My two cents on the car seat bru-haha

I'm sure most parents saw the recent infant car seat testing results from Consumer Reports (CR) which failed all, but two models in their test.

The short of it - CR tested with higher standards that are currently required by the US Federal Government. However, these standards are what are required of car manufacturers. If you take a quick look, the standards overall are appalling for determining "safety":

Cars and car seats can’t be sold unless they can withstand a 30-mph frontal crash. But most cars are also tested in a 35-mph frontal crash and in a 38-mph side crash. Car seats aren’t.

When we (CR) crash-tested infant car seats at the higher speeds vehicles routinely withstand, most failed disastrously. The car seats twisted violently or flew off their bases, in one case hurling a test dummy 30 feet across the lab.

Consider the accidents you've seen, been in or heard about. How often was it at speeds lower than 30 MPH and just a direct head-on collision?

I found many articles and blog commentaries attacking CR for causing undue stress and concern among parents for using higher than federal standards in their tests, and among the experts for not revealing their methodology. Sure, you can hardly blame manufacturers for conforming with the existing standards. They have to manufacturer to some common goal. But, I don't think CR should get beat up over their tests, either.

I think the anger should be directed at updating these feeble federal standards.

Infant seats sold in England and the 24 other countries of the European Union must meet safety standards that include a 31-mph frontal crash. Many are also tested in a 40-mph frontal crash and a 31-mph side collision. The results are the basis of widely publicized safety ratings for cars. The ratings include an assessment of how a car seat performs in a specific car. Automakers are required to make those seats available for purchase.

Some FAQs about LATCH and car seats from babycenter.

Sweet Dreams

With Tex on the way, we decided to move Peanut out of the crib as everyone recommends doing that well in advance of a new baby's arrival and move into the crib.

So, this past weekend, we went headed out to IKEA to test out beds. Fortunately, Peanut was as excited about a toddler-stretching bed as her parents. In toddler mode, its slightly longer than her crib with much more side-to-side flipping space. In full-length mode even I was able to lay down comfortably in it. This style had the bonus of have very low railing on the sides with a small toddler-sized entry slot.

Our biggest concern though was Peanut wouldn't want to stay in her bed. Yesterday as she climbed in for her first nap, I tried laying down next to her to show her it was time to sleep. Soon little fingers pried my eyes open and I had a small hand waving in my face. "Bye-bye mama," said Peanut giving me a rather insistent nudge to get out of her bed.

Five minutes later, Peanut is standing at the door. "Oh-o," she says and pulls me in to her room by my hand. She points out that all her stuffed animals had climbed out of bed! We put them back, put Peanut back and mama leaves again. We do this about four more times. Then, its quiet in there and Peanut has fallen asleep.

In the evening, papa & mama escorted Peanut to her room. She climbed straight into her bed, turned back and leaned out so we could kiss her good night. That was it. She drifted off to sleep and we didn't hear from her until morning when she called for mama as usual.

When I went to her room, she again said "oh-o" pointing to the little gap in railing to show how Witch had gotten out of bed.

Table for one, please

"I'd like to sit all by myself -- like a grown up -- at my toddler-sized table. Well, not totally by myself. I'd like Pooh bear, Raggedy Anne, Ballerina Duck and Witch to sit with me."
... 10 minutes later...
"Now, I'd like to move to the recently rejected high-chair. No, I don't need any help. I'll just climb up myself and fiddle around with the clasp."
... 5 minutes later...
"All done. Now, I'd like to have a chair just like mama and papa's at the big table. No, no need to place that new booster seat you just bought on the chair. Yes, I know I can't really reach the table - its OK, I'll just kneel here."
... 3 minutes later...

Its mealtime at our house. Peanut's in toddler eating mode. That is, she's eating more or less, now and then. We thought that seating might be playing a role, in addition to just being an 18 month old. Changing the venue has helped. She enjoys her meals most of all when she's at her toddler table with her friends. It gives her some control over when she sits and for how long.

But, like all toddler parents, I worry about what she's not eating which seems to be a growing list each day. Fortunately, we can usually count on fresh veggies with dip, rye bread, oatmeal, cheese bites, Cheerios, waffles, eggs and fruit going in. Didn't see a lot of meats on that list, did you? Nope, neither did I. That's my biggest worry.

