Back to Work

Sorry about the lack of postings things have been extremely busy.  At the beginning of the month I starting working again half time, so I still get to spend all afternoon with Emerson.  While I'm gone Emerson gets to spend quality time with his dad who's going to grad school at night and luckily can watch him during the mornings and early afternoon.  Because I'm not around to feed the baby, I bought a new breastpump.  I decided on the Avent Isis IQ Duo.

I really like this pump. I was debating between this one and the Medela PIS Advanced. I already have a Medela Swing which I do not like at all (can we say painful!) so I was open to trying a different brand. Avent has a great reputation and after reading all the reviews, I decided to take a chance on this pump. The fact that you could set up the suction strength and duration as well as the massaging petals on the horns were definite deciding factors. When I opened the box, although there are a lot of pieces, setup was very intuitive and I didn't even have to look at the instructions. I already had an Avent microwave steam sterilizer so it was a breeze to get everything ready to use. My first pumping session went great. I got a total of 6oz with no pain whatsoever. This was after I had nursed my son. There was no milking sensation! I set the pump to mimic my baby which was very easy. There are an infinite amount of pumping rhythms you can make, and you also control the suction strength.  There are several parts to clean. The horns, the diaphragm, the massaging petals, the valve, as well as the bottles. The good news is that you don't have to mess with the tubing at all because it's a closed system. The pump itself is surprisingly quiet. Much quieter than the Swing I had been using. The bag is very stylish and inconspicuous although the straps are a bit thin and I could see them being uncomfortable if you had to carry the unit for long periods of time. Everything has it's proper place in the bag and it's easy to see where things go. I would definitely recommend this pump over others on the market. The comfort factor and the infinite customizations outweigh any negatives. And Emerson is a happy well fed baby!

Back from Florida!

Just got back from our trip to Florida.  Humid, but very fun lounging by the pool. 

Upon my return I was met with something I had ordered from Kohl's before I left. A Fisher-Price Soothe N' Play Safari bouncer.  

 

Emerson loves this thing.  He's always loved to bounce, and although he hasn't mastered bouncing himself, I can use my foot to bounce him, and he is fascinated by the yellow lion.  I got an awesome deal on it,  $15 down from $40.  

Activity Gyms

Activity gyms are one of the few toys that Emerson actually uses for more than ten minutes at a time.  We currently have two.

Tiny Love Gymini Monkey Island Activity Gym

I bought this gym primarily because I love the monkey theme. It has bright vibrant colors, and I was looking for a mat that had a light-up aspect. The mat itself has interactive components like the elephant ear is crinkly, there's a squeaky bit in the whale, and the cloud is a soft material. The arches are plush and have two positions, one that's perfect for tummytime. The toys that come with the gym are fun and colorful. The monkey and lights are a bit overstimulating for him right now, but I'm sure he'll like it later. It folds up pretty compactly which is good for storage.

Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym

I really like this playmat. I registered for it and received it at my baby shower. The colors are really fun, and it's super cushy and plush which I love. The whole retro vibe is cute and original. The fabric has some slide to it, kind of like a winter parka which is good for cleaning up any accidents that are bound to happen. The toys are really fun with bright colors and different textures, and you can move them around to different loops on the arches plus take them off and attach them to a carseat. He loves looking at himself in the mirror, and although he hates tummytime, the pillow and mirror combination helps him tolerate it a bit better. The fold up is great! It fits in the closet no problem and sets up super easily.

Deal A Day Sites

I'm always looking for a bargain, so I frequent several deal a day sites that heavily discount popular items.  They have saved me a ton and introduced me to some really neat products I might not have heard of otherwise.

Deal A Day Sites
Babysteals
Mamabargains (often has several deals every day)
Ecobabybuys
Green Baby Bargains
Baby Half Off
Big Baby Buy*
Baby Earth Gaga Deal (this site is great, they have a new deal every hour)
Kids Woot
Mini Bargainz
Olivia Place
Hippo Bargains
Baby Heist*

Invite only Sites
Btrendie
Zulily
Totsy
Mini Social
Gilt
Haute Look

*ships to Canada

I also really like Baby Cheapskate.  This blog alway alerts me to amazing deals on Amazon and other retail sites, as well as publishing a weekly rundown on all the diaper and formula deals. Follow them on facebook for the most up to date info.

Baby Banz Retro Banz Sunglasses

Impulse buy alert.  Babysteals is going to bankrupt me,  I just couldn't pass up on these adorable sunglasses.  To give myself a little credit, I had been looking for baby sized glasses at a reasonable price.  I had seen the regular Baby Banz  previously but wasn't thrilled with the whole wrap around sunglasses look.  The Retro Baby Banz are much cuter in my opinion and Emerson actually keeps them on his face!

They're a tad bit big on him right now, but he's growing so fast they'll fit in no time.  The strap is very sturdy with a pretty heavy gage velcro to make sure you get the perfect fit.  I have a baby who loves to look at bright lights, so it's good to know when I take him outside he'll have protection when he decides to look directly into the sun.  

American Apparel Baby

When I was pregnant I remember reading a blog entry about things mom's wish they knew before they gave birth.  One person said that they wished they had just bought a bunch of American Apparel karate pants, and t-shirts that they could mix and match.

I really am not a fan of the typical cutesy baby clothes that have a picture of a truck or a baseball emblazoned across the front, so this really stuck with me.  This past mothers day, American Apparel had a promotion where if you spent $50 on clothes for yourself, all baby clothes were 50% off.  Since I love AA for basics I jumped on it, and bought a ton of shirts, pants, and a sweatshirt for my son.   They are super cute and he looks adorably well put together when he wears them.

