Better late than never to review my favorite bottle system.
Tommee Tippee
We tried out a number of bottle systems and this was the one we liked the best. At first I was against it. But my hubster was insistent that he had read good reviews about the product and wanted to try them out. So, we purchased a number of their Closer To Nature products.
The newborn bottles we purchased were the Sensitive Tummies bottles. They worked fine and Little Man had no trouble transitioning from breast to bottle (due to breast issues). My biggest complaint were all of the internal pieces that made cleaning difficult. Even running them through the dishwasher, often clumps of formula would cling to the small internal pieces of the bottles. (It has a tube with a wheel on the bottom that must be inserted into the bottle.) I tried to use the bottles sans the internal components, but the tops will not lock in place without the internal pieces. Which was a real shame for my time, since I don't think that my son required anti-colic.
When Little Man got older we moved up to the larger bottles. We were big fans of these. They still required handwashing to get the formula out of the ergonomic bottle- the dishwasher didn't always get it, but it wasn't a major issue.
One of the best things we loved about Tommee Tippee were the to-go containers for formula. I can't find the specific item but they sell it at Babies'R'Us. It's in the picture this link takes you to:
http://www.target.com/p/tommee-tippee-closer-to-nature-newborn-starter-set-clear/-/A-13930438
We used the to-go containers for more than just to-go. Every morning I filled up our collection of to-gos with the correct amount of formula per bottle and filled the bottles with water. And then I sealed them and sat them on the counter. That way, when it was bottle time, the formula was already pre-measured and all I had to do was add it to a bottle with water in it and I was ready to go.
These containers also made traveling super easy, especially on airplanes and camping trips. The to-gos drop right into the bottle so you can take formula and a bottle of water anywhere you go and mix when you get there.
We're also huge fans of their bibs.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12410345
These didn't work out so well for tiny eater, but after about 8 months old these were our definite favorite amongst our huge collection of bibs. They are dishwasher safe. And the open pocket catches really messy food, like applesauce, better than traditional pocket bibs. We've found that two is all we need, since that is what will fit on the top rack in the dishwasher. Otherwise, we rinse them off between meals.
And finally, the binkies.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11005545
Having tried multiple types of binkies, our Little Man prefers the Tommee Tippee brand. He will always pick these over other brands. Now, as far as weaning him off of binkies, maybe that's not a good thing...
The fact is that we have been very happy with our Tommee Tippee products and would recommend them to everyone.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
July 20, 2012 ~ Our Big July Camping Adventure!
Last weekend we packed up Billy and headed down into the Virginian mountains for another camping trip. This is a different camping group than the one we went with in June. Here's what happened on our adventure:
Here's Billy enjoying breakfast at the campsite, including donuts (thanks Jim!). It was chilly in the morning, so Billy was in PJs and a sweater for breakfast.
After we ate we packed up most of the kids and headed down to the lake for some swimming. Billy and Daddy decided to hike to the lake. I drove with all of our beach stuff.
Here's Daddy getting Billy ready for a swim. He loved the lake. He could walk in up to chin level with no fear. And he wanted to swim out with the big kids too. I helped with that! The sand was a big hit, much better than the muddy stuff by the river. No, this was real sand and I brought sand toys to play with. He had a blast. Mommy had a blast too. I swam out to the island in the middle of the lake. No problem. And the trout in the lake thought I was the person with the food. They swarmed around me hoping for some nibbles. I didn't have any, of course. And they scattered any time the kids were around splashing, so Billy didn't get to see many.
After the lake we headed back to the camp for food and sleeping.
Billy wasn't a fan of the sleeping. But he was a fan of bubbles, the big ball and playing tag with the older kids. Who can blame him?
After lunch we heard that storms were moving through and that there was a flash flood warning for our campsite. Some of the other groups near us packed up and headed out at that. We were the fearless ones, staring down the storms as they rumbled over the mountains. All we got were a few drizzles and some rain showers late in the evening. It was not a big deal.
