to prevent this nor can you prevent your little ones from having fun bath toys. You can however take steps to prevent this from happening to your toys!

• After each bath, rinse the toys off with clean water
  
• Completely squirt out each toy
• Set out each toy in a dry area and let completely dry before putting in the bath again
• Take turns with toys- while using one set of toys the other set can dry
• Each week place the toys into the dishwasher - high temps will kill the bacteria
  
• Avoid using porous toys or sponges
  

When you squirt the toy and you see black stuff come out- yup that is MOLD. Well I have read that you can use bleach to wash them, but I don't think using bleach to wash a toy inside when there is a likely chance your child will be squirting water inside in his or her mouth- YUCK!

I found a cool safe alternative to clean the bath toys

1. Mix 1 cup of (Vinegar, Tea Tea Oil or Grapefruit Seed Extract) per 1 gallon of water
2. Squirt all the water out of toy and then suck some of the mixture into the toy
3. Shake the toy well and get the mixture in all the crevices
4. Squeeze mixture out and rinse with fresh water
5. Dry in direct sunlight in a cool DRY area

Happy Bathing :)

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #3 - The Pacifier

Pacifiers are often a mommy's saving grace in times of meltdowns! I was one of those moms who registered for one too many binkies! I didn't realize that the hospital usually sends at least one pacifier home with you and your little one may take a liking to the hospital's brand. If you are adamant about getting a certain brand of pacifier you can boil it and bring it with you to the hospital.

My daughter never ended up using a binky. We did use the hospital one a handful of times in the beginning, but that was about it. So, you have to consider that too! You child may not even want a binky, so registering for more than 1 or 2 might not be a good idea.

Please note that lactation consultants do not recommended that you give a newborn a pacifier if you are going to breast feed. My experience on that is, if the baby has problems learning how to "latch" you will want to avoid the pacifier. Once they have mastered how to nurse, it most likely will not interfere with nursing.

More solid food ideas

So, I know we have already mentioned some ideas for solid foods but I thought I'd share a few more that I have learned from my friends.

• Pureed foods- Ok, so we all know that once your little angle starts eating finger and table food, they aren't into that pureed food anymore... But, you still want them to get enough veggies in their diet. Well, Bridgett came up with this GREAT idea to stick a straw into the container and have your baby drink their vitamins!
  
• Mandarin oranges- they come in cans or in 6pack "on the go" cups. Makes the perfect afternoon snack
• Blueberries- Healthy, easy to pack and kids love them
• "Puff" pastry with hotdogs- Buy those Pillsbury crescent rolls, unroll the dough and place a piece of hot dog/ turkey hot dogs inside and roll up. Bake and than cut into pieces- yum! Baby gets bread, but also some protein

We would LOVE to hear some of your menu pleasers! So, post a comment and pass it on!

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #2 - The Baby Blanket

Lesson #2 - The Baby Blanket

The baby blanket is different from the receiving blanket. It is usually more luxurious and it is used to cover up baby in his crib, stroller, carseat or on your lap. I think that registering for 1 or 2 double lined blankets is a good idea. If you can find one that has a fleece or warm fabric on both sides- even better. You want a beautiful blanket with a great snuggle appeal! This blanket can also compliment your stroller.

I received a luxurious blanket as a shower gift. I never registered for one and I actually thought of returning it. It was an expensive blanket and I had already gotten a bundle of blankets. I ended up keeping it and it is our favorite blanket to take with us! It has also been a backdrop in many of my child's photo shoots!

Sleep Book Recommendations

For those of you about to lose your mind due to the lack of sleep and inconsistent schedule of you new baby, we recommend the book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, MD.
We aren't saying this will be your absolute fix, but it does have some really helpful hints.
The key thing that I realized too late, is many experts recommend that you put baby to sleep every 2 hours for the first few months of their life. This prevents them from getting overtired and thus in the "no sleep zone". If a baby gets too overly tired, it will become more difficult for him to sleep. So, the thought- "he has been up for awhile, he should be exhausted and go right to sleep" is not the case! He is exhausted, but once he is overtired, his body starts to fight sleep.

• Amazon.com sells it as well as most bookstores: http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0449004023

The second recommendation is: Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD.
I personally LOVED the video! Dr Karp lays out the "5 S's"

1. Swaddle
2. Side/ stomach (football hold) of baby
   
3. Shushing
4. Swinging
   
5. Sucking

I swaddled my son for the first week we were home, but than stopped. I started again around 6 weeks when he become SOOO fussy! It REALLY helped and he slept better tightly swaddled. Instead of using the receiving blankets (which never seem to be big enough) I used those ones that had the leg pouch and velcro closure.

