Baby's Fly Crib

Baby's 1st Furniture did not capture my heart right away. For one thing I don't like that they didn't spell out the word "First". It's like they couldn't afford all the letters, so they just went with the number. Secondly, the salespeople are really weird ("Uh, ma'am, nobody buys changing tables anymore"). Many of the cribs they carry are exclusively static side or have this weird brass fixtured hinge on them. Although the store has a really upscale, boutique feel to it, all the furniture prices are advertised on really cheesy looking colored printer paper.

One of the biggest decisions I struggled with was drop side vs static side. Drop side style cribs are the most popular and pervasive style available. Drop side allows you to coordinate your hand with your leg to move the drop side up and down to easily access the baby.

From what I've read, even on high quality, name brand, expensive drop side cribs the track mechanism this drop side operates on can be squeaky (wake the baby) and get jammed. The problem with static side cribs is the shorter Mom and Dad are, the harder it is to put down a sleeping infant/toddler over the static rail, when the mattress position is low. Drop side cribs will convert to a toddler bed, while static side cribs will make not only a toddler bed, but a daybed, and with a rail conversion kit, a full size adult bed.

Appearance-wise static side style cribs seem to be sturdier and of better quality. They look more like a permanent piece of furniture, while all the open spaces of the drop side crib make it look flimsy. I stress that this is all perception, as both styles meet JPMA standards and are well researched and tested.

We weighed the options and ultimately chose a static side convertible crib.

After the crib we decided on at Babies R Us was discontinued, we decided to give Baby's 1st Furniture another chance, and decided on this gorgeous crib from Baby's Dream called the Infinity Crib which economically can be transformed into the Infinity Bed. The color we chose is Chestnut which is what is depicted in these pictures.



This crib has 3 mattress positions, non-toxic stain and lacquer finish, and complies with the safety requirements of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). The front rail can be removed to transform it into a day bed (middle mattress position) or a toddler bed (lowest mattress position).

Voila!



The Infinity Changing Table/Dresser with Hutch. We opted no hutch. We will affix a contoured changing pad to the dresser so baby can be changed safely and stylishly.

Dr. McGraw - Town and Country Pediatric Associates

This is the Baby's pediatrician, Dr. McGraw with Town and Country Pediatric Associates.



Your baby's pediatrician should be selected in the 8th month of pregnancy, so if you deliver early, you are prepared. It is recommended that you get some referrals from friends or your OB and then interview the top candidates. That sounds a little time consuming, so we figured we would first go see a doctor that received a raving recommendation from a friend who has two daughters. We set up a consultation with her and found her to be relaxed, with a good sense of humor, and experienced with two kids of her own. She has hospital privileges at Texas Children's Hospital which we couldn't be more thrilled about. We decided immediately that we wanted her to be the kid's pediatrician.

You will want to come to the consultation armed with some basic questions. Most questions revolve around convenience, access, and responsiveness. You are encouraged to see if the physician's parenting philosophies are aligned with your own. If you are like we are and don't have any parenting philosophies yet, you will have to omit or wing this portion of the interview.

If you could do this kind of consultation with all your doctors what a different medical community we would have!

Baby's first appointment with Dr. McGraw will be 2-3 days after he is born. She won't see him at the hospital where I deliver because she doesn't have privileges there, but he will be seen by neonatologists they have on staff after delivery. After that I think they have go to the doctor once a week until they turn three.

Week 31 -Three Hour Glucose Test

This test blows. The only dietary modification made is to fast (food + water) after midnight. At 8:30 am the following morning you start with a baseline blood draw. Then you drink a filthy sugary drink and have your blood drawn every hour for 3 hours. If you do not pass this test you have Gestational Diabetes. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes will require a strict diet and insulin testing throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.

I was taking the test the same time as another woman who was seeing another doctor in the same practice. She had been given a special diet to follow the week before this test. The lab technician explained that the method used is at the doctor's discretion.

If you are lucky, the lab technician will show up late for your 8:30 appointment turning your 3 hour test into a 3 1/2 hour test and will make your experience extra special by admonishing you for "having small veins" and proceed to futilely insert adult-sized needles into both arms and the backs of both hands, despite your gentle suggestion that she try a baby needle with a butterfly. You will leave this appointment from hell with 6 (yes 6, not 4) puncture marks and 2 nasty bruises.