What was a big deal was the forest fire. Yep. We had one of those too. Just on the other side of the ridge from our camp. The campground has two lakes, but the one closer to our camp was closed so they could use it to fight the fire. All day long a helicopter used a giant bucket to carry water from the lake over the ridge to the fire. Billy thought it was one of the coolest things he's ever seen and was quick to point out the helicopter every time it passed over. Actually, I've got a lot of years on him and it was one of the coolest things to witness in my life.
And the funniest part of the trip? The buses!
Well, they weren't really buses. They were the campers that the camp hosts lived in and were parked next to our campsite. But Billy thought they were buses and they were certainly the size of buses.
So, what do you do when you see a bus? I bet you're going to say "keep on walking" or "give it the right-of-way."
Wrong!
Sing to it!
Yes. Several times we had to go over to the buses to sing to them. And what do you sing to a bus? "The wheels on the bus go round and round..." over and over. Don't forget the hand motions. Yep. This singing comes with dancing too.
And so, our camping adventure was a big success and Billy enjoyed himself immensely. Who wouldn't love spending a weekend outside, especially when outside is your favorite place to be?
Here's Billy enjoying breakfast at the campsite, including donuts (thanks Jim!). It was chilly in the morning, so Billy was in PJs and a sweater for breakfast.
After we ate we packed up most of the kids and headed down to the lake for some swimming. Billy and Daddy decided to hike to the lake. I drove with all of our beach stuff.
Here's Daddy getting Billy ready for a swim. He loved the lake. He could walk in up to chin level with no fear. And he wanted to swim out with the big kids too. I helped with that! The sand was a big hit, much better than the muddy stuff by the river. No, this was real sand and I brought sand toys to play with. He had a blast. Mommy had a blast too. I swam out to the island in the middle of the lake. No problem. And the trout in the lake thought I was the person with the food. They swarmed around me hoping for some nibbles. I didn't have any, of course. And they scattered any time the kids were around splashing, so Billy didn't get to see many.
After the lake we headed back to the camp for food and sleeping.
Billy wasn't a fan of the sleeping. But he was a fan of bubbles, the big ball and playing tag with the older kids. Who can blame him?
After lunch we heard that storms were moving through and that there was a flash flood warning for our campsite. Some of the other groups near us packed up and headed out at that. We were the fearless ones, staring down the storms as they rumbled over the mountains. All we got were a few drizzles and some rain showers late in the evening. It was not a big deal.
What was a big deal was the forest fire. Yep. We had one of those too. Just on the other side of the ridge from our camp. The campground has two lakes, but the one closer to our camp was closed so they could use it to fight the fire. All day long a helicopter used a giant bucket to carry water from the lake over the ridge to the fire. Billy thought it was one of the coolest things he's ever seen and was quick to point out the helicopter every time it passed over. Actually, I've got a lot of years on him and it was one of the coolest things to witness in my life.
And the funniest part of the trip? The buses!
Well, they weren't really buses. They were the campers that the camp hosts lived in and were parked next to our campsite. But Billy thought they were buses and they were certainly the size of buses.
So, what do you do when you see a bus? I bet you're going to say "keep on walking" or "give it the right-of-way."
Wrong!
Sing to it!
Yes. Several times we had to go over to the buses to sing to them. And what do you sing to a bus? "The wheels on the bus go round and round..." over and over. Don't forget the hand motions. Yep. This singing comes with dancing too.
And so, our camping adventure was a big success and Billy enjoyed himself immensely. Who wouldn't love spending a weekend outside, especially when outside is your favorite place to be?
Friday, July 20, 2012
July 19, 2012 ~ Sickuns
Sorry for the late post, but well, I've caught the Daycare Plague again. Billy had it first and is still getting over it. Daddy and I both have it. I'm in a fog and can't string together any cohesive thoughts, so let's leave it at that.
