What good is that baby monitor anyway?

I should probably preface this by disclosing that, due to spendingmuch of my pre dad-life in rock bands, I have a pretty average case of tinnitus (constant ringing in my ears) that I’ve learned to live with. My hearing is OK – it’s a little tough to understand people in crowds and it’s generally known I keep the television up too loud – but the only truly annoying side effect is that certain noises, particularly high pitched noises, sound particularly loud to me. Or maybe it’s just that I notice them more.

Anyway, so when the baby monitor is on and Madame is in bed soundly sleeping, all I can hear is that high pitched radio sound. Usually it’s not that big a deal, but I’ve been tempted to turn it off in the middle of the night when my wife is sleeping and it is driving me to distraction. I haven’t done it but it got me thinking, what am I listening for anyway? She sleeps through the night, so if she stirs or cries for a few moments she always falls back asleep. She’s in her empty crib alone, with no chance of rolling out, and I would hope that anything that happened in the house to be cause for alarm would also wake me up. I’ve been racking my brain to think of things that the monitor could alert me to, and I’ve come up with four:

1. Ninjas come in through her window at night and steal her. This would be a tough one, as ninjas are notoriously stealthy and would likely be hard to hear on a baby monitor, but a brief scream from my Madame heard over the monitor might wake me.
2. She decides she’s had enough sleep, stands up in her crib and vaults herself over the side, landing on the floor. This might be one I’ll have to worry about in a year or so, but at five months I’m pretty confident this won’t happen, though she is advanced.
3. Any electronic toy or device in her room spontaneously turns on and starts making a racket. I don’t see this one happening as I don’t believe in ghosts (I’m thinking about that creepy clown in Poltergeist here), but I guess you never know.
4. She starts talking in the middle of the night. Now this would be something to blog about. I’m lying in bed trying not to hear the silence over the monitor and my five-month-old says something like “Love you daddy,” or “Fire truck banana robot.” If that happened I sure would be glad I had that monitor on.

Also on MDD - Best Baby Monitor (2-16-07)

Get the Fisher Price "Private Connection" Monitor with Dual Receivers (one for upstairs, one for down) for $38.72 from Amazon via the Modern Day Dad Store.

Bed Bath & Baby

At thesuggestion of some readers, I stopped by Buy Buy Baby early Saturday afternoon while I was in NYC last weekend. The only baby “superstore” I had ever been to was Babies R Us, so when I walked in I thought it was going to be similar, except that the layout was more like a Bed Bath & Beyond or a Linens N Things or something. The wall of Elmo puppets (floor to ceiling) was impressive, but not that over the top. Downstairs though things got way more hardcore.

Downstairs is where the real baby gear is, and it was full of people. There were pregnant couples filling out registries, parents shopping with their Gap Kids toddlers, and couples looking for the perfect stroller. I really never had seen anything like the stroller shopping. At Babies R Us people look at the different strollers, maybe take one or two down and roll it around, and choose. At Buy Buy Baby it was like people were shopping for a car. Every couple had a sales person from the store going through all the features of each stroller, seemingly taking as much time as the customer wanted. I don’t know if the sales people work on commission or not, but it was some good customer service (and at over $700 for a Bugaboo Frog, it’s nice to be paid attention to). I didn’t end up getting anything, but it was worth the visit.

ps. I have to credit “Bed Bath & Baby” to my host and good friend Dan.

Birth announcing.

In an on-going effort to fight all baby-related stuff that is sickeninglycutesy (and generally ugly) , I wanted Madame’s birth announcement to be as fresh and modern as she is. I tried all kinds of Google searches, and finally found a great company, 2peasinapod.com. The company is (as far as I can tell) basically one person, a mom/graphic designer who had a similar notion about the cards that she was sending out to her family and friends. Everyone liked her designs so much she started a business.

Once you’ve chosen your design and uploaded the picture you've chosen of your little one, she personally sends back to you a custom proof. We had a few changes that we wanted to make and she was very accommodating, as well as incredibly prompt. The designs are clean and minimal; focusing on the image you give her to work with while still being warm and colorful. The only downside (besides the fact that they aren’t the cheapest announcements) is the announcement designs are for square cards and envelopes, requiring extra postage. But hey, you get what you pay for – a great looking personalized card and lots of personal attention.

Baby's first light show.

The onething we have in the baby’s room that always gets questions is the Philips Magic Theater. I found it in Wired Magazine a few months before the baby was born, and it looked so cool I got one. It’s basically this funny looking projector that projects different patterns through slowly rotating slides. There are a variety of slides for different developmental stages, and even some blank ones for you to make yourself. The small green feet underneath it allow you to project the light anywhere in the room – on a wall or ceiling. It also plays music, and unlike every other electronic baby thing I have, the music sounds like a real music box and not the typical annoying bleeps. I can’t tell if Madame really likes it yet or not (her attention span isn’t exactly long), but if you are looking for something to soothe your baby at bedtime, you might want to check it out.

 $49.99 at Target.com or on sale for $34.97 at Babycenter.com

Buying into bulk.