Check out this link and it shows you some excerpts from the video: http://www.thehappiestbaby.com/

If it makes you feel better, most babies do not sleep through the night until they are 5-8 months old. Hang in there and it gets better- we PROMISE!

Warning- Feeding soy to infants

I have to admit, I LOVE Morningstar and Bocca Soy "chicken" patties. They just taste better to me. I was told that when trying to conceive and when you are pregnant, you shouldn't eat soy, but I didn't think about it after nor gave it a second thought when I gave it to my son as a new table food.
Although recently soy has gotten a lot of good press, you should be aware of the "dangers" of giving it to your infant. Mainly, the concern is the estrogenic effects that soy can have on your baby, especially if you have a boy.
I have attached a link for you to read more about the topic.
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #1- The Receiving Blanket

After one too many views of all my friend's baby registry I began to cringe at their choices. This may appear to be "unwanted advice," but for new moms it's a necessity to know what you need and don't need. I was fortunate enough to have 3 pregnant friends while I was pregnant and we all helped each other research, register and recoup (yes- it is overwhelming!)

After printing off several friend's registry more than once and having to "edit" it, I have decided to share my thoughts with all of you and help those of you who are in registry melt-down! We will try to get out a lesson once a week. Please comment so we know what you think!

Lesson #1: The Receiving Blanket

Please DO NOT register for more than 2 receiving blankets! I have seen so many people register for 5-10 blankets, because they were told to by a large corporate chain of stores (no names here!) If anyone has EVER been to a baby shower they will tell you "You will get more than enough blankets!" People even use receiving blankets to wrap up gifts and be creative.

I didn't register for any receiving blankets, and went home with about 7. Now- I will suggest registering for one fabulously luxurious stroller blanket, but that's for another lesson!

Moving from bottle to sippy cup

Experts recommend that you can stop giving baby a bottle around the age of 1. The longer the baby stays on the bottle the harder it will be to transition to a cup.
To do this, you need to help your baby learn to start drinking from a sippy cup. Introducing the sippy cup between the ages of 6-9 months will help make your child a pro by 12 months!
My daughter is about 13 months and still does not have the hang of using a sippy cup. What I have found works well for her is a straw. She doesn't quite understand the point of leaning her head back to drink from the cup, so the straw solves that issue! There are many brands out there that make a straw sippy cup. There are also cups that have lids with a little hole for a straw. I have a set of tumbler cups from Tupperware that work great for her and are large enough that we can use them as well.

Strollers- how to choose

Initially, my thought on strollers was- it doesn't matter, they are all the same.... well, I was wrong!

After much research and comparison shopping, I found that there are some key questions you should ask:

• How easy does it turn and maneuver through a crowd (especially if you live in the city)? Most likely it will be you holding the door for yourself and trying to push stroller through. A feature some strollers have are swivel wheels, which allows you to turn it with one hand!
• Does it have some type of "snap and go" feature?
  That means, can your carseat snap onto your stroller base? This is such a great feature because when your little one is in those first few months, they need their sleep but still at that age where they can sleep on the go (usually)... So if you are running errands and baby is asleep in car, instead of waking them up and putting them into a sling or stroller, you can just snap carseat onto stroller
  
• My friend got one of those "Snap & Go" Frames, but she said it was so flimsy she ended up buying 3 of them. If you add up the price of those 3, plus the other stroller she figured it would have been better to have just invested in a nicer one in the beginning
• Does it fold up easily? Check to see if it can stand once folded up.
  
• Is it heavy or lightweight? Can you lift it into your trunk with ease? Remember if you have a c-section you can't left over 30lbs!
• Ask yourself- how will I use my stroller? Is the answer: Daily? Walking outside, through a crowd? Or will you mostly be indoors at a mall?

The following are the ones that have been top rated for the above reasons...

• Bugaboo Frog
  
• Uppa Baby (new to the scene, but have gotten great reviews)
  
• Phil & Ted's
  
• Bob Revolution (can function as a jogger and an "urban" stroller. The only downside is it is bigger)

If you live in an area, where you aren't walking along city streets often and don't think you want all the bells and whistles, the following are ones that work well (and look cute too)

• Quinny Zap (new to the scene in the US)
• Maclaren (the Quest is a nice one)- great umbrella stroller

Finally, there are the typical Travel systems. I am not too familiar with these, so stay tuned and Noel will speak on these ones further... but, the following have been rated well:

• Chicco Cortina Travel System
• Graco
• Peg Perego
• Inglesina (According to the Baby Bargains Book Inglesina was better rated than the Peg Perego)
  

Most importantly, go look and play with the different strollers in the stores- turn them around corners and see how they move with one hand. Try folding & picking it up. Imagine how it would roll over curbs and bumps.

Good luck and happy strolling!