Dr. Sears has some super tips. I'll be trying them out 'spread it' and 'top it' during the coming week!

Most parents advocate for a strict approach - eat it now at mealtime or you'll go hungry and eat later. After all, toddlers won't starve themselves and can only eat what we give them, so there's no excuse for 'my baby will only eat crackers'. I suppose she won't unless you give them to her.

I've also dusted off my gourmet baby food cookbook for some fresh ideas and have been trying to think of ways to take foods/servings Peanut loves and apply them to other foods. For example, the girl loves corn on the cob because of its 'cob-ness'. Would chicken on a stick have the same effect? Dipping into ketchup and salad dressing is great; could we dip into a lentil puree? Pizza is just heaven. Perhaps its the single bite or that it comes in an interesting box? Could we make little boxes for pork chops & mashed potatoes?!

Property of Peanut

Does anyone have a solution to the labeling of your child's stuff?

Now that Peanut is in baby school and regularly hangs out with a group of other toddlers, I have a need to have her sippy cups, plates, spoons/forks, etc. labeled with her name. Ideally, the label should be different enough from the other children's labels so I can see from across the room if she is drinking from her cup or her friends. Also, the labels would be dishwasher safe.

I currently just use pieces of freezer tape and handwrite her name with a permanent marker. Not pretty. And, not very practical since I have to re-do it every time. They have been easy to distinguish though.

I found several companies that sell labels, but wonder if they are really so durable:
Mables Lables
Name Stickers
Label It or Lose It

Congrats you're having a baby - here's your promo bag!

On our very first prenatal visit for Tex here in Dallas, we met with the dr in his office after the sonogram confirmed a little heartbeat.

On his desk was a large plastic bag that looked to be packed full of papers and samples. I thought to myself a drug company rep must've dropped off the latest goodies for the dr while he was out.

It turned out the bag was for us! It was brimming with coupons, free magazine samples, prenatal vitamin samples and other booklets and papers telling us all about what's out there for baby.

Now, I, like most people, enjoy getting a bag full of free stuff :-) Especially when its appropriately targeted.

What was interesting was the amount of ad space dedicated to the formula vendors. The bag was sponsored by Infamil and carried several marketing pieces about baby forumulas. I noticed that in UK, for example, all infant formula ads have to marked with a notice that highlights that breastfeeding is the most complete nourishment for a baby up to 6 mos. Here in the US, there is no such requirement. Our bag also had mail-in cards to sign-up for the formula clubs promising formula coupons, free toys, a free diaper bag, free formula samples and more, more, more. Who can resit?
Enfamil Family Beginnings

I also got free issues of American Baby (sign up online for free subscription), Fit Pregnancy (the swimsuit issue), Baby Talk (another free subscription available online) and Women's Health and Fitness. (Where was my sample of Cookie!!??) I flipped through all of them when I was feeling queasy in the early days and now often go back to look for decorating ideas, find out what all is available in baby strollers and to cut out pictures of infants for Peanut's photo book.

There were coupons and product brochures from Baby Depot, Babies R Us and a local guide to what's what for babies in the metroplex. All complete with lists of 'must have' items for baby -- some over the top, but I know I would have appreciated the ideas for my first baby. And, there sure is a ton of gear, clothing and what nots that you can pile up if you want.

One of my favorite pieces is the "as your baby grows - from conception to birth" magazine. It has the most amazing photos from inside the womb of how a baby develops. Incredible color images of this tiny miracle! The photos are from a book called A Child is Born.

In contrast to all this, in Finland, I didn't see a piece of promo materials until I received my KELA box. In it were some free diapers, baby lotions and condoms. No coupons. At the hospital they had also tucked away, out of sight, on a shelf some small purple bags from the diaper brand, Libero. I just happened to overhear a nurse answer another mom that yes, you can pick one up if you want to, you don't have to.... Never anywhere were there any materials promoting formula.

Also, once Peanut was born and registered in the national population registry, we received some promotional mail at our home for her.

