This highly rated flat from Rockport is allegedly like a sneaker inside — “like walking on a cloud,” one reviewer notes. Well, well. It’s available in medium and wide sizes (5-11) at Nordstrom for $124.95. If the pointy toe look isn’t your thing, the same brand has a more rounded ballet flat (on sale, too). Rockport ‘Total Motion’ Pointy Toe Flat
Anonymous says
Has anyone ever used an infant snowsuit? We live in canada so I was given one in every baby size. Baby has outgrown two of them without ever wearing one. (We live in Canada and somewhere snowy). Sice baby can’t sit comfortably in a car seat with a full snowsuit we’ve never bothered with it.
What do people do with these?
Lyssa says
I’ve wondered that, too. Someone gave us an adorable bear-costume-like one when my kid was little, and I would have liked to use it, but, first, he really wasn’t big enough for it until spring and had outgrown it by the next winter, and second, we just don’t have any reason to be outside when it’s that cold, other than getting in and out of the car. Of course, this is Tennessee, where it rarely even is that cold (this week excepted – brrr! I don’t know how you guys handle this more than a few days a year.). I guess if you live in the urban northeast, and walk or take public transit everywhere, it could be handy?
FVNC says
Last winter, I used a baby snowsuit every morning and some evenings when I walked the dog and baby together (with baby in stroller or frontpack). If it weren’t for the dog, the baby would have had no need for the snowsuit, since as you point out, baby shouldn’t ride in a car seat with one.
Amelia Bedelia says
we live in DC and walk a lot. Our six month old now uses it a lot. It was not possible in the carseat, but now that she can sit forward facing, it is so very valuable.
mascot says
I used it once in a rare snow fall (we live in the southeast US) so baby could go outside. The one benefit was that he was too young to have real shoes and this was a footed fleece suit that I found on super discount.
CHJ says
We live in the Northeast but we’re pretty active in the winter. We put him in his snowsuit if we’re going hiking or snowshoeing so that he stays warm enough, and we put him in it to play in the yard on cold or snowy days. We had a similar one when he was an infant and we would use that in the Ergo for walks. We don’t use it if we’re going from the house to the car to another warm building, though.
OliveMac says
Hi CHJ, just wanted to thank you for the daycare suggestions yesterday! Had the 12 week scan today and everything looks great (phew… amazing how nervous you realize you were, even if you didn’t think so!). So, on to tackle the waitlists. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
CHJ says
Congratulations on a good 12 week appointment! That’s great news! I’m glad the daycare suggestions were helpful. Feel free to ping me if you have any questions during the hunt. The nice thing about this area is that there are a ton of good daycares to choose from — you just need to find the one that works for your family. Good luck!
R says
I didn’t use one at all with #1, but all the time with #2. Once she got old enough to walk/run, I encouraged #1 to play outside every day (unless the wind chill/ heat index is dangerous of course) so this way #2 gets to be outside and breathe the fresh air as well.
Jdubs says
Never used one. Baby is either in the carseat (can’t use it), in the stroller (in a bundleme), in in the carrier which we have a carrier cover for. The snow suit is just too bulky and inconvenient. We had one that we put my older daughter in for the walk to daycare before we had a bundleme, but the bundleme does the job so much better and is much easier to get her in and out of.
KJ says
We live in a pretty walkable neighborhood, so we have used the LL Bean bear suit in the stroller to go places like lunch, Gymboree, or the park to swing on swings. This is when it’s cold, but not snowy, though, because the stroller wouldn’t make it in serious snow. I was thinking if we got snow on a weekend we would put her in the bear suit and put her out on the lawn to check out the snow, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Pogo says
I just googled that LL Bean bear suit. omg, that is the absolute cutest thing. ever.
