Tag Archives: boppy pillow

Our Favorite Things: 9 to 12 Months

Posted on September 8 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Emmett’s Favorite Things!

This is a bit delayed, seeing as Emmett is already 13.5 months old, but I am finally getting around to it. We had quite a few favorites this time around and I’m excited to share them all with you!

Philips AVENT BPA Free Contemporary Freeflow Pacifier

I know this may seem like a silly one to start with but in Emmett’s world, this is one of THE most important things to him. You’re probably wondering what made us choose to go with Philips AVENT, right? Well, we chose Philips AVENT for his bottles and we loved them so it made sense to give their pacifiers a try. He loved them from the very first time we put them in his mouth, when he was just a few days old. However, they did not become his love until in his 11 month. Now, he uses one everyday, most of the day. These are great because they’re made of silicone so it is nearly impossible for the nipple to be bitten off, I’ve tried and can’t with a mouthful of teeth. They are also designed for breath-ability, so there are little air vents around it so that baby’s saliva doesn’t just sit behind it and irritate the skin. Plus they have fun little designs on the base of them, while not an important feature for baby, momma might care. 😉 If you’re looking for a pacifier for your babe, I highly recommend Philips AVENT’s.

Fisher-Price EZ Clean High Chair, Coco Sorbet

We continue to LOVE this high chair! We have this Fisher-Price chair in the Luv U Zoo design and it has stood up to the beatings Emmett has given it. The cloth cover is removable and washable, so anytime Emmett decides to take a bite of yogurt and then spit it out on his high chair, it’s no big deal, we just take it off and pop it in the washer. The tray is easily connected and removed, I’ve done it with one available hand before and it is very sturdy. Since we live in an apartment we slide it to and from the table daily and it has not shown any signs of wear. It’s current $84 price point, makes it well worth the purchase!

Boppy Nursing Pillow with Slipcover

This has once again made our favorite things list (this is the 4th time). It has been an amazing tool for breastfeeding, and I am comfortable saying that without it, I’m not sure how successful Emmett and I would have been. There are tons and tons of options out their for breastfeeding pillows but I truly believe that Boppys are one of the best. Our pillow and its slipcover have stood the test of time (13.5 months and counting) and many many washes. Oh and in case you’re curious, we have the sweet pea slipcover and it’s very cute!

Philips AVENT Toddler Spout and Philips AVENT Natural Drinking Cups

I swear that I do not work for Philips AVENT, nor is this a sponsored post, I just adore their products. Every Philips AVENT item we’ve purchased has lived up to it’s hype. We wanted a sippy cup that would provide a nice flow for Emmett but not just leak if dumped over. So many sippys out there, that don’t leak, require the baby to suck really hard to get any fluid out. Would you want to work that hard to get any liquid out? With the Toddler Spout cups, it is absolutely leak proof until he sucks, but it requires as much suction as you would need to use a straw.

The Natural Drinking cups are great because they begin to prepare the toddler for drinking out of a normal cup but are leak proof until you tip it back and the toddler’s nose presses on the center circle. Emmett’s still learning how to drink using one of these, but it the perfect transition cup. I highly recommend both!

Philips AVENT BPA Free Classic Polypropylene Bottles

These made a previous list but Emmett continues to use one bottle a day at day care. The bottles have shown no sign of wear and we’ve not had one broken or cracked nipple in the entire time that Emmett has been using them (12 months). I learned about these bottles as a nanny and loved them enough to bring them into my home for Emmett, I continue to love them and will use them with any future children.

Pampers Cruisers

We loved the Pampers Swaddlers and because of a recommendation from a friend we tried the Pampers Cruisers. We have not been disappointed. They work and fit as well as the Swaddlers. We will be sticking with them until he grows out of them.

Philips AVENT DECT Baby Monitor

Yes, another Philips AVENT product. Every single product I have of theirs is awesome, so we just keep buying more. Make excellent products and you end up with loyal customers. When I was still pregnant, we debated getting a video monitor, Seamus wanted one, I saw no reason for one. Emmett’s room is 20 feet away and at the first sound of distress I’d be charging in there. I eventually convinced Seamus to see my side and we started our search for a baby monitor and after looking over a ton of reviews, the Philips AVENT DECT Baby Monitor won out. It is affordable, and picks up every little creak or crack in his room. I NEVER felt like I was missing anything by not having a video monitor. This monitor has some seriously awesome features too, you can turn down the sensitivity so that it doesn’t run constantly and will only turn on at the first sound it hears. When I say it picks up everything, I am not lying. If he rolls over or sighs, it picks it up. The end that sits in the baby’s room does not have a rechargeable battery but you can leave it plugged in or you can use batteries in it as a back-up. The parent end is rechargeable and the battery life on that sucker is amazing, I’m talking days. We’ve never struggled with interference or any sort of feedback and we’re going on 14 months of use. If you’re like me and don’t see a reason for the video monitor, check out this Philips AVENT product.