Inter-Continental

We've just returned from an action-packed two week holiday to the Netherlands where we had some family vacation time and caught up with Peanut's Dutch side of the family. I certainly should have given myself more credit in the weather forecasting department as it rained for the entire time! What a welcome relief from Texas - we missed out on the 17-day stretch of 100F days.

We chose to fly Continental airlines as they have a direct flight from Houston to Amsterdam which Peanut's papa & I had flown once before. It seems I don't hear as much about Continental as the other major carriers; they are a best-kept secret.

Service has been very good and delivered by happy flight attendents which can be in short supply nowadays. They keep the cabins VERY chilly during the flights, but I think it keeps the air feeling fresh and crisp. Somehow they even manage to keep the cabin and lavatories clean during the whole flight. All seats have private monitors with access to lots of inflight programming. And, they stress, free headseats and meals!

We'd requested bulkhead seats, but they are not confirmed until you check-in. In both directions we got our wish. Peanut was traveling with her carseat so she looked as comfy and cushy as anyone in First Class. Her carseat fit neatly into our Maclaren stroller so it was no problem getting it and her in it around the airports.

I also requested a child's meal for Peanut. What a bonanza! She was served chicken nuggets, green beans and potato croquettes -- with plenty of packets of ketchup! There were also several extra packages of crackers and cheese, a Twix bar, a granola bar, a yoghurt drink and a small salad. Continental provided the milk and I brought straws as otherwise Peanut would be sucking milk through tiny cocktail straws.

There is a mondo-sized lavatory onboard where you can barely reach the toilet paper from a sitting position. If we had wanted to, we could have fit our entire family in there. And, this was back in economy even....imagine what they have up in Business Class.....

The only thing Continental didn't have was goodies for the little ones. On earlier flights Peanut had gotten bibs, bear hand puppets (from Finnair), and rattles (from Lufthansa).

The heightened security alerts and ban on liquids was more of a hassle than anything for us. I would have liked to bring some drinks for Peanut, but those were quickly given by the flight attendents.

Mutsy headed for US

This is just blatantly a copy/paste from DaddyTypes, who always has the scoop:

If you thought that Mutsy strollers were reserved solely for future Scandinavian kings to push around on Spanish beaches, think again. The stroller that Haakon Crown Prince of Norway made famous [around here anyway, never mind that Mutsy's been in business almost as long as Norway's even had a king] is coming to American beaches sometime this year.

Here's what Mutsy reps told a DT reader today who asked about US availability:

From: Carlo Verre [XXXXXXXX@mutsy.nl]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006
To: A DT reader who's proactive about managing his vanity Google search results
Subject: RE: A message from Mutsy.com

We are planning to introduce Mutsy before the end of this year, the exact
date will be published on our website.
Kind regards,
Carlo Verre

Finally! A bag that carries diapers & makes mama happy!

When Peanut was born, I started out by using my Marimekko backpack as the diaper bag. In Finland, where Peanut's Mutsy stroller and the heel-toe-express were our main method of transportation, it was the easiest bag to use. We were always long distances from home so the bag had it all. My hands remained free, the backpack easily went everywhere and it didn't have cutesy flowers, teddy bears or frills on it. Indeed, it was just black.

But, it would get heavy (yes, I know, a result of the amount of crap I loaded into it) and made my shoulders ache. My wallet didn't fit in the front. It just had one big inside pocket so finding stuff was a hassle.

When we moved to Dallas, I was moving Peanut in and out of the car all the time. I didn't need to have kit&kaboodle with me on every trip. I was also a bit wiser as to what we really needed to have with us. So, I wanted to try something new. I started pulling bags out of my closet still convinced that I didn't need a 'diaper bag' just a bag to carry diapers!

I went small. I tried an old travel sling bag. Diapers went where guide books used to. Diaper wipes tucked in next to them. Antiseptic hand cleaner where I used to keep the next roll of film. A small spoon and jar of baby food took the place of travel snacks. It was OK, but I really had more stuff than a bag like that was designed to hold. It bulged big and bulky on my side. When I leaned over to pick Peanut up out of the car, it would slide down and things would tumbled out. Not working.