KJ says
Yeah, in my opinion the bear suit is worth it just for sheer adorableness,
quailison says
I got one of these for my shower and I can confirm, it’s really cute, and soft. We plan to use it for walking around town in the stroller or carrier (we’re in a walkable Northeast city) but I guess it remains to be seen if that actually pans out! Either way, I kind of want one for myself, like a cute Snuggie.
anon says
I have this and can attest that it is insanely adorable.
Burgher says
We have gotten a few on clearance and only used them a handful of times. When baby was not walking yet, I’d put him in it to go outside and watch his cousins play or to take a walk in the stroller or carrier occasionally. I was really glad to have it when we lost power for several days during a blizzard, though. Plus, bear suit = adorable.
Once he was walking, we put him in a snowsuit to go outside and play in the snow a few times.
hoola hoopa says
With my first, I used them routinely for walks. I liked being able to zip up without changing clothes or dealing with blankets, hats, mittens, etc.
With subsequent kids, I used them a lot! We were out and about more because of older siblings, so baby was out in the cold a lot more. Sledding, etc.
Philanthropy Girl says
I have two on loan from my sister. We don’t live in a very walkable community but it has come in handy a couple of times when we’ve been outdoors. I like keeping one in the car in case of emergencies when you need to keep baby warm.
Sarabeth says
There are some snowsuits that work with carseats (Patagonia makes at least one – be forewarned that they run HUGE). We get those, and do use it in the car sometimes. Otherwise, it was for the walk to and from daycare and so that we can wear the baby while skiing (XC, on flat trails, before anyone panics). Now that she’s a year older, it’s for playing outside.
quailison says
That’s awesome you XC ski with the baby! Cross country skiing is so much fun.
Maddie Ross says
My parents used to XC ski with me as a baby – such adorable photos! Jealous you live in a climate where you can do that.
NewMomAnon says
Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to stick with the sleep training! Last night was the third night, and my kiddo cried for 10 minutes, then curled up and slept for 5 hours! After I went in to reassure her, she fell back asleep for another 4 hours, I nursed her, and she slept again for another 2.5 hours. I would not have stuck with it without the pep talk from you guys. Totally worth it so far.
FVNC says
Great news! So happy for you and your daughter! Isn’t the world so different (so much better) with a sort-of-good night’s sleep?
RR says
So happy to hear it. Sleep is everything (for you and for her). Great job to both of you!
JJ says
Great news! Congrats!
We stuck with sleep training and our horrible-sleeping baby (who was up to eat twice a night at 8 months) has happily slept roughly 13 hours uninterrupted every night for months. It’s life changing.
NewMomAnon says
My kiddo was up every 45 minutes for most of the last month (she’s almost a year old)….and wanted to eat each time she woke up….it’s been torture. Last night was the first time I had slept more than 2 hours at a time since she stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in early December. I don’t know why I was more scared of sleep training than I was of continuing like that. I should have done this sooner.
It’s also a relief – I hear parents say things like “my baby is a horrible sleeper and wakes up twice a night” and I would think, something must be seriously wrong with my baby that waking twice a night would be a great night for us. It’s nice to see that she just hadn’t learned a key skill yet, rather than having a sleep disorder or ongoing ear infection or all the other things I was finding on Dr. Google.
Sleep Training says
NewMomAnon – I have one of those babies, too. You are giving me hope. Hopefully I’ll join you on the other side of sleep deprivation soon.
Nonny says
Well done! A whole new world of uninterrupted sleep is opening up to you….
Sleep Training says
Ok friends, could I take the liberty of asking for your feedback as well? Here is the story:
-9 m.o. baby still gets up approximately every 2 -3 hours at night (7:30 pm – 6:30 a.m.). He slept for 8 hours once in his life, around 4 months old. Since then, the longest stretches have been around 5 hours and very occasional.
-He can and does fall asleep on his own. Thus, the issue is night feedings, which I know need to be eliminated if he is going to sleep through the night.
