Stuff we like

In between refills of Michael and Sophie's lunch today, I tackled the kitchen shelf that houses their food and all associated paraphernalia. Sippies by the pair were crammed into that cupboard among breastpump parts, back-up formula, and the few bottles we kept around just in case.  I still breastfeed Michael and Sophie when they wake up in the morning and before bed at night, but those days are numbered. It felt like time to purge.

Here's that cupboard now.  No bottles.  No formula.  No baby megaphones.

And within the next month or so, those jars will be history as well. 

This process got me thinking about my first blog post about all the products that made the newborn phase of parenting twins easier.  Many of those items have fulfilled their baby care destiny and have been sold or packed away.  It's amazing how quickly infants become toddlers, how soon bouncy seats make way for push toys, swaddling blankets step aside for sleep sacks, and sippy-cups elbow their way into the bottle cupboard.  Just as toast is the new rice cereal around here, other products are making the early toddler days simpler as well.

Munchkin Sippy Cups
Sophie and Michael have a few different kinds of sippies, and they get excited when they see all of them.  We bought these on sale last weekend just to have a couple more in the rotation, and they are Michael and Sophie's clear favorites.  The removable nozzles are similar to bottle nipples in that you have to remove them and put them back in after cleaning.  That's a little annoying, but I also suspect that similarity is why Michael and Sophie like them so much and drain them dry.



Fisher Price Space Saver High Chairs
Like all big ticket purchases, I did my homework on high chairs.  I liked the idea of wooden ones, possibly the kind that you find in restaurants, but after one MoM after another raved about these, I went for it.  And now I'm raving.  They travel well, clean up pretty easily, are comfortable for Michael and Sophie, and they do save space over full-sized high chairs, even though the kitchen chairs have to stick out a bit.


Bath Seats
We've only used these a few times so far, but they've been pretty handy...and fun.  We have to put a towel down on the bottom of our bathtub because it has ridges that don't allow the seats'suction cups to stick (the towel holds them in place).  That little adjustment is worth it to be able put both babies in the tub at the same time with a little help in keeping one safe while we deal with the other, an ongoing struggle in the land of twin parenthood.  The seats open with a latch for easy loading and unloading and fold down a bit for storage.  If the makers had multiples in mind, they would have made them stackable as well, but they didn't.

The Newborn to Toddler Tub was fantastic for almost the entire first year.  The sling attachment was great when the babies were tiny.  Until Michael and Sophie could pull themselves to standing and we started using it in the bathtub, we had months and months of comfortable baby bathing standing at the kitchen sink instead of kneeling in the bathroom.

 


Sleep Sacks

We really made the most of swaddling in those first few months, so it was nice to have these to transition into when the babies started rolling over and swaddling is considered unsafe.  We've seen no reason to call it quits with these, especially when they make our babies look like Sweet Pea and Cindy Lou Who.

  

Green Sprouts Long Sleeve Bibs

These are very handy for messy meals, restaurants, and dinners at other people's homes.  Sophie managed to eat about 1/4 of my Mongolian Barbecue meal tonight with one thumb stuck in the sleeve (I noticed as I took the bib off).  Still, both babies' hands and faces were covered in ginger sauce, but their clothes were not!

Tiny Diner
These came recommended and then as a gift from a friend and fellow mom.  On their maiden voyage just this evening they proved to be all they're cracked up to be.  They suction cup right to any table and have a little trough to catch food, both of which really work!  They're dishwasher safe, BPA free, and super portable.

Retractable Gates
When Mike first installed these I kicked myself a little for putting fashion over function.  These gates retract similarly to rolling window shades, saving space and keeping doorways clear.  They take some getting used to, but with a little practice we've gotten pretty good at opening, closing, and moving these even with a baby in our arms.  The rollers are removable, and each one comes with two sets of hanging hardware so you can use them in two doorways in your home.
 

J.J. Cole Blanket
This portable, waterproof blanket lived in the trunk of my car for the last year, but since it's gotten warm in the last few weeks, it's gotten some good use in our backyard. 

I could go on and on about favorite toys, but the few I've chosen below, are ones that are so appealing to Michael and Sophie that they work when a distraction is needed. "Oh, Sophie, Michael took your Elmo phone and made you cry? Hey, look at this!"

Fisher Price Music Table
Some friends gave Michael and Sophie one of these for Christmas, and we bought one at a mom-to-mom sale.  Before they could stand or even sit up at the tables, we'd set Michael and Sophie in their Boppies, take the legs of the table, and set it on their laps.  Now they stand at the tables, often playing two at once like skilled DJs.



That's Not My Monkey
Another Christmas gift, this time from Mike's brother and sister-in-law, this book is one of a few touch and feel books that are hot items in our playroom.  Michael and Sophie love to touch the fuzzy tongue, smooth feet, and furry bellies that distinguish each monkey in the book.  The title makes Mike and me laugh like thirteen-year-old boys, so that's good too.



Ball Popper
There's probably some sensory learning justification for this ball spewing, wind blowing, Rockin' Robin singing toy, but around here its purpose is 100% fun.


A few items that made this year of breastfeeding easier have come to mind, but I'm thinking that will be its own post.  We'll see!