The hardest part of being sick is not the sickness, it's the stuff that needs doing that simply can't be done while sick. I have no energy to do anything. So when I am better, all of the chores will have compounded to make a misery of housework to be done.
And when you're a parent there's no such thing as sleeping in, so there is no way to truly rest. All you can do is push through and pray for sunnier days.
Here's to that.
The hardest part of being sick is not the sickness, it's the stuff that needs doing that simply can't be done while sick. I have no energy to do anything. So when I am better, all of the chores will have compounded to make a misery of housework to be done.
And when you're a parent there's no such thing as sleeping in, so there is no way to truly rest. All you can do is push through and pray for sunnier days.
Here's to that.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
July 17, 2012 ~ The Potty
Forgive me for keeping this short, but I'm working on 3 hours sleep...
Yesterday Billy came up to me and he said, "Mommy, poop! No Elmo!" and pulled at his diaper. Elmo might be a cute and cuddly monster, but because his face is all over Billy's diapers, Elmo also means diaper.
"Do you need a new diaper?" I ask. I'm going to get him one anyway, but I like confirmation from him. At this point I'm expecting a smelly present.
"No, potty!" and does the "pee dance" for me.
Okay, let's head off to the potty. We've been practicing the whole potty ritual. He thinks it's fascinating- for other people to use the potty. He'll hold it until I stick a diaper on his bum. So, I take him into his little potty chair in the bathroom and strip him from the waist down.
He commences sitting on the potty chair and scrunches up his face, turning red. Is he going to do it? Is he?
And then he lets out a loud FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRT!
He got so excited that he popped up to check out the damage in the little plastic duck potty. But it was empty. So he hopped back on and scrunched up his face again. Nothing. Hopped up to check. Yep, nothing. Maybe it's the chair, he decides.
"Big potty?" He points and wants to sit on the real toilet.
"Okay."
Scrunched face. No results. It's not the potty.
But he still got two M&Ms as a reward. Listen, a fart counts. It came out the back end. It counts. So, I am officially calling this the first potty success.
Yesterday Billy came up to me and he said, "Mommy, poop! No Elmo!" and pulled at his diaper. Elmo might be a cute and cuddly monster, but because his face is all over Billy's diapers, Elmo also means diaper.
"Do you need a new diaper?" I ask. I'm going to get him one anyway, but I like confirmation from him. At this point I'm expecting a smelly present.
"No, potty!" and does the "pee dance" for me.
Okay, let's head off to the potty. We've been practicing the whole potty ritual. He thinks it's fascinating- for other people to use the potty. He'll hold it until I stick a diaper on his bum. So, I take him into his little potty chair in the bathroom and strip him from the waist down.
He commences sitting on the potty chair and scrunches up his face, turning red. Is he going to do it? Is he?
And then he lets out a loud FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRT!
He got so excited that he popped up to check out the damage in the little plastic duck potty. But it was empty. So he hopped back on and scrunched up his face again. Nothing. Hopped up to check. Yep, nothing. Maybe it's the chair, he decides.
"Big potty?" He points and wants to sit on the real toilet.
"Okay."
Scrunched face. No results. It's not the potty.
But he still got two M&Ms as a reward. Listen, a fart counts. It came out the back end. It counts. So, I am officially calling this the first potty success.
Monday, July 16, 2012
July 16, 2012 ~ Eating Aunt Sally
Today Mommy gave me Aunt Sally for dinner. Mommy said she ate most of Aunt Sally for lunch, but saved the best for me to have for dinner. Boy was it yummy. I had two forks going trying to each as much of Aunt Sally as I could. But I got full, so Mommy saved the rest of Aunt Sally for me to have for lunch tomorrow. Yum! I can't wait.
Or...
Today I gave Billy tikki masala for dinner. I ate most of it for lunch, but saved some for Billy to have for dinner. He loves it- it's one of his favorites. He was shoveling it into his mouth so fast that he needed two forks. He couldn't eat it all though, so he'll be enjoying tikki masala for lunch tomorrow too.