-BUT, on many days, he absolutely refuses to drink pumped milk or formula in a bottle, sippy cup, or any other vessel at daycare. He eats some rice cereal and pureed foods each day at lunch. On good days, he only drinks about 6 – 8 oz of pumped milk (12 at the very most) at daycare. For instance, yesterday he only ate a bit of rice cereal w/2 oz pumped milk, drank 2 oz of pumped milk from a sippy cup, and had a tiny bit of pureed fruit. As soon as I picked him up from daycare, he nursed like crazy and continued to do so all evening, then woke up 4 times during the night to nurse.
-I have been hesitant to drop night feedings because that is when he is getting a majority of his daily calories. He also refuses to eat solid foods at home in the evenings. He only wants to nurse.
-He is demonstrating some signs of separation anxiety, so I also think the night feedings are about being close to mom since he can’t be during the day.
-Any help? Suggestions? I never thought I would still be almost exclusively BFF at 9 months. I waffle back and forth between feeling the need to tackle the night feedings and just waiting it out until he is eating more solids.
-Also, he was sick for almost all of December, so there’s that for what it’s worth.
hoola hoopa says
Do you want cold advice from a hardened mom of three?
Night wean. He’s eating table foods. He’s nursing in the evening. If you night wean, he’ll probably also nurse in the morning and may even start taking bottle at daycare. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll be fine. He’s 9 mo old and able to eat more table foods, either as purees or bite-sized. You can also try puree pouches.
He can totally do this and so can you. Create a sleep training plan that you can stick to, dedicate to doing it for three days, and by then you’ll either see that it’s working or see that it’s not. If working, hooray. If not, take a break, make a new plan, and try again for another three days.
I’m a total sucker and can’t sleep train when they are sick. I completely get that. And a friend’s first babe wouldn’t take bottles at DC, so I do understand the anxiety. I promise that he won’t let himself starve. Just offer the additional calories at more appropriate times.
pockets says
I agree with this. The reason your baby is not eating during the day and waking up at night to eat is because he can. You have to teach him that he can’t.
Sleep Training says
Thanks, hoola hoopa. Hardened moms of numerous children are my preferred source of advice!
JJ says
I agree with everything hoola hoopla said. It took my pediatrician (mom of 4) giving me the same tough love advice before I tried it.
RR says
Agree totally. You set the boundaries, and he will adjust and be absolutely fine. It’s a transition like many other transitions you’ll go through (we are currently going through the 16 month crib to cot transition at daycare, and my baby isn’t sleeping much at all during the day, but she will adjust). Even the most stubborn baby isn’t going to come close to starving himself.
From another hardened mom of 3.
Meg Murry says
Is he in your room or bed? Or are you getting up and going to him every time he wakes? Either way, ugh.
If he’s in your room/bed, moving to him to his own space might help. Or even starting the night out in the crib but then moving to your bed/room after the first feeding or two. My son slept in our bed and wanted to nurse continuously – but part of it was also me – as soon as he made a squeak, I shoved a boob in his mouth to shut him up so I could get back to at least half sleep. I also think he was making noises in his sleep, not necessarily fully awake, but he gladly nursed since I offered – so I highly suggest waiting a minute or two (or 5) if he starts making noises to see if he wakes up fully and wants to eat or if hes just fussing in his sleep and falls back asleep. Or try sending daddy in this weekend when he wakes to see if he can soothe him back to sleep without nursing.
As for calories, offer high fat food at daycare like mixing avocado in his cereal or alone. Or even meats.
This advice is meant for babies >1 year, but I think you can use some of it to help you cut back (but not cut out entirely) night feedings. I especially like the analogy about fresh squeezed orange juice, because its very true. http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html
hoola hoopa says
woot woot!
AD says
Question for the woman who was planning to fly to Vieques from San Juan–did you ever hear back from your doctor on that? I’m going to PR in a couple of months and trying to figure out transportation now….
Thanks!
PregAnon says
Happy Saturday! Mine brought morning sickness and crying for no reason! Hope yours is better.