Back to Marimekko! I then tried a tote bag I had in the closet. It was cute, all my stuff fit, it was summery! But, it was just one giant hole again where it was impossible to sort anything quickly. Peanut's sippy cups would topple over and leak......this experiment lasted about 3 weeks.

Mother's Day was approaching. I figured it was about time I caved in and bought something called a 'diaper bag'. After being overwhelmed by the mountains of choices out there, I settled on a sling tote from Fluerville. Ahhhhhh..... I should've done this a loooonnnng time ago. Not too many pockets on the inside - just four - just right. Two outside pockets - one with fleece lining great for sunglasses and a mini-pockets so I can actually find my cell phone! Great caribiner key chain clip. Nifty o-rings to drape off stroller handles. Plastic exterior. A detachable and padded shoulder strap. Not too big. Not too small.

It was even once mistaken for a purse!!!!!

Dr Baby Proofer

I first saw "Dr. Baby Proofer" (aka Thom Golden) at the Cry Baby Matinee and then again when he was invited to come meet with our playgroup.

We hadn't done too much baby proofing around our home since we've only recently moved in so there wasn't too much stuff to get out of Peanut's way. We had gotten the plastic outlet covers and installed some latches on a few kitchen cabinets.

Dr. Baby Proofer came in with some surprising info:

• those plastic outlet covers are a chocking hazard and kids can easily pull them out (plus parents often forget to put them back!). Better are the sliding outlet covers.
• cabinet latches that let the cabinet open slightly often cause many little fingers to get hurt and are easily operated by toddlers once they see you use them enough! Best are the Tot Lock magnetic locks.
• wooden baby gates are dangerous & they should never open out over a staircase lest a little one open it and topple down the stairs
• no bumpers on the crib - EVER - some chance of strangulation or even suffocation or possible link to SIDS
• infant seats in cars should be used with the handle locked in the down position
• He highly recommended avoiding the "Safety First" brand for all baby proofing products EXCEPT for the Tot Lock magnet locking system for cabinets.
• Care givers (ie, anyone but mom & dad) need an authorization letter signed by you if they need to take your baby to the emergency room. Otherwise, the hospital is legally prevented from taking any action until it becomes a matter of life or death. This seems insane, but is evidently the way it is. Keep a copy of the letter in your diaper bag and in a visible place at home.
  

His main point was that accidents always happen in the blink of an eye, when you turn your back for just a second -- baby proofing gear is not there to prevent it, simply to give you a few extra seconds to find out what's going on and to personally stop your baby.

Dr. Baby Proofer is happy to come to your home to make recommendations on how to best baby proof your home -- and he'll sell you the gear to do it!

Phone: 972-380-1116

Mutsy Week on Daddy Types!

Daddy Types blog gives the fantabulous Mutsy some well-deserved airtime usually reserved for the better-known Quinny and Bugaboo with Mutsy Week:

Crown Prince Haakon Of Norway Drives A Mutsy!!

Mutsy: Hold The Mutsaert

Mutsy, Michael Schumacher, & Maneuverability

I Forgot To Tell You: There's No Thursday In Mutsy Week

Mutsy Mutsy Spider Is Waiting To Come Out



Our Mutsy is still out rolling across the plains of Texas, or at least the walking trails of Coppell. Peanut still fits perfectly in her comfortable SUV ride. The duffle bag kept her warm during the brief and occassionally chilly winter and the hood helps to keep the sun out of her eyes. I often flip her around mid-trip so she's turned away from the sun - the peek-a-boo window at the top let's me make sure that her stuffed animal remains along for the entire ride.

Skype IS the future

While way too many technologies overhype themselves and how they will make our lives 'easier, better, cheaper, faster...etc', Skype really really does.

I had one of those 'the future really is here' moments yesterday as we had a live video/audio call on the computer between our house and Peanut's grandparents in Florida. It was like we were living the commercial where the grandparents coo at the grandbaby miles and miles away.

We started using Skype back in Finland to keep in touch with family in the Netherlands and the US. The audio quality was always amazing - crisp and sometimes even clearer than on our real phones.

