The Booger Sucker:
The booger sucker *ahem, excuse me* nasal aspirator that we got from the hospital is a piece of junk. It is too stiff and just plain doesn't, ummm, aspirate. This handy little sucker from Little Noses works much better. It even has a clear tip so you can see the snot going in and have an idea of how much you got! Awesome, right?
The Nuk/lovey combo:
Un-Medicine:
Homeopathy is something I don't know a lot about, but someday want to learn. I would much rather heal my body with extracts from plants than chemical drugs (though we use them when needed, of course). The company Hyland's makes a number of homeopathic remedies for all ages, and I love their products. The first one we tried is pictured here - teething tablets. When Felicity was 8 months old, we spent a very miserable night comforting while she cried and cried - very unlike her. The next day, I felt her gums, and there was a tiny sharp spot! I was advised to go get these "amazing" tablets, and had them ready that night. When she woke up, I nursed her but she started really crying again. We melted 3 of these in her mouth, and ten minutes later she was asleep. Yep - amazing! The bottle actually warns you not to be alarmed if your baby falls asleep after taking these (you might think they were drugged); it's just that the pain is gone, and now the baby can sleep again. I have also tried the Cold 'n Cough 4kids and the new Baby Cough Syrup (last night actually - poor Linus) with excellent results. I'm not a fan of masking symptoms like fevers and coughs; they are useful to the body. But if the fever is too high, or the cough means no one can sleep, ya gotta do something.Hands-free Baby:
This is my awesome babywearing husband with our 1 week old Linus in the Moby Wrap. It is my favorite baby carrier because it is the most comfortable to wear. It's not as great for bigger babies, but I can't wear a heavy baby in a sling for long anyway. Jeff has spent hours with our new babies in a sling while he gets other stuff done (computer-type stuff, not using a saw or anything :), and I love being able to hold my newborn without tiring out my arms. Babywearing is great for keeping babies soothed and happy, for letting them look around, and for snuggling them (similar to swaddling) for good sleep. Babies love it because it's about as close to the womb as they can get since leaving that warm, cozy, rocking place. I should qualify this and say "most babies love it." Babies are individuals too, and some will hate slings, swings, strollers, nuks, being swaddled, and anything else someone tells you to try saying, "This will soothe her!" Other carriers we have loved include Ergo and Kanagroo Korner, but I'd pick the Moby if I could only have one.Real Diapers:
I want to talk about cloth diapers, but really explaining them requires a whole separate post. They are a little more work because you have to clean them, but I really love using them. Cloth diapers contain messes pretty well (just think, would you rather wipe up a mess with a paper towel or a thick rag?), save you tons of money, keep trash out of landfills and are not full of chemicals. Friends occasionally ask me what kinds I use/like, so I will write on that sometime soon.
