Baby Essential Sound Kit

Product listing for electronic items we found useful for the three kids.
1) Safety 1st DIGITAL audio baby monitor
2) Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Crib Toy.
3) Tiny Love Crib Mobile with Classical Music

DIGITAL Baby Monitor with Frequency Hopping
I recently sold the unit to an expectant mother with the original box included, manuals. One baby unit for the crib, and two cordless parent units with recharging bases. Star pattern night light.

Manufacturer Description:
The Safety 1st High-Def Digital Monitor is the next leap in digital audio clarity, providing parent peace of mind that they have distinguished between a gurgle and a whimper, because it utilizes the uncrowded DECT 6.0 frequency for guaranteed clear and private connection with no interference. The transmitter is individually coded to receivers fro guaranteed privacy. The ascending, sound sensitive light bars provide visual impact of increasing sound level. The 1000 plus foot range reassures parent of long range quality.

More info (from Babys R Us and Costco)

• 1.9 GHz radio band frequency reserved for DECT, offering better clarity and privacy
• Range of up to 304.8 m (1000 ft.)
• Zero interference and high-quality audio
• Link indicator
• Transmitter (baby unit) individually coded to receiver (parental unit)
• Light bar arch for increasing sound level
• Visible and audible low battery indicator
• Visible and audible out-of-range indicator
• Pager button to help locate parental unit
• Belt clip on parents' unit allowing mobility
• Easy adjust, push-button volume control
• Flush to face panel buttons
• 3 AAA rechargeable batteries for parent unit (batteries included) and an AC adapter

Selling for $74.99 new retail. Mine must be the previous form factor but the product description remains the same.

Fisher Price Aquarium Ocean Wonders

Put your little one to sleep with this soothing aquarium. It calms Baby with softly glowing light and bubbling motion. All of my kids love this item. Maggie as a newborn would just stare at night, captivated by the shifting lights and dancing fish. I remember watching for her to close her eyes. Well momma, I'd rather watch the fish! Well I didn't really get chance to change the batteries for AJ so he only got to hear the music and see the lights change (not enough juice for the full motion). He liked to play with the attached rolling toys. That kept him well entertained. When Lincoln was born, the older ones would activate the sound for him. I guess he's outgrown it now but he was using it up to age 1, like background music for drifting off to sleep.  Some models come with a remote control which would've been useful.

Plays lullabies (Brahms, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Bach Invention in C) or bubbly water sounds, including ocean waves, Plays for approximately 7 minutes.  Attach to crib rail or set on dresser top

Tiny Love Whirly Twirly Crib Mobile
I bought this crib mobile for Lincoln because we had already given away the Winnie the Pooh wind-up for Maggie and AJ.  When Lincoln was a small baby, he liked this alot because of the colourful creatures and the spinning black and white spiral patterns. However he always fell asleep to the beautiful classical music. The playlist features Mozart, Bach, Chopin and Beethoven. In fact, the first song on the track, Mozart Sonata K. 330, I or K. 331, I is very popular with Maggie and AJ. When I play a certain classical music CD with that song on the fourth track, they call this Lincoln's baby song. Music in the environment, they hear it they absorb it. Now imagine if I told them the name of every song on the track and they could name them by K, BWV or opus numbers.

Planet Earth

AJ was watching the clouds from the kitchen window as we ate lunch yesterday, deep in thought and transfixed. Finally he spoke up, "Mommy, what is outside the clouds?" What a profound question, I had to think of a good answer or another deep question to counter that.

"Well, what do you think?" I had to buy myself more time.
"Blue" That's a good answer from AJ.
"That's right, the sky is blue. Above the earth is the atmosphere, that's the air we breathe"
AJ is still staring.
"And outside the atmosphere is space, outer space" I add more information.
"Do astronauts live in space?" AJ asks.
"Yeah, perhaps on a space ship. What's your favorite planet, AJ?"
"uh... Mars!" After giving it some thought.
"And what else?" I'm trying to quiz him because he has a book about planets and at one time, Maggie and AJ could name all of them.
"Pizza Planet!" We all laugh, this is pretty clever response too. It is from his favorite movie, Toy Story.

