Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve had a post…but for good reason. Starting a new photojournalism consulting business and excepting baby number 2 takes a lot out of you.
Vivien is 32 months now and really loving puzzles but we aren’t loving all the pieces that get left out. Now that she has mastered all her wooden peg puzzles we have found a few other puzzles that are a great next step before the box of little 250 piece puzzles are introduced.
One she LOVES over and over a again is a wooden robot puzzle by Vilac (above) that is 3 different puzzles in one box. Great early puzzle as the pieces are wooden so it stands up to more abuse and potential chewing. She puts the rocket ship together by herself no problem as it’s 5 pieces. The robot is about 8 pieces and the spaceship is about 16, each a little more difficult than the last one. Cute playful design as well.
I found The Learning Journey to be a great brand for toddlers as there are many puzzles only 30 pieces, big enough for their little hands and not too complicated to put together. They 
aren’t too easy either so there is life for these puzzles after the first time they are put together. The pictures are fun, busy and bright. The puzzles are designed to promote discussions with what is going on in the puzzle. Some, like the castle one above, you can turn over and color the scene yourself adding another level of creativity to the puzzle.
The third puzzle I think is really great Vivien just got for Christmas. Creature by Andrew Zuckerman floor puzzle(below). The images are photographs of animals, a monkey, pair of baby tigers, a lion and an elephant ( that reminds me of images in a book called Vanishing Giants: Elephants of Asia, by Palani Mohan, a photographer I worked with for several years at Getty Images.) It is two full puzzles printed on both sides (so less pieces) but a total of 4 different scenes. These are a notch or two more difficult and she needs a lot of help, yet the pieces fit together even if they don’t match making her feel like she is doing a great job. “I did it, I did it!” as she says.
Once your baby starts to walk a great classic is a Pull Toy. If you are wondering when to buy, it makes a great first birthday present or holiday gift after they start getting around steadily on two feet. I wasn’t planning on Vivien having one as I didn’t think she would play with one much. Boy was I wrong! Vivien’s aunt got her a wooden cat by Djeco (above) for Christmas when she was 1.5 years old. Vivien LOVES this toy! She often carries it around with her like a baby doll. She takes it for walks, and now that she is in the bossy phase she tells in to sit, walk, and “uppies” when she wants to carry it. She even tries to take it to bed with her sometimes. It’s taken many falls. Thankfully it is very well made and sturdy. And as you can see just so cute!
I guess the play value as kids grow and their love for the toy is why it is a classic. Here are a few pull toys to check out:
I popped into West Side Kids toy store , 498 Amsterdam Avenue on the corner of W.84th st. on the upper west side, yesterday and one
of the first things I saw was swaddling blankets with matching caps for infant Halloween costumes by SOZO. We had some really cute Sozo PJs when Vivi was little and loved the quality. I think it is a great idea for those that have babies who will probably sleep through most of Trick or Treating. Plus you can always use another swaddling blanket after the night is over so it’s a useful costume.
I don’t have a new baby but Vivien just won’t drink milk out of anything but a bottle. It’s her comfort thing. We decided her drinking milk is better than not so we keep using bottles. After two years of use, 
our Playtex VentAire bottles are leaking and need to be replaced. So the question came up, glass or plastic? I read a comment about the debate over plastic or glass basically saying “Why wait for someone to find more chemicals leaking into the bottles, just use glass.” I thought I’d give glass bottles a try. Glass is heavier and since we are the ones still holding the bottle for her it’s something to consider as our arms get tired.
I bought Dr. Weil bottles as they were the only glass bottles besides the Evenflow brand at Babies R Us in Union Square, NYC. Nice shape, made well. Expensive though. I read somewhere claiming that Evenflow has bad nipples on them so I didn’t bother. Vivien had a complete melt down when it was time for milk on the couch with the new bottle. She kept crying and saying “milkies,” (in between tears) “in other bottle.” She threw herself on the ground, up against the dishwasher…we wreslted her on the couch to try to get her to try it. At this point she had not even put the nipple in her mouth. After she finally gave up about 45 mins later she drank the milk fine. Although there were no leaks, the bottles were a bit heavy and there was a lot of air in the bottles because it didn’t vent out well. The nipples are also pretty wide on the Dr. Weil brand, which could be fine for a new baby but Vivien being almost 2.5 years old doesn’t need the wide shape. I guess the guilt of not wanting her teeth to be pushed out as doctors warn I decided to try a different bottle. Also, the silicon slip cover for the bottles is really a pain to get on and off, not to mention that there’s no way to gauge volume when filling up the bottle with the cover is on. I did more research and after the drama of running around the city looking for them I just ordered the Momo Baby glass bottles online. They are cheaper than Dr. Weil but 
not as cheap as many plastic brands.
