Daycare needs, 3 to 6 months

I think you all know that Peanut started daycare right before 3 months.  To prepare, I did what any other mom would do - I bought more stuff.

 

Here’s some of the stuff you should consider for your kid’s daycare needs.

 

Bottles.

 

 

Yes, I know, this one’s obvious.  Since I’m breastfeeding, we decided to buy Medela bottles to fit my Medela pump.  I love these bottles and have them in two different sizes.  But after a couple of weeks, we started packing Peanut up with the Playtex drop-ins.

 

 

Because they’re really pretty amazing at cutting down on the spit-ups, super easy to put together, and warm up twice as fast.  I won’t even get in to the clean-up.

 

Needless to say, you’ll need some of the drop-in bags.

 

Labels.

 

There are a bunch of kids at daycare, and regardless how special and unique you think you may be, chances are - someone else already has the same bottles, tops, etc.  So label are a must.

 

I bought these inchbug labels for the bottles and sippy cups (the website).  I have to tell you - I absolutely love them.  They’re dishwasher safe, easy to slip on and off, and super cute.  I bought 2 sets of 4.

 

 

In addition to the slip-on labels, I got some stickers from Etsy (Gloria’s stickers).  These are also pretty durable in the dishwasher (this one has been through at least a couple of dozen times by now) and, again, they’re super cute.  I use the stickers for all the loose parts and other miscellaneous pieces.  They work great when you want to find the one missing cap (this happened to me).

 

Containers galore.

 

Once you’re in the “solid” food stages (honestly, I don’t really consider that food to be all that solid), you’ll want some baby Tupperware.  These are different from adult Tupperware because they’re cuter (are you sensing a theme here?) and because you get to shop for some more stuff.  I love these Take and Toss containers - they come in various sizes, are dishwasher safe (seriously though, I am always freaking out about germs), and cost very little.

 

Blankets and pacis.

 

These cotton blankets (gifts from the baby shower) are amazing for daycare - they’re lightweight, but warm enough to battle the A/C.  And we’ve recently switched to the 6+ month pacifiers (because I was running out of things to buy…you are sensing sarcasm, no?).

 

Seahorse

 

Finally, Peanut absolutely loves her seahorse for naps.  We actually just brought it to daycare on her very first day and left it there.  It’s her snuggle toy, her comfort item, her lullaby.

 

What do you pack your kid for daycare?

Are you about to go back to work?  Are you nervous?

 

Remember when I had to go back?

Favorite toys, 3 to 6 months

I’m starting to think that this is one of my favorite ages to date (ha…ha…I’m so funny).  Peanut has really become a little opinionated person, learning how to reach, grab, and even pass toys from one hand to the other.  We’ve loved watching her develop.

 

Here are some of her favorites:

 

Rubber Duckies

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I can’t seem to stop singing the Rubber Ducky song from Sesame Street (by the way, did you know that are pre-taped episodes of it On Demand?  It’s a great distraction for a couple of minutes while I cut Peanut’s nails).  Any-who.  Peanut absolutely adores her rubber duckies.  We have 3 (they don’t look like this, but they’re also pretty funny).  Before she was able to full sit up, she used to lean back in the tub and shuffle her rubber duckies around with her feet (for whatever reason my kid thinks that her feet are another set of hands).  Now she gets a kick out of rubber duckies “diving” from various heights into the tub and making a splash.  We can’t seem to get enough of them and they’re a sure way to bring on a round of giggles.

 

Rattles, crunching books, and other loud things

 

[I couldn’t find these online, sorry gang]

 

Peanut just loves her rattles.  In fact, rattles of any kind are her favorite.  She loves the noise they make, she loves putting them in her mouth and exploring their textures and she loves the colors.  The toy on the left mesmerizes her when you turn it upside down and back again and watch the little balls rattle down.  The rattle on the right has to be her very favorite.  She actually learned to turn her hand over to turn the rattle upside down and then back again to make the little loops go up and down.  It’s amazing to watch her learn all this.  The book makes all sorts of crunching noises, has some moving parts on the handle and lets us put in pictures of ourselves inside a protective sleeve.  Aside from sticking it in her mouth and making the crunching noise, P gets all excited when I point out “Peanut with mommy” and “Peanut with daddy” on each page.  All of these (and actually about 80% of all our baby toys) are hand-me downs from our neighbors and friends.

