1 Mother 2 Another

This week the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, that helpful government agency which issues recalls on
unsafe products, sent out a press release this week on baby slings.
They’ve been researching infant deaths related to baby slings
over the past twenty years, and have found that an overwhelming
percentage of infant deaths – including three last year alone
– have been in babies under four months of age.

The CPSC states that:


Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to
babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control
their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric
can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the
baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a
minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a
curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can
be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be
able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.


Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth
weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as
a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in
fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and
consult their pediatricians about using slings.


The CPSC is calling for mandatory standards for infant slings in
the US, and I’m sure more news will be coming on this front.
For now, they urge parents to make sure the baby’s face is
visible at all times and is seen to breathe easily. For the
complete press release, click href=" http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10165.html"
target="_blank">here.


Now here’s my two cents on the thing –


I’ve used pretty much every baby carrier out there, with the
exception of the Moby-type, with the yards and yards of fabric.
I’ve tried the tight slings and the voluminous fabric slings,
the Bjorn, and the Ergo. And I can tell you that neither one of my
girls liked the sling as newborns – they looked folded in
half and seemed buried and bewildered. For newborns through the
first few months, I found that the Bjorn worked best – I know
they’re too small for the legs, but I would swaddle the baby
and slide her down into the carrier with legs wrapped up, head laid
to the side. I discovered the Ergo late in the game for me, but I
absolutely adore it. The Ergo comes with an optional insert to make
it workable for newborns and the moms I’ve interviewed with
it give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. I’ve also seen the
insert at work, and I have to tell you, I’m sold – it
keeps the baby’s face clear at all times and isn’t as
all-encompassing as a sling.


I’m not knocking the sling – I found it incredibly
helpful as they got a little older. Around four months old or so, I
could use it to help them “perch” on my hip and free up
my arms a bit. And as they got older, it was certainly handy for
them to lie in the sling in public and nurse, then fall asleep
there. Cora was doing that up to around five or six months. I was
definitely able to nurse the girls in the Bjorn as well, and in the
Ergo, so it’s simply a matter of what works for you.


So there’s my thing – I never found the sling to be the
best fit for newborns anyway, and always had worries about the
suffocation thing. That being said, I have several girlfriends who
swear by the sling from birth day on, and I’m guessing if
you’re careful and use it right you’ll be ok. The CPSC
hasn’t issued a recommendation to make them illegal for
newborns, so it’s not at that level right now. Just be
cautious, and perhaps check out other methods for the first few
months.

I’m not sure if it’s a toddler
thing or a girl thing or what, but Cora and Maddie both love purses
and bags, and have recently found a few they just adore.


It started in July – we were walking around for a July 4
celebration and saw a little girl with a water bottle carrier slung
diagonally over her shoulders. The bottle carrier was made to look
like a butterfly and was sized for a little person to wear, and
Maddie thought it was the coolest thing ever. I stopped the family
to find out where they’d gotten it, and the rest is
history.

Maddie’s now got her own href="http://www.stephenjosephgifts.com/products.html"
target="_blank">water bottle carrier, and as cute as it is,
the thing serves a much more practical purpose – freeing up
Mommy’s hands! Maddie happily wears it out and about,
especially since it’s pink and green and matches pretty much
everything she’s got, and I don’t have to constantly
stop to help with a water break. Cora’s got her own carrier
– a very cool giraffe – and isn’t as interested
in wearing it (why should she when she has Mommy at her beck and
call?) but the more she sees Maddie with hers, the closer she gets
to using it.


I had to dig deeper into the company, href="http://www.stephenjosephgifts.com/products.html"
target="_blank">Stephen Joseph, and see what else they
have. Big mistake.


They’re a Texas-based company (love supporting local
businesses) with a totally cute line of bags, purses, you name it.
Maddie now has a butterfly Silly Sac – a small backpack
perfect for storing a few treasures, or Silky and a book –
and a butterfly quilted backpack. Apparently the quilted backpacks
are a big seller, and I can see why – very roomy, very cute
and well-made, and machine-washable. With Maddie starting some
classes this fall, I know where she’s going to put her dance
shoes/soccer gear/musical instruments. Cora’s got a totally
cute hippo backpack, which she thinks is just the bee’s
knees.


So far the backpacks have gotten tons of use and they haven’t
even left the house! The day they arrived, Maddie grabbed hers
excitedly and said, “Can we fill it and go somewhere real to
play with our things?” Mind you, the girl was naked but for a
diaper, and when I said she couldn’t go out of the house like
that she ran around stuffing treasures in the backpack, threw on a
pair of clogs, slung the backpack over her (still naked) shoulders
and announced herself ready to go. Dressed that way, I limited
Maddie’s trip to the back yard fort, which she accepted with
good grace. This meant re-packing, though, so she sat down and
emptied the bag before restocking. Filled up, she bid me a solemn
farewell and stepped out of the house.


Cora didn’t quite understand everything going on, but
she’s a keen observer and got the gist of her big
sister’s actions, so she spent the rest of the day filling
her backpack with toys, carrying it to another room, and then
unpacking it. Maddie suggested she fill hers and take it to church,
but I quickly nixed that idea, visions of small talking Elmos and
bouncy balls skittering across the church floor filling my head.
It’s enough that she uses her water bottle carrier on Sundays
and points out the butterfly design to Father Mike. Every. Sunday.


There are a few more things from the line we’ve got our eyes
on – they’ve got two lunch bags (one snack size for the
pool and such, one full-size), a very cool small purse, and even a
duffel bag for weekend trips. Maddie’s butterfly theme is
found in pretty much everything they make, while Cora loves the
flower pattern we’ve seen in some of their items. One of
their newest items, a nap roll with a small pillow, I could totally
see us getting for “sick days” and visits to other
houses. Boy-wise, I really love the dinosaur pattern and know my
friends would be happy to see they’ve got trucks and rocket
ships galore.


If we were heading into preschool this fall I’d definitely
let Maddie carry one of their backpacks – either the quilted
or the vinyl – to school, but as it is we’ll have to
stick with using it for her various upcoming classes. Just
something for her to look forward to in the spring, I guess, when
the bag will have permission slips and artwork and homework bulging
from its pockets.


And for now, we’ll keep filling it with the important things-
Elmos and Leggos and books. Oh, my!

Both of my girls were born without much
hair to speak of – I guess it’s just a family thing.
And when Maddie was a baby, I didn’t want to be one of those
women who glue a bow to their bald kid’s head, so I waited
until Maddie actually needed one before trying the hairclip thing.


