As my due date approaches, so does my baby shower.  We decided to have only one since this is my second child, even though to be honest, after seven years, some of the Munchkin’s stuff did not hold up all that well.  Seems a hot, dusty garage combined with a husband who carelessly wrapped or flat-out failed to wrap things properly made for some fairly unusable items.

So I’ve been looking through baby product reviews and such, and ran across something called the Nap Nanny.  This product purports to assist the sleep of infants by virtue of being angled and soft and whatnot, an improvement upon the wedge.  It supposedly works especially well for infants who have colic, reflux, gas, and other ailments that keep everyone up at night. 

Now, if it does indeed work as well as it says it does, and as well as the testimonials on the website claim, I would have bought this in a heartbeat for the colicky Munchkin, who was up all night long letting the neighborhood know that he was not a happy camper.  For the first six months of his life, my husband and I were walking zombies, barely able to function due to lack of sleep.  But sadly, it was not around seven years ago, and my mind has blessedly blurred many of the memories of that horrible time, which is probably why I’m OK with having another baby.

The Nap Nanny comes with a fairly steep price tag of $129.00, and it is unclear exactly how long it is usable.  It is also considered bedding, and thus nonreturnable.

Would you take a chance and pay that much money, and be out of luck if it didn’t work? 

Or is a good night’s sleep pretty much priceless?

According to an article in the New York Times, sociologist Andrew Hacker sez:

“Children are the most expensive item in every family’s budget, especially given all the gear kids expect today. So it’s a good place to cut back when you’re uncertain about the future.”

Wait a minute, kids expect “gear?”

Is he talking about Bugaboo strollers? Because no infant I know cares if they are being carted about town in a Bugaboo or a Graco.

It’s all about the parents.

If parents could stop playing reindeer games when it comes to who has the most exclusive stroller, or highchair, or whatever, then people could certainly save a lot of money. There are really only a few necessities needed, and a thousand dollar stroller isn’t one of them.

But, the article does go on to state the birth rates decline in years of economic recession and depression, which is again quite logical. No one wants to start a family in a time of stress and uncertainty, especially if a job has been lost.

It still makes me sad to think that people might not have a kid because they can’t get them all the “gear” that is expected.

 I don’t know why, but I have a weakness for hooded towels.

I hadn’t really been all that familar with them before the Munchkin was born, and thus sort of ignored them as “non-necessary” items, even though I got quite a few of them as shower gifts.

Apparently, everybody but me knew how totally adorable babies and kids look while wearing them.  My heart melted when I first beheld the infant Munchkin with one on, and I have the feeling more of them will be finding their way into our house.

Mullins Square Hooded Towel Monkey

Mullins Square Hooded Towel Flower

Admittedly, it makes baby’s bathtime look less like a bonding grooming ritual and more like a vagely unsettling science fair project, but the TummyTub and its ilk do make that whole getting washed thing a lot less anxious for parents and a lot more entertaining for offspring, who already spend enough blind time in car seats and hooded strollers. Now they can show off naked on television, just like grown up reality show stars!

Looking for some ways to limit your baby’s exposure to chemicals? Many people are most concerned with newborns and infants, as their body mass is so much less, making even small amounts of chemical exposure a bigger risk. I’ve got some great choices for you here.

Fleurville Re-Run Mod Pod Changing Kit Made out of recycled plastic bottles! It has an integrated changing pad, 3 interior pockets, 1 exterior pocket, includes wipe case and adjustable, removable shoulder strap. And is totally cute, to boot!

Boon ModWare These BPA-free toddler utensils will make mealtime a breeze!

Waldorf Maple Teether Non-toxic maple made in the US makes this teether a winner!

Kringelring Another fabulous non-toxic teething ring that also doubles as a rattle!

Organic Fruit Basket Teething Toys This cute basket is made of organic Egyptian Cotton and stuffed with 100% organic cotton, so no worries about baby chewing on them!