 

Toys that sing

 

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This one is P’s all-time favorite but she pretty much likes any toy that sings.  Initially we stuck this on her car seat, stroller, and just about everything else.  She loved moving the little rattles and grabbing the mirror.  By 6 months she loves pulling on the froggy and making him sing by pressing his eyes (I’m pretty sure it’s not really on purpose but she gets the general idea and can do it about 70% of the time).  We have so many toys that sing (and by now know every single tune by heart and end up whistling it in the shower). 

 

Move & Crawl ball

 

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We bought this awesomeness at a consignment shop ($7 for a $14 toy? Yes please).  It is so freakin’ cool.  The little lady bug spins and moves around, the buttons make noises, play songs.  And the ball rolls around on its own (there is alittle weight inside that makes it move depending on the button Peanut presses).  P just loves pressing the buttons and playing with the little tags.

 

Taggies

 

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Did you know that these existed?  Because I certainly did not until about a month or so ago.  Peanut seeks out the little tags on every single toy she owns.  One day I was whining to my bestie about Peanut putting yet another tag into her mouth when she said, “Have you bought her any taggy toys?” Taggy toys? What?! Why have I not heard of this?  (Apparently there are taggy clothes too!)  Jon and I ran out to the consignment shop and bought two of them ($5 each!) - the one pictured above and a book.  Peanut was in love.  She can’t get enough of these (although she still manages to seek out the actual tag on the taggy toy).  Then her Gigi bought her a taggy puppy!  Now she spends every single morning taking turns sucking on every one of them (they’re different textures) and then just sitting there with the tail of the puppy in her mouth.  It’s pretty funny to watch.  If your kid is like mine and loves tags, I suggest you seek these out immediately.  You won’t be sorry.

 

Got any toys to add to my list?

Favorite baby gear, 3 to 6 months

Our little Peanut-butter-face is now 6 months old, so I thought I’d fill you in on all the goodies in the 3 to 6 month category.

 

Projector Soother

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After Peanut moved to her crib permanently, we decided to invest in a projector soother and we sure are glad we did.  This baby keeps Peanut pretty entertained in the evening right before she falls asleep.  We usually put her down sleepy, but still awake.  This soother projects an image to our ceiling and plays soothing music, keeping Peanut entertained until she’s ready to fall asleep.  We don’t turn it on every single night, but we do when she seems a bit cranky and it works every time.  It also has a night light and a mirror for when she’s ready to go beyond the projector.

 

Egg Thermometer

 

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Okay, so you’ll probably be just fine without one of these if you’re a laid back kinda mom.  But since I’m a nervous wreck who worries about everything, I had to get one of these.  I couldn’t help stress out about the warmth in P’s room when summer got underway since her room is in the corner of the house and seems to be a completely different temperature than the rest of the house.  The egg thermometer tells you the temperature and let’s you know how it’s going by changing colors (you know, yellow- good, orange- uh oh, red- bad).  It’s easy to spot it and know whether the room is at the right temperature without reading the number.

 

Huggies Overnight Diapers

 

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Around 4.5 months we did the Ferber sleep training and Peanut started sleeping through most of the nights.  However, most nights when she did wake up was due to a wet diaper (I know, ours might be the only baby who hates a wet diaper).  We talked to a few of our friends and they all recommended the same thing - Huggies overnites.  These diapers are about 2 sizes too big for P (size 3 is the smallest), but we wrap them up tightly and put her to bed.  These keep her happy all night long and have cut back on her wake up time to just about 0 (or at least 0 due to wet diapers).  Heads up - they weigh about 500 pounds in the morning.  Did you know your baby can pee 500 pounds worth of stuff in just 10 hours?

 

Duck tub

 

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Rubber ducky, you’re the one…doo doo doo doo.  This tub rocks!  It’s tiny and blows up to be half of our bathtub size.  It fits in great, it quacks, and it’s soft for Peanut.  Did I mention bath time is her favorite time of day?  I’m guessing it would be mine too if someone put me in an inflatable duck tub that quacked.

 

Jumperoo

 

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Love, love, love this jumperoo.  We are borrowing it from my Bestie Inna and I have to tell you, it’ll be tough giving it back.  Peanut is obsessed!  At our 4 month appointment our doctor told us to go out and get a jumperoo because Peanut loved to be on the move and kicked her legs in every direction like crazy.  Needless to say, she loves jumping in it (the cute part is that she’s actually jumping to the beat!).