Your turn!

What were some of your favorites for you children when they were 9 to 12 months old?

Please feel free to check out my other Favorite Things posts, 0 to 3 Months, 3 to 6 Months and 6 to 9 Months.

Filed Under: Reviews

Our Favorite Things – 3 to 6 Months

Posted on February 15 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

It’s kind of mind blowing that another three months has passed. Seriously! After I had completed the last “Our Favorite Things” post I said to myself, that it would be ages before I’d be writing another one of these but that is just not the case. Time has FLOWN and it’s time to write another post.

But, without further ado, Our 3 to 6 month favorite items:

1. Luv U Zoo Jumperoo

Emmett has enjoyed this from the moment we purchased it but in the beginning he’d just sit and look around at all the different items on its tray. Now the second we place him in the jumperoo he goes crazy, jumping and squealing. It is THE cutest thing! Seamus and I find ourselves frequently laughing at him when he’s jumping away.

2. HALO SleepSack

We have about 4 of these and Emmett loves them and so do I. It is a great way to keep him warm in the Winter months without having to use blankets. I would absolutely recommend these to anyone for when your baby has grown out of the swaddler and is ready to have their arms free while they sleep.

3. Bumbo Floor Seat

I know there was a recall a few months back on this seat but when used properly this thing is THE best! We have ours pretty much permanently placed on the floor in the kitchen, so that we can put Emmett in it while we’re cooking or doing other things. This way he’s in the room with us so we can keep an eye on him and he can see us and doesn’t get lonely, it’s the best for both of us. The one thing I would recommend is waiting until your baby can support his/her neck before using the seat, otherwise I think they’d be pretty uncomfortable all squashed down.

4. Boppy Pillow

I know I mentioned this in our last favorite things post but it continues to be one of the best gifts we were giving. I use it multiple times a day and it has made nursing Emmett such a breeze. This is a fantastic gift to give to someone who’s baby shower you will be going to soon. They’re useful even if you don’t use it for nursing because the baby can use it for supportive sitting until they are strong enough to sit alone.

5. Vtech Move & Crawl Ball

This ball is a lot of fun. From the moment you turn it on and touch a button it moves and sings right along. It wiggles all around every time you touch a button and since it has flashing lights too, it really holds Emmett’s attention for quite awhile. I actually have to admit to sitting and playing with it to hear all it has to say because it seems endless.

6. Blankets

Blankets have been so useful, they have multiple purposes now. We use them for when Emmett spits up but also to lay on the floor for him to play with. I don’t have a specific brand that I would recommend, I’d just say that you should have a ton on hand with a baby at this age.

**Not a paid review**

Filed Under: Reviews

Our Favorite Things – 0 to 3 Months

Posted on November 13 by Jillian416 • 3 Comments

We were very fortunate to receive a number of gifts making the transition from no baby to baby, relatively easy. With that said, I wanted to share some of our favorite items, my hope is that someone will find this list when they’re looking for a review of an item and it will make their decision a tiny bit easier.

In no particular order…

1: Consumer Reports Online Website

Seriously! This might seem really silly but it was one of the BEST purchases I made. I was able to go onto their website and search for items to determine their safety and assembly rating.

When I was registering for our gifts, I had the toughest time making decisions because the reviews for multiple items would be great and the colors would be perfect but this made it easy. I’d find the top two or three rated items on their site, compare real people reviews of those 2 or 3 items and make my decision from there. It really simplified how certain items were chosen. The website isn’t all encompassing but things like cribs, car seats, strollers, are all there and with the trusted Consumer Reports review.

If you’re expecting a baby, I HIGHLY recommend you get a membership. It was $6.95 a month when I was a member and it’s a month to month subscription, so you can cancel at any time.

2: Fisher-Price Newborn Rock N Play Sleeper

The experts recommend that a baby sleep in the same room with their parents for the first 3 months of life to reduce the risk of SIDS. The issue for us is that we live in an apartment with VERY small bedrooms so fitting a full sized pack and play in with our bed, would have been quite a squeeze.

One day while searching for a portable bassinets on Amazon, I came across this baby and I was immediately sold! It is approved for infants to sleep in, is 100% portable and fit perfectly on the side of our bed without taking up so much room that we were crawling over it. Emmett loved it and we had a hard time transitioning him from sleeping in this to his actual crib.

