blabla kids - stuffies, mobiles and more

www.blablakids.com

you've seen their soft knit stuffed animals clutched by tots everywhere you go. you've eyed their mobiles in chic boutiques. you've even possibly been silently coveting their tiny finger puppets. "but where are all these things coming from?" you ask. "i must have them for myself! i mean, my child!"

your prayers have been answered! i bring you: blabla. lovingly handcrafted by expert peruvian knitters (no, really!), blabla brings a snuggly softness to all of their fantastic products. blabla brings their signature simple, vibrant style to handmade stuffed animals, brightly colored knit mobiles, even backpacks, finger puppets, blankets and clothing!

all blabla products are made from natural fibers, making them extra cuddley. their modern design coupled with the feel of something that's already been lovingly worn in make them perfect presents for little - and even bigger - kidlets.

blabla's stuffed animals are prized possesions and their 100% cotton clothing is mom-tested and baby-approved. their whimsical knit rattles come in a wide variety of designs, from fruit and vegetables to a medley of songbirds to a giraffe in a hat (a favorite in our house. yeah, i don't get it either.).

who says you can't buy friends? purchase a few new ones for your tot from blabla and they'll never be lonely again.

SwaddleDesigns: blankets, burp cloths and lovies

www.swaddledesigns.com

one of my best friends - who's pregnant herself - asked me for new baby gift suggestions yesterday. i was forced to reveal to her some of my favorite "can't fail" baby presents, knowing full well that she'd be the recipient of most if not all of them. i've already shared two: the bundle me and trumpette socks.

there was one go-to gift, however, that i had yet to post. my knight in shining armor, swaddle designs. they have great gifts that would please any mom-to-be.

swaddle designs makes THE best swaddle blankets. don't let anyone talk you into getting anything else. we swaddled cole until he was almost 5 months old, so believe me when i tell you that i am the swaddle master, and the swaddle designs blanket was my savior.

swaddle designs swaddle blankets are big enough to actually wrap up your little one snugly without any middle-of-the-night jailbreaks, and cute enough to use just as a regular blanket. they are made of pre-shrunk cotton flannel, come in lots of patterns and styles and are even available in certified organic cotton for little green babies.

swaddle designs also makes sturdy but sweet burp cloths (that match the blankets, of course) with a super-absorbent center panel and stylish fabric stripes. they're perfect for cleaning up little messes and are attractive enough to break out in front of childless company.

and there's more! swaddle designs gives us little lovies - for the uninitiated, small fuzzy security blankets for your tot to tote on trips. theirs have a silky satin border for baby to snuggle with and a touchy-feely middle. at 14"x14", the perfect size to take to bed, to grandma's house or, let's face it, everywhere.

the good news? my friend now has a great baby present to give. the bad news? she will not be at all surprised when she gets her baby presents from me. sorry, jen!

pottery barn chamois crib sheets - on sale!

www.potterybarnkids.com

you've already heard about my search for the perfect crib bedding, which fortunately ended happily. for the most part. the bedding came with this super cute polka-dotted crib sheet, which looked fabulous but felt like sandpaper.

by the time my son was six months old, we, at the urging of our sleep consultant, decided that maybe it was time for our baby boy to stop sleeping in his car seat/the co-sleeper/our bedroom. (don't judge me. i was sleep-deprived.) yet i wasn't quite ready for the transition - his crib didn't seem quite snuggly soft enough.

i embarked on an extensive snuggly sheet hunt, looking everywhere i could think of for something cuddly that wouldn't break the bank. eureka! pottery barn kids makes the most delicious chamois bedding for your baby to snooze on.

pottery barn kids' chamois bedding has a soft, velvety feel that will help caress your baby to sleep. the sheets come in a multitude of sherbet colors, have a snug fit and keep their wonderful texture even after multiple washings. better yet - they're now on sale! this is your perfect opportunity to snatch up a rainbow of luxurious bedding for your pampered prince or princess.

now if only the sheets were available for grown ups. then again, if they did, i'd never want to leave my bed!

the going to bed book by sandra boynton

www.amazon.com: The Going-To-Bed Book

ah, bedtime stories. who doesn't love a good bedtime story? we read before every nap and before bedtime at night. however i've discovered something: babies have surprisingly short attention spans. who knew?

