Okay, now I know what people were raving about...

We had a really good week here in our little corner of the world last week.  John got paid, our renter coughed up the rent, and everything cleared the bank in a timely manner.  Consequently, I got to go shopping for baby stuff.

Mommy Dance!

I finally used the completion discount on our Baby Registry, and snagged quite a few very necessary items.     The first of these arrived yesterday, and JJ has taken to it so well that I just had to share.

The First Years Newborn Pacifier

Otherwise known as the Soothie... and they are not kidding.  This little gem has swiftly ousted all other pacifiers for acceptability.  We've tried Nuk, Playtex, and several others, and while a few have been tolerated, none hit all our points of ideal.  

The Ideal Pacifier  *drumroll*

* Baby takes it, doesn't lose it when relaxed but not yet asleep, and doesn't fuss or spit it out when he clearly is only sucking for comfort.  (JJ will refuse the breast when he doesn't want food.)

* Made in one piece to reduce germs and ease cleaning.

* No latex or other potentially issue-causing substances. ;)

* Promotes a good, deep latch and strong sucking so that it's use will not interfere with breast-feeding.

* Qualifies as orthodontic ... less likelihood of it screwing up his developing teeth.

* Safety  handle for easy removal ... yeah, it's seemingly a given, but you never really know, do you?

* Gender-neutral color = good, and must be cute!  Must not distract from teh cuteness of teh babeh!!  

The Soothie

* It took a little practice, but JJ quickly got the hang of holding onto the narrow nipple.  After going down for one nap with the Soothie, he immediately began rejecting all his other pacifiers, even the ones which had been previously acceptable.  He refuses it only if he wants to eat or isn't in a sucking mood at all, and when he wants it he actually yells if I take it away!

* One-piece design, can be boiled to sterilize.

* Medical grade silicone... pretty simple.

* The nipple is shaped ... here's a concept ... like a nipple.  Long and narrow instead of short and flat and bulbed like more traditional pacifiers.  This encourages baby to keep his tongue down and suck deeply and strongly, since it's not as easy to hang on to, and that helps to promote good feeding habits.   One nifty feature of the design is the hole down the middle... you can actually see what baby is doing inside his mouth!  The deep latch and strong suck reduces the air swallowed, and I noticed an improvement in JJ's latch at the breast (and consequent reduction in air swallowed during feedings = less gas!) within hours of introducing the Soothie.

* The symmetrical nipple shape means there is no "upside down" with this pacifier, so it's far less likely to create or exacerbate issues with the teeth and jaws.  Because it's a little harder to hang onto, it makes baby work a little harder, which is all to the good for the development of strong muscles in the mouth and throat.  The material is soft enough to give with the sucking motion, like the breast, but firm enough that little JJ is using it to soothe his cranky gums.  (Note: The Soothie is not for babies with teeth.  First Years makes a whole line of pacifiers that are age appropriate as baby grows.)

* While the one-piece design means that the Soothie lacks the traditional "loop" handle, that tab you see sticking out is surprisingly easy to grip and hang on to in a pacifier tug-of-war!  Those two holes are bigger than they look, and would easily accommodate the ribbon from a standard pacifier clip.  There is also the option of purchasing the Soothie as a Wubanub, a stuffed animal with the Soothie attached to its mouth.  The Wubanubs reputedly help teach baby to keep track of his own binky... might have to get one of these later!  (Note: While there have been reports of babies getting the entire Soothie into their mouths (thus creating a choking hazard), this really falls on the parents to pay attention... if you even think baby could fit the whole pacifier into his mouth, it's too small and needs to be replaced with a larger binky!)

* Green... nice and neutral!  And while some prefer flowers, cartoon characters, bright colors, and other such, I think the Soothie is adorable.

Even if it does make him look a bit like a sucker-fish!

All in all... I'm pretty sure it's got to be the perfect pacifier.  At least for us!

"Oh. That was your toast?"

I love my in-laws.  I truly do.  They're wonderful, sweet, endearing ladies.

The catch?  They don't think.  It doesn't occur to them that already-toasted bread freshly popped out of the toaster when they enter the kitchen at 7am might belong to the lactating mother in the house who stepped back into her bedroom to watch the baby while her breakfast cooked.  So they push the button down and send the toast (not bread, it's already toast) back for another round of crisping.  Which wouldn't be a problem if I were one of those people who likes her toast to resemble charcoal.  I'm not.  I like my toast... here's a shock... toasted.  As in warm and lightly crispy so I can still actually taste the bread.

Like this. 

So when I re-enter the kitchen thirty seconds after the toast is originally done, I hear this:

"Oh.  That was your toast?" 

I've been awake since five because JJ for some reason decided not to sleep until 7 like he usually does.  He's fussy and gassy and I'm a little concerned he might be constipated.  Those of you who knew me when know that I am most decidedly not a Morning Person.  So give me some credit for not snarling back, "Yes!  Yes, that was MY toast, which you would know if you had asked instead of just assuming it was up for grabs!"

I wanted to, but I didn't, because they're old, not used to other people being in the home, and quite accustomed to the men in their lives doing all their thinking for them, so it would have been pointless.  Never mind that they have very generously thrown open their home to us, kept us all fed, and not complained about my cats climbing on their knick-knack shelves, while John was still looking for a job.  

What I actually said was, "Yes, that was my toast," proceeded to rescue it before it completely turned to cinders, asked if either of them wanted it because I don't like it that hard, and spread it with jam when they declined.  I then retreated to our room so I could stop biting my tongue.  

*headdesk**headdesk**headdesk*

As for the little man, he is presently enjoying Second Breakfast.  By his eating habits alone, one would swear I gave birth to a hobbit.  He certainly has the feet for it!  Check out these canoes!

(Btw, I adore my webcam... it makes the creation and sharing of embarrassing baby pictures so EASY!!)