I liked them right away. They seemed a little lighter as the glass isn’t as thick as the Dr. Weil brand. The shape is great. They have options of styles too, tall thin, short stout. I checked and the Playtex VentAire nipples fit the regular size bottles just fine so you don’t have to buy their special branded nipples which are hard to fine in stores right now and about $1-2 more. There are thermal huggers for these bottles but it would be nice to have a sleeve like WeeGo Glass Baby Bottle’s Silicone Sleeve.
I also bought a silicone Momo Baby bottle to try as it would be great for travel since it’s light and seemingly unbreakable. The nipple/neck of the bottle is wider than the other Momo bottles I bought so I will have to have a separate nipple for the silicone one. I will try to see if the Playtex Drop In nipples fit because they are wider than Playtex VentAire nipples. Momo Baby also has another lighter weight glass bottle . The glass is made from borosilicate (same stuff used for lab equipment) verses quartz. Momo Baby also carries BPA Free Plastic bottles (pictured below) if you don’t want glass. Vivien took the bottle, drank her milk, no tears and after the bottle of wine is done for us, it is quiet & no tears that’s all that matters. I’m sold, Momo Baby bottles are the best! Warning though when you first get the bottles the lid is EXTREMELY hard to get off the top. Even my husband couldn’t get one of the tops off, even after using a bottle opener to try to pry it off, but after it’s removed they are great bottles.
Vivien tried out the silicone Momo Baby bottle (pictured at right) the next
morning. She cried at first as she didn’t like the look of it (too different from the other bottles). Then when Julien said he would give her the milk she was fine. No leaks, and as the baby/toddler drinks the milk the bottom collapses keeping extra air from getting in the bottle. I would definitely buy another one.
Here are some links to information regarding the Plastic verses Glass issue I found on my quest for information:
Environmentcalifornia.org 2007 report on Toxic Baby Bottles
March 6, 2009 The Washington Post article No BPA For Baby Bottles In U.S.: 6 Makers Announce Decision on Chemical
Thedailygreen.com Safer Baby Bottles
Time.com February 8, 2008 article Are Plastic Baby Bottles Harmful?
www.babycenter.com Are plastic baby bottles and formula cans safe?
adiri.com Baby bottles, just thought these were interesting enough to possible check out it you have a new baby.
I meet with dance teacher, Chistina(Tina) Casula Gross of Broadway Performing Arts Center in NYC, in hopes of getting Vivien in a dance class during the week. She had a beautifully made bag with her that had a photo on each side of her children. Tina told me it’s a Gina Alexander bag and gave me a card. I think they make great gifts for new moms or grandparents. Or you can just pick an image from your favorite vacation spot to have with you all year round.
There are many sizes to choose from and I really think the makeup bags are a clever idea. If you use Tina’s ID # you can get a 10% discount 5292062
I can’t resist giving things I know other parents & babies have really liked & used longer than just a few months.
Here are some general ideas for gifts (further below are specific ideas/reviews of potential gifts): room decorations, bedding, removable wall stickers or decals (vehicles pictured below by Djeco), diaper bags, carriers like the Baby Bjorn, the Ergo Baby, or Slinglings, baby bottles (glass or plastic), pacifiers, baby bathtub, or an Exersaucer and let’s not underestimate the appreciation of diapers or gift certificates to baby goods stores (in NYC right now a case of diapers can be about $40).
