Tools of the Trade (part 3)

The past week has been a bit busy.  Doctor's appointments took up one day; Thumper has his 12-month vaccinations, including MMR!  This is an exciting event because I apparently live in a measles area (and don't we all, nowadays), and I'd like to take him out in public without that being in the back of my mind.  Other days have been spent reading; 12 months is apparently a time where we get all the frustrated meltdowns of toddlerhood with even less reasoning skills and self-control, so I've been spending naptimes with The Happiest Toddler on the Block.  I'll let you know how that one goes, but I've at least finished the book now so I can return to chatting about toys.

And oh, the toys.  Remember, we live in a one-bedroom, open-floorplan apartment.  This means there is currently no bedroom to stash all of Thumper's stuff (though we're working on cleaning out/eliminating the office area to do just that).  In the meantime, everything lives out in the living room, so it definitely resembles a daycare center.  But let's be honest: it was never that fashionable or clean in the first place, so it's not like my world has been upended - though maybe my retinas could use a break from the rainbow every now and then.

All this to say that the Yeti regularly says "He has too many toys!" and I regularly say "He really doesn't have that many - we're just looking at all of them!"  I'm not actually sure which one of us is right; I'm near the bottom of several siblings, so I probably had way too many hand-me-downs and my perception is skewed.  Either way, here are some of the major players in the living room menagerie.  Most of them are only a few months old, so nothing's really stood the test of time yet, but still, there are some definite favorites.

One Year (Early Toddler)

Tolo Toys Rolling Shape Sorter - This was one of the first "toddler"-type toys we purchased.  I wanted a simple shape sorter, and this fit the bill.  As a bonus, the individual shapes rattle (each shape with its own distinctive sound) and the entire drum rolls.  

Honestly, I just wanted to have the developmental basics covered.  I didn't actually expect that this would become a favorite, but it really has.  Out of all Thumper's toys, this one is probably a) the easiest to distract him and b) the one most likely to hold his attention for some time.  He's definitely the right age for it, too; when I bought it back in November, he could pretty much only get the circle in, and that still seemed more like luck (though he still found the whole thing fascinating).  Nowadays, he can get all six shapes in, but some are clearly easier than others, and he still might occasionally get frustrated and move on to something else.  

Thumper's also branched out into trying to cram other objects through the holes (and jam the shapes into other toys).  It's adorable, if occasionally annoying, like when they get stuck in the ball chute of the activity table.  Anyway, it's clearly a classic for a reason. 

Either before or after he wedged the remote sideways into the drum

Green Toys Fire Truck - These toys seem to pop up everywhere around here; I've seen them at Whole Foods, and the local drugstore, for example.  Whole Foods loves them because they're made from recycled plastic milk jugs and are 100%... I don't know, cruelty free.  I like them for that, too, but mostly because they're super durable and hardy.  

They first caught my eye because I was looking at bath toys and the wide range of vehicles includes a ferry and a seaplane.  I really like the idea of having vehicles that are actually in the neighborhood - unlike, say, tractors.  We bought a seaplane and Thumper likes it more out of the bath, but I knew the quality was awesome, so when I saw the fire truck on sale for half off, I snatched it up.  And I was surprised at how much Thumper likes driving it back and forth!  I, personally, was always the type who would look at a Hot Wheels and think, "You know what would make this even better?  Little people to go in it" but Thumper doesn't seem to care.  He happily drives it around with his seaplane and his Doug and Melissa wooden safari truck (which is almost the same size).  

So basically this is an endorsement for any Green Toys vehicle.  I know I intend to at least get him the rocket ship (which, ahem, does have little people) when he's old enough (it says 2 and up).  There's also the ferry, the train, a smaller tugboat... let's just say we'll probably see more of these in the future. 

Hape Pound and Tap Bench With Slide-Out Xylophone - This is the newest toy of the bunch, given on Thumper's birthday.  Once again, I was trying to cover the developmental bases and wanted to get him something like a peg and hammer toy.  This one grabbed me because it's wooden, and instead of pegs, you hammer little balls that then slide down a xylophone.  Even better, the xylophone is removable; I seem to like toys that can multitask.  

