Product Review Part 3

She is now 8 weeks old. Some stuff sucks and some I can't live without.

Stuff I have issues with:
1. Moby Wrap. What a stupid idea. It is 8 yards of fabric and is heavy and hot as all get out. How are you supposed to wrap that thing around you in a parking lot without dragging half of it on the ground. Also when you are done with it you really have to wait till you get home to wrap it back up and put it in its baggy. Also the fabric loosens up and you have to retie it. This is kind of unsafe when the baby is in it. I got a bjorn last week.

2. The changing table on the Baby Trend pack'n'play. It slants downward so the baby rolls down and so does pee. Stupid.

3. Footie Pajamas. Ok I get that when it is cold these could be handy. Getting them on an off a figity baby at 3 am, not cool. Jenni gave me some with zippers. Those are better.

4. Drop-in Bottles. She has no problem with using different bottles for travel. However, an issue has arisen I had not anticipated. The convince on an on the go bottle that you can reuse over and over again and just throw out the bag is great except for 2 things. First you can't reuse the nipple without sterilizing so you have to have a lot of nipples and second becuase the bag squishes you have no idea how much she has eaten.

5. Bottle Steamer. It is easier to just run the dishwasher. Never used it. Selling it at the next yard sale I can find.

Good Stuff:
1. Dr. Brown's bottles. They have a million pieces but they do reduce gas and Pat and I actually find it kind of calming to take them apart and put them in the dishwasher basket. Crazy no?

2. Munchkins Dishwasher basket. They fit pretty well and have places for nipples and the Dr. Brown's straws but I wish they held more and were a little easier to use.

3. First Years Bottle Warmer. The cooler does not keep them cold for more then 8 hrs and that is still pushing it. It only has one freezer pack so if you forget to put it back in the freezer you are out of luck the next night. Also the 8 oz Dr. Browns bottles don't fit in there with the caps. You have to put the nipple in a bag and put it on when you take it out. Also I hate refilling the water vials every night. It doesn't heat the bottles up fantastically but the convince can't be beat.

4. All brands of bouncy seats except for the Bright Starts InGenuity Automatic Bouncer. I didn't want to invest in new ones and bought a bunch of different ones at yard sales. I have since bought two more, full retail. I have them everywhere. They buy me precious precious time. Most of them don't automatically turn off. This is stupid. They just run the battery down. Many of the Bright Starts do but they aren't all as awesome as the InGenuity. The Fisher Price Kick and Play is cool except the seat is too upright and the lights aren't bright enough. The rocker one is cool becuase it changes positions into what is almost a cradle and you can rock it and vibrate it. I should have spent the $60 and bought the Fisher Price Rainforest one. She loves every other rainforest product I should have bought that too.

5. Muchkin formula containers. Very useful but difficult to get all the powder out.

6. Munchkin on the go formula mixer. Very useful, shaking the bottles causes more air bubbles, but I always seem to forget it. I guess that is not really Munchkin's fault.

7. Chicco Travel System. Super easy to use, smooth ride, great for my tall husband, and really really heavy. Ugh the car seat is already so heavy and she only weighs 10lbs. Also there is virtually no access to the basket with the car seat in the stroller.

8. Fisher Price Rainforest Playmat. It has many toys and lights etc, she loves it. My only complaint is that the music is stupid. I got mom a Baby Einsteins one at a yard sale it is not as cool but it plays Bach...

9. The carters swing. They don't make the exact one I have any more but it is awesome. She likes to swing (especially if potomus is sitting in front of her). I love that it slows down when you are messing with her. I also like its variety of speeds and sounds. I don't like how long it takes to strap her in.

10. Chicco Playard. The remote for the vibrator and sounds is awesome. It is turdy has a good changing table. My only complaint it is still stupid that the mobile can't be on when the changing table is up. Right now we have the changing table always up. But she is getting long fast. We won't be able to have her in there with the changing table up for long.

11. The Baby Trend Walker. Walkers are a bit of a no no now. There are several ways the baby can get hurt in them. Well my freak child thinks she can stand and thus like being in a standing position. She has a jumperoo and an excersaucer but the seats are too big for her not even 2 month old body (they aren't made for two month olds) but she fits in the Baby Trend walker. Also she thinks the bears are going to speak to her.

Stuff I can't live without:
1. Potomus. I got this pink stuffed hippo for Scarlett. Thanks DK for giving my husband a nickname that has fused its way into every corner of my life. She stares at that thing like it is going to talk to her. it is creepy but buys me a half an hour every day.

2. InGenuity Bouncer from Bright Stars. It actually bounces, turns off automatically, and has lots of noises she likes. Including a white noise that doesn't bother us. She never slept in a bassinet and we tried 3 different ones. However she slept in this bouncer for a month and then we transitioned her to her crib by putting the bouncer in her crib then eventually her in the crib without the bouncer. Kind of like when you put a new fish in a tank.

3. The FisherPrice Rainforest Waterfall Peek-a-boo soother. What a stupid name but it attaches to the crib and has lights and noises and moving parts. The mobile didn't fit the crib (most mobiles don't fit modern cribs so be sure to check on that before you buy one). This thing is sufficiently important that Pat went out and got batteries for it at 11pm.

4. Julie Andrews. Sing or play almost any Julie Andrews and she will be quiet for at least 5 mins....she loves Sound of Music. She does not like books on tape.

5. Walmart Gas Drops. All other brands are like $5-$10 more expensive and work no better. We can not live with out gas drops.

6. Sassy stand up mirror. We have one on every floor. The kid likes to look at herself.

7. Dr. Brown's formula pitcher. I don't know how people make formula with out one.

8. Flannel Clothes. BRU sells them and we have them on all the changing tables. She makes a lot of messes it is easier to wash those then the changing pad cover so we have multiple layers.

9. Itzbeen. Its this little device that helps you keep track of when baby ate, slept, pooped, etc. My baby is a creature of habit. One can tell what is wrong by simply looking at the device. It also serves as a nice flashlight at 3am.

I'm sure I will come up with more but that is all I can think of now.