Now, they have rolled out the beta version of the video call. Both parties just need a simple $25 webcam on their ends and you're ready to roll. To get the grandparents set up, peanut's papa sent them a short email with instructions on how to download the latest version. They didn't run into any problems and using the program is so intuitive, we were looking at each other in our nightgowns and morning hair in no time :-)

It is just like they've been promising! Peanut's grandparents just loved it. Instead of keeping the webcam static on us sitting here, I let Peanut loose and followed her around the room with the cam that way they can see what all she's up to. I suspect we'll soon have to set up a regular broadcast schedule and some sort of Peanut show :-) I'll have to figure out if Skype supports conference video calls.

Oh! the cost of all of this -- $0! Skype is free!!

Bring on the Straws and Straw Cups

The other weekend Peanut had her first taste of Mexican food at our local Cozymel's. She nibbled on some chicken mama had and really enjoyed the black beans, fajita shells, cheese and guacamole. I had forgotten her sippy cup so we asked the waiter for a child's menu drink cup with some water.

It was one of the sturdy disposable cups with a straw. Papa did some sucking through the straw imitations for Peanut and then we let her try. At first, it just kinda sat in her mouth. Then she started puckering her mouth around the straw and managed to pull up some water!

This week, I picked up a couple of 'straw cups' from Walmart to see how she would react to those. A friend highly recommended them and I can see why. No spill, the straws fold away to keep clean, and many of the cups can be cooled in the fridge to keep the drinks cold.

Peanut has also taken to her cup. I've never given her any food or drink in the car since I can't reach her when I drive, but today she had her straw cup and happily sipped away. When we reached the park, the cup was nearly empty!

Don't skimp on the diaper wipes

So, our cheap diaper experiment is going really well. The Target diapers are currently wrapped around Peanut and, like most things Target, are most similar to the big brands is their appearance even sporting a recognized character, the CareBears. Since Target gear has a way of not always making it in the long run, its fortunate the use of the diapers is very short.

But, big mistake to think I could switch to a generic diaper wipe even if it claims to be a duplicate of the brand name. Poor Peanut's tushie can tell the difference and she's now recovering from a bit of irritation which I'm sure have been caused by the cheapy wipes. Don't do it.

Have stroller, will exercise

Its fabulous that there are so many ways to get out for some mama exercise with stroller and baby. Sometimes the hardest step is finding the motivation just to go out the door.

I'm one of those lazy ones who needs that extra nudge and absolutely loves it once I get moving. In Finland, Peanut & i had to go out almost daily just to get groceries or whatever else we needed. Downtown Tapiola was a 20 min stroll away so I was guaranteed at least 40+ mins of walking. Now, in Dallas, I find I have to make time for that walk.

Fortunately, we live right down the street from the Coppell jogging trail system so that's one "obstacle" out of my way.

A friend clued me into See Mommy Run and now we join her & her little boy twice a week for walk. I like this organization because it doesn't cost anything, has basically no organized activity beyond what your group sets up and just helps you to make that commitment to get somewhere because others are waiting for you. In the summer, I imagine we'll join one of the Mall Walker groups.

Now, Stroller Strides is starting fitness classes in the area as well. I didn't find a price on their website, but assume there is one.

In 50 minutes, you will get a total body workout improving your cardiovascular endurance, your strength and your flexibility. All of our classes are taught by certified instructors, who are also moms! This is not just a stroll around the park but a workout that gets you striding back into shape. Along with walking we use the outdoor environment as our gym by doing intervals of body toning using exercise tubing and the stroller.

On Wed, April 5th, they are offering free intros + giveaways and goodie bags inthe Lewisville/Coppell/Carrollton area:

• Vista Ridge Mall: 8.30 - 9.30 am
• Andrew Brown Park East in Coppell: 10 am - 11 am
• Grapevine Springs Park Preserver: 6 - 8 pm

Then, there's Baby Boot Camp which runs a program at Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine. Again, no price on the website as it probably varies by franchise.

Baby Boot Camp stroller-based fitness classes are designed specifically to help moms get fit.It takes the place of a personal trainer at a time in your life when you need one more than ever. Classes combine strength-training exercises with cardiovascular drills. Pilates, yoga and abdominal exercises help improve core strength. The stroller, resistance tubes (and even your child!) are used as an integral part of the workout.

