A Quick Product Review

I don't have a great amount of time today so I thought I'd drop in another product review.



This little toy was and still is an essential packing piece for my little girls diaper bag. This little thing has been her favorite toy for months. Ever since she could grip the toy she loved to shake it. It was especially entertaining when she was at the age where she would shake it and give it the craziest look I've ever seen. That look that says "Did I just do that?". Now that she's older I'm always packing this away with her other carry along toys to keep her occupied. A definite recommendation for any parent.

Fun & Stimulating Things for You and Baby < 3 Months

As a father I was always on the lookout for some fun but mentally stimulating things for my baby. I looked feverishly online and came across a few that worked for me and I'd like to share them with you.

1. Dancing. During those times when I couldn't get her to be content nothing was more soothing for her (and a workout for dad) than putting on some music and dancing away. Sometimes I would dance to classical other times I'd blast some pop music. Either way she loved the opportunity to be up and looking around and having close contact with daddy.

2. Baby eye spy. Another soothing thing is I would either walk her around the home and show her things (pictures, the stove, plates, colorful things) or sit her down and read her picture books. I doubt she understood any of it but nothing pacified her more and kept daddy sane as I explained things to her.

3. Karaoke. Okay, I'm no American Idol or anything but she got to hear me sing when I would want to play with her. At first it was alot of baby songs. But she's also heard my terrible voice with pop songs and country songs. Either way she didn't seem to mind. Although I think she'll hate it when she's in the car with her girlfriends in a few years.

4. Peak-A-Boo/What's that? A fun game we played alot was a spin on baby eye spy. I'd take objects and if it was soft (like a towel/blanket) I'd run it down her face saying 'peek-a-boo'. If it was a toy or the TV remote I'd hold it out of her peripheral vision and bring around while excitedly yelling 'peek-a-boo'.

5. Baby Daddy time. Although it wasn't a game another soothing thing was to have some baby daddy time. I'd take off my shirt and lay her against me so she could feel my warmth and hear my heartbeat. In times when mommy wasn't available to sooth her this worked best. My pediatrician and other parents told me about this and it worked wonders.

Now that she is older some of these games we still play. With her being a little more active now I can see her learning these games too. Stay tuned for other fun games to play with your 3-6 month old!

Product Review: Graco Stroller & Carseat

This carseat is one that my wife labored over what to by for the longest time. We went from baby store to baby store looking at different companies carseats and strollers. This is one that we finally both agreed on. Mainly because we liked the sturdiness of the stroller and the car seat could be carried by itself, strapped in without a base, use an easy load base, and you could put the carseat in the stroller. The carseat is compatible as well with some of Graco's other bases so if you have to buy a second base (like we did) then it isn't too hard to track one down. The assembly of the stroller wasn't too difficult and it only took a short amount of time. One of the neat features of Graco's seats (and others may have this too) is that there is a strap at the base of the seat that you can use to secure the infant in the seat. Some of the cheaper carseats we looked at it was a pain to loosen the straps enough to remove an infant. The Graco seats on the other hand have a nifty little release lever and you hold that puppy down and pull on the shoulder straps and you can remove your child easily. The carseat is really easy to remove and place into the car base. There is a lever on the back of the seat itself and you just pull the lever and lift the seat out of the base. The stroller is probably my favorite thing about the package. It compacts down to an easy, carriable stroller and you can put this in most trunks. Our daughter is now 6 months and we actually can put her in the stroller without using the carseat and she is secured by shoulder straps, waist straps, and a strap that comes up between the legs. Its got alot of storage for cups, diaper bags, and other accessories you might want to cart around. And it is easy to maneuver around. All in all we're both very happy with this carseat and package and I would recommend it to any parent looking for a good, decently priced seat.

Daily Tip: Should I Microwave My Babies Formula/Food?

This is a topic that me and the wife debated over alot when we first had our little girl. During our newborn 'training' class the nurse said that they do not recommend to heat your babies food in the microwave. The reasons that she sited for this stance is that a microwave can create pockets of extreme heat in the food. The recommendation that she officially made was that you either bring a pot of water up to temperature or to run hot water over the food.

Now, I understand that as a medical institution they have to tell you to do the 'safer' things in interest of lawsuits. God forbid someone put their baby's food in the microwave for 5 minutes while they take a shower with a hair blow dryer . By giving this recommendation it helps to stop those that would do something as backwards as warming up your kids food for as long as you would your own.

When me and the wife went home we followed what the nurse said to the T. We would heat up a glass of water and then let the formula warm up for 5 minutes while listening to our newborn daughter screaming her head off the whole time. Needless to say after a few weeks and couple bottles of Asprin we decided that we would only microwave the bottle for 5 seconds at a time. It was in this moment that we realized that with prudence you can find a middle ground.

In short: Although I'm not a licensed health expert, it is OK to microwave your babies food. From one parent to another always remember though to use some common sense.

Baby Blog Online is Born!

Welcome to Baby Blog Online. I'm a 28 year old father who currently has 1 daughter who is 6 months old. This blog will be a place for parents (bot mother and father) to come and read reviews, discussions, or other related topics about babies. Being a father I'm learning new things about parenthood and I hope that through this blog it will help others on their path and to give me an outlet for mine. So enjoy the blog and some of the things that I post and please leave comments if you wish!

Thanks!
-Phar Away