tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post6017420645211160297..comments2023-10-21T03:54:12.029-04:00Comments on A Gift Universe: Things babies don't needSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10853868724554947854noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-13033701875276181432011-01-21T23:42:18.682-05:002011-01-21T23:42:18.682-05:00We bought a swing when my firstborn was a baby. My...We bought a swing when my firstborn was a baby. My grandmother paid for it, but even still, I lament the total waste of money that it was. Neither of my children liked it AT ALL. As in, they screamed when I put them in it.<br /><br />I wasn't looking for a place to leave them for long periods. I just wanted a place where a fussy baby might be happy for 10 minutes while I ate breakfast. But no dice. We bought that thing new, and I think about all of the other, better ways we could have used the money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-68792919675828758812011-01-21T16:09:52.476-05:002011-01-21T16:09:52.476-05:00Marko's first solid food was cooked carrot pie...Marko's first solid food was cooked carrot pieces stolen out of my bowl of stew! Unless you count all the non-food items that went in his mouth before that... :PSheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10853868724554947854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-13276231847312406882011-01-21T12:58:53.126-05:002011-01-21T12:58:53.126-05:00I had the joy of witnessing one baby's first s...I had the joy of witnessing one baby's first solid food, which was a little lump of watermellon (of which I had some, too, and it was *delicious*). You could tell that he really liked it; and also how surprised he was by his own swallowing reflex. It was simlpy adorable!some guy on the streethttp://epistle-null.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-54525933099017417962011-01-21T12:22:04.362-05:002011-01-21T12:22:04.362-05:00+JMJ+
Got it! Don't mash the bananas; slice ...+JMJ+ <br /><br />Got it! Don't mash the bananas; slice them! ;-)Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-86440602035541777672011-01-20T14:26:45.662-05:002011-01-20T14:26:45.662-05:00Charlemagne -- YIKES, no! We keep him in a conver...Charlemagne -- YIKES, no! We keep him in a convertible seat, which lasts from birth till they outgrow boosters, but lacks the advantage of being able to carry the baby around in it outside the car (you must have seen those portable carseats, haven't you?).<br /><br />Enbrethiel -- I should do a post on that, shouldn't I? (Or have I already?) I just chop up bananas, avocado, meat, whatever, and he picks it up and crams it in his mouth as fast as I give it to him. It's nice not to have to fight to get a spoon into his mouth. Admittedly it's rather messy. But then, babies are messy no matter what you do.<br /><br />I forgot to mention that we do have a Moses basket, too. He's long outgrown it, but it will come in handy for the next. It's nice and cozy, and portable too. Not a necessity, but I found it handy.<br /><br />My kid is currently ignoring all his toys in order to sit on my lap ripping up an avocado peel. Case in point!Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10853868724554947854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-75816480170042620782011-01-19T20:28:46.422-05:002011-01-19T20:28:46.422-05:00So do you just carry Mark in your arms when you go...So do you just carry Mark in your arms when you go driving?Charlemagnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07935899105940585444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-22383834916788708602011-01-19T19:52:48.446-05:002011-01-19T19:52:48.446-05:00Okay, this might confirm my stupidity, but it neve...Okay, this might confirm my stupidity, but it never occurred to me that you don't need an infant carseat until recently. Isaac has outgrown his infant seat and so we've been looking at other models, and I realized that some carseats go from birth to whenever. Hmph. Those infant seats are such a pain to lug around.Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615433270604508560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-73835769030767329462011-01-19T19:06:21.984-05:002011-01-19T19:06:21.984-05:00Once they're old enough to pick things up in a...Once they're old enough to pick things up in a pincer grasp, they can manage little lumps and dices of soft things like banana. And if you wait long enough, they start eating solids at about that stage, rather than needing all the baby-food jars. Mine never did wait quite that long, but they progressed to table food very quickly. <br /><br />We never owned a high chair -- someone gave us a couple of those little seats that clamp onto the table, and we used those through our last two babies. The first ones had the kind of booster seats that belt to a regular chair (which becomes unbelievably disgusting over time, but there it is . . . ), and we used them as long as the child needed the extra height to be able to reach his/her food. <br /><br />We also used a Graco Pack'N'Play for a crib for years. When our oldest was born, someone sold us a crib for $20, then we moved to England while our second was still in a crib and bought this Pack'N'Play. He slept in it until he was big enough to climb out. Then our third and fourth slept in it until they outgrew it (and then slept together on a futon mattress on the floor, which my mother thought was barbaric, but it worked). <br /><br />Someone gave us a Moses basket, too, which we used when our youngers were very tiny. Very simple and wonderful for a baby who's not yet rolling over, when you need a place other than your bed for them to sleep. My youngest daughter used to nap in her basket on the dining-room table while homeschooling chaos raged around her. <br /><br />We bought a dresser for our firstborn and put a pad on top for changing -- our fourthborn now has that dresser in her room. That may be the only item of furniture we've ever bought for a child, now that I think about it. No, wait, we bought bunk beds once . . . but all the furniture in our kids' rooms now is stuff our families and friends were passing along, or stuff we found on the curb. <br /><br />The one thing I'd say is seriously worth spending money on is a stroller. When we lived in England, we didn't have a car, and I had to wag babies and toddlers all over town, with shopping. I used to refer to my bicycle-tire jogging stroller as my SUV. <br /><br />(and it's a little weird to contemplate that our current house is the first place we've lived in 17 years that has no stroller on the premises.)<br /><br />You're right, babies need so little, and the consumer culture makes it all so unnecessarily complicated and dauntingly expensive. Now, 13-year-olds with crooked teeth, on the other hand . . . maybe the rule of thumb should be that if your baby paraphernalia is collectively more expensive than braces, you're probably overdoing it.Sally Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05014351173194941624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-41161156959623040702011-01-19T16:34:05.074-05:002011-01-19T16:34:05.074-05:00+JMJ+
Sheila, I'm intrigued by the idea of b...+JMJ+ <br /><br />Sheila, I'm intrigued by the idea of babies feeding themselves. (Just one of those obvious things that is totally new to me because my family obviously digs all the marketing. <i>Sigh!</i>) I presume it's just for soft solid food? But what about stuff like mashed bananas?Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-9626798847268634162011-01-19T16:31:27.890-05:002011-01-19T16:31:27.890-05:00ROTFLOL! Homescohol! I'm a Homescoholic! lolol...ROTFLOL! Homescohol! I'm a Homescoholic! lolol <br />Anyway I meant Homeschools...Sarah Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08878664620465280344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-36247264039182056792011-01-19T16:30:30.838-05:002011-01-19T16:30:30.838-05:00I *totally* agree with all of this!
As a mom of 6...I *totally* agree with all of this! <br />As a mom of 6 young kids (who homescohols) I barely spend any money on the kids other than feeding them and giving them educational opportunities. I hate seeing babies lugged around in car seats, and we don't own a crib. Not only is it cheaper and forces us to be better parents, but it also allows us a lot more room in the house without constantly tripping over paraphernalia!!Sarah Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08878664620465280344noreply@blogger.com