Brian goes on to explain to AJ that his classmate from school is an astronaut. While I don't necessarily believe that AJ would choose that profession, I think it's ok to encourage him to dream big and think about science. Though I know with his peanut allergy and mild intermittent asthma, I doubt they would ever choose him either. We're talking about exploring space, and for whatever reason Maggie feels the need to jump into the conversation.

"When I grow up, I want to be a garbage girl" Say what?
AJ counters, "When I grow up I want to drive a garbage truck!"

Alright, we'll start with cleaning up planet earth.

Doomsday the Last Day

AJ is quite the little Doomsday prophet. He's been on antibiotics (penicillin) for a small tooth infection for the 10 day cycle. I told him yesterday as I was feeding him the fourth dose of the day, "Tomorrow will be the last day."

His face turns dark and mysterious, "The last day of what? What will be happen? We're all going to be die?"
I have to clarify, "No AJ, the last day for your medicine"
He's still not listening, "What, the last day of Ottawa? What will be happen?"

I wanted to say earthquakes, thundershowers, global warming, economic fallout. Not sure if he remembered this morning, but fortunately he didn't ask me or tell me, Today is the last day.

Natural Born Talent

Prenatal Suzuki
Although I wasn't the mom who strapped a tape player to my belly, transmitting vibrations of Mozart and Bach though the amniotic fluids, nor did I read hours of Shakespeare to my baby inside, I did play piano while practising for my daily routine.   I came across this topic for pre natal music training and here is a link for your own evaluation.

http://www.suzukiece.com/Pages/prenatal_and_baby.htm

What's the first sense a baby develops?
a) Hearing
b) Smelling
c) Touching
d) Tasting

Hearing is already developed in the womb. How amazing is that?

Believing in the power of early listening, I have to admit that I get this question wrong on the quiz at a friend's baby shower, I didn't realize the correct answer was C because honestly, I thought hearing development was that strong. The image of Will Ferrell on SNL bursting out a momma's womb speaking in rap...

A baby is born with all the following prior knowledge EXCEPT
a) Grasping a finger
b) Sucking
c) Understanding a foreign language
d) The ability to swim

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Lincoln's favorite new word must be "Gobble, gobble, gobble..." as in the same sound that babbling turkeys'  make. He could have a long conversation with me, pointing and laughing at this and that and I would only pretend that I actually knew what he was saying.

Well that word took on a whole new meaning on Wednesday morning. He gobbled up something that babies should not be playing with. I'll start off with saying, thankfully he's fine and I'd have to credit Maggie for saving his life. 

I'm calm but still creeped out a little bit. Like the other day ("last morning" as AJ would say), Lincoln was happily playing with Russian nesting dolls with Maggie in her room while I was rushing to eat breakfast with AJ and get out the door. All of a sudden I hear Maggie screeching and crying, I thought she was getting her haired pulled or something; I ran upstairs, suddenly quicker cuz it was getting extremely hysterical. I saw Lincoln foaming/ barfing at the mouth and I soon figured out he was choking on the smallest russian doll! OMG!

Fortunately I was able to just grab it out of his mouth with my fingers and I didn't end up jabbing it in any deeper. OMG after that he was fine. I was still shaking all morning. Anywayz needless to say
I put all the small stuff away so I wont' choke my child. SCARY!

I'm just glad that Maggie alerted me to Lincoln being in danger because choking is silent! Afterward she said we should pray for Lincoln tonight because he almost died (sic). I don't actually think that would be the case cuz there's alot of CPR and even calling 911 and things like people would've done before it would come to that, but I feel bad that she was thinking that.

The Mobile Command Center

Well at one time I had tried every kind of double stroller you could buy in the market, even bike strollers, wagons, tandem (super heavy hard to steer) but not side by side though.  These are all the options we've tried.  Regardless, we seem to move faster if they are all strapped into the convoy. In any case you need the stroller to carry the gear and jackets.

Whereever we go, whether kids are strapped in or someone is holding on to the stroller on the side, I feel like an army tank commander.




DOUBLE STROLLER
I bought a Graco double stroller, tan coloured listed for $120 on craigslist. When the women delivered it and I made a face like I wasn't sure if I wanted it, she sold it to me for $80. I used it during the fall 2008/ winter 2009 to get Maggie and AJ to church.  It was very heavy to lift up and down from the trunk, heavy to push and very hard to steer. I eventually sold it to someone at work for $80, grandparents for taking the grandkids to the park. They didn't seem to have a problem with it.


