Hannah's Pick of the Month - Infantino Peek-a-Boo Rattle

Since I've wrote about some of my favourite items, I think it's only fair I dedicate one post a month to something Hannah really loves.

This month it's her Bug.  It's commercial name is Infantino Peek-a-Boo Rattle. We never leave home without it.

She loves to just stare at it. She also likes to grab it and hold it. And it's even the first toy she put in her mouth! It entertains her for minutes on end. It also has a neat ring/clip-on thing so I can hang it off her stroller or car seat and it keeps her entertained - the different patterns make it interesting to look at, she smiles at it so much. It's been great to have when we are out and about, and it passed the ultimate test - while in the car she started to cry, I reached around to give her the Bug and she instantly calmed down! Nothing else I've come across yet has been able to do that. It's pretty amazing that when she cries just showing her the Bug or shaking it (as it is a rattle) soothes her.

At first I thought it was a pretty ugly toy when she got it as one of her Easter gifts from my Mom (I also found it slightly creepy that the head moves up to show a mirror, hence the "Peek-a-Boo" name). But now I'm so happy and very thankful to have it. For a toy that's so small and doesn't require batteries, it truly is amazing.

The Infantino Peek-A-Boo Rattle retails for $6.99 at Babies R Us.

Baby's First Fish

There were two gifts on Hannah's registry that were really meant for me. As much as I am all about her being her own person with her own likes and dislikes, I'd at least like to give her opportunities to enjoy what I do.

I really like fish. Like REALLY like them. When I was younger, my dream job was to be a marine biologist or, you know, work at SeaWorld. When I realized you needed to have good marks in science and math, those dreams removed themselves in high school. My marks in those classes just wouldn't cut it (I took Grade 12 Advanced Math TWICE in order to see if I could pass an OAC Math class - no dice).

Anyhow, the two gifts I wanted for mysel- er, Hannah, were the Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym and the FisherPrice Ocean Wonders Aquarium.

We purchased the Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym for Hannah before she was born with gift cards we received at our coed baby shower. It comes with an "electric water-filled toy" that was almost a small version of the Ocean Wonders Aquarium.

Hannah likes the Gym, and as she gets older I'm sure she'll take advantage of all the different toys it has to offer.

As for the Aquarium I would hmm and ha every time I saw it in the stores. I even showed it to her once and she seemed pretty interested but I just didn't know if I should buy something somewhat similar to what she already had in the "electric water-filled toy".

Then a couple of weeks ago Chris' parents threw Hannah a family shower. And one of her presents WAS the Ocean Wonders Aquarium. When we were setting it up in her crib, I think Chris and I were more impressed than she was. OK. I definitely was more impressed. It plays five songs, has three white noise settings, the fish move, there are bubbles and lights. Once Hannah realized what it could do, she will stare at it and coo at it for a good 20 minutes. Which is amazing, 20 minutes for any parent, knowing their baby is entertained and happy, is priceless. Later on, if it helps the baby go to sleep, the Aquarium also has a remote so you can turn it off without entering the room and disturbing their sleep.

So don't hmm and ha like I did - if you want to buy this toy it's totally worth it!

The Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Adventure Gym retails for $99.99 at Toys R Us (we got it on sale for $60) and the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium retails for $44.99 at Sears.

Glo Worm 2.0

When I found out I was pregnant, a small part of me looked forward to playing with all the cool, new toys that are out there. It's amazing what a few decades can do to the toy industry and how advanced some toys have become.

Case in point - Playskool's Glo Worm.

Here is the one I had as a child, who served as my nightlight:

Here is what my Mom bought Hannah:

Other than the photographic evidence of clear differences, the only "whistle" my Glo Worm had was that his face lit up WHILE you were squeezing him.

In addition to a glowing face, Hannah's "Gloworld Sensory Glo Worm" plays an assortment of songs - some meant for daytime (upbeat, louder) and others meant for nighttime (slower lullabies). And the songs aren't terrible! They are actually quite catchy and I will find myself humming them at random points in the day. Hannah's Glo Worm also has a setting for the face JUST to light up with no music at all. Furthermore, he has rings, a teething toy and even a crinkly flower. At first I thought the crinkly flower was a weird add on that she would never use, but she actually likes the sound and feel of it quite a bit.

Sometimes when Hannah is fussy I'll play the songs for her and she's actually soothed by the music. She also spends hours staring at her Glo Worm taking in all his fun accessories. He is often placed in the diaper bag for outings and he is as important to pack as her sleepers are for an overnight trip.

I have no idea how much my Glo Worm cost back in the day, but Hannah's retails for around $30. My Glo Worm is currently in my old toy box that's now in Hannah's bedroom. When she's a little older I'll show it to her so she can see what I had when I was her age. Hopefully if I put a battery in 80s Glo Worm he'll at the very least light up.

The Sound I Never Thought Would Calm My Baby...

Mobile? Of course. Glo Worm? Sure. The sound of my heartbeat? I certainly hoped so.

But I never would have imagined the sound that calms my baby most.

If Hannah has the 3 Bs under her belt (that's Boob/Bottle, Burp, and dry Bum) and is still fussy I try to sing to her to calm her down. A round of Twinkle, Twinkle or Baby Beluga usually works, but when it doesn't I head to the kitchen. And turn on the stove's fan. 

Within seconds of the stove fan humming to life, Hannah's eyes close and she is asleep. We discovered it accidentally one night when my boyfriend Chris turned it on while making dinner. We have resorted to the stove fan many times since. 

Chris suggests the fan most likely reminds her of being in my womb, which sounds like a pretty good hypothesis to me. Regardless of the reason, the stove fan is free, it works and thankfully takes no batteries!