To clarify, the one criticism anyone has of this toy is that the xylophone is not a true, in-tune octave scale.  And that is true.  I can plunk out the most warped and sinister-sounding "Three Blind Mice" you've ever heard.  However, as a musician, I can state that it doesn't bother me that it's not a true scale; it's intended to be used more like a set of chimes, and it functions perfectly fine in that regard.  Also as a musician I can state that this will not be the last musical instrument Thumper handles and his sense of Western tonality will be quite secure, I'm sure. 

Right now Thumper likes to pull the xylophone out and play with both parts separately.  He likes to push the balls through with his hand instead of the mallet, and use the mallet for beating on the xylophone.  I don't know that this is a true favorite yet, but I wanted to include it because I am floored at the solid construction.  It's hard to tell, from a picture, what the quality would be, but I'd say I like this even better than the wooden Doug and Melissa stuff we've gotten.  I am going to be looking more into Hape, that's for sure. 

Phew!  I can still think of a few random, non-toy items I'd recommend, so that'll be coming up, as well as a return to the everyday as well.  The weather has been remarkably good, so I expect we'll be having more adventures as we get through winter!

Tools of the Trade (part 2)

I could probably talk at length about every toy and product that Thumper's interacted with, but I'm trying to stick to real favorites.

So I feel like for the first month or so there's no real playing.  I did tummy time, I put up high-contrast stuff that he could see from his sleep area, and we, the parents, played with him and interacted, but for the most part it was eat, sleep, diaper, in some order, over and over.  No real toys.  Which is fine, because you more than make up for it later.  I look like I run a daycare now.

Post-Newborn Infant (and beyond)

Muffin the Moose - This is technically the girl version of Mortimer the Moose.  When I bought it during a Black Friday sale, Mortimer was sold out, and I don't think my kid is going to be tainted by a shot of pink or purple (in fact, the latest pacifier from the multi-pack is pink.  I have noticed strangers using the word "precious" a lot more, come to think of it).  

These Lamaze toys are amazing.  Another popular one is Captain Calamari, which I got for my sister's baby but never got around to getting for us.  They're your standard activity gym/stroller toy, but somehow they're just that extra smidgen more appealing to infants.  In Thumper's case, he was glued to Muffin when I attached her to his activity gym (maybe because his primary view was the black-and-white bottoms of her feet), and since she's slightly bigger than the other toys, she dangled lower and was the first one he could reach.  When he got older, she became a go-to stroller toy.  Even now I chuck her in there, and he'll idly play with the different textures or munch on those antlers.  

Seriously, probably any of the Lamaze baby toys are a good bet.  It's tempting to buy them all, but you'd be surprised how far just one can go.

Sophie the Giraffe teether - I bought one for a friend's baby shower long before I got pregnant myself, due to the rave reviews.  Still, when it came time to get one for Thumper, I was a bit skeptical - mostly because when I took her out of the packaging, she smelled just like a brand-new basketball.  I couldn't imagine that he'd be that much more into her.  

I was so wrong.  Thumper has seven teeth now; he started his "pre-teething" or whatever you want to call it - the stage that's just tons of drool - at three or four months.  That's a lot of teething and drool, and this will continue for the foreseeable future.  And while we've tried many teethers, made of various substances, Sophie is far and away the favorite and has been since the beginning.  At first he could barely manage the toy, and only fit one foot at a time in his mouth; now even her head gets gnawed on.  Just last night I heard the familiar slight squeak of teeth on rubber and sure enough, there he was, sitting in the middle of the living room floor, munching away. 

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo - We knew at around three months that we needed a jumper for Thumper, because he was already jumping in place when we'd hold him on our laps.  We purchased this at four months, but had to wait to actually use it because he was too short; even the lowest setting left his little legs dangling in midair.  

He was finally big enough to use it somewhere between 5 and 6 months.  It took him a few days to get the hang of it, and it's been a hit ever since.  We'd try not to leave him in it for too long, but suddenly the Yeti and I could both eat dinner at the same time.  In fact, Thumper's just now growing out of the highest setting and the jumper's days are numbered, and we don't really have a backup plan for that dinner thing. 

Regarding this specific jumper, it's well-made and withstands the most vigorous jumping.  The little activity toys are great - I've seen Thumper actually push his activity table over, use it to stand and balance and play with the jumper toys when he's not sitting in it.  It has a "storage" mode that basically allows it to shrink down enough to fit through doorways, but it's still pretty unwieldy so it stays in one place.  