LITTLE TIKES BIKE STROLLER
It was pink and purple. I drove out to Gatineau in the Fall 2009, $50 from usedottawa.  However, we used it more like a double stroller that you push forward like a jogging stroller or chariot.  It was in fair condition, a little dusty but it worked well for bringing Maggie and AJ, like an all weather all terrain vehicle. Even in the Fall 2010 their babysitter prefered this model for bringing them to the playgroup at the community center.  I eventually sold this for $80 on usedottawa. Funny because one lady bought it from for $50; she didn't like it so she returned it the next day. I cleaned it real good, and wiped away any visible rust, oiled the moving metal pieces. I even learned how to smoothly transform the unit from a jogging stroller to the bike hitch function so I could demo this. The next day, the new buyer came and gave me the full asking price.
DOUBLE WAGON
What I found the most useful for going to the park was having Lincoln in my ergo carrier and the two kids in the wagon (to pull) or bike stroller (push).  Purchased from Zellers using gift cards from Jon and Alicia. The wagon has a detachable canopy; the handle can fold under to make it smaller for transporting in a trunk. However when Lincoln was about 11 months old and I let him ride in the wagon to Owl Park for a swim, he was leaning forward too much and he pulled the restraints right out of the fasteners. Anywayz it's easy to fix but we haven't used it since.

SIT AND STAND
This summer I found a Sit and Stand and so it fits all three: Lincoln in the front with the five point harness because he was the only monkey who ever tried to escape from a stroller. AJ and Maggie both sit on the toddler seat in the back; occassionally one will agree to stand on the rolling platform while the other one is seated. Ideally this unit is only for two kids not three, but it works.  If the seating arrangment in the back cannot be resolved, I end up carrying Lincoln in the carrier. Basically a carrier and a double is ideal.

SINGLE STROLLER
We have a single stroller that came with a hand me down Travel System.  A carrier and a single stroller works well too if the third person agrees to walk. Sometimes I end up placing Maggie and AJ in a single-stroller seat. They would rather be squished than give up their seat to walk.

PEGPEREGO FOLDUP
This is the only stroller that now fits into the MDX trunk with the new car seat setup. It folds up very small almost like a big umbrella stroller. However there is not much storage space.

Whatz Yo' Mamma's Name?

In most cultures, you're not supposed to call your mother by her name. Obviously as a kid, you're still supposed to know what it is.  AJ and I had a little conversation before bedtime.

He calls me momma but it sounds like Grandma in Chinese so we both laugh. I correct him, and he says ah-MA-ah. Then he asks what's my name (I know he wants me to say, Deborah) but I answer -mother. He asks what it is in French, I answer "ma mere".

And it's not quite the answer he's looking for, so he clarifies. "What's your name like, TANG DO WA (that's his Chinese name which translates to, Tang Generation Jehovah).
Now I understand he wants to know my Chinese name, so I tell him it's NG KAY WING (translates to Ng Family Smart). He just has a big grin on his face when he asks, "Ng Kay Wing like chicken wing" I had to laugh along, even though it was already late and I don't want to laugh at my own name. More significantly, this shows he can make a multi-lingual joke

Anywayz I am very glad that my parents did not put that Chinese name into my official legal name. It's funny enough when I have to give my middle name for something official, and  I have to spell Kay as K-A-Y.  I probably wouldn't want to endure being called Chicken Wing.
 
On the topic of nicknames, here's a collection of one's I've been called from time to time. Growing up, I used  to go by Debbie and no one ever poked fun at me... Oddly, but in a good natured way, it was my close friends in my church youth group who came up with these.  In Chinese Debbie sounds an awful like "DI BAI" which means very large thighs.  Army-Barbie is not too bad, because I used to be in the army and I liked playing with Barbie dolls. In my bible tour trip to Egypt, Israel and Jordan.  I was the lone anglophone on a bus full of native Cantonese speakers from Canada and Netherlands; I do like the name they gave me which was Miss Canada.  That's a compliment.

Well I told my husband about the Chicken Wing conversation and he had a good laugh, and warned me he might starting calling me that.