Big mistake. By that time, Maddie was perhaps 18 months old and had
definite opinions about what did and didn’t look good, and
hair accessories fell soundly in the latter column. I spent the
next six months trying to coax any type of hair accessory onto
Madeleine’s head, having success at first with the head band,
then alligator clips, then (still reluctantly) the elastic rubber
bands. The fights were not small, but I kept trying since the
alternative was a face full of floppy hair and a girl who kept
running blindly into walls.

So when Cora proved to be just as
hair-challenged a baby as Maddie was, I knew I’d have to
become one of those women who use those infant hair accessories for
seemingly no reason. Since Cora was about eight months old
we’ve been clipping tiny bows into the wispy curls on her
head, and they’re mildly tolerated, though they don’t
last long since there’s so little for them to grab on to.


Maddie, however, has quickly become an accessory convert and spends
a decent amount of time in the morning coordinating her hair
accessories with her outfits, mulling over hairbow styles or even
rubber band colors. So when I recently found a new line of hair
accessories geared towards picky girls, I knew I’d have to
give it a try.


target="_blank">Bugalug carries a big range of alligator
hair clips – Maddie’s favorites on account of the
“ouchless” factor. They also come in extremely cute
styles, with a huge range of prints and ribbons to choose from. But
the best part of their clips is that they’ve got a grip
lining on them, so I’m not constantly adjusting the clips ten
times a day. The no-slip rubber strips aren’t painful, they
simply keep that fine baby hair from slipping through the clip.
Even though the clips don’t have big bows on the end (and
Maddie does love her bows, which I blame entirely on the fact that
we now live in Texas) Maddie’s deemed them good enough to go
into heavy rotation, and the no-slip works even on Cora’s
(lack of) hair.


Their other cool product is the headband – just a pretty
ribbon, but with a sliding clip on the end that makes adjusting and
fitting really easy. When Maddie first got it she wore the thing
several days in a row, entranced with how easy her hair style was.
So if you’re shopping for something that’ll work on
shiny young hair but isn’t covered in Disney Princesses,
check Bugalug’s website out.


As for Cora, we’re plugging away – I even managed to
get a Pebbles-style ponytail out of her four hairs today, sticking
straight up off her head.


With a coordinated rubber band, selected by big sister, natch.

About a month ago I decided our family
needed a kids’ wagon: with our community pool opening in May
I’ve been planning ahead for the daily treks, ordering
swimsuits and sunscreen and cover-ups and such, and realized
I’d need something to haul all that gear back and forth.
Since it’s less than a mile to the pool I refuse to drive
there, but also have no desire to become a pack mule, laden with
droopy toddlers and squirmy babies, towels, water bottles, and so
on.


Hence the wagon decision.

I could picture us on summer days, me
pulling the wagon, Cora sitting on top of the towels while Maddie
walks alongside, towel wrapped around her neck. I (of course) did
serious wagon research online and picked out the exact one I wanted
– ahref="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FRadio-Flyer-2700-Pathfinder-Wagon%2Fdp%2FB0000859QK%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dtoys-and-games%26qid%3D1208489829%26sr%3D8-1&tag=1mother2anoth-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"
target="_blank">Radio Flyer Pathfinder wagon, with two
seats, FOUR cupholders, and an impressively tight turning radius
(my husband tells me).


Then I started stalking Craig’s List.


I just couldn’t stomach buying one new when I knew that
somewhere out there, someone was getting rid of one. For weeks I
checked the classifieds and often spied one, only to be too late in
chasing it down. Finally, though, I heard in my mom’s group
that one of the moms was getting rid of hers. I cornered her
– Is it true?? – and two days and twenty-five bucks
later, Maddie and I went to pick the wagon up and bring it home.


I tried explaining the wagon in advance, but the Madster
didn’t quite get it. We’d used them before on beach
vacations, hauling chairs and coolers back and forth to the sand,
but she couldn’t believe we’d have our own. After
checking it out, though, she gave it her seal of approval and began
climbing all over it. Maddie opened the seats up. She folded them
down. She tested every cupholder. She tried her hand at steering
it. And finally, with a big grin on her face, she said,
“Let’s take it home, Mom!” Climbing in, Maddie
chose the rear-facing seat and got strapped in. Two steps into it,
she decided she wanted to face forward. Re-fastened in the
“better” seat, she stretched her legs out, paused, and
–no kidding – pulled out her sunglasses, pushed them on
her nose, and leaned back, hands behind her head.


And the thought bubble “Uh-oh” appeared over my head.


In the five days since we’ve brought that wagon home, the
sheen has not worn off. Maddie wants to ride in the wagon all
around the back yard. She wants to go to the park – but only
in the wagon. She brings things outside, hides them under the
folded-down seats, and “discovers” them. She pushes her
toys in the wagon. But the best toy, by far, is Cora.


Maddie thinks there is nothing cooler than sitting in the wagon,
her baby sister strapped in the opposing seat, while the mule
–er, Mom – pulls them for a ride. I can go up and down
the street, circle the block, or simply go around and around the
yard – it really doesn’t matter. Maddie loves it, and
Cora cackles with delight, rarely taking her eyes off her big
sister. I think, for Cora, part of the thrill is simply having
Maddie all to herself, strapped down and unable to talk to anyone
else. But whatever the reason, both girls love the thing.


There’s another reason Cora loves the wagon, though: it gives
her another prop to hold onto in the back yard. Cora can cruise
around and around the thing, and if she falls she simply bonks
herself on relatively soft plastic. She’s even made a
tentative try at pushing the wagon a la a walker, but hasn’t
been able to move it yet. But she’s still hoping.


So the wagon is a big hit. Combine the new “wheels”
with the girls’ love of being outdoors, and it’s easy
to see what we’ll be doing all summer. In fact,
Maddie’s best days recently have looked something like this:


Get up. Go outside and play on the swingset while Mom packs a
lunch. Get in the wagon and ride to the community duck pond. Picnic
there, throwing bread at the ducks and helping Cora eat grass. Ride
the wagon home. Play on the swingset some more, and protest
vociferously when it’s naptime. Wake up. Play on the swingset
until dinner. Eat dinner. Ride in the wagon to the park, and
protest vociferously when it’s time to go home and go
night-night. (“But it’s not dark!” “Yes,
honey, it is!” “No it isn’t! Mom, where are you?
I can’t see you!”)


Get the picture?


I think it was the right decision for us: the wagon is certainly
cheaper than a double stroller, and holds more gear. And
Cora’s getting too big and squirmy to be wearing a lot any
more. But it doesn’t make me feel any less like a pack mule.


So if you’re driving through our neighborhood one day and
spot a woman wearily trudging along, pulling two crazy girls in a
shiny red wagon, just wave and smile.


No rest for the weary.

