Sunday, October 5, 2008

I need help from all the mommas!

I need HELP!!! Ok, I registered for a baby shower that Cindy is having for me. It has been 13 years since I had a baby in the house. So PLEASE help me with a few questions for our registry.

Ayana will be aprox 6 months (I hope we have her by then) She weighed 8 pounds at her 3 month check up. I know some of the basics but I'm not sure about others.

Do I need a swing?
What else do I need to entertain them at that age?

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to give. I had no idea just how clueless I really am until I went to register.



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

My youngest is 4.5 months old. I'm the sort of person who keeps it real basic. She has toy keys and a rattle and links that she loves. I often put her down on a little sheepskin that we got at IKEA for $20 and she loves to feel it and rub her face in the soft fibers.

I have a swing for when I just have to have two hands free. My dad bought it for us, it is a Fisher Price Nature's Touch Craddle Swing. I can not recommend it more! It can swing and sway from two different angles and has a mirror she loves to look at and a mobile. I often wear my babies in a wrap or a baby carrier and that keeps them entertained. I would check out the upper weight limit on the swing. Also if she has developed appropriately, she may bore quickly with it by the time you get her.

When my oldest was crawling we had cups that would stack, she would knock those things over for hours, or at least as long as mom or dad would keep stacking them. We were on a tight budget so oddly enough one of my daughter's favorite toys were empty plastic ketchup bottles. She loved banging them around!

One thing that I wished I had and may get with this baby was a portable playmat that had toys hanging down they could bat at.

That and a few board books that had babies faces and a made for babies photo album that had pictures of her family were about the size of the "things" we had to keep her entertained.

It meant I spend a lot more time interacting directly with the girls, but I don't count that as a bad thing. The house can be clean later, they will only be this young once.

Paul and DeeDee said...

With Jackson i didn't have a swing just a bouncy seat....which he and I both loved. But he stopped using that shortly after he started sitting up on his own which was around 6 months. I also had a bumbo seat for him to help him learn to sit by himself and he loved it.

So after the 6 month stage you really don't need a lot except for some fun toys and books and a big quilt to roll around on since that will encourage her to start crawling and exploring.

We also had a sling and a baby bjorn that we used a lot at that age:)


Some of our favorite toys were rattles that light up or sing songs, music cds, play phones, key rings, books with babies in them, we also hard laminated pictures of his favorite people and places...he still plays with those!

Don't worry you are gonna be great!

emily said...

Abe was just under 6 months old when we brought him home. He was delayed developmentally by several months. We used a swing that a friend let us borrow, but he didn't really like it.

We have a Bumbo and he loves the exersaucer that we got him! It has really helped him with his head control.

So excited for you guys. :)

Lisa J. said...

Like Emily's experience, our little guy was pretty delayed at 9 months when he came home. He couldn't even hold himself up if he was sitting on our lap. He had no muscle tone at all in his legs and very little strength. The bouncy seat was great as was the bumbo. I also used a swing for a while. Thankfully our guy caught up quickly, but those items were essential for us. When he got stronger the exersaucer and the door bouncer (can't remember the name) did wonders for his legs.

Hope that helps. Have fun!
Lisa

Brenna said...

Swings are nice for a while, but they outgrow them pretty quickly. Exersaucers last longer and will be fun for a long time. They also help baby develop trunk strength.
Don't forget a good sling or carrier.
Simple toys are our favorites~ stacking rings, cups, fun teethers, soft blocks, etc. And pretty soon she'll be ready for chunky puzzles and baby board books.
Have a great time picking stuff out!

Gwen Oatsvall said...

found your blog from Emily A. ... I agree an exersaucer is a must ... sling for when you are out and about ... even one of those cute mats w/ toys attached above them so they reach and play ... good BABY PRAISE video to play in the room ... I am so excited for you ... Congrats on your new bundle of joy ... Hope to travel to Ethiopia in the future !

Kristi J said...

a bumbo seat is the BEST!!! exosaucer is great too...she might be too old for a swing, but she sounds small, so she might like it...play mat with things hanging above her...Highchair, Johnny Jump Ups that hang from the doors are GREAT..I have two of those, Kristi

Lori S said...

My youngest is 3 years old and we are adopting a 3 and 7 year old. I probably won't be much help, but I loved the exersaucer as well. It's a great way for them to play upright and feel somewhat independent. Don't use those walkers that we used for our older kids---dangerous!!! How did they survive?
Have FUN!!!