When I see someone wearing their baby in this town, it’s usually in an Ergo. With Pooky, I had an organic denim Ergo and, as she grew out of the newborn stage, it was definitely our go-to carrier because it was so convenient, supportive, and sturdy. Once I was able to do back carries with her, life with a babe became so much easier. I got things done around the house, didn’t need to lug around a big stroller, and kept Pooky nearby and happy.

With Bugsy, we upgraded from the denim Ergo to the most current style Ergo in black with green trim/hood. Some people complain about the bulkiness of the Ergo, but I actually found it very lightweight compared to the denim version. When it’s really hot out, it can be uncomfortable, but I think you’ll find that in general with any baby carrier.

PROS

• wonderful weight distribution means effortless carrying for long stretches without shoulder or back pain
• convenient pocket that’s great for storing wallet, keys, diaper change
• easy on and off for both front and back carries
• sturdy fabric that doesn’t require delicate treatment and can potentially last through all your children
• adjustability means most caregivers will be able to share the carrier
• great investment since the carrier can be used for a long time (newborn to toddler)

CONS

• although Josh and I can both wear it, it’s not as great of a fit on Josh as it is for me (he’s 6′, I’m 5′2″)
• not ideal for carrying a newborn. We started using it once Bugsy was able to spread his legs out around the carrier (about 2.5 months old)
• wide waistband is super supportive but makes it awkward to sit down when carrying in the front

It’s 4′ long, 4′ wide, and 3′ tall and can fit Pooky and one parent. The bottom is waterproof, and it has a cutout round window on one side that can be fitted with one of the fun tunnels available from Pacific Play Tents. The tent lives in the corner of Pooky’s room, and she loves taking naps in it.  We also purchased it thinking we could tote it on vacation and set it up on the floor or bed to encourage Pooky to sleep better (and on her own) in unfamiliar places.

We reviewed an older version of the Beco a while back and, since then, this baby carrier has gone through a number of different changes to arrive at the most current version known as the Beco Butterfly 2. I’ve been searching for a carrier with the convenience of buckles and ability to carry both a newborn and an older baby, so I decided to give the Butterfly 2 a try.

The Beco Butterfly 2 has a removeable infant insert that attaches to the inside panel with velcro. It allows newborns to be carried in it froggy-legged without being swallowed by the carrier and before they’re able to spread their legs out. I was really attracted to this feature. After a few times wearing Baby Brother using the insert, I realized that he was actually already large enough to go without the insert. This was back when he was about two months, weighed 10-11 pounds and measured just under two feet. We still carry him froggy-legged (legs tucked in at his side in the carrier with weight on his tushy) and were glad to be able to remove the infant insert because it was actually a bit of a pain to try to get him into it unless you actually had the time and space to insert the baby into the carrier before putting the carrier on.

As I mentioned above, the infant insert that I was looking forward to turned out to be not so convenient for quick in and out, but what about the rest of the carrier? Once the baby is in and adjustments have been made, it’s a very comfortable carrier. The padded waistband transfers weight to your hips and the lightweight material is sturdy without being bulky. I love how easily the side buckles adjust (just pull to tighten and lift the tab to loosen) and the sleeping hood is large and useful for supporting baby’s head as well as providing shade from the sun. Both Josh and I can wear the Beco comfortably, and the ease of adjusting the side buckles makes it much simpler to switch the carrier back and forth between the two of us and adjust for our different sizes.

Although the Beco is stylish and comfortable, there’s just too much to it. It’s more complicated than I think it needs to be. I miss the simplicity of the older versions of the Beco. The Butterfly 2 has a lot of buckles and a Y-shaped panel that’s not removeable (baby sits between this Y-shaped panel and the outside panel). The buckles and panel make it a hassle to put on and get the baby into the carrier. I’m always having to untangle the carrier before putting it on because it gets all twisted with the many different parts to it.

I really thought I would eventually get used to the Butterfly 2 and all the things that bothered me about it wouldn’t bother me so much anymore, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. A buckle carrier should be quick and simple, and this carrier isn’t. It’s a shame because it comes in great fabric and color options and is very comfortable once you actually get the kid into it. Price: $140.

The Skip Hop Dash was one of my favorite bags when toting things around with Pooky (review here). Unfortunately, the black lining of the bag really got to me because everything disappeared into this dark hole when it went into the bag. Although I loved its size, sturdiness, and organizational design, I eventually stopped using it because of the “black hole” factor. Apparently, this has been fixed with lighter color linings in the improved design of the Skip Hop Dash Deluxe model.

With the arrival of Baby Brother, I was on on the hunt again for a diaper bag, and I kept coming back to the Skip Hop bags. However, with the dismal state of the economy, I wanted a cheaper alternative. Skip Hop now makes a line of diaper bags for Target stores called Spark. I decided to check them out and ended up purchasing the Cargo Tote
(pictured in the middle in the above image). Skip Hop diaper bag prices start at $54. The Spark bag I purchased was only $29.99.