Cora’s in the midst of a rather
intense bout of separation anxiety, as I may have mentioned one or
twelve times. If I can slip out unnoticed she’s fine, but as
soon as she spies me after a long absence – say, a
thirty-second pee break – she bursts into tears and begins
jabbering frantically, filling me in on all the woes that have been
heaped upon her head while I’ve been gone. Sometimes
she’s content to play happily on her playmat, surrounded by
stuffed animals and chew toys, while I work in an adjoining room.
Other times, she needs to be near me but will entertain herself,
say, on the kitchen floor, while I step over her and keep up a
stream of conversation. In those instances, as long as she can see
me, hear me, occasionally feel me, and believe that she’s got
my attention, she’s fine.


But then there’s the other 70% of my life, when nothing will
do but that she must be held. By mommy. (And in those moods, hand
her to my husband and she gets a look on her face that’s
positively French in its contemptible disdain: “What is zees
Daddy zing? Sacre dieu! ‘E steenks! Pieu! Removez-moi
rapidement, s’il-vous-plait!” It would be quite funny
if it weren’t for the hurt look on Brian’s face.) And
listen, with a child rounding the corner rapidly towards 8 months,
this holding thing gets old.

You know me – I’m a big fan of
the soft carrier. I’ve got a Bjorn, a sling, an Ergo carrier,
the works – and I use them all. But none of them are quite
right all the time. The Bjorn, for instance, is great for walking
and sitting, but having her right in front of me is problematic
when, say, using sharp knives or needing to lean over a lot for
laundry or some such. Ditto for the Ergo carrier. The sling is
great, and Cora will cozy up in that thing and conk out if I need
her to. But it’s a bit bulky and can’t be crammed into
a diaper bag easily for when I need an extra pair of hands, and
while Cora loves it for snoozing in a cradle hold, it’s a bit
hot to her for the hip wearing.


Which is why I’m happy to announce I’ve got yet another
soft carrier – the target="_blank">PUJ (pronounced “pudge”) Go
Sling. I got this puppy a couple months ago and have been
putting it through its paces. Why in the world do I need another
one, you might ask? Here’s why:


This thing is pretty dang tiny. That means it’s great to
throw in the diaper bag and use on, say, the airplane if Cora wants
to be held while she sleeps, or waiting in the ticket line, or out
to lunch with a girlfriend and your kid won’t stay still and
you want to cut your own food already. At this restless age, I
can’t keep Cora strapped into anything for long, and the
Bjorn and Ergo take a lot of fanfare to get in and out of, but this
is so quick and painless I don’t mind. If I know Cora’s
going to need “retreat” space and I’m heading out
for a long time I’ll take my usual sling, but the PUJ is
what’s in my diaper bag for that extra hand.


Second, Cora really loves the way it pulls her so snugly on my hip
without swallowing her in fabric. There’s less fabric here
than a traditional sling so it’s less all-encompassing, which
makes it ideal for the hip-sitting position. Cora feels free to
look around and gesticulate, and I have use of both arms whereas
with my usual sling one arms somewhat immobilized from the sling
fabric. So I put this baby to use when I’m trying to get
dinner ready, pay bills, sort laundry, whatever, and have to hold
the Clinging Kiddo at the same time.


Third, this sling is really easy to use, even for non-sling people.
There’s no loops, no snaps, nothing, which makes it easy to
get into by yourself. Again, a definite bonus in my book.


So if you’re looking for an extra helping hand, think about
the PUJ (I know I sound like a commercial but they didn’t pay
me, I swear!). It comes in some really cool, hip fabrics and is
definitely an asset to the busy mom.


My hair may have several days’ worth of grease in it; my
breast pads may not have been changed for a few weeks and are
starting to emit an unpleasant odor; my jeans (the only pair I can
fit into) may have several meals’ worth of prunes on them;
but dang it, I’ve got a cool baby carrier, so I look
stylin’ while I’m making that mac and cheese.

We’ve had a luxuriously long Indian
summer here, with highs almost to 80 degrees just last week.
We’ll have a couple days of “cold” – maybe
55 or 60 for a high – before hanging around in the 70s again
a while. But these little forays into balmy weather are becoming
fewer and farther between, and as I look at our forecast with a
high of about 51 for the next week, I’m having to acknowledge
that the cold is settling in to stay.


Which means it’s time to get out the gear.

I’ve already changed over
everyone’s closets: Maddie and Cora have had their winter
gear out and ready since I had to move them both up a clothing size
a month ago, and Brian and I finally dug out our sweaters and down
jackets this week. Mittens and pull-on hats are beginning to loiter
at the front door, and indeed, this afternoon when we went for a
walk Maddie requested a hat, “And not the kind you tie, but
the kind that hugs your head, please, Mom.”


So now all that’s left are the stroller blankets and soft
carrier wraps needed to keep the little despots warm as
they’re ferried around the city in style. For Maddie, my
all-time favorite stroller blanket, the href="http://mobilemoms.com/-Toastie-Toddler-Original-XL-46-68-prod.htm">
toastie toddler by Mobile Moms, will be attached to her
Maclaren and left in for the rest of the season. I love this thing
– it’s the third winter in a row we’ve used it
for her, which means there’s a ton of room to grow. The thing
is a snap to put into the stroller, thin enough that you can leave
it in and still fold the stroller, incredibly warm, wind-proof,
waterproof, and machine washable. What’s left to say? Oh,
yes, it unzips completely apart so if the weather turns mild I can
unzip the top and turn it from a sleeping bag-type thing to a seat
liner. If you’re a new mom and looking for bang for your
buck, this is worth the investment – you’ll use it for
years.


Cora’s got something as well, but I can’t recommend it
to you. I’d love to – her Kangaroo Kuddler fits over
any infant car seat or front soft carrier, is also windproof,
toasty, machine-washable, and so on. But for whatever reason (I
can’t think of a good one) Mobile Moms stopped making it.
I’ve found something similar online – the target="_blank"
href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000022941663">
Poppit looks much like what I use – but I
can’t tell you how great it is because I’ve never tried
it. If you’ve got a soft carrier winter cover out there you
love, please let me know so I can pass it on to other moms.


So Maddie’s covered, Cora is covered, Maddie is now a pro
with the mittens and hats, which leaves just one thing to cover
– Cora’s head and hands. I’m hoping Cora’s
going to be more willing to wear winter accessories than Maddie was
as a baby (remember the Mittenless Wonder?) but frankly, I’m
not holding my breath; just today as we went for a walk Cora kept
frantically sticking her bare arm out from under her covers so the
appendage was ice-cold by the time we got home.


Bring on the frostbite!

A few things that are important to
understand about me and the world of infant clothing:


First, I loved baby clothes. Think they’re really cute. And,
compared to adult clothes, really cheap. And, since they outgrow
them so fast, I always have an excuse to go shopping.