lots of books i love have been nixed off of the bedtime reading list, including anything that's not a board book. (incidentally, we asked our friends with a 2 1/2 year old when we could graduate to "real" books without getting them torn to shreds. their answer? "we'll let you know.") also off the list? anything with too many words on each page, anything too long and anything that drives me crazy. sorry, but when you read the same book 3, 4 or 5 times in a row, you'd better find it enjoyable.

beloved illustrator and author sandra boynton brings us "the going to bed book," a whimsical tale of animals that live on a boat (of course), brush their teeth (naturally) and exercise (um... okay) before going to bed. her lively illustrations of dogs putting on pajamas and elephants exercising on boat decks keep little ones riveted while her short but sweet rhymes tell a silly going to bed story perfect for right before sleep.

the going to bed book is a perfect addition to baby's library and is a tale you'll both love to read over and over again. because i can promise you, if your baby gets his way, you will be reading it over and over and over and over again.

the blanket lady

www.blanketlady.com

more baby showers = more baby shower presents. but what to get for that someone special? when it's your good friend having a baby, buying them a diaper genie just won't do.

from my friend talia comes "the blanket lady"! don't let her - ahem - "rudimentary" website fool you. the blanket lady makes beautiful personalized gifts for your little one or someone else's lucky baby. the blanket lady will create a luxurious customized blanket using your baby's name as a pattern. want more? you can choose from over 50 colors to mix n' match for your own personal touch.

customized blankets from the blanket lady are double sided, super soft and generously sized at approximately 25” x 46”. not only is the pattern made up of baby's name, but you can put baby's full name and birth date on the bottom. as an added bonus, blankets are machine washable and dryer safe – no shrinking or fading. perfect for those new moms who don't have time to hand wash or drip dry!

believe me when i say the picture does not do these blankets justice - i've seen one of them in person and can attest that they're a really nice quality - soft, but still with a good heft to them. perfect for carrying around in the car, to the park and especially on playdates - you'll always know which one is yours!

vivian sonnenberg, sleep consultant

www.viviansonnenberg.com

before i was pregnant, i had never heard the term "sleep consultant." then as my due date approached, i thought, "what kind of a moron hires a sleep consultant?"

answer: me.

my beautiful baby boy was a joy in the hospital. "see?" my husband and i would whisper gleefully to each other, "he's only 5 hours old and he's already the best sleeper ever! we are so lucky!" then we got home.

by the time he was 5 months old, my wonderful little man decided he only wanted to sleep for 90 minutes at a time. always. every night. and after about a month of these 1 1/2 hour "sleep" spurts, with my husband and i officially members of the living dead, we decided to hire our first (yes, first) sleep consultant. and after 6 weeks of working with her and having our only accomplishment be one four-hour stretch at the beginning of the night, we gave up and called vivian sonnenberg.

i had heard vivian's name passed around in mommy circles like some secret password and wondered why all these parents were so enamored of her. people warned, "your baby will have to cry!" and others sang "she saved my life!" and for us, both were true.

after hearing vivian's name for months, i finally gave up and called her. she paid us a house call and that night, cole only woke up ONCE. i think she drugged him. okay, probably not, but she does seem to have the magic baby touch. vivian sonnenberg has almost 20 years of experience working with babies and infants. trained as a nurse in argentina, vivian has been working with little ones of all ages to help them finally sleep and be happier, healthier babies..... not to mention with happier, healthier parents.

vivian's fee includes an initial meeting as well as two solid months of phone follow up, where she will call you almost every day to check in with you and offer periodic advice and support. she is based out of mill valley and will travel within the sf bay area. does she do phone consultations for people out of the area? unfortunately, i'm not sure. but i do know that she was worth every penny that we spent on her.

philips LCD DECT digital baby monitor

Philips LCD DECT Digital Baby Monitor

if, like me, your baby's room is on another floor in the house, you're going to need a good baby monitor.

if, like me, you've stupidly chosen the Coldest Room in the Entire House for your baby's room, then it would be nice to know that your baby's not freezing at night.

and lastly, if, like me, you and your husband switch off on monitor duty and when it's your night you don't want to hear every teensy tiny itty bitty sighing noise that your baby makes - but still want the option to do so - then you need to get philips LCD digital baby monitor.

recommended to me by my neighbors, who carefully vet all their baby products, the philips baby monitor is excellent. the base in baby's room is not only highly sensitive, but can accurately measure the temperature. the handset allows you to remotely turn on music, talk to baby (if you dare) and display the temperature. you can adjust the sensitivity on the handset from "i want to hear every breath you take" to "i really only want to hear you if you're standing up in your crib and banging against the wall with your binky."

