Bath Thermometer
OK, so seriously: you do not need a bath thermometer. Unless, of course, your hands and arms are coated with asbestos from that incident at the power plant that one … Continue reading
Lullaby
OK, so yeah, I knew the lyrics to, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” before Astrid was born, but my repertoire beyond that was pretty slim. It’s been a few years since … Continue reading
Nursing stool
OK, so maybe you decided to get a glider/rocker and maybe you didn’t. You still might want to think about getting a nursing stool. No, it’s not something to use … Continue reading
Burp Cloths
I adore Dwell Studio’s baby patterns as much as the next geometrics-loving mom, but how, outside your baby shower, are you going to justify $35 for a burp cloth set … Continue reading
Pacifier Clips
So your baby may or may not want a pacifier. If he does, trust me: you will need a pacifier clip. You can buy the pacifiers that don’t bounce as … Continue reading
The Swing
The baby swing is just that: a swing. Plus a motor. Most models have a number of speeds and play music or white noise (usually pretty tinny). The swing is … Continue reading
The Cribs Are Back! (Ikea)
In June, Ikea pulled all their cribs from their stores following a change in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s regulations. (They said it was precautionary, not because there was a known … Continue reading
Baby Clothes: Tea Collection
OK, so it’s a shopping time of year and minimalist though I may be, I’ve got another item for your Christmas wish list. I don’t recommend getting hooked on Tea … Continue reading
Pacifiers
I had no idea: I guess I thought all babies maybe sucked their thumbs. Or they all took pacifiers. I don’t know… My little cousins, who were babies when I … Continue reading
Bottle Accessories
Assuming you’ll use a bottle for breastmilk or formula, along with the actual bottles themselves (see: Bottles), it’s a good idea to score some of the basic bottle accessories before the … Continue reading
Baby Clothes: Kissy Kissy
OK, so after an “Essentials” post, let’s bounce to the far extreme and talk about overpriced but adorable baby clothes – hooray! I discovered Kissy Kissy (yes, terrible name) at … Continue reading
Bottles
Ah, the whole question of feeding that soon-to-be baby! The shelves of books on breastfeeding. The reams of research on breast being best. The totally foreign concept of your “twins” … Continue reading
First Toys: The Teddy Bear
I still have Gloria, in case you were wondering. She was my first teddy bear, and, in a deeply subjective way, I love her. In a more objective way, I … Continue reading
Parents’ Groups: San Francisco
I just – finally – pulled together a list of San Francisco parents’ groups for some pregnant friends of ours, so I thought I’d share the information for those of … Continue reading
Budget: Clothes
I was chatting with a newly pregnant friend the other day and discussing the overall costs of new babies and what you can borrow rather than buy. Clothes came up … Continue reading
Things You Might Want to Start Worrying About Now: Wills and Insurance
Having a baby can get in the way of establishing your rock-solid legacy as the next Steve Jobs or most-doughnuts-eaten-in-a-single-seating queen, but it is time to get serious about some … Continue reading
Things You Do Not Need to Worry About Right Now: Solid Food
High chair Utensils and Peter Rabbit plates and sippy cups Babyproofing I’m just mentioning this because I’ve had a couple of conversations recently with expectant parents in which a few … Continue reading
First Books
Babies can’t read. Just FYI. In case you weren’t sure. But you’ll receive a little stack of board books at your baby shower anyway. Kids’ books are really cute, some … Continue reading
Rocker / Glider
I bought a used glider rocker last weekend and the mom asked me how old Astrid was. When I said, “Eighteen months,” she said, “Why do you want a rocker?” … Continue reading
Fruity
When I was pregnant with Astrid, I signed up for weekly emails from Fit Pregnancy that updated me on the baby’s development and size. Increasingly, towards the end of the … Continue reading
To Move or Not to Move?
When I got pregnant, Ramon and I were living in a studio apartment that we loved but which had been much too small for us from the day I moved … Continue reading
First Toys: Sophie the Giraffe
See also A Word on Toys Sophie the Giraffe has been around for 50 years and is still sweet and effective. She’s a vanilla-scented, rubber teething toy from France with a … Continue reading
First Toys: “Transitional Object”
See also A Word on Toys A “transitional object” helps your baby transition from needing you all the time to wanting this object when you’re not around to, in the future, … Continue reading
Pimp My Car Seat
The infant car seat is a wonderful thing early on: your baby is small enough to snuggle in it and happy to snooze while you go from point A to … Continue reading
First Toys: Mobiles
See also A Word on Toys Mobiles are awesome. Period. Get at least one for your baby for above her crib. And maybe another one for above her play area. And … Continue reading
First Toys: Rattles
See also A Word on Toys The first interactive toys that will probably catch your baby’s attention are ones that make a small cause-and-effect noise, like a rattle or a crinkle. … Continue reading
First Toys: Mirrors
See also A Word on Toys Also in the staring category are mirrors. Astrid didn’t notice herself in a mirror until she was 3 1/2 months old despite all expert assertions … Continue reading
First Toys: Black and White
See also A Word on Toys Staring is big with infants. They can’t see very well at birth and won’t distinguish colors first thing, so fairly large black and white … Continue reading
A Word on Toys
I bought Astrid a 1970’s Fisher-Price record player music box on eBay when she was three months old. I loved that record player when I was six, how could she … Continue reading
Car Seats: Installing
See also Car Seats: Overview and Car Seats: Buying The NHTSB and it seems like every other organization in California, from the CA Highway Patrol to our childbirth class instructor, stresses having … Continue reading
You’re Pregnant!
Hooray! Congratulations you! Nice work. Now what? Once I’d taken three pregnancy tests to confirm, my next plan was to call my obstetrician. I figured I’d go in that week, … Continue reading
Car Seats: Buying
See also Car Seats: Overview and Car Seats: Installing When selecting an infant car seat, check Consumer Reports for the most recent safety ratings and definitely go to Babies “R” Us or … Continue reading
Car Seats: Overview
You probably know this, but you need a car seat. It’s how your baby will travel in the car at all times. Ignore your Aunt Martha who said she drove … Continue reading
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is not nearly as nice an introduction to pregnancy as your all-natural Playboy Mansion cleavage. It was much rougher than I thought it would be – and is … Continue reading
You’re Pregnant! What to Drink (Or Not)
So you’re pregnant and waiting to see your doctor. Along with what you should avoid eating, there are some guidelines for your liquid intake as well. We’re really talking about … Continue reading
You’re Pregnant! What Not to Eat
You’re pregnant but won’t be going in for your first OB appointment for a week or two (or four!) While you wait, what should you stop eating in deference to … Continue reading
You’re Pregnant! What Medications Can I Take?
You’ve just found out you’re pregnant but won’t see your doctor for a few weeks: what medications can you keep taking in the meantime? Prescription medications. I know you read, … Continue reading
