This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This morning before I left for work I was walking down memory lane with my mom by watching baby videos on my phone. At the time I didn’t realize how much my son loved this toy, but looking back, it makes an appearance in several videos. The rings around the giraffe’s neck clink together in an attention grabbing way when you shake it, and I used it often to have his eyes track it around. The colors and patterns are also eye catching, and there’s plenty of appendages for a baby to grab at. The feet are also stuffed with that crinkly material that babies love. This would make a good toy for a baby to have in the car seat. It is $11.94 at Amazon and is eligible for Prime and free returns. My First Bead Buddies GiraffeThis post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Aww, this was the first toy my oldest really loved, starting around six months or so. My younger two never got into it the same way, but it’s one of the very few baby toys I’m saving.
Expectations
Oct 22, 2019 9:21 am
The salmon mom discussions over the past couple of days have got me thinking. My default assumptions are that people are generally selfish jerks, that my husband and I are the only ones responsible for meeting our family’s needs, and that no one else is going to volunteer to help us out or make things easier on us. When other people do nice things for us, watch the kids, prepare special meals, etc., we very much appreciate and enjoy it, but I’m not going to waste my energy being disappointed when my husband’s mother is mean to us or his stepmother decides she is not going to fix four separate meals for various picky eaters or my mom decides she doesn’t want to drive 200 miles through the snow to spend the holidays with us. Some of our family members are just not nice human beings, and the rest of them are people too with their own needs and priorities. We are the only ones responsible for our own happiness, and there is just no point in demanding that other people conform to our expectations and then inevitably being disappointed when they don’t. Am I the only one who approaches family relationships this way?
Audrey III
Oct 22, 2019 9:46 am
Just wanted to say thank you to the person who suggested Marker-Miller Orchard in Winchester, VA for apple picking near Arlington, VA – we went over Columbus Day weekend and it was well worth the drive! Tons of apples left, great apple cider donuts, and a great playground for the kids to play at. This community is the best!
So Anon for this
Oct 22, 2019 10:47 am
My 3yo has a mild cold (no fever, no stuffy nose) but a loud cough. Not a wry cough or a hacking cough, but loud, especially when she lays down for the night. We’re giving her honey and running the humidifier.
My husband is convinced she has walking pneumonia or asthma or acid reflux and pretty much said I am a bad mom for not taking her to the pediatrician. He has anxiety and refuses treatment / meds. I’m going to spend my afternoon (I work part-time) taking my kid out of school and hauling her to the ped.
He’s f@$(:)$” nuts, right?
Relatedly, has anyone gotten their spouse into therapy for moderate anxiety? It’s not debilitating, it’s just making me homicidal.
Mama Llama
Oct 22, 2019 10:57 am
What are the best grippy socks for early walkers (been walking about 2 months)? We have brazilian cherry floors that are apparently slipperier than most floors. I keep my son barefoot in the house since he can’t go more than a couple of steps without slipping in his current socks (which have just a few grippies), but would like something on his feet as it gets colder and I don’t think he’ll be willing to wear slippers.
Pump for second baby?
Oct 22, 2019 11:18 am
I need some advice for what to do about a br3ast pump this second time around. Last time I had a medela PISA through insurance, which I used at home, and a Spectra S1 that I bought on the river store and used at the office and for work travel after my 6 month leave, until baby turned 1. I was very happy with the Spectra, especially the battery option and the fact that it was quiet and adjustable options. But I’ve heard that pumps don’t work as well after a while (first baby will be 3 when this one arrives). And I had somewhat low supply last time (had to pump 3x at work and once after bedtime to get enough for the next day), so I’m inclined to get a new pump, either covered by insurance or in the $150-200 range. I am interested in the concept of freemie cups, but have heard some women get less output with it. I am also interested in the super mobile/compact aspect of the Spectra S9, Baby Buddha, etc, especially for work travel. The freemie freedom deluxe set is 100% covered by my insurance, but nothing else good (I am not interested in another medela…). For those with experience, is the S9/Baby Buddha worth paying out of pocket for? How is the output? And can I just buy some freemie cups to use with an existing pump? What would people recommend here?
I told myself after reading Emily Oster’s Cribsheet that I will put less pressure on myself, and may only pump 1x at work this time and make up the rest with formula. But if I can set myself up with the best pump setup going in, I want to do that. Thanks in advance!
Halloween help
Oct 22, 2019 12:21 pm
Just realized our local Halloween party is this Saturday and I don’t have costumes for my kids, 3-year-old twins. Any easy alternatives to ordering a costume-in-a-bag from the river site? I am not crafty…
Anonymous
Oct 22, 2019 4:05 pm
On today’s ‘maybe I’m a jerk’:
College BFF texted me asking for studies that support the CDC vaccination schedule. I was… direct. I did not hold back and flat out told her that yes, I would get her some; however, there was no evidence that supported withholding vaccines without specific contraindication. I told her to talk to her pediatrician with any questions.