Clothes:
Clothes are so hard to resist but sizes can be tricky to buy. For brand new babies I would stick to Onesies or really basic soft cotton clothes. As a gift I would buy 
outfits at 3-6 month size or bigger to make sure the baby gets a chance to wear the outfit before he/she grows too big for it. Here are some suggestions of brands to check out: keep in mind sizes and seasons. Also keep in mind where the baby lives weather-wise so the seasons match up with the baby’s size in that season. (In NYC in April it can still be pretty cold, yet stores will have only spring clothes out.)
Gerber’s organic line is generally extremely soft and wears well. The onesies fit particularly well on long slim babies. This is the same for Petit Bateau. It’s hard to go wrong with Petit Bateau…sooo cute especially for 0- 1 years old. The clothes do run small and if you dry clothes in a dryer they will probably shrink. I didn’t dry any baby Petit Bateau clothes and they seem to have kept their original size.
Carter’s brand clothes tend to be really cute and durable as well but run really big. I didn’t find they shrink at all. Not always a bad thing as they might fit big now but you will have them longer, especially for pjs.
Tea has really beautiful and soft clothes. The clothes fit well and are classic yet with an exciting edge, often with bold and fun patterns.
If you have a winter baby who is 0-1, really nice gifts are warm pjs or a sleep sack as they can be expensive but great to have if the baby doesn’t like 
blankets (like mine at that age). Velour or terry cloth sleep sacks kept Vivien snuggy all winter. The online store Trendy Chic has Petite Bateau pjs that are super cute and they often have decent sales. Comfykid.com has nice Absorba ones I saw recently. I’ve also seen Absorba brand baby clothes at the discount store Daffy’s at great prices.
Another favorite for quality and cute/fun design patterns is Zutano. If in NYC FAO Schwarz has a large department downstairs of Zutano as well as Bunnies by the Bay. Bunnies by the Bay also has stuffed animal blankets. Viven loves her Emmit the Duck blanket.
Swaddling Blankets:
The Miracle Blanket. We used one and LOVED it. It has a pocket at the bottom which really helped us keep Vivien tight and snug. We also had a Kiddopotamus swaddling blanket but we couldn’t keep Vivien in it as she kept getting her feet loose.
Another great brand is Aden + Anais, whose muslin blankets have super designs and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy these as a gift. If the blankets are too big for the baby to swaddle (have heard some moms mention some trouble they’ve had with too much fabric that the baby can tangle in) they can still be used as a cover for over a stroller, a blanket on the floor, and as the baby gets older it becomes a summer blanket for bed or at the beach. Toddlers can even use them as fun capes. They also have summer weight sleep sacks, which I’ve seen in stores and would work perfectly to keep the draft off little ones in warmer weather. (see posts Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddling Wraps & More and More Uses for Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets)
Stuffed Animals:
Small stuffed animals are great because if the baby gets attached to one it’s best for it to be more manageable for parents (when in transit, pushing a stroller, traveling, etc). Below are a few worth checking out:
Sigikid Doudou stuffed animals ( pictured to the right)
Bunnies by the Bay stuffed animal blankets
Jelly Cat Vivien has many of these…LOVES them.
Cuddling Toy Mouse from Doudou et Compagnie is a pretty special cuddle toy and comes in a really nice box…they have a pink cat and yellow bee too.
I love Kaloo brand as well…Vivien has an orange cat of theirs she loves. They wash really well and dry pretty fast (fast turnaround equals less separation anxiety/hassle).
Products:
Basket of baby products from California Baby or Mustela shampoos and cleansers are the two brand we love to use but are pricey. I was particularly fond of the Mustela PhysiObebe No Rinse Cleansing Fluid after much bum wiping.
All California Baby products are great, but two in particular that the new spring/summer parents might not think to get is their all natural California Baby Natural Bug Repellent or their Spf 30 Sunblock Stick No Fragrance.
Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Camilia Teething Relief Single-Use Oral Doses or Cocyntal for Colic Single-Use Oral Doses. I used the Camilia for more than just teething and I think it really 
helped take the edge off when Vivi wasn’t feeling well and was fussy. I never tried the ones for colic as I couldn’t get them in the US at the time. I was getting the Camilia from France and Switzerland but thankfully in the last year I have found it at drug stores like Duane Reade. Besides online, the cheapest place that I found Camilia was at Whole Foods.