Second, I think that clothing giving is a tricky thing. You have to
not only have good taste, but similar taste to the person to whom
you’re giving the gift. And if you’re giving someone
baby clothes, I think the clothing should be not only cute, but
well-made enough to last more than two washings.

Third, I have strong opinions about how
kids should be dressed. Big surprise, I know. But I’m a big
believer in age-appropriate clothing and can’t stand seeing
three-year-olds dressed like Britney Spears. I also have a real
problem with people who use their kids as billboards for the
parents’ own beliefs: I mean, if you don’t like
President Bush’s foreign policies, that’s fine, but
having a one-year-old wear a onesie with his picture on it and the
word “Fascist” is a bit much. And yes, I’ve seen
it.


At the same time, I’m a New Yorker, and I’m always
looking for hip, wry, original clothing. Now add age-appropriate,
non-offensive, and well-made, and you’ve got a tall order to
fill. But I’m always on the lookout, and when I find
something great I pass it on to you so you don’t have to do
the hard work.


Right after Cora was born we got a package of clothes from target="_blank" href="http://www.savvytot.com">Savvy Tot
and I have to say they fit the bill. A really cute assortment of
onesies and tees with slogans like “Grandma’s Future
Tech Support”, “Crib Potato”, and “Town
Crier”, you’ll find it easier to keep your sense of
humor at 3 a.m. And they even skate dryly but very charmingly
around the political arena with, “Spit Up On Authority”
and (my absolute favorite), “Don’t Blame Me – I
Can’t Vote Until 2025”. The clothes are excellent
quality and a nice thick knit so they’ll stand up to lots of
abuse. And as a really cool baby gift alternative, they’ve
got receiving blankets that say “Heaven Sent” which
they’ll personalize with a date a la postage meter for the
new one. Cora’s worn the hat, is still growing into the pants
she was given, and Maddie’s proudly worn her t-shirt to
excess. And you know how picky Maddie is about her clothes; every
morning after breakfast she hops down from her chair in her pjs and
says, "What have you laid out for me today?" Never mind that she
chose the clothes herself the night before - it still warrants a
second inspection before dressing. On the best days, I'll be
cleaning the breakfast dishes and hear a "Ooh, this is so cute,"
come floating out from her room. All this to say that if she likes
Savvy Tot, it's a keeper.


So if you’re looking for cool and good quality, check them
out. I half wish they came in my size.

While surfing the internet a few months
ago in search of the latest and greatest products for us moms, I
came across something I’d never seen before – a product
called Momspit. Intrigued, I delved deeper and discovered
it’s brand spanking new and very unique. After a few emails
back and forth with the inventor (a mom- of course!) I decided to
give it a try and see what exactly this thing is.


Intrigued yet? Check this out –

href="http://store.pacifieronline.com/momspit.html">Momspit
is a foaming no-rinse cleanser designed for all those times when
you haven’t got a sink handy. Think of any scenario involving
you spitting on a handkerchief/finger/tissue and wiping a
face/hand/nose. This stuff isn’t a sanitizer, it’s a
cleanser and listen: it really works.


I popped a small container into my stroller for those park visits
and found myself using it on more than one occasion. While the
alcohol hand sanitizer is great for germs it doesn’t really
help with a mess, and Momspit got the chalk off of Maddie’s
hands really fast. Likewise it works well with melted ice cream,
muddy hands, ketchup – you get the picture.


I passed the stuff around to my girlfriends, who all gave it thumbs
up but asked this question – Why use Momspit instead of good
old wet wipes? Good question, so I asked Momspit’s inventor.
Here’s what she said –


“We think the advantages over hand wipes are several. There
is no waste with the product. The moussing formula is biodegradable
and the bottle refillable and recyclable. Also, if you use a wipe,
not only do you have to dispose of it, but you can only get so much
cleaning from one wipe, and you don't really want to share it with
anyone else, little or big, who might be walking with you and need
a little cleaning themselves. With MomSpit, you can use as much or
as little as you need anytime and anywhere, and place the bottle
back into your bag, purse or stroller pouch. Plus, the scents are
fresh and appropriate for all ages and both sexes, and the
unscented is perfect for those who don't want their fragrances to
collide, or are allergic to fragrance.”


So there you go. To read more at the product’s website, click
here;
to order, click href="http://store.pacifieronline.com/momspit.html">here.
The scents really are great, by the way. Add in easy to use, good
for the environment, and fun for kids, and you’ve got a
winner. Tuck it in your bag, leave one in the car, and you’ll
never find yourself spitting on your finger again.

When planning Maddie’s recent
birthday party at the zoo, I had one big worry: what to do with
baby Cora. She’s still in the “potted palm”
stage, meaning that all you have to do is carry her around and
water her periodically – she’s not a huge attention
drain. But my concern was being outdoors for such a long period of
time, and how I’d deal with her sun exposure. I did a recent
href="http://www.1mother2another.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=564&Itemid=46">
blog on sunscreen and bug repellent for toddlers, but as
many of us know, sunscreen is not recommended for babies under six
months due to the fragility of their newborn skin. I guess too many
chemicals seep directly into the bloodstream, or something. So I
was left worrying about how I’d keep her from burning for
several hours.

At first, I thought I’d be wearing
her in my href="http://www.kangarookorner.com/k_shop_pouches_custom.shtml">sling,
which I love and she seems to enjoy as well. Top her off with a hat
and she’d be pretty sun-free. But the sling seemed a bit warm
and smothering for a hot day, and only allowed me to nurse on one
side. So I settled for wearing Cora in the href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=1mother2anoth-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&location=%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB0009JOSNC%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1156558205%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_2%3Fie%3DUTF8">
Bjorn instead – cooler, and easier to nurse on either
side. Now I just needed to find a way to protect her little
dangling arms and legs.


Enter Mobile
Moms once more to the rescue! I’ve got their Kangaroo
Kuddler – for keeping baby warm in the Bjorn – and
their href="http://mobilemoms123.stores.yahoo.net/toastodblan1.html">Toastie
Toddler blanket for winter stroller excursions. Fortunately
for me, the moms there recently invented a href="http://www.mobilemoms.com/sunkankud.html">Sunproof Kangaroo
Kuddler. I promptly ordered it, took it for a test drive,
and am here to report on its worth.


The Sunproof Kuddler is meant to be wrapped around a front carrier
or infant car seat. It’s got an SPF of 50, with some sort of
high-tech solarweave for its fabric. My biggest concern was that it
would be too warm, trapping in the heat and gently roasting my
baby. I’m not sure what this NASA-worthy material actually
is, but I can tell you it’s incredibly lightweight, very
breathable, and works perfectly. It wrapped loosely but securely
around Cora’s arms and legs, and has slits in the body of it
for inserting your hands and adjusting baby if needed. The thing
even has a hoodie built in for covering baby’s head, which
doubles admirably as a nursing cover. I’ve had several people
comment on it (which happens any time I use a Mobile Moms product)
and know I can use this when taking the girls to the park on a hot
day.