When I lived in an apartment in a city, the idea of buying stuff in bulk sounded cool (look – 250 rolls of toilette paper!) but was completely impractical. Then when I moved to a house in “suburbia” I could indulge all those paper towel and frozen food fantasies, but it was more about fun than saving money. Now I’m a dad, there are a few things that I’ve found shopping at Costco indispensable for.

Gas – Gas costs around $2.30 per gallon at normal stations where I live these days (I know, ouch), and I can get it at Costco for $2.17.
Diapers – I tried a bunch of different brands and they are all pretty much the same, so we go with the Huggies in the huge box.
Baby Wipes – Again, all pretty much the same, so I get the big box of their “Kirkland” brand.
Formula – Big can of Similac for $25.
Bottled Water – I can remember watching Seinfeld back in the early 90’s and thinking how funny it was to pull a bottle out of your refrigerator if you wanted a drink of water. Now I live in the desert and I generally don’t leave the house without one.

There is one thing though that I hate about Costco. I hate having to show my card to the busy-body at the door before I’m allowed to enter. I can’t buy anything without it anyway, so what does it hurt to let people in who aren’t “members” yet? Other than that, I have to say that now it's worth the membership.

Sit-up sitter.

All Madame wants to do these days is sit up. Once I could hold her horizontal and walk around or play with her on the floor, but now if she’s awake and not sitting up she’s generally unhappy. This is good I guess, developmentally speaking, but it does require a lot of effort. Usually by the end of the day nothing will console her unless she’s right in the middle of whatever we are doing, so we keep her in her Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier and walk around the house with her. What I’d really like is a bouncy-seat that will keep her a little more upright (without letting her tip over of course). I was looking at the Baby Bjorn website today and I came across the Baby Sitter 1-2-3. It’s a bouncy seat that will adjust to 3 different positions, depending on how old your child is. It looks like it might do the job, and I’m very happy with the carrier they make, so I might try it. Anyone have one?

House of Ingri. Not cutesy, but cute.

My baby has two Ugly Dolls. Both were given as gifts, and I love them both. Madame is of course too young to love them herself, but I’m sure she will when the time is right. A few months ago I found similar stuffed creatures from the House of Ingri. All of the House of Ingri creatures are hand made from vinyl and are "not intended for small children" (though I’m not sure Ugly Dolls are intended for small children either). Oversized heads and strange expressions must be fashionable – which is cool with me because I’m down with them. Plus one of them is a devil named “Marty,” which kind of rules me.

$60 exclusively at the House of Ingri website.

Get your kid ready for the World Series.

During baseball season I spend the majority of my early evenings watching the Red Sox regular season games, and thanks to their resounding win over the Yankees last night I’m an incredibly happy man. Next is the World Series, and if you haven’t already you’ll want to make sure your kid is outfitted for the occasion. For the best stuff, skip the kids section at shop.mlb.com and go straight to The Souvenir Store on Yawkey Way. I’ve ordered stuff from them online in the past and have been happy with the transactions. Some of my favorites include the pink adjustable cap (or in straight-up navy), the Red Sox diaper set, and the Wally bib. (By the way, it's not for kids and not available at The Souvenir Store, but I think that Johnny is My Homeboy t-shirt is going to happen for me). What they are woefully lacking though is a simple pair of red socks for the baby. Any ideas on where to get some?

Also, I’ve noticed this isn’t the only dad blog to mention this amazing series, so here’s a shout-out to Laid-Off Dad, Greg from Daddy Types, and Rebel Dad.

WeeRide bicycle seat.

A little more than a year ago my wife and I got bikes; not really for exercise but more for fun (something to ride to the library or around the trails near where we live – that kind of thing). But now that the baby has arrived we haven’t been out riding our bikes once. There are lots of walks to the park, but no bike rides. We’re psyched to go for rides when the baby gets old enough, and I think I found just the thing to make it happen – the WeeRide.

It’s a pretty simple concept really. Instead of towing your baby around in a trailer, or in a carrier on the back of the bike (like my mom used to do with my sister back in the day), the WeeRide is a little seat you put in front of yours just behind the handlebars. This way, the kid is up front with you where you can keep an eye on him or her (and they can keep an eye on what’s going on). I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds like a lot more fun than the other options.

$115.00 from Yoya Mart in Manhattan.

It should warn about the rash.

My wife and I recently noticed that our daughter was developing a very strange rash on the outside of her right arm, around the elbow. Her other arm was fine, as was the rest of her body. It didn’t look very bad, it wasn’t spreading, and she wasn’t otherwise sick (no fever or sluggishness) so we decided to keep an eye on it.

I was trying to figure out what could be causing it, when then the other day I brought her back into the house from the car and I noticed something. Her right arm was tucked into the car seat, right where the geniuses at Peg Perego decided to stitch in a warning label (see picture above). The label is made of some kind of synthetic, non-breathable material (not the same material as the rest of the seat). We live in the desert and she can get sweaty in her car seat, and I’m now convinced that this warning label was causing it. I took it off and her arm is already looking much better. Hey, I’m all for warning people that they should be facing their child to the rear, but put it someplace else. And if you’ve got the Primo Viaggio, be warned.