 

Exersaucer

 

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This is another one of those awesome things you gotta go out and get this instant.  Peanut just loves playing in her walker.  Recently we even started unlocking the wheels so she can walk around.  Her favorite part is moving the little birdies up and down the loop and pulling on the tree (it makes sounds).

 

High Chair

 

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This isn’t our exact high chair (although this one looks freakin’ awesome).  But I have to tell you, our high chair’s been a saver.  Peanut just loves sitting down for dinner with the whole family.  She immediately gets excited and opens her mouth wide for me to stick a spoon in.  She’s still too tiny for one (shocker, I know), but with a couple of blankets stuck under the cover, she has a boost that allows her to actually reach the table part.  The high chair keep her entertained (we have “food” toys that we stick on her table) and keeps her safe while I get her dinner ready.  Plus it’s a synch to clean up!

 

Got any other gear for 3-6 months to share?

 

I’ll do favorite toys and day care stuff separately this week.

I have an addiction

I got a new Crate & Barrel catalogue…and have been daydreaming about these…

 

You see, I am in DIOR need of new dinner wear.  Mine is missing settings and has cracks.

 

But then, I also saw these:

 

Don’t they make you want to come over to my place for some appetizers?

 

Which of course led to this:

 

I’m missing this from my set.

 

Which reminds me, I don’t have a set.

 

I also don’t have enough storage containers.  I believe these will do.

 

Oh, and these too.

 

Did you know I store my floor and sugar in dog treat bowls?  Don’t worry - they’re clean…

 

And speaking of things I need to replace, could I ask for a couple of these?

 

 

My couch pillows are so old and gross, I’m considering giving them to Travis, the pillow eater.

 

And then I noticed the link to this…

 

 

 

…see you all in about 10 years when I’m done swooning over the adorable baby and kids stuff.

 

Do you have a store where you can’t resist a thing?

Have you ever been to The Land of Nod?  Are you addicted?

New review post - our video monitor

Check out my review post about our video monitor.
 

FF: Kitchen Gadgets I Covet

My bff and I were talking about what our parents did for us when we were babies (we’re both Russian) and the topic of de-pitting cherries came up (don’t ask; we’re weird). And then we found some more awesome gadgets.  So that, ladies and gents, is how today’s Friday Five was born – Kitchen Gadgets I Covet.

<center><a href="http://www.livinglikethekings.com/search/label/Friday%20Five"> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5671375328_fa84c29f3f_m.jpg" /> </a></center>

1. Cherry Pitter

Image via amazon.com

This would help me scoop hundreds of these into my mouth in a matter of minutes.  Without chocking.

2.  Strawberry stem remover

image via amazon.com

Umm, did you know this existed?  Because I did not.  And now that I do, taking the stems off my strawberries is one of the most tedious tasks ever.  Honestly, who ha time to waste on de-stemming the berries?  Not me.  I'm a busy person.  I'm very important.  I have many leather-bound books.

3.  Pineapple slicer

image via amazon.com

I know what you're thinking - THAT is how all those pricy restaurants do it!  I know, I know. I have ESPN.

4.  Apple Corer

image via amazon.com

I quit.

5.  Herb Scissors

image via amazon.com

I just recently learned that it's easier to use scissors to cut herbs to start with...and now this?  What has this world come to?

On a side note, it's my birthday in July.  I'm going to be...uh...25 (that's my new favorite age).  So if you're struggling with gifts (*cough* Jon *cough*), this is a gimme. You're welcome.

What is the coolest gadget you own?  What kitchen gadget do you covet?

Got a Friday Five?  Link up!

Exer-what?

Peanut is growing like a weed and developing all sorts of new interests.

 

One of her new favorite toys is the exersaucer.

 

According to Daycare, Addi’s been playing in an exersaucer for a couple of weeks so we decided it was time to put ours together and let her have a go at it.

And she absolutely loved it!

She’s still so tiny that we have to put a blanket to prop her up, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

She loves to play with all the new toys.

While I sit back and wonder how my tiny little nugget is acting like such a kid.

Seriously, when did she learn how to do all these things?

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital?

Q & A–the A

I think Q&A is becoming one of my fav recurring posts.  I love your questions! 

 

 

Here are some answers:

 

Emily @ The Culinary Couple asked me what we use for a stroller.  Well, Em, we use the Bob Revolution.  And we are obsessed!