So if simply have to be outside in the sun and you’re trying
to figure out what to do for your under-six-month-old, consider
this thingie. Definitely worth the investment.

It’s that time of year – the
sun comes out, the clothes come off . . . and the sunscreen fights
begin.


Last year Maddie was just a year old, and not able to fight us very
effectively. She submitted with good grace, largely because she
didn’t know she had options, I think. This year, she has no
interest whatsoever in sitting still while we get the sunscreen on
her and is very vocal about it.

We deal with this the same way we deal
with everything she fights us on – by giving her options. She
doesn’t have to wear sunscreen, but she does if she wants to
go to the park. A few friendly discussions on that topic, and she
finally submits and sits on your lap for the application.


The other trick that makes this easier is that it’s not
sunscreen – it’s “massage lotion”. Maddie
sits and gets a massage, then gets to put massage lotion on Mommy
and rub it in. This actually works pretty well, since she loves
getting massages any other part of the day.


If you’re wondering what I use (since you know I’m
obsessive about testing and finding great products), I use
California Baby’s href="http://www.californiababy.com/citronella-bug-blend-spf-30-sunscreen-lotion-2-9-oz.html">
SPF 30+Bug Repellant. I had a hard time finding something
that worked for me last year since I had a lot of bases to cover:
first, it had to be suitable for tender young skin, and this is
PABA-free. Second, it had to also contain bug-repellant, since we
always seemed to come away from the playground with mosquito bites
and there’s the whole West Nile Virus thing, and the
repellant had to be DEET-free. Third, it needed to be water
resistant since Maddie spends most of her park time in the
sprinkler during the summer. And fourth, it needed to work!


This stuff works really well and comes in various permutations, so
if you’re looking for specialty sunscreen for your baby or
toddler check out their href="http://www.californiababy.com">website. For evenings
when we’re hanging out in the backyard but not in the sun, we
use California Baby’s all-natural href="http://www.californiababy.com/citronella-bug-blend-bug-repellent-lotion-2-9-oz.html">
bug repellant and it worked incredibly well – so much
so that the whole family uses it since it smells way better than
all that chemical stuff. California Baby also makes several
products for kids with really sensitive skin, so it’s a great
site to check out if your child has skin or fragrance allergies.


While we were on vacation last fall at the beach, we left the CB at
home and went straight for the super-duper water-proof stuff.
Maddie was 15 months by then and able to tolerate a stronger
formula, and we used Aveeno Baby and Water Babies, both to great
effect. We also dressed Maddie much of the time in those
sun-resistant swimsuits that look like surf wear; they save a ton
of time in reapplication fights. One Step Ahead has a great
selection of SPF clothing – clickhref="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000015316697">
here to see.


On a general note, the AAP recommends avoiding sunscreen if
possible for babies under 6 months; they’d much rather you
keep them well covered and out of the sun instead, since their skin
is so fragile. After that, it’s best to look for something
geared towards baby’s tender skin for a few months. Remember,
too, that sunscreen takes a while to sink in – it’s
best to apply it 20 minutes before heading out so you’ll be
protected right away.


And as a last word on the sunscreen, keep some in the diaper bag
whether you’re expecting to need it or not. We keep a small
sample-size tub of the California Baby SPF/bug combo, but the real
savior for my diaper bag is the invention of the suncreen wipes. I
keep a couple of the href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000015316699">
Sunblankee Towelettes in the diaper bag, and then always
have something on hand to use if we spontaneously hit the zoo or
somesuch. And don’t forget to add the sunhat – babies
and toddlers can get a scalp burn rather easily! Look for something
wide-brimmed all around to shade the face and neck.


So have no fear as you try to figure out how to let your kiddo have
fun and stay burn-free. There are products out there that will
definitely give you what you’re looking for.


Massage not included.

As I’ve mentioned several times before, Maddie has a lovey that works really well for her – Silky. She goes through cycles of need: sometimes she only needs it for sleep time, and sometimes she’ll request it several times throughout the day as she gets sleepy, cuddly, or scared. Currently she’s going through a Silky intensive, and will ask for it at church or after a big play date. We’re so grateful for the thing that right now we don’t care if she’s still carrying it when she delivers her first State of the Union address. In fact, we’re planning on getting one for peanut to use later on, and see if it works as well for her as it does for her big sister.

Maddie’s been preparing for the big sister role- bossiness and mothering come easily to her (don’t know where she gets that . . .) and, while I’m sure it’s a developmental phase every tot goes through, she’s intensely interested in imitating Mommy. She loves diapering any stuffed animal she can get her hands on (Kitty wouldn’t hold still, much to her chagrin), cooking for her dolls in her kitchen, placing them in her toy high chair and “feeding” them, putting the dolls to bed in her toy crib, and so on.

What’s this got to do with Silky? Well, I was a bit concerned that Maddie wouldn’t understand that not all Silkys are Maddie’s Silky, and she’d be mad that Baby Sister was using “Maddie’s” Silky. So when my mom volunteered to make Dolly her own Silky, I jumped at the chance. We didn’t tell Maddie in advance, and unveiled it one night when we were both around to watch how she’d react.

Maddie’s Silky, I should tell you, is white on one side, with a pink-and-white pattern on the other, trimmed in white, and embroidered with her name on it in pink. When Mom pulled out Dolly’s Silky and Maddie got a gander, her eyes grew big as saucers. Here was a Silky roughly half the size, all pink, embroidered in white with Dolly’s name on it! How amazing!

At first, Maddie was confused. We’ve actually got two Silkys – exact duplicates – that we keep in even rotation so they wear down the same amount, and we’ve gone to great pains to not let her see both at once. So up until that point, Maddie had only seen one Silky on the planet. She promptly jumped to the logical conclusion – this other Silky must also be Maddie’s! My daughter began trying to carry them interchangeably throughout the night and kept calling it “Maddie’s Silky”. “No, no, that’s Dolly’s Silky,” we’d correct her, then offering her the original Silky. We’d tuck Dolly into bed with the toy Silky, wrapping the little plastic arm around it.

Maddie finally caught on and now only holds Dolly’s Silky when she’s “helping” Dolly with it. I’m profoundly grateful that she’s realized everyone is entitled to her own Silky and that not every Silky belongs to Maddie. Another potential sibling rivalry, hopefully averted.