The Spark Cargo Tote is a great bag! I’m a light diaper bag packer, and this bag is a perfect medium size bag that fits items for both my newborn and toddler (change of clothes for both, diapers for baby, bib, wipes case, sippy cup, changing pad, burp cloth, plus room for more). It has a bright orange lining which is perfect for finding things inside the bag. The inside has two large pockets on either side and the nifty stroller straps are contained in pockets on the inside gutter so they’re always available but not in the way. I love that this bag has both tote handles and a longer detachable strap so you can wear it across your body as a messenger bag. I leave the strap on at all times, and it doesn’t get in the way. There are two mesh bottle pockets on each side, a large external slip pocket on the back of the bag for the changing pad, and a small zippered pocket on the front for mommy items. In addition to being daddy-friendly, it also stands up on its own and doesn’t tip over when full.

The Spark Cargo Tote has been a wonderful everyday diaper bag that can be had for a great price. Although I opted for the cargo tote so that both Josh and I could carry it, the other Spark bag styles I saw at Target (pictured above) seemed like great choices as well.

Our family recently expanded with the arrival of “baby brother.” We had three car seats already (an infant and two convertibles) but were looking for another seat since both of us would be driving the kids to or from daycare in a few months. This time around, I was searching for something that would last a while. Well, with the Graco Nautilus, I believe we found the last car seat we’ll ever need.

I picked it up at a great deal a few days ago from Target for $159 (originally $179). Installation was a snap (quite literally, it was a matter of snapping the headrest in place). It’s very well padded and the material on this particular style, “Reese,” is soft and plush. I would say the comfort level is definitely an improvement over the Fisher Price Safe Voyage seat and almost as comparable to the Britax Decathlon. The anchor and tether straps are very easy to use. The harness straps are easily adjustable and don’t twist easily. The headrest adjusts for taller kids, and the crotch strap has two adjustable positions.

We’re currently using it as a car seat with the built in harness strap, but once Pooky outgrows that we can take out the harness and use the seat belt, and the last stage would be to disassemble the other parts and use it as a booster. I’m thrilled she’ll be safe in this seat and we won’t need to buy another one. Pooky liked it immediately and couldn’t wait to sit in it. She was especially excited about having a built in cup holder and two open side bins that she could use to stash small toys.

The car seat is extremely heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re needing to move it around a lot or take it with you through the airport. It comes in several different styles, including the “Matrix” style pictured above.

Chances are you won’t be able to find this diaper bag sold in any stores anymore since the LeSportsac Tokidoki line has been retired. However, if you keep your eyes peeled on Ebay, you’ll see some listed every now and then and may be lucky enough to snatch up one of these hard to find bags.

Named “Cucciolo,” this diaper bag is lightweight and spacious. The Tutti print pictured above was part of their Fall 2007 print line and, like all the Tokidoki prints, is fun and visually interesting for both mommy and baby. Cucciolo has two pockets on the front that close with velcro, mesh pockets for cups on each side, a large slip pocket in the back that contains the matching changing pad, and a zip top with the signature rainbow zipper. There’s not much organization inside which is great for those who just like to be able to dump the contents in without all the pockets and dividers getting in the way. If you’re someone who needs those extra pockets, though, you may be disappointed.

The Cucciolo diaper bag definitely has a large capacity and is very stuffable. I was able to fit quite a bit in there. I prefer small to medium sized diaper bags because they’re just easier to carry around, and when I took this bag out, it seemed very large to me. However, packed and placed next to the Skip Hop Dash or the LeSportsac Tokidoki Trenino travel bag (both what I would consider medium size diaper bags), it actually looks about the same size.

The Tokidoki bags have become such novelty items especially since they’re much harder to come by now. Overall, it’s a great bag that you’ll probably use beyond the baby years.

Here comes my rant.

Another Baby Girl Doll

I thought it would be a good idea to get her a baby boy doll so that she could play big sister to a baby brother before the real brother is born. I soon discovered, however, that it’s nearly impossible to find a boy baby doll in the toy aisle. What’s up with that? Sure, I’ll stumble onto the usual male character dolls from popular cartoons, but I’m talking about generic baby boy dolls, preferably also reflecting the cultural diversity of the real kids that play with them (but that’s a whole other topic that I’ll save for another post). Since I’ve started keeping my eye out for a male baby doll, I haven’t had any luck in finding even one. I find that rather crazy and yet another reflection of the stereotypical ideas behind what little boys and girls should be playing with; not only do girls play with baby dolls and boys play with cars and trucks, but girls play with baby girl dolls, and I’m sure I’d be just as frustrated trying to find any feminine representation in the car and truck aisle. Hmm, maybe I should start my own line of boy baby dolls . . .