They have a great selection, of both cotton and organic cotton clothing, and everything mixes very well. It's all made in the USA which is also a positive.  Emerson always seems extremely comfortable when he wears them which is the most important thing.  

My Strollers

Ever since I found out I was pregnant I have been obsessed with strollers.  It's the one thing I fixated on throughout my pregnancy researching, and re-researching.  By the time I finally bought one everyone was beyond annoyed with my stroller talk.  After researching, I settled on the Bugaboo Bee for what I thought would be my one and only stroller.

Being on a budget I found it used on craigslist for a steal.  I love this stroller, it pushes great and just looks really interesting.  It fits easily in the trunk of my Corolla, and it has the parent facing option I had to have.  

I had every intention of having this as my only stroller, but as I was obsessively browsing craigslist one morning I saw a listing for a Bugaboo Cameleon for $250!!!!  Now that is a ridiculously low price.  So low that at first I thought it was a scam, but I decided to test my luck, and it turned out to be real.  I was ecstatic!  These strollers are usually upwards of $800, and there was no way I would have bought one retail.  Words cannot express how useful this stroller is on the bumpy, poorly paved and sometimes bricked streets of Washington, DC.  It pushes like a dream, and baby loves it.  

He's a comparison shot of my Bee and my Cameleon.

Now you would think that my stroller craving would be sated with these two, but my mom mentioned she was thinking about buying an umbrella stroller to keep at her house.  Me seeing the opportunity to research and buy another stroller, immediately offered to get one for her.  Luckily Btrendie was having a gear sale, and had Cybex strollers for sale.  Although there wasn't a lot of info about them I decided to take a chance and buy the Cybex Onyx.  I'm glad I did.  It's plush, pushes well and folds up compactly.  You can read my full review on Lunch.   

I'm done with strollers for now, but next on my list is one to keep in Dad's trunk.  I'll try to save that for when Emerson get's a bit older though...unless I find a really good deal.  

Delivery Day!

I have to admit it...I love getting packages.  The anticipation of waiting for the delivery man, the sound of tape being pulled from cardboard, I love it all!  I'm happy because today I got two via UPS.

Even thought it's the height of summer I was alerted about a deal I just couldn't pass up by Babycheapskate.  Amazon was selling the JJ Cole Arctic Bundleme for $38!

A great deal because they're normally over $90.  I got it in the mail today and I'm very impressed.  The inside is super soft and cozy, and the outer layer feels like it will repel moisture, and keep out the wind very well.   I couldn't resist, and stuck my feet in it to see how warm it was, and it was really toasty.  It also came with a cool hanger.

Today I also finally got the Bumble Samantha diaper bag I ordered for my mom from Zulily when they had it marked way down.

I love Bumble bags, I have the Rebecca that I use as my go to diaper bag, but the Samantha will be awesome for the umbrella stroller my mom has. It hangs perfectly from the back and has just enough room for things you would need on a quick trip.  It doesn't hurt that the colors perfectly match the stroller.  

Bumbo Chair

I love this chair, and so does Emerson.  He always likes being upright, and even though he's a bit young for the suggested age range it works well for him.  He plays with his toys in it:

 

He also tires himself out and falls alseep in it sometimes.  It's made of a soft cushy pastic material so it's very comfortable for him.

 

Pacimals

Every morning my inbox is flooded with emails from deal a day websites.  If I see something really interesting, or something that's a really good deal I occasionally break down and make an impulse buy.  This is how I stumbled across Pacimals.  They are just so cute, and a great idea.  Taken from their website:

Pacimals® is an innovative new pacifier that combines a medical-grade silicone pacifier with a soft light stuffed toy using a patent-pending joint. Pacimals® was named a NAPPA® Honors Winner (National Parenting Publications Awards) as revolutionary and useful tool that simplifies Mommy’s life. This is a huge advance in the world of pacifiers; Pacimals® is a distinctive product and a fabulous gift that is unique.

I of course had to have one so I bought the Duck for my son's 3 month birthday.  As you can see, he loves it.

He also likes to chew on the Duckie.  

It's super soft and well made, also very easy to clean. A+

Teething

My son has been very drooly and irritable lately, and since he's coming up on 4 months I figure he must be teething.  Poor baby, and poor me!  After he decided to skip both his afternoon and evening naps, in favor of crying and trying to eat his pants, I decided to search for what's out there for teething babies.  Being an avid Amazon shopper that was my first stop.  

I remember hearing about Sophie the Giraffe from a friend, and it seems to have a huge following online, with parents posting pictures of their babies happily chomping away on various parts of Sophie.   If it works half as well as it's reputation I will be a happy camper.

The Razbaby RaZberry Teether has the cute factor going for it.  It just looks like it would be fun to chew on, and I can imagine how adorable my baby will look with it.  The fact that it comes highly rated is icing on the cake. 

 

Now this is the weirder of the things I purchased.  I had heard talk of teething necklaces made of amber, but it struck me as a bit hippy dippy not to mention a choking hazard.  I thought about it a bit and came to the conclusion that I really don't want to have to give my baby excessive pain relievers, and after reading through all the testimonials I'm willing to give it a try.  I ordered my necklace from Inspired by Finn, and this is what they say about the benefits of the jewlery on their website:

Among other things, amber is a natural analgesic (pain reliever) and anti-inflammatory.  When amber is worn on the skin, the warmth of the skin releases trace amounts of healing oils on the skin.  Commonly known as "teething jewelry," baltic amber has been a natural and traditional European remedy for teething discomfort for hundreds of years.

I can't wait to get all the items I ordered and test them out.  Hopefully my little guy will get some relief from at least one of them.