The next thing in baby bottles

I must be getting old, I'm like the safety monitor.

I was out shopping over the weekend and found these great baby bottles (at the toy store!)

They are glass bottles (no evil plastic leaching into baby's formula), with a silicone sleeve that makes them easier to hold and I assume helps prevent breakage. The ones that I saw at the store - also pictured above - are the Wee-Go bottle from Baby Life.

Silikids has a similar product, called Siliskin. I don't think they're quite as cute as the Wee-Go bottles, but the price is a lot more attractive. Siliskin is about $12/bottle and the Wee-Go is around $18/bottle. It's a lot, I know, but baby's brain development is surely worth the price.

A previous post on this same topic can be found here (click on the word here). It seems that I haven't worried about this since August. That's pretty good for me!

Door lock update

Thanks, Alyson for your comment on my previous post! I can't believe that it didn't occur to me that our security system could be set to beep when a door opens. Duh! Obviously that is not a feature that we use. Until now we have viewed the security system as something to keep people out, not keep them in! A baby really does change everything, doesn't it?!

As Alyson mentions in her comment, you can also get inexpensive travel alarms that can be used either at home or while traveling. Here's one example that I found at Walkabout Travel Gear.
You can find some others at My Precious Kid or just google "travel door alarm".

Important saftey issue - check your door locks

There was a horrible story in the news here last week. A 2-year old boy woke during the night and somehow got out the door while his mother slept and couldn't get back into the house. He froze to death overnight in the snow. They interviewed neighbors for the news - this boy's mother was very cautious and always watched him closely. It was not a lapse in parenting, it's just a terrible tragedy that could have possibly been prevented by a secure lock out of the child's reach. Here's a link (click on the word link) if you're interested in reading the story.

One of our doors has a lock that's very easy to open from the inside and very difficult to open from the outside. Previously I thought that was a pretty good thing - in case of fire, for example, you want it to open quickly and easily but default state of "locked" is generally a good thing. Now, though, I'm rethinking my opinion on this lock. A 2-year old probably wouldn't even be able to reach the doorbell to let you know they were locked out, which is another concern. Even if she could reach it, would she think to ring it? What do we teach her? Bang on the window? Maybe I should put something noisy someplace outside. I guess I can also hope that Maddie (our dog) would hear her trying to sneak out.

Wow - more eating of words (the toxic toy issue)

Everything I ever said about our congressman not paying enough attention to his constituents - I take it back. Not only did I receive this email last week, this morning I received the following mass email from him:

Dear Friends,

No parent should have to worry that the toys they put under the tree for their kids are unsafe. Like many parents, I am very concerned about the 25 million toys recalled this year. With the United States importing 80% of its toys from China, I believe we need to take greater measures to protect our families from unsafe products.

Several pieces of legislation moving through the House right now will address these issues – strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission, banning products with lead beyond very minute levels, and third party testing and tracking for children’s products.

As Congress takes up these bills, I want to hear what your thoughts are. Please take a moment to answer the short survey below and tell me how I can better represent you in Washington.

Sincerely,
[Congressman's Signature]

Of course I took the survey. Here are the responses as of this morning:

There was also a place to leave comments, which of course I did - some comments about product testing and a thank you for his attention.

I'm so used to being ignored by our representatives in Washington that I almost don't even know how to react to this. He has heard feedback and wants to do something about it? He wants to understand what the people of his district think? This is how it's supposed to work! Stunning.

More on the toxic toys - eating my words

Wow. You may remember that I wrote to both senators and our congressman (all three of whom I voted for - yes, I feel that I need to point that out every time) and was disappointed that I only received a form-letter-ish response from one senator. Well, today I received an email from our congressman that might be an actual personal response. I'm impressed. Here it is:

Dear Jennifer:

Thank you for contacting me about product safety. I appreciate hearing from you.

As the father of two boys, I am very concerned about the recent recalls of children's toys, pet food, and other goods from China . In 2007, the United States imported $288 billion worth of goods from China . While the vast majority of these goods are safe, the recent recalls highlight the need for improved product safety standards.

Several pieces of legislation moving through the House right now will address these issues - strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission, banning products with lead beyond very minute levels, and third party testing and tracking for children's products. As Congress takes up these bills, I will continue to push for stronger measures to protect consumers from unsafe products.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with additional comments or concerns. I also encourage you to visit my website, [url for his website], where you can find updated information, sign up to receive my e-newsletter, and send me e-mail.

I'm liking him again now. I know; I'm easy.

Infant/Child CPR - just in case!

Yesterday Rob and I took a CPR for infants and children class. It's a scary thing to think about, but I feel better knowing that we are prepared in case of emergency.

If you want to learn CPR, you can locate a class in your area by contacting the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

January DTC Secret Pal - August

More great mail came today! Of course it was for Nora!

This package was our January DTC Secret Pal gift for August. The theme is "Something to Keep Baby Safe" and our secret pal sent lots of great safety stuff for Nora -- cabinet latches, outlet covers, toilet lock, security latches, band-aids -- and a pair of pretty dangly earrings that I think must be for ME!

Thank you very much, secret pal! I'm going to look for something blue to wear tomorrow so I can wear my new earrings!