I’m always interested in things that make it easier to tote Pooky’s diapering items around (and also can’t wait for the day when I no longer need to do this). The Cheeky Changer from Cheekybubs is an all-in-one system that you can grab and go by itself or simply toss it into your bag. Available in a variety of beautiful fabric designs, it’s a rectangular mat that folds out to reveal three large built-in pockets – one for diapers, one for wipes, and one for a changing pad. It comes with a coordinating changing pad that’s machine washable, and a coordinating diaper case is also available for purchase.

It looks beautiful and is very well made. The changing pad is a good size (29×18) and thin, which means it’s functional but not bulky. If you do use a hard wipes case, expect it to be more bulky when all rolled up. One of the downsides of the Cheeky Changer is that the changing pad needs to be re-folded just right in order for it to fit back into the pocket, and it’ll take two hands for you to slip it back in. This is fine when you have plenty of time, but in public changing rooms, I find I can only release one hand at a time for things like this (with the other hand on Pooky). An oilcloth or other similarly slick surface for the inside of the pockets would help with ease of use. Another thought around this was to integrate the pockets into the changing pad and eliminate the extra rectangular mat. It folds up and stays folded with a strip of velcro which works fine for me, but I’m not very fond of velcro in general and would love to see an alternative way to keep it closed.

Overall, I found the Cheeky Changer to be a great concept with some things that could be tweaked a bit to make it convenient. Price: $39.95 and an additional $15 for the coordinating wipes case at Cheekybubs.

The folks at Rockin’ Baby sure know how to create hip and stylish baby carriers. The fabrics they use for their ring slings and pouches are to die for! I’m not sure if you’ll find more beautiful fabric combinations anywhere else. This is probably one of the reasons why celebrities like Gwen Stefani make sure their babies are carried in a Rockin’ Baby carrier.

The Rockin’ Baby Pouch is reversible and adjustable. The adjustable zipper feature means that you can get the right fit most of the time, and other people who aren’t your size can also wear your baby or toddler. Unlike some other pouches out there, this pouch is made with a deep seat which is perfect for getting your newborn in and settled easily. I did find, however, that the deep seat pocket also meant that there was a lot of excess fabric when carrying a toddler in the hip position. For the most comfortable wear, make sure the fabric around the shoulder area is spread out wide.

If you’re interested in being able to adjust the fit of your carrier even more, a Rockin’ Baby Ring Sling may be perfect for you. You can get the perfect fit every time by adjusting the fabric around the rings, and you’re also left with a flowy tail of beautiful fabric (which is great for discreet nursing). It comes in only one standard size which will work on everyone, but if you’re a shorty like me, you may want to hem the length a bit depending on how long you’d like the tail. I didn’t find the ring sling shoulders to be as comfy and supportive as others I’ve tried. If you end up feeling the same way, I’d recommend seeking the amazing service of Jan at Sleeping Baby Productions who can redo the shoulder style into one that’s super comfy (my favorite shoulder style for ring slings). Jan can also shorten the sling for you if needed (and all this for only $13).

If there’s a store around you that carry these carriers, I’d highly recommend seeing them and trying them on in person. I think they look even better in real life, and the weight of the fabrics used for each carrier design can vary quite a bit. Price: $92-102 for Ring Slings and $82 for Pouches at Rockin’ Baby Sling.

Special offer for Googababy readers: Through Aug 31, receive 10% off your order at Rockin’ Baby Sling. Mention “Googababy” in checkout.

Pooky has quite a collection of hair clips, but nothing quite like these adorable felt hair clips from Chloe In Style. They’re small, soft, and are available in simple, cute designs. We find that some hair clips tend to go a bit overboard with design frilliness, but these are perfect! They stay put in her hair (except when she pulls them out), and I’d recommend a few for every little girl. Price: $9 each at Chloe In Style.

Circle of Friends offer hair and bathing products that celebrate diversity and come in delicious smelling aromas. Their shampoos, bubble bath, lotions, and soaps come in tasty flavors such as chocolate, banana, root beer, and strawberry. They smell really good (and yummy!) and remind me of the scratch n sniff stickers I loved as a kid. Their “Little Docs” product line is fragrance free and especially created for babies and kids with eczema and sensitive skin. Each product bottle has a picture of a child character from a different country and includes a paragraph about the character and where s/he is from.