And for you, little madame, on the menu tonight....

Peanut just enjoyed her first real restaurant meal at Red Lobster a few days shy of her 10 month birthday.

It was a family-friendly place where we pulled her high chair up to the table and rolled out her TinyDiner portable place mat from Kiddopotamus. The place mat was also out for its first meal and worked wonderfully. Peanut was very curious about and tried to pull it up from the table, but as soon as the newness passed she let it lay flat. The catch-all trough was one of the best features - though there was still plenty of baby mess under the table when we left.

Peanut began the evening with an appetizer of Cherrios and sliced banana (not from Red Lobster :-) )

Then the main entrees came from mama's plate - some grilled flounder, steamed broccoli and carrots and bits of baked potato with grated cheddar cheese. I thought they might be a bit salty for her so we gave her some extra water. Next time, I'll request the veggies sans seasoning.

Alas - no dessert for any of us!

my shower buddy - the Exersaucer

We had only heard rumors and whispers about exersaucers while we were in Finland. I never actually saw one there - i guess they haven't made the leap across the pond. Several of my friends swore by them: "our baby loves it! she can play in it for hours". Another called them a waste of money. The online reveiws were raving.

I'm not convinced it was worth the money for a new one.

When Peanut turned 6 mos when went to Babies R Us to test drive their exersaucers. We placed Peanut in each one, one after the other. She seemed most amused in the Baby Einstein activity center so home it came with us.

Secretly mama and papa were also leaning towards that one, I mean, with a name like Baby Einstein how could it be anything but educational!! It even plays classical music tunes and has animal names in English & Spanish!! The classical music I have to admit is really a nice feature - I mean if its got to make sounds, might as well be something soothing that everyone can enjoy, right?

The first week or so, Peanut had a good time IN the saucer - for about half an hour at a time. Then she wanted out. She was very close to crawling at that age so it was no fun to be tied down. It was enough time usually the unload the dishwasher, cook dinner or take a shower.

Its the last activity that I think the exersaucer has been most used for in our household. Though Peanut hasn't actually been IN the exersaucer much after that first month of use, she loves to cruise around it and climb under it. Its become a permanent fixture in our bathroom and keeps her happy while mama takes a shower.

I wonder how many exersaucers end up in bathrooms? I've seen at one other house already!

Ahh... no more bib laundry

Up to now, I'd been using cloth bibs for Peanut. After each meal, they were a complete mess with little chunks of food stuck on them and Peanut's clothes. Her sippy cup drink is still in training phase so often the entire front of her body would be soaked as she dumped the cup on herself and it went right through the bib.

No more!

I finally got a Baby Bjorn Soft Bib for her. Its wonderful and looks so cute! The fit is snug and easily adjustable. It protects more of her than our other bibs did. Easy to clean with just a rinse and always ready for the next meal.

Peanut also likes to fish out the droppings from the catch-all scoop :-)

Available from Target
and many online shops.

Gourmet Baby Food?

Now that our lives have settled down somewhat, I decided to make some baby food for Peanut at home.

Confession: I'm not a natural cook. I always look at the recipe. And, it doesn't always turn out.

So, I figured I needed some help or Peanut would end up eating sweet potato puree every meal, everyday.

At Barnes&Noble, I didn't find too many baby cookbooks. One that caught my eye because of the fun pictures (especially the little snail shaped chicken patties) was Annabel Karmel's First Meals.

I was impressed with the ease of the dishes; Peanut was, however, not impressed with the taste. Initially at least. She wanted the jar food - not the fresh food made carefully and with love by mama. I was a bit hurt. But, I kept at it and now Peanut happily gulps down the meals.

What was an extra bonus is that Annabel Karmel is a Cordon Bleu chef! Not that I think Peanut needs gourmet baby food, but it sure makes the leftovers tasty enough for me to enjoy :-) On more than one occasion when I've cooked up a big batch for Peanut, I take a serving out for myself and savor a delicious lunch (for a change!).

I make about two dishes of 6 servings each at a time and freeze portions. For the freezer, I found Rubbermaid's Take Along 4 oz containers the ideal size. Courtesy of our local Wal-Mart.

