moiety's Profile

We especially adore those Groovie blocks, which do actually hold together to a limited extent. Plus, they're math blocks! How cool is that?

Ikea staff in Round Rock, TX told me this week that the soonest they expect any cribs back in-store is November.

A little after age 2 my daughter moved from a crib to a thinnish twin mattress on the floor. It's actually sitting on a set of Ikea slats, so there is still circulation under there. It's worked very well -- she was insisting on a parent lying on the floor next to her crib in order to fall asleep, and now we can at least lie down in bed with her. There is a body pillow on the side of the bed so on the rare occasions she rolls out, she often doesn't even notice.

Yes, she can get herself out of her bed and room (and into ours), but honestly that's less disturbing to our sleep than her yelling for help over the monitor had been.

The super handwashing necessary for the NICU can be very drying -- so some nice hand lotion wouldn't be amiss. If your friend is pumping, perhaps a hands-free pumping bra setup to make that easier. Gift cards for local restaurants and grocery stores too.

We have a mobile based on one of these from my own infancy, that I was very happy to put up for my daughter as well. The round mobile box isn't as big as it looks here.

Your best bet may be to use the green slipcover as a pattern for a new white one. There's basically no way to go white with poly, and trying very hard will destroy the fabric completely.

She's designed a bigger one as a train table, for you true Lego fanatics who would overflow this!

K'Tan (or any other stretchy carrier) is really not a good idea to wear on your back. I'm surprised they allow it at all; Moby used to but no includes that in their instructions.

Another vote for checking to see if there's a babywearing group in your area. They can help you use the carrier you have or let you try out a new one without the (considerable) cost of one that might not work for your body and your baby.

Ichiban, you should totally try some carriers out! Look on thebabywearer.com forums for ideas on what to start with for a petite mama.

--moiety, friendly neighborhood sling librarian

We got a sprayer a little after a year, and I wish it had arrived before. There truly is little need before solids are introduced, but any poop that isn't totally solid benefits from a spraying, and my daughter's poop schedule still isn't reliable enough to use liners without going through umpteen million of them. We have almost the same sprayer as YHL uses above, and I will note that areas with hard water can expect to need to unscrew the top and clean it out every few months. Ours was almost blocked with minerals!

Note, the Young House Love article above also talks about installing a dual flush converter on the same toilet.

I think if you take the title literally, with 'new baby' as a newborn, there are a lot of these things you don't need. High chair? Just taking up space until they reach 6 months, and you'll trip over it in the meantime. Shopping cart cover? Same thing. Crib, and crib linens of any sort? If you're starting out with a bassinet or co-sleeper, don't bother to get them until you need them.

Also, as others have said, most detergents labelled as for babies are chock full of scents and really unnecessary. If you're using cloth diapers, actively harmful! (Dreft et al.) The unscented stuff you use for yourself should be fine. Also, we've hit 18 months now with no baby lotion used at all. Your baby's skin may simply not need it.

My list?
-A co-parent or other family help
-Working breasts are a big plus, otherwise a cheap source of good formula
-something to carry the baby in besides your arms. A car seat for most of us, and a stroller and/or a carrier that fits your body well. I'd wait to see what your baby likes.
-the internet, and something to read it on in the middle of the night
-the knowledge that they grow, and the bad parts won't last