Random Fun things:
A special version of a classic toy that goes the extra mile in quality and cuteness is Anouk, the Pyramid from Lilliputiens
(pictured to the right below)
Small Rattles…Haba makes really cute ones, Bunny by the Bay has a very cute soft carrot rattle.
Sophie the Giraffe is a very popular french baby gift I see everywhere in the USA now. All French babies have one…they are great teething toys.
Passy chains. Our favorite one was the Haba one pictured below. It was thin and a little longer than some which made it easier for us in the stroller.
Wee Gallery Black and White cards and their Mobile to hang the cards. I hang photographs of friends and family on Vivien’s now.
Snug muffs for stroller (especially for city kids who are outside a lot) are a great thing to have. These save parents from having to over dress the baby, undress the baby, then dress the baby again when going in and out during the cold months.
Books:
Happiest Baby on the Block, The Baby Owner’s Manual can be helpful for the parents. Children’s books are always a good gifts at any age and soft fabric books for babies under 1 years old are great as babies tend to chew on the books.
Music:
See posts Rockin’ to Sleep & Let’s Make Some Noise
If in a pinch or don’t like to look all over the place for baby or kid presents I love Moolka.com. It has a lots of great toys from birth to probably about 9. Prices are generally the lowest when compared to other sites and you can save things in the cart to “shop” then decide later which items you really want.
For Mom:
And let’s not forget…maybe something for the new Mom. A gift that’s for her, not baby related. A gift certificate to the spa or a new extra comfy bathrobe. Babysitting coupons. One more: Champagne! After all what’s a celebration without Champagne?
There are so many great things so please add your comments if you want to share something you have found you couldn’t live with out or just plan loved.
I spent a lot of time looking at Learn to Dress or activity dolls, as they are sometimes called, to see which one is best. Learn to dress dolls are educational toys that last several years as kids perfect their skill of opening and closing zippers, explore the wonders of velcro and snaps and master buttons and tying their shoes. ( Good for 18 months to 4-6 years old depending on the kid.) Of course the ones I think are best are the most expensive so I didn’t get one but still love them and thought them worth mentioning, Sigikid’s Kangaroo and Crocodile. I think the quality, imagination, bright colors and different skills to be learned are extremely creative. I know from a Sigikid doll Vivien has, the quality is excellent. The crocodile’s mouth has a zipper which I think toddlers will find hilarious. The zipper on the kangaroo is the opening of the pouch. Very clever. The buttons on both attach the legs. The shoestring on the kangaroo is better than the thin ribbon on the crocodile for learning to tie shoelaces. Thin ribbon is better for skilled tiers. They are pricey so can make for a great gift especially for a 1 year old before the baby/toddler is ready to learn these skills and can grow attached to the toy before it learns to explore all the new skills, yet would probably be loved by any preschooler.
I think for the money and functionality Alex the Monkey by Alex (pictured at top of post) and Manhattan Toys‘ - Pirate and Princess (pictured below) are the best. Alex the Monkey is a great size, 20 inches long so all activities seem encouraging for beginners. He’s a
friendly funny character too. The pirate and princess are not as long/big. I do like the fun characters and bright colors. Skill wise I think they are a step above the Russ brand activity dolls for the shoestring ties but think the price is really going for the cuteness factor. (I fall for this more often than not.)
I got Vivien a Russ Dress-Up Girl Doll Mary Jo Gardener as I was trying to get her a multipurpose toy since at the time she didn’t have but one baby doll and it looked like a baby. ( I didn’t see the Manhattan Toy Princess or I might have gotten that one.) The Russ one looks more like a toddler. The little girl has a velcro flower on her hat and ribbons at the end of her braids which again I think the ribbon is too thin for learning to tie yet they don’t even untie. Seems short sighted. Vivi is 2 years and 3 months and only has had only a little interest in this doll although lately I’ve seen her play with it more. Her favorite thing is to take the flower off and put it back on. The zipper is on a pocket on the doll’s overalls which is small and not much of a reward for opening or closing as it’s too 
small to put anything in. And it isn’t humorous like the crocodile’s zipper mouth. They are cheap, around $12 and have human figures as well as really cute animal ones. Vivien has what feels like a million animals so was trying for variety /multipurpose toy with my selection of the girl but think she might have liked it better if it was an animal.