 

 

It is possibly the coolest stroller ever (ps- this is the new model they just released while ours is last year’s model).  It is a jogging stroller, which is awesome for us when I start running again (I have to wait until Peanut is 8 months).  But it’s actually an amazing all-around stroller with a pivoting front wheel, sick suspension, and impressive turning radius.  It’s lightweight (which is awesome since I have to load and unload it by myself); it folds up in half to go in your trunk (“like a gloooooove”); it can go anywhere (it even navigates through the sand without ruining the wheels).  So yeah.  I’d recommend it.

 

 

Carrie @ Life in the Slow Lane wanted to know if I knew English before I moved to the US and what baby item I can’t live without.

 

My sister and I were actually signed up for some English classes a couple of months before we decided to move to the US.  We learned to say, “Hello”, “My name is (insert name)” and “I don’t speak English.”  I think that about sums it up.  When we moved to the US, our parents put us straight in to school and then summer camp for the summer to immerge us into the English-speaking culture.

 

As for the baby item.  Ahh! I’m stumped.  I feel like it’s something new every day!  Peanut goes through things and grows things out left and right.  I think right now I couldn’t live without this bouncy seat.

 

 

(I can’t find our exact one but this is almost the same thing).

 

We literally don’t leave the house without it.  It calms Peanut down in seconds when she’s grumpy, she is able to take naps in it when we’re at someone’s house, and it almost always gets a little giggle out.  We actually hang other toys from it for her to play with.

 

 

Robin @ FindGoodInEveryDay asked if we live by the beach – we do!  We’re about 2 or 3 miles from Hammonasset Beach State Park (where we went for a walk on Mother’s Day) and a couple of miles from the Madison private beaches. 

 

 

Personally, I wouldn’t actually go in the water there (yucky sound) but we love taking advantage of the sandy beach, nice walks, and gorgeous views.

Baby registry - stuff we used, Part 2

Part 2 - the Fun stuff!

I can't believe that Peanut is going to be 3 months in just over a week.  Here's what we've been using to keep her entertained:

The sleep sheep.  It saves lives.  Ok, maybe it doesn't save lives but it does help Peanut sleep.  Ok, ok.  Maybe it helps us sleep, but whatever.  It rocks.

PS- we actually like the Travel size one better.

These are totally awesome travel toys.  You can hook them to the playmat, carseat, or whatever you want.

We actually hook this one up to Peanut's changing table because she just loves swatting at it.  Plus it keeps her completely entertained during diaper changes, which means I don't have to stress out about her crying.

This Seahorse is pretty amazing.  Peanut will actually try to touch and lick it when it's nearby.  She loves the music and lit belly and I love that it keeps going for about 5 minutes rather than having to press it over and over and over again.

Instead of a mobile, we actually put in one of these Projector soothers.  In addition to playing soothing music it projects a couple of images on to the sealing.  Peanut falls completely silent when it is on and stares up at it for a couple of minutes before falling into deep sleep.  It cuts the "pacifier" game down to about 5 minutes.

I really think a bouncer is a must for anyone with a baby.  You can choose which one you like, but we just adore this one that we borrowed from my Bestie.  It's amazing.  Peanut can be screaming and will calm down within seconds when she's in the bouncer.  Plus it's great for traveling!  The only thing is that it's a battery eater, so buy stock in Duracell now.

And since you're already invested in those batteries, you can get one of these swings.  These are also amazing for calming the baby down, although I hear that not all babies love swings.  Peanut sure does.  She especially loves the big mirror at the base of the mobile.  When you put her in, she'll just stare at herself in awe.  We borrowed this one from my bestie too, so if you're out looking at one, you might want to choose one that plugs in to the outlet rather than eats your batteries.  Jon and I had our eye on this one:

Must not forget a good carrier.

I use ours daily.  Peanut loves house tours and sometimes it's impossible to get anything done, so I pop her into one of these and continue with my day.  Other days we all go for a walk - it's very easy to walk two dogs and carry the baby with one of these (plus it's a workout!).

Of course you'll also want to buy a playmat.

This is the one we have - we got it at a tag sale for $5.  It didn't come with all the toys, but we didn't mind.  It was totally worth it!  We use it daily.

And if your baby is like mine and prefers to sit rather than lay around, you'll want a Bumbo as well.

She likes to sit in it on her playmat or while I read her books.

And these are just some of the other small toys that we love:

As usual, you an see these and any other stuff we love here:

What other fun stuff does your baby love?