Priva Snoozy Organic Cotton Waterproof Multi Use Pad A rare waterproof pad with a 100% natural cotton surface. It also features antimicrobial qualities and an allergy barrier. Use it for bassinet, crib, stroller, and changing table.

Naturepedic Waterproof Organic Cotton Flat Crib Pad This crib pad is all you could ever want! Waterproof, soft and breathable, 100% organic cotton fabric, and no vinyl/PVC, phthalates, or latex.

SwaddleDesigns Organic Ultimate Receiving Blanket This very highly rated receiving blanket is the perfect weight, and especially important, the perfect size for swaddling. Comes in many different color options.

California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo and Body Wash I’m going to go out on a limb and call pretty much every newborn “super sensitive.” California Baby makes great stuff, and Amazon actually has the lowest prices I’ve seen.

Seventh Generation Baby Wipes I can’t in good conscience leave out one of the most famous and best “green” products for baby. Chlorine free, fragrance free, and biodegradable. What’s not to like?

I know that Ugly Dolls are all the rage with the hipster crowd, and they are indeed cute.

But, I think I’ve found something better. Not only are they cheaper, but I think they are cuter (uglier?) and they can be found on Etsy. And further kudos to Monster Lab for their inventive and entertaining blurbs!

Almost all Monster Lab creatures are baby-safe, unless otherwise noted.

Now, take a look at one of these guys and tell me you don’t want to give them a home!

Amigurumi Monster Friend

“This sweet monster dear is about 10″ tall and loves unconditionally. No bad habits and can keep himself entertained indefinitely when you’re gone.”

Amigurmi monster mama and baby

“As you can see, mama is quite the snazzy accessorizer with her um, ear socks? antenna warmers? protuberance hats? Anyway I’m sure she’s feeling proud of herself and her get-up today.”

Gus–amigurumi monster friend

“Does this one look like a Gus, or what? Of course you are welcome to change his name, Monster Lab monsters are notoriously easy-going about that kind of thing.”

Sheepish

“About your new barnyard friend: she is 4″ tall, moderately overweight and fine with it, exceedingly nosy (er, delightfully curious), and a world-class snuggler.:)”

Jermaine (the hopeless romantic)

“Please meet Jermaine! He enjoys picnics, long walks on the beach, writing poetry, and day dreaming about the moment he meets his one true love. Are you the one…?”

Just for fun, I decided to go on Etsy and see what happened when I typed in the search term “baby.” If you have yet to experience the wonder that is Etsy, go. Now. Of course lots of cute and fun things popped up, but there also happened to be these, ah, interesting items.

I’m not sure what I would do with this hand-sculpted newborn baby girl.  But, take the baby away, and you have a handy doily.

For whatever reason, I am so not feeling this shirt.

I really have no words for this. It’s a creepy baby head. On top of a cupcake. Why?

Ahhh, looking at this makes me feel much, much better.

In an increasingly wired world, connectivity is critical to success. And everyone likes to see their baby succeed, don’t they? So there’s nothing like the head start on digital mastery provided by this, the world’s least-attractive waistline accessory: The Kickbee.

The Kickbee is a wearable device made of a stretchable band and embedded electronics and sensors. Piezo sensors are attached directly to the band, and transmit small but detectable voltages when triggered by movement underneath. An Arduino Mini microcontroller transmits the signals to an accompanying Java application wirelessly via Bluetooth. (a SparkFun BlueSMIRF v2 module that communicates serially with a Macbook Pro.) The band and electronics are covered in a soft fleece cover for comfort. Note: the final version presented at the ITP Winter Show 2008 used XBee radios for better stability and to prevent interference from the hundreds of bluetooth cell phones in the vicinity.

You don’t say. And what does this mean, besides the obvious fact that you’ll have the visual equivalent of a strap of whale blubber wrapped around your baby bulge? It means that your baby’s kicks and punches are automatically sent to his/her own Twitter account, instantly updating the Digerati on the state of the future Tae Bo champ.

Knowing as we do the ways of competitive parents everywhere, we await the first hair-pulling catfight at Lamaze class over whose fetus isn’t Following back.