the philips baby monitor is amazing. you can turn the volume off, but set an alert to beep at you if baby gets too loud for comfort. you can set a temperature alarm, letting the monitor beep at you if baby's room gets too hot or cold according to temperatures you choose. it's crystal clear with a guaranteed no interference. and best of all, the range is up to 900 feet (yep, that's right!) or as i like to put it, far enough to put the monitor in your pocket and still walk your weiner dog halfway up the street. so go ahead! enjoy your (limited) freedom!

happiest baby on the block by harvey karp

www.amazon.com

when i was pregnant and visiting my parents, their across the street neighbor came by to say hello and congratulations. she also happens to be an ob nurse.

"that's such great news! congratulations!" was the first thing she said.

"have you read 'happiest baby on the block'?" was the second.

she was the first, but she wouldn't be the last to recommend "the happiest baby on the block." i heard about this book from friends, family and even in my "newborn care" class.

people speak about harvey karp in reverential, hushed tones, and i was determined to figure out why. then i realized: it's because he is a god.

harvey karp, md, was one of the leading doctors to usher back in a generation of swaddled babies. calling the first three months of your baby's life "the fourth trimester" (accurately, i believe), dr. karp and "the happiest baby on the block" will help you to calm your little one using the 5 S's technique. i was advised to watch the dvd in addition to/instead of reading the book, which was a great suggestion, as it's one thing to read about these techniques and another to see them in action.

i'll admit, i was doubtful. and as if to punish for me for my doubt, my first born son was incredibly colicky. he cried so much one day as a newborn i called my husband at work and begged him to come home. we did get some relief, however, from the happiest baby on the block. whether playing white noise and shushing at a million decibels in my son's ear, wrapping him up tightly like a burrito or rocking him back and forth, the happiest baby on the block's tips at least helped my crying child not be the unhappiest baby on the block.

and for that, i am grateful. but not as grateful as i am that he is now sleeping through the night.

i love my daddy lion by baby gund

www.lullabylane.com

father's day is coming up just around the corner, and what better way to say "happy father's day" than this little lion from baby gund.

the hugs and kisses collection from baby gund has soft plushy toys with different representations of family love on them.... a giraffe with "i love my grandpa," a hippo with "i love my grandma," a pink elephant with "i love my mommy" and, of course, the "i love my daddy" lion.

the collection also comes with matching rattles for each animal, so that you can expand your little family.

all features are sewn on and baby-safe, and i predict your husband will love it just as much as your baby does.

good night, gorilla by peggy rathmann

www.amazon.com

board books are great for little ones who are learning to appreciate being read their favorite stories, and "good night, gorilla" is one of my absolute favorites.

almost every baby i know has a copy of "good night, gorilla" in their baby book arsenal. peggy rathman has come up with a wonderful story about a gorilla who sneakily helps his fellow animals out of their cages to go sleep in the zookeeper's house.

rathmann's whimsical illustrations and amazing attention to detail will keep your little one captivated, as they discover the stuffed babar in the elephant's cage, the toy ernie in the armadillo's home and the little mouse that drags a banana throughout the entire book for the gorilla.

cole's favorite part is when the zookeeper's wife discovers the gorilla in her bed. rathmann's rendering of her shock and surprise is fantastic - he laughs every single time we see it. "good night, gorilla" is an absolute must for your baby's library.

aden + anais muslin baby wraps

www.adenandanais.com

i don't know about where you live, but here in foggy san francisco it has been uncharacteristically, scorchingly, stiflingly hot. (okay, it's all relative, but trust me: in a city with no air conditioning, it's pretty effing hot.)

it's this type of heat that causes me to call every mom friend i know and have the following conversation:

me: it's so hot.
mom friend: blaaaargh. i'm melting my baby.
me: me too. what is your baby wearing to sleep?
mf: i have NO idea. it's soooooo haaaaaaawwwt.
me: ugh. my baby is going to melt in the middle of the night. haaaaaawt.

and so on.

aden + anais baby wraps are made of lightweight cotton muslin. their unique fabric is both light and stretchy, snuggly and soft. aden + anais wraps are also large enough to actually swaddle your baby when they're bigger than 4 days old, unlike some other swaddle blankets.

aden + anais' wide assortment of wraps and blankets provide moms with something for every occasion - a summer coverup for babies on the go, a breathable summer swaddle, an airy sunshade for tykes in their strollers.....it's the perfect addition to your overflowing "on-the-go" kit for warm weather outings.