Next time I'll cover some from the late-infant/early-toddler stage - so now, in other words.  But for now, I'm breathing a little sigh of nostalgia for the tiny-baby days: 

Tools of the Trade (part 1)

I keep intending to write a post about Stuff - baby products I've loved - but I never do, and time marches merrily on and Thumper gets older and I stop using that Stuff.  Now one of my closest friends is pregnant and all I've been thinking about lately is pregnancy and babies, and I think it's time to get that post(s?) out while I'm thinking up recommendations anyway.

So, first and foremost: to anyone who may be pregnant, I highly recommend Lucie's List if you're looking to make a registry or just a list of necessities.  I agree with many of her picks, and I wish I'd had it when I was doing my own shopping.  So, start there.

Now, these are my own recommendations, in no particular order, though I'll try to stay roughly chronological - hard when some stuff has been used from day one till now.  And if I start to write a novel (let's face it, it's likely) I'll publish it in bits.  And none of this is link affiliated or compensated or anything; I just include links to be helpful.

Newborn (and beyond) 

Fisher Price Rock n Play - Thumper took most of his naps in this till he was around 4 months old.  It was invaluable when he was a newborn and we didn't really have a schedule and he slept, off and on, most of the day; it's light and portable so it lived in the living room, and when he got tired we could pop him in, turn on the vibrate, and rock it (I'm sure it was more complicated than that sometimes but I'm getting a blissfully fuzzy memory of those first weeks).  You rock it manually (we got good at using our feet) but I see via Amazon that there are now models that auto-rock; however, it doesn't seem to have the vibrate function, so that's a tradeoff.  I can only recommend what I used.

After a few months I started reading about flat heads and got paranoid and stuffed a folded-up receiving blanket under the insert, for extra padding.  It probably didn't make any difference and regardless, no flat noggin here, but it was something I did, so I feel compelled to mention it.

Graco Modes Click Connect Travel System - It seems most people stress out the most about car seats and strollers - or, well, I did, anyway.  At first I was opposed to the idea of a "travel system" because it seemed unnecessary, somehow; all I ever heard about it was "You just leave the base in the car, and then move the seat to the stroller; you never have to take the kid out!" and that seemed bizarre to me. Plus, I was going to baby wear, we didn't own a car, etc; it seemed like it wasn't a good fit.

Ultimately, I came to realize you do need to own a car seat even if you don't own a car, so we needed one of those anyway; and I wasn't planning on baby wearing exclusively (my experience on that is already here) so I needed a stroller, and why not get something that fits all together anyway?  We arrived at this particular one like so: I was overwhelmed with online reading and research, we made the trip out to the suburbs to a Babies R Us so we could test drive the floor models, and this one seemed miles away the best choice.  It moved incredibly easily, even with the car seat on top of the regular stroller seat (so, the heaviest configuration).

My favorite aspect of the stroller is that it's relatively modular - you can configure it just about any way you like, either facing you or away.  For most of Thumper's life thus far he felt most secure in the heaviest configuration, high up, facing me, in the infant car seat.  I could use the little hood from the car seat, and the one from the stroller, to shield him in either direction.  Eventually, he started getting a little big (his feet were running into the stroller part) so we put him in the main stroller, foot tray up, still facing me, for a few weeks.  Then he clearly tried to turn to see where he was going, so now he faces the front (though he's still small enough that the foot tray remains up).  He likes the seat pretty much entirely upright, so he can see everything.

In terms of size, it doesn't really feel or manuever like an "SUV" of strollers, but the storage space underneath will hold practically anything.  There might be smaller "urban" models, but let's face it, if you bring a stroller somewhere, it's a stroller.  It takes up space.  I still try to wear him if I know there won't be space, but out of necessity the stroller has gone on various modes of public transportation.  We don't go in cars often, so I'm not constantly folding and unfolding it.   Still, it has gone in several cars over the last year and I've never had trouble folding it or fitting it in the trunk, though it's probably not the lightest in the world.  The one tiny annoyance I have: the little console storage box used to fit my iPhone perfectly, but then I got a 5 and they're slightly too long.  And of course now the new ones are even bigger, though I don't have one of those.  Graco can't be blamed for that, but if I were them I'd upgrade the storage compartment in the next model.

As for the car seat, it's done the job well in the times we've actually been in a car (and as mentioned, we used it most of the time as a stroller seat).  Unfortunately I don't think he'll fit into it much longer, and I'll have to venture into the world of convertible seats... but for now I think there's still one shoulder strap setting to go.