Week 31 - 3D/4D Ultrasound

Some smart-mouthed office worker at my OB's office balked when I inquired a few weeks ago about the costs of the 4D Ultrasound. "Um, it isn't really 4D unless you bring a video 'cause "time" is like the 4th dimension and stuff. What you really are asking me about is the 3D Ultrasound". I was impressed by her astute knowledge of basic high school physics and was silently appreciative of her commitment to accuracy.

So when I called to make the appointment for the 3D ultrasound, as so instructed by Ms. Hawking, another smart-mouthed office worker further corrected me. "Um, ma'am we don't offer 3D Ultrasounds. I think you might actually mean the 4D Ultrasound."

Uh, seriously... These two must work as a team. The other one must be listening in on the other line busting up.





The item he is snuggled up to in these last two pictures is my right pubic bone. Our first look of him was with his hands up by his face. After a little impromptu Yoga floorwork (thanks Crunch Mama Yoga!) and some no-so-gentle encouragement from the technician's wand, he moved his hands from his face promptly to his crotch.



We saw him yawn and swallow. Despite having eaten a Snickers bar and a full sugar caffeinated Coke, all this child wanted to do was nap.

Pimping Baby's Ride

Travel systems are big, scary contraptions. Lots of people buy them because they look really good on paper. You buy this huge hunk of plastic adorned with interminably cute baby themed patterns and you've got your infant seat and full size stroller all in one adorable coordinated package. Great deal, right?

These traditional travel systems weigh in at around 28 lbs or more. Popular models start at about $180 and go as high as $250. The stroller portion of the travel system is large enough to accommodate the interlocking infant seat, and its heftier size inevitably makes handling a bit more awkward than typical lightweight strollers.

After a lot of research, we decided on a less glamorous, but infinitely more practical version of the travel system. We purchased a standard 5 point harness Graco Snugride in Colby pattern. It was on sale at Babies R Us for $69.99 and with a $10 coupon made the price $59.99.



I then purchased a lightweight metal stroller frame called a Car Seat Carrier by Kolcraft from Walmart for $39.87. The car seat sits in the frame and is securely strapped in. The weight of the Graco car seat is 7 lbs and the weight of the stroller portion is 13 lbs bringing the total weight to 20 lbs.



The obvious drawback to this configuration is the fact that we will have to buy a standard lightweight stroller when he outgrows the car seat at 20 lbs. The lightweight stroller models I have my eye on are in the $60 - $80 range.

I have read reviews of car seat carriers that express some concern that the car seat doesn't "snap" into the carrier frame. I was initially concerned about this as well. The nylon strap that secures the seat to the frame is extremely effective. We set out to prove it unsafe and failed... you can turn the stroller with the seat strapped in sideways, even upside down, and the seat doesn't budge. In fact, having the strap provides extra security, in my opinion, because if the stroller were to tip on its side, you would have two lines of defense keeping the kid in the carrier and off the floor- the strap in the car seat itself and the nylon Kolcraft stroller strap.

Our configuration weighs at least 8 lbs less than the traditional system, and with the second stroller purchase factored in we will still enjoy a cost savings of $20-$90, with a significant portion ($60-$80) of the total $$ spent deferred for several months.



A less obvious drawback is the "cute factor" - the car seat does not coordinate with stroller.

There are other more expensive car seat carriers made by Baby Trend, Snap 'n Go, and Graco. The Graco version is actually $20 more than the Kolcraft. Beside the price, the Kolcraft has an edge on these competitors because it has a forward folding design, which is easier to execute than the backward folding, it has a cup holders plus tray, not just cup holders, and the storage basket is enormous. Big enough to hold the most obscene diaper bag imaginable. It also can accommodate several brands of car seats, so if you are using a hand-me-down made by a major brand there is an excellent chance the Kolcraft can accommodate it.

Baby's First IPod?

We bought this Baby Trend Playard in Malawi print using a gift card I received from a good friend. Pretty colors, functional and sturdy design with a removable bassinet. Perfect for hanging out with the little guy downstairs.



What makes this Playard special besides the vibrating feature on the bassinet,the attached changing table, and the diaper caddy? An MP3 input!!! Yes, I can take my little IPod shuffle, create a "Baby's Groove Mix" playlist in ITunes, load 'er up, and plug it right into the audio unit. You can also record your voice to play back or pick preloaded nature sounds.











This playard is priced at around $119 at Babies R Us. I had a $10 coupon and a $100 gift card, so we paid about $9 for it.