And for now, it’s incredibly cute to watch her tuck Dolly into bed, say, “Want Silky? Ok. Night night, Dolly.”

A couple weeks ago I told you about a
recent Consumer Reports test; the Consumers Union tested 12
rear-facing infant car seats and reported that 10 out of the 12
seats used failed at least one of their tests.

Last week, the Consumers Union retracted
that report after the federal government claimed the failure
results came from drastically higher test speeds than stated in the
report.

Consumer Reports has announced an internal
investigation into the veracity of the government’s claims,
and that they will re-do the tests as soon as possible and issue a
new report. Meanwhile, they are still urging a recall of the
Evenflo Discovery, the car seat that failed the most in their
tests.

I imagine that if you’re a parent
using one of the infant car seats that got low marks, you’re
feeling partly relieved but partly confused right now. I know I
would be. I’m not sure what I would do in your situation.
Here are the things I know to be true:

Consumer Reports works really hard to
provide unbiased, high-quality, dependable information to
consumers. They refuse to accept advertising or sponsors, conduct
all their tests anonymously so they don’t get
“freebies”, and do not allow companies to even use
their name in advertising such as “Consumer Reports rated us
the best!”

I also know that ANY car seat is better
than no car seat at all. So here are some things you can do:

-Make sure your car seat is in good
condition. If your baby is the sixth one to use it, you may want to
think about buying a new one. Buckles and straps start to wear down
with time, and the plastic may be weaker than you think.

-Along those lines, I’d encourage
you not to buy a car seat second-hand; you have no way of knowing
if that seat you picked up for 20 bucks at a garage sale has
already been in a wreck or not, and thus may be structurally
weaker. Only borrow a used car seat from someone you know and
trust, make sure you have all the instruction books, and look them
up on line to make sure the model hasn’t been recalled.

-If you buy a new car seat, register it
with the maker so they can notify you of any safety issues or
recalls.

-Sign up at href="http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp">this site to be
notified of any government recalls; they’ll email you
automatically.

-Get your car seat installation checked.
Click href="http://www.seatcheck.org/">here to find a location
near you. Having your seat correctly installed is half the
battle.

-Click href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011907dnnatcarseats.55ad0942.html">
here to read an article on the car seat test retraction.
You can also read about it at href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cu-press-room/pressroom/2007/2/0702_eng0702ccs.htm">
Consumer Reports’ website or read the
government’s updates on the situation at the target="_blank" href="http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/">NHTSA
website.

-Use a car seat. All the time.

I’ll let you know if there’s
more news on this topic as I find out about it.

Infant car seats made news recently when Consumer Reports ran a new batch of tests against 12 brands of rear-facing infant car seats. Using speeds of 35 and 38 MPH rather than the government speed of 30 MPH, Consumer Reports found that 10 out of the 12 car seats failed.

Yes, 10 out of 12 car seats failed.

In addition, Consumer Reports found that when testing a European model of a popular car seat, that car seat performed better than any other car seat they tested. The American version – same manufacturer – failed. Coincidentally, car seat testing in Europe is much stricter. CR also found evidence of problems with the LATCH system, and said seats did better when secured with a seatbelt. One car seat, the Evenflo Discovery, didn’t even meet government standards, and Consumer Reports is urging a recall of that product.

Three car seats failed all of CR’s tests – the Evenflo Discovery, the Graco Safeseat, and the Britax Companion. Only the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and the Graco Snugride with EPS passed every test.

For more information, read the entire report by clicking here. And even if you’ve got a top-rated car seat, I encourage you to find a car seat inspection station near you to make sure your seat is properly installed.

And of course, remember that any car seat is better than no car seat at all.

I’m back from a three-day weekend visiting my new nephew (more on that
later), and finally have a chance to check in on last week’s poll – how
you deal with the Diaper Bag Dilemma.

Almost half of you have
only one bag, which also acts as your purse. A few confessed to being a
diaper bag addict – the new accessory obsession for mommies– while a
couple of you said you’ve got a few bags that you choose from depending
on how long you’ll be gone. And one person admitted to carrying a
diaper bag and separate purse, and feeling like a pack mule.

I have to say at the outset of this article that I haven’t solved this
dilemma myself. I’m not one of those people who collect diaper bags as
the mommy upgrade for satisfying your purse fetish; the thought of
changing diaper gear too frequently exhausts me. Nor have I surrendered
and begun using the diaper bag as my purse; I still carry a separate –
though slim – purse with me most places I go. I have a couple different
of diaper bag “plans”, depending on how long we’ll be gone from the
house, so I guess I’m all over the Dilemma map.

I carry the Skip-Hop
Duo diaper bag. It’s amazing for urban living – it’s slim and
unobtrusive, clips easily to a stroller, is machine-washable, comes in
several cool fabrics and colors, and at around fifty bucks is
significantly cheaper than many of the pricier, more stylish diaper bags
like Fleurville or Petunia Picklebottom.

As much as I like the
diaper bag, though, it’s still significantly larger than my purse, so I
don’t take it with us unless we’re gone for more than a quick errand.
It’s stocked for emergency clothing changes, plenty of food, a couple
toys and board books, and some drink
toppers that adapt any water or juice bottle to a leakproof
sippy cup. I’ll take it along for a meal out, to church for the day, a
trip to the shopping mall or target, and so on. But I don’t enjoy
lugging the thing to the park, or even a grocery store run.

So
I’m leaning towards stocking a smaller grab-and-go sort of bag:
something like the Skip-Hop
Pronto  that has the essential space for wipes and diapers, and
not much else. At this point, though, I’ve not taken the mini plunge; I
mean, if I’m going to do something like that, why don’t I just shove a
diaper into my purse?

Which leaves me with my current situation –
a smattering of solutions, none of which I really love. For what it’s
worth, though, here’s what’s important to me.

No
matter where I am, here’s what I consider essential:
1 – at
least one clean diaper
2 – a Ziploc of a few wipes
3 - a bit
of snack food – a small tub of Cheerios or an individual container of
applesauce
4 – hand sanitizer

These are the minimum
items I need to, say, get through the grocery store. A toy or two would
be great, but keys work in a pinch, and let’s face it, the snack’s just
as good of a distraction most times. The sanitizer is nonnegotiable
since Maddie spent time at the grocery store one day playing in the raw
chicken packs in the grocery cart – wipes just don’t cut it.

Right
now, I’ve got our stroller permanently stocked with these things. A
handy clip-on sanitizer dispenser dangles from one stroller handle,
while a mini
clip of wipes (they’re for hands or messes, but are all-natural
and can clean bottoms in a pinch) hangs from the other. With a spare
couple of diapers smushed in the storage basket and an emergency
container of applesauce (with spoon) in a small pouch, we’re pretty
ready for emergencies. Of course, I often have the diaper bag with us,
and on park trips I’ll put in fresh snacks to “save” the emergency one,
but it’s nice to know I’m always at least marginally prepared.