Skip Hop Diaper Bag (Studio) - Surprisingly, it looks like my specific bag (pictured with the stroller above) has actually been replaced with a newer, fancier model.  I'm not sure it needed the upgrade; I love my diaper bag.  I am not normally a purse person.  Well, I want to be, but my personal pain threshold for spending means that I'd never spent more than $40 for a purse before I bought my diaper bag (and even that was on a Black Friday sale).  So far, the Studio bag has held up like a dream, and I can pretty much cram the world in it (including a folded-up Ergo once or twice).

Now, would a regular, giant purse with many pockets serve just as well?  Possibly for carrying around, but the handy clips in this bag means that it's hooked to the stroller most of the time.  Funnily enough, the stain-resistant fabric has come in handy many times - not due to a messy baby, but a messy me!  Since the bag is hooked to the front of the stroller, it's right in the line of fire when I go over a bump too hastily, and an open soda can or cup of (lukewarm) hot chocolate sloshes out.  Most stuff wipes right off that bag.  Me, my coat, my shoes - not so much.  Can't take me anywhere.

I do love my current bag, but if I were to change anything, I'd add an optional shoulder strap.  Not even for me so much as for the times that the Yeti has carried it.  He doesn't care about the style, but he'd prefer an actual strap instead of the giant handles.  So maybe I'd look at the Skip Hop styles that do have that option, like the Duo or the Chelsea.

And what do you know, it's a novel already.  Until next time!

One.

This week, Thumper turned one year old.  I've been trying to put my thoughts into words since then.  It's not getting any easier.

The past few weeks have been full of nostalgia and deja-vu.  I guess it's common to reflect on the past when the holidays roll around; the decorations, the music, the weather, are all very specific, so you can't help but think of the last time you heard that song or smelled that food.  Last year I was very pregnant through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The maternity ward, where I had countless NSTs, was decorated in lights and garland, first for Christmas, then for New Years, then for football.

After Christmas, the reminders of Thumper's birth actually grew stronger.  Last year, the Seahawks had their first playoff game right as we arrived home with our brand-new baby; the town was decked from head to toe in green and blue.  This year, they're going to the playoffs again, and it's surreal watching the buildings unfurl their flags.  They're celebrating the team's victory and Super Bowl chances, but in my mind, they're celebrating Thumper's homecoming.

Though I can't help but remember Thumper's birth (the whole story of which is here) it's not with any particular longing.  I don't miss being pregnant, other than the fact that it got us Thumper.  And I've said this to the Yeti all year long, but so far, his current age is my favorite - he just gets better and better, more fun, more funny.  He's had the same personality seemingly since he was in the womb, but he's grown into himself, revealed (grown, really) new layers.

So the holidays brought a wave of nostalgia, but on his actual birthday, there was surprisingly little.  We weren't celebrating the memory of his birth; we were celebrating him, the hilarious, magnetic, mercurial guy he is right now.  And while it's surprising how quickly this year has flown by, in other ways it's amazing that he's only been here a year; it feels like he's been part of our family for ages.

There weren't many presents; those few weeks between Christmas and his birthday really did fly by, and he's still playing with his other new toys.  Still not sure what we'll do about that in the future (I did my best to bake you as long as I could, kiddo) but who knows, maybe we'll celebrate half-birthdays.  For this year, we knew he'd only focus on a few toys at a time anyway, so instead of opening everything on Christmas we've spread it out.  Thus, by the time Thumper's birthday rolled around he'd opened something new recently.  In fact, there are still a few things we're going to give him this weekend (when the Yeti can be there and we're not shoehorning it in before bedtime).

He's still mostly exclusively breastfed (mostly exclusively? Some foods have made it into his mouth but he's spit most of it back out) but we gave him a mini-cupcake with a candle.  He liked the singing and the candle and smushing the frosting, but still wasn't into eating it.  Probably a good thing - as the Yeti said, we don't need him thinking that all foods will taste like cupcake.

All in all, it was a relatively normal day; we made sure we did some of Thumper's favorite things, which lately means dramatically ripping up a box from a 12-pack of soda (remember that video of the baby laughing at ripping paper? Same reaction).  We read a few new books.  We snuggled even more than usual.  All in all, a great day.