3: Boppy Pillow

Not everyone will need or want a Boppy pillow, however for myself and Emmett, it was absolutely necessary. I am nursing him and putting this pillow around my waist and laying him in front allows everything to be much more comfortable.

There are other brands of pillows on the market for nursing mothers but I am unable to compare because I’ve only ever used the Boppy and I love it!

4: Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine

When Emmett was first born he roomed with us (in his own cradle). Seamus and I use an air purifier as a white noise machine for ourselves, so we knew when we moved Emmett to his own room he’d require something similar. This machine has worked perfectly for us! It is small, lightweight and affordable. It plays a bunch of different sounds and music and you can also connect your mp3 player or iPod/iPhone to it and play music from it through the sound machine’s speakers. It also has a night light which I like because we leave it on all night long, so that when I go in to nurse Emmett in the middle of the night it’s not pitch black in there.

5: Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing

There have been days when I could not have lived without this item. You can read the product description but it is just phenomenal! It swings 3 different ways, has 6 different speeds, plays music has a mirror above the baby and some birds/leaves that float around, so perfect. Emmett has taken many a nap in his swing on days when he would just not sleep in his crib. Not much more to say other than it’s a life saver!

6: Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer

At first glance it may seem as though you might not need both the swing and the bouncer but in my opinion, you do. The swing is great for calming a baby when they’re screaming or need a nap but the bouncer is mobile and you can bring that with you to the bathroom when they won’t let you out of their sight and you so desperately need a shower.

7: Summer Infant Swaddleme Blanket

Swaddling a baby is easy and can be done with just a blanket but using one of these is even easier and doesn’t come undone like a regular blanket will. Emmett has slept in one since the day he came home from the hospital and will continue to until he starts rolling form back to belly (it is no longer safe for their arms to be swaddled up at this point). These are great at keeping baby warm and for soothing them, making them feel as though they’re in the small enclosed space of their mother’s womb.

8: Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends Play Gym

This item has come in handy countless times when I’ve needed to put Emmett down for a quick minute and no where is really safe for him other than on the floor, the mat is slightly padded so it’s not like placing him on the hard wood. There are also numerous little toys that come with it and tons of little notches to place them on. When Emmett was new, this was great for him to just lay under and look at and work on his eyesight, as well as do his tummy time but now he spends hours on it between back and belly. The center star lights up and plays music so that catches and holds his attention and then reaching for the items has now become his favorite activity.

9: The First Year’s Infant to Toddler Tub with Sling

Best. Baby. Tub. Ever! Seriously!

When you first bring the baby home from the hospital you can’t give them a full bath because you’re not allowed to get their belly buttons wet and if you’ve had a boy and had him circumcised you can’t get that wet either. The sling that comes with this tub hooks to the top and allows you to lay the baby in the tub without them getting wet. This way you’re able to give them a sponge bath and let the water drain into the tub instead of all over your counter. Now that Emmett is older and able to get wet he sits right in it on the reclining side and loves it. It supports him well and he’s able to sit, kick and play and enjoy the sensation of the water without me needing to constantly hold him in place.

10: Avent Bottles and Pacifiers

Emmett is exclusively breastfed but since about 6 weeks old he’s been given at least one bottle of pumped breastmilk a day so that he could get used to it before going to day care. He’s responded very well to all of the Avent bottles, we’ve never had any trouble.

And the same goes for their pacifiers. Emmett has used one since his first week of birth and has enjoyed them on and off without any trouble with his latching to my breast or to his bottles.

11: Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump

Before going to our breastfeeding class, Seamus and I had tossed around the idea of getting an inexpensive pump but after going to the class and hearing the lactation consultant explain what can happen to your breasts and nipples if you do not use the proper pump, we decided to go with the Medela pump. Yes it is $300 but it is so worth it! I’ve had 3 different lactation consultants, who were in no way affiliated with Medela tell me that they’re the best and well worth what you pay for (I tend to agree).

If you happen to live in the Western New York area, I recommend purchasing your pump at The Care Connection. It is a locally owned small business that specializes in breastfeeding and breastfeeding supplies. If you purchase your pump there, they will ensure you are given the proper sized phalanges and will show you how to use it. You can certainly purchase the same one at a department store but you won’t receive the personalized attention that you do at The Care Connection.

Okay, so that’s the list so far. I’m sure as the months tick away we’ll have a new list of favorites and I’ll be sure to share with you then.

I’d love to hear what you found most useful or couldn’t have lived without. Or you can even feel free to share items that you found were completely pointless!

*Not paid reviews*

Filed Under: Reviews