Yes, that's right. Billy's attempt to pronounce tikki masala came out "Aunt Sally". So, according to Billy, he ate Aunt Sally for dinner. Add that to the "things kids say" list.
Or...
Today I gave Billy tikki masala for dinner. I ate most of it for lunch, but saved some for Billy to have for dinner. He loves it- it's one of his favorites. He was shoveling it into his mouth so fast that he needed two forks. He couldn't eat it all though, so he'll be enjoying tikki masala for lunch tomorrow too.
Yes, that's right. Billy's attempt to pronounce tikki masala came out "Aunt Sally". So, according to Billy, he ate Aunt Sally for dinner. Add that to the "things kids say" list.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
July 15, 2012 ~ Thunder and Ah-la-las
Yesterday we were not home and were out with a party cooking outdoors (more on that tomorrow). Big old thunder clouds were rolling around, threatening our dinner fun. But with each low, distant rumble Billy would look up at me expectantly, "dunder more?"
Eventually, we ran out of passing storms and there was no more "dunder". But we did get some rain showers. So, Billy got to eat part of his dinner under an umbrella. He thought that was extra cool. It was just the one I carry in my car, nothing special, although it does have designs on it. He was super impressed with the umbrella and wanted to hold it, but alas, it's bigger than him.
So today at the pool he started pointing. "Mommy, ah-la-las!" What the heck was he talking about? So I started looking around and trying to figure out what he could possibly be pointing to. Oh. Ah-la-la. Umbrella. He was pointing to an awning, but there were other umbrellas around of the same color. The awning just happened to be the closest. Now he wants his own ah-la-la.
And, of course, hanging out at the pool under the ah-la-las I saw storm clouds rolling across the sky. Still aways off, but we headed home anyway. It wasn't too long before the wind kicked up and I knew we were in for it.
What to do?
Pull up a comfy spot on the couch on our deck and watch of course! Billy huddled right next to me, fearlessly asking for more dunder. "Boom?" Then it started raining heavily. And the dunder got really loud.
"Mommy, inshide." He was scared. Really scared.
It was just a lil old thunderstorm but I took him in anyway and we looked out the window. Just then the power flickered and went out. He was SPOOKED. With each loud boom he clung to me tighter. Poor guy. Couldn't even go to bed until it was over because he was so scared. Fearless Billy, cowed by rain and dunder.
Better stay under that ah-la-la.
Eventually, we ran out of passing storms and there was no more "dunder". But we did get some rain showers. So, Billy got to eat part of his dinner under an umbrella. He thought that was extra cool. It was just the one I carry in my car, nothing special, although it does have designs on it. He was super impressed with the umbrella and wanted to hold it, but alas, it's bigger than him.
So today at the pool he started pointing. "Mommy, ah-la-las!" What the heck was he talking about? So I started looking around and trying to figure out what he could possibly be pointing to. Oh. Ah-la-la. Umbrella. He was pointing to an awning, but there were other umbrellas around of the same color. The awning just happened to be the closest. Now he wants his own ah-la-la.
And, of course, hanging out at the pool under the ah-la-las I saw storm clouds rolling across the sky. Still aways off, but we headed home anyway. It wasn't too long before the wind kicked up and I knew we were in for it.
What to do?
Pull up a comfy spot on the couch on our deck and watch of course! Billy huddled right next to me, fearlessly asking for more dunder. "Boom?" Then it started raining heavily. And the dunder got really loud.
"Mommy, inshide." He was scared. Really scared.
It was just a lil old thunderstorm but I took him in anyway and we looked out the window. Just then the power flickered and went out. He was SPOOKED. With each loud boom he clung to me tighter. Poor guy. Couldn't even go to bed until it was over because he was so scared. Fearless Billy, cowed by rain and dunder.
Better stay under that ah-la-la.
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