Other activity dolls I found that are worth a look and to compare: Children’s Factory has an Hispanic and Asian learn to dress dolls as well as Black and White dolls (boys and girls).
International Playthings has Learn To Dress Emma. And I found another one by Carter which looks very similar to the Russ dolls. I’ve never seem them in stores to compare the quality.
So Vivi just fell off the bed head first playing on the pillows. I was right there so I scooped her up while she was screaming “huggies mommy, huggies” followed by (in between tears and sniffles), “I need band-aid, I need cookie monster band-aid.” I checked all limbs, head and her mouth. I ask her where she needs her a band-aid and she points to her mouth. I check it and nothing major, maybe a cut on her gum. So I get her the cookie monster band-aid which she grabbed from me a said, “I do it myself.” 
As I watch her put the band-aid across her whole mouth I can’t help but laugh and take a picture. She murmers something that sounds like “I can’t talk.” mmmmm…maybe I should give more band-aids?
Ok so she hurt her mouth and ice was out of the question as she never lets you put it on her. I remembered my mom just bought her TwiStix ice pop molds that we had filled with OJ. I got one out and she loved it! No more tears, ice on her mouth just in case…great solution! She started eating it and said “it’s so good” (a new phrase for her). By the end she figured out that if she twists the bottom she can get the ice pop to move up hence getting to taste the froze juice more. Then she said “not twinkle star.” Which reminded me of the other frozen treat we have for her, a silicone ice tray in the shape of stars. The two big starts have a straw you can 
freeze into them like a wand or can be used in a drink. Very cute. Vivi loves them although she did have a few meltdowns when the stars melted as she didn’t understand the concept of melting ice yet. For injuries or just frozen fun both these products are good to have around. Both are safe for hand washing or dishwashers.
This is a long post about the brands and safety/effectiveness of sunscreens so I’ll put my summary first just in case you want a quick read and can come back to the rest when you have more time.
There are many factors that come into play when deciding which sunscreen is best for you and your kids. As I stated in previous posts if in direct sun for longer than 20 -30 mins I put some sunscreen on Vivi, but try to only use organic brands that contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. If it’s after about 4pm and Vivi is not in continuous direct sun I don’t put sunscreen on her at all. After the last several weeks of lake, beach, and pool activities she hasn’t gotten red or burned and has just a little bit of color so it’s been working out ok so far for us. There are times though that I had to put something on her. I tried the SPF shirt with minimal sunscreen, which worked fine but she got a rash from the shirt. If not out in mid-day sun I’ve been using California Baby Sunblock Stick Everyday/Year-Round, SPF 30+ on her face and shoulders or Mustela Bebe High Protection Sun Lotion, SPF 50. I have Weleda Children’s Sunscreen, SPF 18 and will use it up as it is an all-natural formula but it has too much fragrance for me and of the 4 brands I’m using it ranked highest for hazardous ingredients according to The Environmental Working Group’s site http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. In direct mid-day or just lots of sun I am using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dermo-pediatrics SPF 50+ Lotion. LaRoche-Posay has scored high on protecting against UVA and UVB sunrays and sunscreen stability but is outrageously priced. Mustela Bebe has on the label UVA and UVB protection but according to The Environmental Working Group’s site http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, Mustela, California Baby and Weleda have a medium score for protection against UVA rays. Here’s The Environmental Working Group’s 2009 Sunscreen Guide. (Above right are their 2009 top 10 recommendations for sunscreen.)
To really get a grasp of all the details before picking out a sunscreen you should understand the difference in UVA & UVB sunray protection, organic/natural sunscreens and their ingredients and be aware of label/packaging that can be misleading. Also note, don’t buy by brand alone as 
with major brands like Coppertone and Banana Boat there can be major differences in how well the sunscreens or sunblocks score in protection. Also, from year to year a brand that scored well one year may not the next as the make up of ingredients and sunscreen stability may have changed. Also important to note, “research at the University of California, Riverside, indicates that sunscreen needs to be reapplied within 2 hours in order to remain effective. Not reapplying could even cause more cell damage than not using sunscreen at all, due to the release of extra free radicals from those sunscreen chemicals which were absorbed into the skin” (source: Wikipedia.org).