I flat out told her that I was concerned that she appeared to be exhibiting symptoms of PPA (every day she texts me that she spent hours crying or is ‘freaking out’ about totally un-troubling things).
She told me I wasn’t being supportive and she was just a ‘normal nervous new mom.’ Could I have been more compassionate? Absolutely. Am I a jerk? Probably. Am I done? No, I’ll obviously go over and be supportive but… GAHHH… Stop. Just… stop.
Aww, this was the first toy my oldest really loved, starting around six months or so. My younger two never got into it the same way, but it’s one of the very few baby toys I’m saving.
The salmon mom discussions over the past couple of days have got me thinking. My default assumptions are that people are generally selfish jerks, that my husband and I are the only ones responsible for meeting our family’s needs, and that no one else is going to volunteer to help us out or make things easier on us. When other people do nice things for us, watch the kids, prepare special meals, etc., we very much appreciate and enjoy it, but I’m not going to waste my energy being disappointed when my husband’s mother is mean to us or his stepmother decides she is not going to fix four separate meals for various picky eaters or my mom decides she doesn’t want to drive 200 miles through the snow to spend the holidays with us. Some of our family members are just not nice human beings, and the rest of them are people too with their own needs and priorities. We are the only ones responsible for our own happiness, and there is just no point in demanding that other people conform to our expectations and then inevitably being disappointed when they don’t. Am I the only one who approaches family relationships this way?
Just wanted to say thank you to the person who suggested Marker-Miller Orchard in Winchester, VA for apple picking near Arlington, VA – we went over Columbus Day weekend and it was well worth the drive! Tons of apples left, great apple cider donuts, and a great playground for the kids to play at. This community is the best!
My 3yo has a mild cold (no fever, no stuffy nose) but a loud cough. Not a wry cough or a hacking cough, but loud, especially when she lays down for the night. We’re giving her honey and running the humidifier.
My husband is convinced she has walking pneumonia or asthma or acid reflux and pretty much said I am a bad mom for not taking her to the pediatrician. He has anxiety and refuses treatment / meds. I’m going to spend my afternoon (I work part-time) taking my kid out of school and hauling her to the ped.
He’s f@$(:)$” nuts, right?
Relatedly, has anyone gotten their spouse into therapy for moderate anxiety? It’s not debilitating, it’s just making me homicidal.
What are the best grippy socks for early walkers (been walking about 2 months)? We have brazilian cherry floors that are apparently slipperier than most floors. I keep my son barefoot in the house since he can’t go more than a couple of steps without slipping in his current socks (which have just a few grippies), but would like something on his feet as it gets colder and I don’t think he’ll be willing to wear slippers.
I need some advice for what to do about a br3ast pump this second time around. Last time I had a medela PISA through insurance, which I used at home, and a Spectra S1 that I bought on the river store and used at the office and for work travel after my 6 month leave, until baby turned 1. I was very happy with the Spectra, especially the battery option and the fact that it was quiet and adjustable options. But I’ve heard that pumps don’t work as well after a while (first baby will be 3 when this one arrives). And I had somewhat low supply last time (had to pump 3x at work and once after bedtime to get enough for the next day), so I’m inclined to get a new pump, either covered by insurance or in the $150-200 range. I am interested in the concept of freemie cups, but have heard some women get less output with it. I am also interested in the super mobile/compact aspect of the Spectra S9, Baby Buddha, etc, especially for work travel. The freemie freedom deluxe set is 100% covered by my insurance, but nothing else good (I am not interested in another medela…). For those with experience, is the S9/Baby Buddha worth paying out of pocket for? How is the output? And can I just buy some freemie cups to use with an existing pump? What would people recommend here?
I told myself after reading Emily Oster’s Cribsheet that I will put less pressure on myself, and may only pump 1x at work this time and make up the rest with formula. But if I can set myself up with the best pump setup going in, I want to do that. Thanks in advance!
Just realized our local Halloween party is this Saturday and I don’t have costumes for my kids, 3-year-old twins. Any easy alternatives to ordering a costume-in-a-bag from the river site? I am not crafty…
On today’s ‘maybe I’m a jerk’:
College BFF texted me asking for studies that support the CDC vaccination schedule. I was… direct. I did not hold back and flat out told her that yes, I would get her some; however, there was no evidence that supported withholding vaccines without specific contraindication. I told her to talk to her pediatrician with any questions.
I flat out told her that I was concerned that she appeared to be exhibiting symptoms of PPA (every day she texts me that she spent hours crying or is ‘freaking out’ about totally un-troubling things).
She told me I wasn’t being supportive and she was just a ‘normal nervous new mom.’ Could I have been more compassionate? Absolutely. Am I a jerk? Probably. Am I done? No, I’ll obviously go over and be supportive but… GAHHH… Stop. Just… stop.