Hollie's Favs

#1: I'd like to feature a product that I have mentioned before, but was never able to elaborate on it.

It's the Amby Baby Bed. This bed ideally is best for a newby to twelve months. I didn't hear about it until Laney was three months old. What's so special about it?

1.) Creates a sleep environment resembling the maternal womb, providing spatial restrictions or enclosure, tactile touch and rhythmic movements. It's 3-D motion simulates womb environment with vertical and horizontal movements. The Amby bed hangs from a spring, so every time baby moves or stirs in his sleep, the bed gently moves up and down, back and forth, and side to side. This is the same motion that baby cherishes both while in the womb and when you carry baby around in your arms. Here's a picture of a baby from the inside of the bed. Look how "supe-comf-coze" this baby is!

"...forcing a baby to sleep in a still, flat, open bassinet or crib is akin to asking us to sleep on floorboards after a lifetime on a mattress. “Surely it is not too difficult for us adults to understand that babies, like us, will prefer to sleep in something that they are familiar with and accustomed to. After all, they have just spent their whole life in the womb!”.

2.) Calms the restless sleeper: Some babies toss and turn throughout the night when they sleep in a motionless crib. The natural Amby movements give baby a more restful night’s sleep and lulls them back to sleep when they wake.
3.)Helps babies with Reflux: (This was the main reason I bought this bed.) The slightly upright sleep position of the Amby minimizes painful acid reflux that can frequently waken baby when sleeping flat.
4.) Fits conveniently next to your bed for easy access to baby: Parents can easily bring baby into bed for nighttime feedings when needed, without having to get out of bed. Baby can easily spend part of the night in bed with mom and dad. I did this and it was wonderful!
5.) Helps babies nap longer: The Amby is also perfect for helping the “short napper” get a nice long nap that both baby and you need.
6.) Easy with which to travel: This bed comes apart and stores away in a long, zip bag. We flew one time with it to GA. It also came with a mosquito net if you decide to use it outdoors.

Basically, this bed pretty much rocks. It took Laney a little bit to get used to the bed since I she started sleeping in it at around 3-4 months, but she slept in it until she got too active. It helped with reflux and if any of my friends remember Laney's reflux, they will attest that they've NEVER SEEN anything like it. Talk about projectile. Talk about us being covered all day, every day for nine STRAIGHT months. Talk about spit-up splatters ALL OVER our pergo flooring...ALL OVER. I couldn't mop fast enough. All of this to say, it's an amazing bed. Check it out! Amby Baby Bed


#2: As a Spanish teacher, I'm TOTALLY digg'n Chick-fil-a's latest child's meal toy: a language cd you can play in the car! Mothers, there's no better time than NOW to expose your children to a second language. I think this "toy" is amazing, so educational, and amazingly enough, inexpensive. They have four different languages: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and I forgot the last one. There's SOOOO much information on there as well. I was really surprised and pretty much jumping off my seat when I discovered this little jewel amongst Laney's chicken nuggets. Just play it in the car when you're running errands, so your children can hear the pronunciation. Granted, it's not the most exciting thing they've ever heard, like Praise Baby Music, but it is a good thing for their little ears to hear. My husband lived in SE Asia for two years, so he was excited to know of these other languages that were offered, besides Spanish.

#3:Ever since Laney was a wee-wittle-won, we've played instrumental music for her at night-time. Hugh's brother and sister Matt and Anna gave Laney University of Georgia's Lullaby cd titled "Maxwell's Lullabies," and it's so awesome. (By the way, you don't have to be a UGA fan to listen to this cd.) It's so soothing, and even Hugh mentioned that it makes him relax and fall asleep easily. We've listened to it through the monitor for months on end, so we've always associated it with sleep. Here are some of the song titles:
Mary's Lullaby, Lil' Max, Tiny Hands, Upon the Clouds, First Steps, Morning Dance, Peaceful...

It's $12.00 on the site above if you're interested.

#4: Baby Tad: I bought this little stuffed, musical frog off of Craigslist for $5.00. Just within the past month or two has Laney really taken to it. It plays all different children's songs, teaches colors and shapes. Just this morning she was holding him while listening to his music and rocking him back and forth.