Keep
in mind, too, that Maddie’s 16 months now, and so we’re not changing
diapers as frequently as we used to. I’d probably not be venturing from
home nearly as much without a fully stocked bag if she were, say, six
months old. If I were stocking a new diaper bag for a new baby, here’s
what I’d consider “essential”:
1- diapers – at
least 4-6
2 – wipes – a travel container, replenished frequently
3
– diaper ointment
4 – hand sanitizer, for all those people
wanting to hold the baby
5 – at least a full change of clothes, and
probably an extra onesie on top of that
6 – a gallon Ziploc bag, for
storing the clothes that got poop all over them
7 – a laminated card
listing all the “emergency” contact numbers, such as your family cell
phone numbers, the pediatrician, and so on. The laminating’s optional,
unless you enjoy it as much as I do.
8 – a couple of burp cloths, for
burps, spills, or even a diaper in a pinch.
9 – spare nursing pads
for when you start leaking
10 – a small toy or two, preferably
chewable
11 – some sort of Tylenol that you can take while
breastfeeding

As you can see, the list is considerably longer. I
just don’t need to carry that much gear for every trip now, and so I’m
wrestling with the best way of dealing with the Diaper Bag Downsizing. I
firmly believe that however big your bag is, you will fill it, so I try
to stay on the smaller side; if I had an enormous messenger bag that I
used as a combination purse/diaper bag, it’d weigh 30 pounds and I’d
swear every piece was essential. So I’m still attempting to go small. It
just doesn’t always work. If you're shopping for a diaper bag, I'd say
you want one with a few compartments, a changing pad, a space for your
cell phone etc., a holder for a bottle or sippy cup, and that's it.
Having an insulated compartment is a bonus, first for breastmilk and
then for chilled teething rings, but not essential. All the extra
gadgets - like a full manicure set, or loops for brushes and so forth -
were unnecessary to me. Go for one that's machine washable if you can,
since you'll be spilling strained squash in it at some point.

I’m
guessing I’ll end up buying a bag slightly bigger than my purse,
stocking it with the “essentials”, and then throwing my keys and cash
into it as I head to the grocery store. And many of you probably don’t
stress so much about traveling light, since you drive most places rather
than walk or take public transportation. For those of you in those
ranks, with your large, stylish, well-stocked diaper bags, I have simply
one question –

Can I borrow some wipes? 

As we strive to beat the heat this summer, we’ve broken down and gotten ourselves one of those kiddie pools for the back yard.

I’ve always been resistant to them; they kill the grass, they get dirty, they take up space, and you have to empty them after every use or it’s simply an incubator for those West Nile mosquitoes. But I found one that seemed to solve some of those problems and with the heat, the reduced family hours at our local Y, and Maddie’s love of all things aquatic, I broke down and bought it.

Listen up – if you have five feet of available outdoor space, go buy this thing. It’s probably on end-of-season sale now. 

This kiddie pool is awesome; it’s collapsible to a very small size, but doesn’t need an air pump to be inflated. The thing is sprung with wires, like a pop-up tent, so I get small storage space and no inflation. The rim around it requires blowing up, but you can do that by mouth in sixty seconds. And we’ve been putting it on the patio part of our back yard with some of our foam puzzle mats underneath it to cushion from the cement, so I don’t have the dead grass factor.

As for Maddie’s happiness level? Fugghedaboutit.

If she even sees a swimsuit or a glimpse of the pool, she runs to the side door and starts banging on it, begging to go out back and play in the water. We’re in the thing daily, with Brian filling up the pool on his lunchbreak so the water can heat up and be ready for Her Highness after her afternoon nap.

Maddie still isn’t comfortable sitting in it, so she treats it like her own private wading fountain. With a couple of bath toys and a piece of Tupperware to act as a bucket, she splashes and screams and entertains herself for a good half hour. Which, as any parent knows, is like two hours of adult time.

I’ll sit in the pool with Maddie and she’ll climb all over me, pour water on me, boss me around, ignore me: basically all the things she does outside the pool. At least this way, I’m staying cool.

And when we’re finished, it takes maybe ten minutes of an adult with a bucket to empty the pool by watering our back yard plants, so no water’s wasted. Otherwise, there’s a deflate valve for emptying that does the job pretty quickly.

Since the pool’s five feet across, it can accommodate a few toddlers and we’re going to have our first pool party soon with Maddie's park friends. And since it stores so small, we’ll be using it for years to come.

So if you haven’t gotten a kidde pool yet, this is the one to get. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Or come over and check mine out; it’s the house with all the mommies laughing in the back yard, drinking margaritas at 2 in the afternoon.

I’ve had a couple mommies ask about baby-friendly bug repellant, so here ya go.

When summer came and we began hitting the park twice a day, I didn’t think much about insect repellant. After all, I’d never been one to get a lot of bites myself, so how bad could it be? Still, being the over-researched mommy that I am, I asked our pediatrician about it at our 12-month visit as a “just in case” scenario.

She told me we need to stay away from any chemical bug repellant for a few years still. Anything with Deet or pesticides in it is off-limits, since the chemicals are absorbed through the skin. The best solutions she offered were to either buy a “natural” bug spray, or stay indoors from dawn to dusk and avoid things like camping. Because of where we live, the West Nile Virus is a real possibility and she urged us to not look on mosquito bites as a rite of passage for kids.

I dutifully tucked the information away at the back of my brain, not really thinking I’d ever need to use it. Three nights later we returned from our evening park trip, only to discover four huge new welts on the back of Maddie’s legs. The next day, another one appeared after our morning play time!

Obviously, the mosquitos had discovered Madeleine’s delicious sweetness and declared it Open Season. 

So I hit the internet and thankfully discovered a couple of great products, which we now use religiously. The first is California Baby’s Bug Repellant Lotion. All natural, this lotion smells like citronella and a blend of citrus oils – way better than the Deet smell. It’s totally safe for babies and Maddie loves getting her nightly “massage” before the evening park time.

The second product we bought is California Baby’s SPF 30 Sunscreen + Bug Blend. It’s the same insect-repelling properties, but combined with a sunscreen to make daytime play safer. The water-resistant (though note, not waterproof) formula is perfect for running through the park sprinkler, and since it’s natural you can safely apply it more than once. The sunscreen+bug blend is what we use for Maddie’s morning “massage”.

Does this stuff work? Short of locking Maddie in a room with a family of mosquitoes there’s no way to know for sure, but I can tell you that since we’ve been using these two products Maddie’s only been bitten once, and that was on the face where she has no lotion. So either the critters have decided she’s not so tasty (impossible!), or the stuff’s doing its job.