Ms. Karmel also has an informative website chock full of nutritional advice for pregnant and breastfeeding moms as well as babies and children. AND RECIPES!!

I mean, look at this recipe of the week photo...what fun!


We just discovered a great farmer's market to supply the ingredients. Sprouts is a chain spreading out from Arizona. The location in Flower Mound is very convenient. Its an indoor store like your local grocery store, but favors buying produce from local farmers and offers a wide selection of organic products. Not everything is organic, but you'll find all the basics. Plus, the bakery has some fantastic breads!

Why we still love IKEA

It seems we just can't get enough of assembling furniture ourselves and always having some small quirk in it (a drawer doesn't quite shut, the knob is a bit loose, the shelf is only slightly tilted) to give it a personal touch.

Only at IKEA can we get that and so much more.

However, since Peanut's arrival that 'so much more' has taken a new meaning. There simply is no escaping the fact that IKEA is knows children and parents, and is very child-friendly.

1. When you first walk into any IKEA store you see the Smålland (or such) mini-playcare center where shoppers can drop off their much smaller non-shoppers for a few hours of romping.

2. The bathrooms - oh, the special bathrooms just for babycare! When Peanut was just a few weeks old, we took her to the IKEA in Vantaa, Finland. Naturally she gets hungry & needs a diaper change. When i headed for the bathrooms, I found ones marked with a milk-bottle. 'This is for us!' Inside was a chair I figured, perfect for nursing. Also a small step-stool and little potty seat. Diaper changing table - naturally. AND, our Mutsy stroller fit in and we still had plenty of room to manuveur.

3. The restaurant - just recently we went to our TEXAS IKEA in Frisco, just outside of Dallas. Here too Peanut got hungry - as did mama & papa. So, all three head for the restaurant. Peanut's new to solids so mama didn't think to pack any along. No worries! The restaurant sold jars of organic baby bananas and applesauce. In the condiments area there were small plastic bowls, utensils, cups and disposable bibs. Peanut sat in an IKEA style high chair. Very Nice. I noticed for the slightly larger babies, you can order child meals and portions of the famous meatballs dish.

4. The children's section! I can hardly wait for Peanut to get older so she can enjoy all the fun stuff just for kids. In the meantime, there is plenty of baby-sized fun and practical things to be had from affordable cribs and changing tables to inflatable travel diapering pads and rattle toys.


We'd been looking at the Löva giant green leaf since even Peanut was born and finally decided to bring it home. It now hangs over Peanut's bed. When I go get her when she awakens its like finding your own little fairy under a lily-pad :-)

To wipe or to wash? that is the question....

When Peanut was born they taught us at the hospital how to wash her little behind when we needed to change a dirty diaper. We carried on the same way when we came home.

Sniff, sniff - yes, its confirmed, a diaper change is needed. Diaper comes off. Towel (or really a cloth diaper from the KELA box is what we used) is tossed over the shoulder of the changer and the bare-bottomed bundle is carried off to the bathroom sink. Rinse, rinse, rinse with plain water. Back to changing table. Dry her off. Use little cotton wipes to dry out between the rolls of baby fat on the legs. Apply a little lotion as needed. Fresh diaper on.

It was a bit tougher if we were out somewhere and needed to change her. Once she was about 6 weeks old, I decided to try out some baby wipes on her. Easy, quick, efficient. But, also a bit to strong for her skin as she developed a rash when I used the diaper wipes all day.

So, I modified the program. A 'fresh wipe' would do if it was only a wet diaper, but everything else got the wash.

Here in the US, diaper wipes are the leading choice early on. At first I was a bit torn about the large solid plastic casings you could buy the wipes in. It seemed wasteful (as did many other forms of packaging when compared to Finland). However, very practical. They keep the wipes moist longer. I bought a smaller one for on the go and a LARGE one for home. Besides, they aren't that wasteful if you buy the refill packs which are just like the Euro versions.

We're currently using Pampers Sensitive which boasts a tagline of 'gentler than water'. Frankly, they are. Peanut hasn't had any rashes and a decreased number of washes saves the skin on her legs and feet from getting dry. Plus, with her now weighing 7.7 kgs, it saves mama's back from carrying & holding over the sink.