thanks to debbie and little asher for the heads up!

caden lane - bedding and more

www.cadenlaneco.com

i was so excited when i found out i was having a boy! i ran out and bought a pair of tiny baby vans sneakers immediately.

then the quest began to decorate the baby room.

i found a lot of cute girl bedding - and i mean a lot. there was hello kitty as far as the eye could see, pink polka dots and flowers everywhere, but nothing for a boy. i searched, literally, for months. i didn't want anything that had a sports logo on it or looked like the de rigueur navy-and-hunter-green-plaid college boy bedspread.

then i found it: caden lane bedding. caden lane makes upscale baby bedding and accessories. no, it's not cheap, but it's extremely well made, with beautiful bright colors and patterns for both boys and girls. everything is machine washable and the bedding has a lot of attention to detail.

caden lane also makes matching burp cloths, sassy bibs, diaper bags, loveys and blankets to fulfill your inner stepford wife. word to the wise: a little bit of internet searching (cough ebay cough) may yield a better price for this luxurious product.

it's binkie time! bunnies by the bay

www.bunniesbythebay.com

among the many fabulous baby gifts we got at our baby shower (thanks, friends and family!) was a little binkie.

"huh," i thought. "well, it's cute, even if i don't know what the hell i'm going to do with it exactly."

little did i know that this would turn out to be the best baby shower present ever.

bunnies by the bay is a great company that makes snuggly and sweet baby gifts, like soft fuzzy hats, flurffy stuffed animals (we like ittybit the bunny in our house) and most importantly, these binkies.

one of the things i gleaned from the ten thousand sleep classes i took was that having a "lovey" (a little something for your baby to snuggle with and associate with sleepytime) is a great bedtime cue. so we tried this binkie and it stuck! bunnies by the bay binkies are just the right size and softness for your baby to bring to bed every night.

word to the wise: buy two, since one will always inevitably be either a) in the hamper, b) confiscated by the dog or c) nowhere to be found. (probably due to "b," i'm guessing.)

door signs - tree by kerri lee

www.treebykerrilee.com/

tree by kerri lee makes beautiful handmade baby goods for your little one. she has gorgeous vintage-inspired wall art, picture frames and handmade blocks. but our favorites are the little doorknob signs.

my mom got this one for us to replace the frilly frou frou "baby is sleeping" lace covered, ruffle-edged door sign someone thoughtfully got us at our baby shower. it was very sweet, and we appreciate the thought, and promise i wrote the nicest thank-you note in the whole wide world, but sorry, sign - you now live in the closet. tree's doorknob signs come in sheep, bunny, puppy, elephant, monkey and bear.

we now have this sweet, handmade "asleep/awake" sign at the entry to cole's room. and you can bet that i flip it over to "asleep" every time he goes down for bed in the hope that the power of suggestion will lead to a very, very long nap.

latitude enfant stuffed friends

www.oompa.com

confession: i am a grown up and i still have stuffed animals. which is why i will have to fight my son for possession of julien the dog from latitude enfant.

i love you, julien. you are soft and snuggly and look like you've been hand knit. you are a dog wearing a sweater, which automatically makes you awesome. you are just the right size for my son to snuggle you and my dog wants to eat you. but i won't let her, julien. don't worry.

i wish i could adopt all your friends, too. they are equally cute and snuggly and have sassy european names like lucien the rabbit and hugo the hedgehog.

maybe we'll bring them home anyway. we don't have to tell anyone - it'll be our little secret. at least until my husband goes to find my son in his crib and discovers him buried in a comfy mound of latitude enfant stuffed animals.

sleep sheep

http://www.sleepsheepandfriends.com/

Sleep Sheep! sleep sheep saved my life. i only wish i'd had him earlier....sleep sheep is a plush sheep that makes soothing white noise sounds for your little one, like ocean (cole's favorite), mother's heartbeat, rain and whale song (which is a little weird, but whatever).
when cole was little(er), sometimes white noise was the ONLY thing that would calm him down. and you get very tired of shushing at them. now that he's older, it helps him fall asleep and, even better, can cover up some of the household nighttime noises. no, nothing interesting - more like emptying the dishwasher and watching "top chef" reruns.

the sheep attaches easily to a bassinet or crib with a sturdy velcro strap, is fluffity soft and has a timer so you can turn it on and sneak out of the room. the only problem? now i'm addicted to it, too.