You can find California Baby products in several larger baby stores, or you can order it online. I order from Our Natural Baby  since their prices are low and I want to support mom and pop stores, but you can find it many places.

So take that family vacation! Go camping in the woods! Just remember that you’re not the only one that likes to nibble on Pumpkin’s legs.

And mommies, if you’ve got other all-natural suggestions – I’ve heard there’s some sort of a noise clip you can attach to kids, and to try garlic – please post here so we can share the wealth! 

We recently had a couple of excruciatingly hot days here in New York City. And believe me, I know from hot; I’m a Texas girl. The difference between Texas heat and New York heat? Everything in Texas is air-conditioned, and the power company assumes you’ll actually use it.

In New York, however, you’ve got mass transit with its stiflingly hot subway platforms, a preponderance of small stores and homes without air-conditioning, and a power company that seems so surprised when power usage goes up during a heat wave that you almost feel sorry for them.

We spent several days in a brownout, making being out and about actually attractive in comparison to the sweaty, still air of our home. So we hit the park several times a day, and came up with lots of reasons to run stroller errands.

Even with the park being cooler than our home, Maddie still worked up a sweat running around. She’s always been a bit prone to heat rash, especially on her neck and back of her shoulders from snuggling while nursing. I’ve always thought it’d be something we simply lived with, but I recently found a product that’s helped us out a lot.

A couple weeks ago I got a compact of Pure Me  a pressed “powder” for keeping babies dry. It’s pediatrician-tested and contains no talc; in fact, it’s only got natural stuff in it like avocado oil and jojoba oil and vitamin E. I was a bit skeptical; it seems the baby industry is full of over-perfumed, over-priced baby toiletries that are indistinguishable from adult toiletries except for the fact that the baby version costs more. And every time I try a baby skin product I pretend I’m my girlfriend Abby; she’s got a house full of people with allergies and all those natural products that are heavily laced with lavender and eucalyptus and the like get short shrift in her home. This compact, I’m happy to report, is completely scent-free.

I carry it in Maddie’s diaper bag and give her neck a discreet wipe every once in a while. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and can really see a difference. Yes, I feel a bit funny primping my child in the middle of the playground, but she seems more comfortable so I get over it.

And the playground use is great, but I’ll confess I’ve been using the compact even more on another area of Maddie’s body – her butt.

This is the best stuff for drying up a baby’s butt. Rather than standing there and blowing on her hiney for several minutes, I simply use the powder and she’s ready to go. I’ve seen a huge change in her hiney – it’s much softer and less pruney than it used to be. And she clearly loves having the powder stroked on; she lifts her legs and holds still while I use it.

Let me say here again the powder’s advertised as being for baby’s whole body, not just the hiney – I use it on her neck, but I’ve really latched on to the butt part. The compact comes with two puffs, for which I am very grateful. One washable puff lives at her diaper station and is used only for diaper changes. The other puff lives in the compact and goes with us to the park.

I’ll also confess that I tried the powder (sacrificial mommy that I am) on myself before trying on her. It’s surprisingly soft, but not too dry – I wish my butt had such a nice treatment several times a day.

So if you’ve been looking for a baby-safe powder, give this mommy-invented product a try. I contacted the owner to tell her I was writing this piece, and she kindly said that if you put in the order notes that you heard about it at 1M2A, she'd throw in some extra puffs free of charge. So give the website a look! Or you can come over and ask me about it on the playground; I’m the mommy who looks like she’s getting her kid ready for her closeup.  

When I mentioned all the babyproofing we did throughout the house a few
months ago (see this
blog and this
blog), I forgot to talk about one room – our family room. We’ve
got one space that is multi-purpose in the extreme: it’s Brian’s 9-5
office, my desk area, our “guest room”, the wrapping paper/craft area,
and the party room replete with disco ball, twinkle lights, a
Playstation 2 and multiple remote controls. I took one look at its
plethora of extension cords, surge protectors, and exposed bulbs and
knew babyproofing the area would be hopeless.

I wanted to be able
to bring her in there, though, since I use the computer regularly and
need to be able to be hands-free in that room. So I came up with the
only solution I could think of – corral the kiddo. 

We found this playzone 
at One
Step Ahead that seemed to be not too reminiscent of a jail cell.
Paired with some of our beloved alphabet
puzzle blocks to soften the hard concrete floor, I figured we’d
have a mini fun room all for baby girl. Her Texas grandparents got her
the playzone for Christmas and as she became mobile we set the area up
in Maddie’s special section of the room.

The verdict? A
qualified success. The playzone is spacious, lightweight, and incredibly
easy to set up. It’s flexible but sturdy plastic and you can buy
additional pieces relatively cheaply to make the thing as big as you
want. There’s a childproof gate to get in and out of the thing, though I
just step over it, and an “activity wall” with buttons to push for music
(her favorite part), a telephone, and plenty of gizmos to spin and
whirl. The walls have vertical bars so she can’t climb out, and so far
she hasn’t been able to push or move it at all.

When we
first put her in it, Madeleine didn’t seem to understand the fun zone
she had entered and spent her time staring longingly at Mommy an
insurmountable three feet away. There’s not much worse than a baby
standing forlornly at the “fence”, eyes barely peeping sadly over the
top of it as if to say, “I understand if you don’t want to be with me
right now. I guess I’m not that important.”

But as
she began to explore she came to really love the fact that she could
cruise endlessly around the inside of the zone, walking the square over
and over. And she really enjoys the activity wall now; she’ll put music
on and dance madly to it, then dial the telephone, then spin the balls.
She’ll sit and tell herself stories in the mirror, babbling happily to
the cute girl across from her. We’ve thrown a few extra small toys in
there so she never runs out of fun things to do. She’s been occupied by
the space for up to 20 minutes at a time, which in baby time is 6 hours
adult time.

I call it a qualified success because while Madeleine
may enjoy the space itself, she’s not always happy being anywhere that
restricts her from the adults. She often hits the mood of wanting to
simply be where I am; if I climb in the zone to play with her a bit
she’s all smiles and after a few brief games with me is off to play in
her own world. The minute she realizes I’ve stepped over the zone wall,
though, and walked those few feet away, she dissolves in tears and begs
to be picked up and taken out. But you really can’t blame that on the
playzone; it’s just a baby thing.

So I’d highly recommend
it if you’re looking for a “zoning” tool. It’s indoor/outdoor use and
seems as un-prisonlike as I could find. It’s pricey, but breaks down and
travels and stores easily. It keeps Madeleine safe and with us at the
same time, and Madeleine really enjoys it.

But she’ll never admit
it if you ask her.