Other Research/Resources
In the July/August 2009 issue of Mother Jones Magazine the article Sunscreen’s Shady Business talks about misleading sunscreen packaging and claims of protection. The article also states “UVA penetrates the skin, causing wrinkles and other skin damage; UVB causes sunburns. Until recently, it was thought that only UVB caused cancer; now scientists suspect that UVA does, too.” Worth a read as a consumer. Check out also writer Kiera Butler’s update on her blog, Sunscreen: Still Shady.
I found interesting posts on mommyfootprint.com about sunscreens
including other EWG top rated organic sunscreens. When looking at organic sunscreen or sunblock look for titanium dioxide in the ingredients. In an article What is Organic Sunscreen? found on ezinearticles.com there is a quick summary of what you need to know about organic sunscreens.
In the article The burning question … how much for sunscreen? by Jill Papworth of The Guardian, Saturday 26 July 2008, she cites information about SPF numbers being either the American or European measurements (more info on this in my previous post What You Need to Know About Sun Screen SPF) and provides research indicating that you don’t need to buy the most expensive sunscreen to get best protection.
I also did some research on ConsumerReportsHealth.org, which has an article about the best brands of sunscreen they have done an independent studies on. You have to be a member to get the 2009 list but in the overview they list their 2007 finds which include: “High-rated products from our 2007 tests that are still being sold include Blue Lizard Regular Australian SPF 30+, Mustella Bébé/Enfant High Protection SPF 50, Lancôme Paris Sôleil Ultra Expert Sun Care for Sensitive Skin SPF 50, and Fallene Cotz SPF 58.”
I subscribed to find out what which brands were listed in the 2009 report, 
and to my surprise none of the 2007 brands were included in the 2009 report, leaving me with more questions than answers. So I emailed them and here’s what they said:
“To help us determine which brands and models to test, our Market Analysts research each brand-name in the product category and select those that have the highest market share, as well as those that have new or forward-thinking features. We pay close attention to the national availability of products, and to the suggestions and requests of our subscribers. Then, our anonymous shoppers go to work purchasing the models that we have decided to test. If there is a product that our shoppers cannot readily purchase, we sometimes have to exclude it from our testing. The absence of any product from a given report does not mean that it is a poor performer; it simply means we did not test it. Consumer Reports cannot guarantee the continued quality of a product after its evaluation. In light of this, I would like to assure you that the ratings in the most recent report are the ones that you should reference when considering your purchase.”
Some of the sunscreens that are hard to find in stores are usually found pretty easily and generally cheaper online.
While on vacation I realized that a lot of my photography training has come in handy while trying to capture Vivien with her cousins at the lake and beach using a point and shoot camera. I find it very scary to take the camera out with all that sand around…so make sure you have a clean sealable non-porous bag as sand can ruin the camera. I think many point and shoots are pretty well sealed these days but I still don’t take any chances.
A key feature I’ve discovered to be a must have is a manual flash mode (“M”) verses just an auto exposure flash (often this mode is indicated with the flash symbol and an “A” next to it). This is because there is typically plenty of light for the camera to think you won’t need the flash when set to auto exposure with flash if outside, but if the kids are building a sandcastle and the sun is behind them their faces will be in the shadows. So by setting the flash mode to manual it will go off anyway giving you a nice portrait kind of lighting. The flash also helps to “stop action” for pictures of the kids jumping around in the waves. The time of day can also enhance the images. If you have toddlers or younger kids you probably are trying to avoid mid-day sun. This can work to your advantage as the beautiful golden glow happens after 4pm as the sun starts to set. Don’t be afraid to get close with the camera versus using the zoom. The images will probably be sharper looking if you don’t zoom too much. Having others to entertain them is also helpful if you are trying to get them to look up. Most of all be patient and if your camera has a setting of continual frames (holding down the shutter button and several frames are shot right after the other in bursts) use it as it may be the 3-4th frame that ends up being the best one. Editing images later is key when trying to get good kid shots.
Above with flash; below without flash.