There are a couple of sets of videos that we sit down to watch with Pooky somewhat regularly. One is the previously reviewed Baby Signing Time series. The other is called Your Baby Can Read! As you might guess from the title, it aims to introduce your baby to reading. On their website and in the opening to the video is footage of 9-month-old baby Aleka responding appropriately to words on flash cards. For example, when she sees the card that says “head,” she touches her head. While it’s pretty amazing to see, Pooky has yet to respond so spectacularly. Then again, we’re not willing to have her watch the videos twice daily, which is what they recommend. Still, she loves to repeat the words in the lessons, and I think it has strengthened her vocabulary to some extent. While the production quality is a bit lower, it still grabs Pooky’s attention and keeps her riveted.

I’ve been skeptical in the past of baby products that claim to boost intelligence, and not without reason. While I don’t think most babies will show the same results as baby Aleka, I don’t lump these videos in the same category as, say, Baby Einstein. I do believe that these videos can be beneficial, as long as we remember that there is no substitute for, and nothing as important as, human interaction.

The set we reviewed also comes with flash cards and a dry-erase card with marker for practice. You can buy this set or choose from many other options at the Your Baby Can Read! website.

Since Pooky’s started walking, I definitely need my hands free to chase after her, and it can get annoying with a bulky diaper bag in the way. When I’m not planning on carrying Pooky on my back in one of my carriers, I grab for a backpack diaper bag, and the Bumblebags Madeline provides the perfect amount of space and organization.

The Madeline backpack diaper bag from Bumblebags is a super lightweight bag made of fabric that’s smooth, soft, and stain and water resistant. It comes in 12 fun fabric designs and has pop-out stroller straps that easily attach to your stroller. I love the size of this bag because it’s not huge and overbearing but it still has enough space to stuff in a lot of items. It has two exterior side bottle pockets as well as two additional side pockets on the inside that’s perfect for additional bottles or snack and drink cups. It also has a front slip pocket and a large back zipper pocket for storing items away from the main compartment. There’s a pocket on each side of the interior of the bag, one which is zippered. The bright red lining on the Rosey Stripe bag we have makes it so easy to find what you’re looking for quickly. The wide backpack shoulder straps are comfy and easy to slip on and off.

This is a wonderful backpack diaper bag that’s perfect when you want something functional as well as stylish. Price: $116 at various retailers.

Pooky’s hair is growing and, as expected, my flat, straight hair and Josh’s tight, curly hair have created Pooky’s bouncy, soft curls. I’m really looking forward to a time when she’ll let me put hair clips in her hair again instead of pulling them out every time I put them in.

Hair clips from Ribbies Hair Clippies are simple and elegant. These Ribbies Clippies come in lots of fun designs and stay put with a grippy foam strip. A note of caution: the underside part of the clip isn’t covered with the ribbon all the way, exposing a blunt tip and making these more appropriate for older toddlers and up. Price: $8 per pair at Ribbies Hair Clippies.

In general, we believe that the less TV Pooky watches, the better. While it’s often tempting to pawn her off on Elmo when she’s cranky, we’re trying to avoid the trap of using the TV as a pacifier. So far, I think we’re doing an okay job. That being said, one of the most useful baby products we’ve come across involves sitting Pooky in front of the tube. Pooky is actively using her brain when she watches Baby Signing Time; we can almost see the little wheels turning in her head.

We started using sign language with Pooky even before getting these videos, and found it to be incredibly useful. Through signing, she was able to communicate her basic needs clearly and quickly, allowing us to respond and avert many major meltdowns. That fact alone made signing with baby worthwhile. Still, by the time the Baby Signing Time videos arrived, we were nearing a point of diminishing returns. Since neither of us speak sign language, and since we didn’t have a ton of time to research signs to teach her or a systematic approach to expanding her sign language vocabulary, we were kinda stuck.

What Baby Signing Time offers is an easy way for baby and parents to learn together. The lessons are all song-based, and each centers around a different theme. For example, one song covers food and drink, and includes the signs “eat,” “drink,” “banana,” “cracker,” “cereal,” “water,” “milk,” “juice,” and “finished.” After a few viewing sessions, Pooky has actually learned each of these and uses them regularly. Other songs cover family members, animals, transportation, clothes, owies, please-thank you-sorry, and bed time.

The songs are so catchy, and so effective, that as soon as baby hears the opening bars she gets excited and starts signing. When we play the accompanying CDs in the car, she’ll sign along as well. Even if she’s in a particularly cranky mood, she’ll calm right down and focus on the songs. She has even started trying to sing along, which she hasn’t done with any other music. It’s amazing to see her open up to new ideas.

The result of all this has been a deeper, more rewarding level of communication with Pooky. To see beyond her immediate needs and into her idle thoughts (she’ll even sign absent-mindedly as she daydreams) is pretty awesome. Communication between us now flows much more easily in both directions, and we love it.

Baby Signing Time is a two-DVD set that can be purchased, separately or together, with or without the accompanying CDs, at the Baby Signing Time website. Prices: Entire set for $49.99; one DVD + CD for $28.99; one DVD for $19.99; one CD for $9.99.