It's Kradle with a "K."

I thought I had a pretty good handle on baby stuff. I’ve done the research, I take care of the kid, but sometimes an obvious product sneaks up on me. That’s the way it was with the Koala Bear Kare® Infant Seat Kradle. (“Koala Bear Kare® are the people who make so many of the restroom changing tables we’ve all come to appreciate.) Last weekend we went out to lunch with Madame, and the waitress offered us a “sling” for the baby. My wife immediately said that yes, we would love one, and the waitress came back with this simple contraption. It’s basically a luggage rack that's deep enough to put the baby’s car seat in. It keeps the kid at table height without having to put her on the table. It’s an obvious idea that works great. It’s not so great that I want one for my house, but it sure came in handy at the restaurant.

$84.00 (ouch) at Amazon

Diaper bags for dads.

2/21/2011 UPDATE! If you're looking for info on the best diaper bags for Dads, this post has old information. Check out my updated post on Modern Day Dad:

The Best Diaper Bags for Dads - An Update

So like I mentioned in my first post, the first dad-related thing I ever looked to purchase was a diaper bag that I could wear proudly. I’m going to be the one wearing it, not my child, so I definitely wanted something without ducks and bunnies and something that wasn’t made specifically for moms (or was from a woman’s bag designer). This wasn’t such an easy task – even the “daddy bags” at diaperbags.com (of course there’s a diaperbags.com) are more like mom bags that aren’t overtly feminine. The one I found that I liked the most is the Dad Field Bag from Jack Spade. It’s basically a large messenger bag, with insides designed for baby stuff (pockets for bottles and diapers, a changing pad etc.) and dad stuff (ipod, sunglasses, headphones). It comes in lots of color combinations (I chose grey/orange) and it works great.

Since then I’ve found two others that could work.

One is the Skip Hop (available at Amazon for $50.00), a diaper bag that’s designed for over-the-shoulder or over-the-stroller use. It’s not specific for dads or moms, but looks O.K. enough to wear for a dad (clean lines, solid colors). There’s also the Diaper Dude bag (available for $54.00 at Amazon), which is another messenger type bag, a little smaller than the Jack Spade bag which is actually kind of good. And both of these bags come in camo for those still celebrating the camouflage revolution. I was able to check out both of them this past weekend at Nordstrom’s, and I definitely liked the Diaper Dude bag the best. The Skip Hop was OK, but it didn’t attach to my Bugaboo Frog particularly well (I guess it’s made for lesser strollers).

Also on Modern Day Dad:
The Best Diaper Bags for Dads - An Update (2-22-2011)

Mary Janes

One of the great things about having cool friends is they get your kid cool stuff. One of those gifts we’ve received is Mary Jane socks from Trumpette. They come in a box of six pairs of little socks that make your baby look like she has little Mary Jane shoes on. And the great thing about them, they’re only for girls. Trumpette is one of a seemingly endless amount of online baby boutique stores, specializing in (of all things) socks. And why not? As any new dad finds out, baby socks are almost impossible to keep on, so it’s not like you could never use another pair.

Bottle feeding marketing blitz.

We've begun transitioning Madame from breast to bottle feeding (in anticipation of the wife going back to work), and I'm happy to report it's going quite well - from her perspective.

My perspective however has been quite different. There are seemingly a million choices for bottles, nipples, formula, warmers and everything else you might want to use to nourish your kid. It's hard to figure out what's best, and like most things you end up using whatever works. The trick is what works is also usually whatever you use first - and that's where they get you. For what it's worth, here's our breakdown:

Formula - The most genius marketing I've seen to new parents so far is from the people who make Enfamil. We got a can of it at our prenatal classes at the hospital, a can of it at the hospital when we had the baby, and then a week or two later we got a package delivered to our doorstep from Enfamil with more formula. 3 free cans total. I figure it's at least $50 worth of formula - a big incentive to crack it open. And if we use it and it works, then hey, we'll probably go buy it for the baby because it's what she likes. Remind you of anything? Hey man, the first one's free - then come back if you want some more...
We decided on Similac because that's what both of us had as babies, and I had read that in a taste test Similac tasted best. But we've always got that Enfamil for emergencies.

Bottles - We're going with the Playtex VentAire, mostly because we received more of those as gifts than any others. But they're kind of a pain in the ass, because the VentAire rubber thing on the bottom of the bottle means you can't put the bottle in a warmer, and it's better to make the formula in another container first to avoid excess bubbles. But the kid seems to like it (see pitfalls above) so we're staying with it for now.

Warmer - I just need something to keep one bottle warm in the middle of the night so I don't have to go downstairs and make one, so I picked the Philips Portable Baby Bottle Warmer. I've only used it a few times, but so far so good. It's got an adapter for the car, but it says not to use it while the car is moving. As I don't spend much time in the car while it's in the garage, I probably won't be using the adapter much.