Reviews by dschurma

dschurma says "full-feature high chair without taking up extra space" about Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair

dschurma — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:34:18 GMT

When researching high chairs before the birth of our first baby, I came across the Fisher Price Space Saver high chair. It almost seemed to good to be true - a full-feature high chair, a low price tag, a space-saver, and convenient enough to take along when we go to grandma's house! Wow!

We started using this chair when our little guy was between 4 and 5 months old. Since it reclines nicely, it was the perfect spot to offer his first cereal feedings. As he grew, the chair adjusted to fit him just right.

He's now 16 months old, and we're still loving this chair! For meals, we can slide on the tray. For sitting at the table to eat a snack or color/use playdough, we can remove the tray and slide the high chair right up tot he table.

I love the vinyl seat covering; it's easy to wipe clean! It's easy to take off the seat cover to quickly remove the crumbs from underneath, as well.

It does not have a foot rest like many full-sized high chairs, but I don't miss it! When we've...

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dschurma says "Our favorite cloth diapers!" about BumGenius 3.0 One Size Cloth Diaper Diapers

dschurma — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:24:47 GMT

Before our first little guy was born, I spent a great deal of time online researching the current cloth diapering options. After coming to the conclusion that all-in-ones or pocket diapers would be best for us, but not yet knowing which brand seemed the best, I decided to purchase a variety of diapers to try when the baby arrived.

We tried 7 or 8 different brands of pocket and all-in-one diapers. Two brands stood out above the rest, and Bum Genius was the definite favorite! (My other favorite used snap fasteners, and my husband found the snaps frustrating.)

Bum Genius diapers are so easy to use! We started with a few small all-in-one diapers when our little guy was tiny. The one-size pocket diapers were still just a little big for our tiny guy! Once he hit about 6 weeks old, we began using the Bum Genius One-Size 3.0 diapers, though...and we've never looked back.

Now we have a 16 month old, and our original diapers are still doing an excellent job. The velcro tabs aren't...

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dschurma says "Wonderful blanket, LOVE the swaddle feature!" about Halo 2-in-1 Microfleece SleepSack Swaddle

dschurma — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:15:07 GMT

We started out with a different swaddle wrap, which we loved, but when it "died", I decided to try the Halo Sleep Sack with Swaddle. We found this to be perfect for our 1 month old baby. It kept him warm, since you're no longer supposed to place infants under loose blankets. The swaddle feature was great; without using the swaddle, Alex was not a good sleeper. With the swaddle, he slept as well as one would expect for a small baby.

The Sleep Sack with Swaddle has fasteners to keep the swaddle in place, so there are no worries about the swaddle (which is technically a separate piece) sliding up and over baby's head. I wish that the swaddle feature was available on larger sizes of the Sleep Sack. Our little guy outgrew the newborn Sleep Sack before outgrowing his desire to be swaddled.

Another thing worth mentioning is the ease of changing diapers during the night while using this swaddle. Since the zipper opens from the bottom, you can leave baby's arms swaddled while opening...

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dschurma says "Perfect for swaddling a newborn" about Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Swaddle Blanket

dschurma — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:09:25 GMT

Before the birth of our first baby, I registered for the Kiddopotamus Swaddle Me blanket. I received a green, cotton swaddle. For some reason, I decided to pack it in the hospital bag as we were headed out the door. I'm so glad that I did!

The hospital dressed him in a wrap-style shirt and flannel blanket, but he kept wriggling out of the blanket. I remembered the Swaddle Me, wrapped up the baby, and he just seemed so cozy and content! Everyone (family, friends, nurses) commented on what a cute "little green bean" we had...and the nickname stuck around for a while! We have such fun hospital pictures of everyone holding our little guy all swaddled and cozy in his Swaddle Me!

We continued to use the Swaddle Me after bringing the baby home. Since we only had one, it endured many, many trips through the washer and dryer in the early days. It held up well for weeks, and we loved how the Swaddle Me always calmed our little guy and kept that newborn "startle reflex" from waking...

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dschurma says "Reasonably priced, comfortable, good coverage" about Gilligan & O'Malley Nursing Tank

dschurma — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:52:30 GMT

Shortly after the birth of my son, I realized that nursing in public could sometimes be an awkward thing. It's hard to be discreet, stay comfortable, and nurse a wriggly infant all at the same time. A friend suggested buying a few nursing tanks for better coverage. I found that the Gilligan & O'Malley nursing tanks are comfortable, keep my belly covered nicely, and are very reasonably priced at around $15. They have held up well, too, as my son is now 16 months old and I've just finished nursing him. The tanks are still in good enough condition to use with our next baby.

One thing worth pointing out is that these nursing tanks are simply tanks; they are not a full bra, and they do not have underwire or padding. You will want to have some nicer, "regular" nursing bras or more expensive tanks with a full bra inside to use with nicer clothing. For every day use, however, Gilligan & O'Malley nursing tanks are a great fit, and the price is right.

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