Reader Carolyn, rookie mom to Clara, sent us an email to share her enthusiasm for a crib protector. It protects baby from crib (and crib from baby!)

What Carolyn said:

I was always confident leaving our 4 ½ month old daughter, Clara, in her crib to snooze, until one day she bumped her teeth on the side of her crib railing and began to scream. Even though she didn’t bang her mouth hard enough to cause an injury (unlike the time I fell and bumped my own teeth on a table—thank goodness for the saints at our cosmetic dentist office) and there was no damage done to her teeth or mouth, my husband and I vowed to find a solution, and we began our search for a product that my sister told me about using with for my 8-month old nephew called a crib teething rail protector.

This product is really ingenious. The crib teething rail protector that we bought was from Trend-Lab and it was just under $20, but I noticed after that I could have purchased another brand of crib teething cover on Amazon.com for about $15).

The one we purchased wraps tightly around the rail of most standard baby cribs. With its thick batting pads (the one we bought measured in at a quarter inches), the crib teething rail acts as a protector for baby and crib, safely covering the wood on the crib rail from Clara’s toothy damage; as well as protecting our precious daughter from doing any damage to her mouth or ingesting any wood stain, varnish or paint chips from her crib. Plus, the crib teething rail protector that we purchased is covered in super plush Sherpa fleece (this was the selling point for me), which, I imagine, feels much softer on our daughter’s sensitive teeth and gums compared to a hard crib rail.

Why do we love our crib teething rail protector?

• It’s soft, safe and easy-to-use—I can feel confident putting our daughter to bed with it on her crib
• It protects our Clara from ingesting any dangerous crib parts—like wood chips, stain or varnish
• It protects our crib purchase from unsightly baby teeth gnaw marks, and we might actually be able to use the crib for our next baby
• We can attach Clara’s teething toys right to the crib teething rail protector with the handy Velcro tabs, so if she gets sick of it, she can suck on another choice toy
• The crib teething rail protector wraps easily over the crib rail and ties in place
• It’s soft Sherpa fleece on one side with a waterproof backing on the opposite side—protecting our wooden crib from dreaded drool damage
• To wash it, I just throw in the washer and dryer

What we don’t like about our crib teething rail protector?

• The crib teething rail cover that we ordered was only available in white, so while it matches pretty much any nursery décor, it gets stained easily and it’s hard to wash the stains out
• The teething rail cover is designed to fit most convertible cribs, however, I purchased one for my friend Liz’s baby shower and the ties were a little too short to fit her crib rail even when she pulled really hard. Just be sure to measure before purchasing
• Some babies, like my godson, Leo who we call Junior MacGyver, was able to figure out how to untie and remove the cover on his own. I guess he preferred to gnaw on a harder surface—the product could be better baby-proofed.

What do you guys think? Is this product a must-have, a nice-to-have, or not necessary?

Your 40th weekly challenge is to celebrate that your baby has been on the outside longer than she was on the inside! There are many fun ways to celebrate this milestone. We’ve done cocktails and sushi (pictured) and a moms night out at the hot tubs in the past.

Inside Out Party at Blowfish Sushi

Unless you’re currently knocked up, I suggest wrangling a posse of girlfriends and doing all those things you weren’t allowed to do (in good conscience) while pregnant, stuff like:

• Drink wine
• Eat soft cheese
• Luxuriate in a hot-tub
• Ride an ostrich or mechanical bull
• Go bungee jumping

These are just my own ideas, maybe you’re dying to burn a duraflame log or indulge in some other activity that has us wondering if it’s so bad for the pregnants, why do we do these things to ourselves at all… Have at it!

Share your ideas in the comments to inspire another mother.

Put away the maternity pants and take yourself out to Old Navy to get some interim jeans to make you feel normal. Go with a girlfriend you trust. Don’t look at the size, just find something flattering and comfortable.

DO NOT THINK ABOUT OR TALK ABOUT THE WEIGHT YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE IN THE FUTURE. Buy jeans to wear this week. When the day comes, you can put these in storage for the next time around, give them to a friend who is a few months behind you, or wear them when you paint that mural you’ve been talking about.

Related rant: Is that #3 in there?!

This is our 35th-ish (I’ve lost count!) weekly challenge for rookie moms. Not relevant to you right now? Choose a different challenge.

photo: Bethan on flickr.

Look at my son. Sigh. This photo was taken almost six years ago at a photoshoot for my former employer who had a last minute need for a baby model.

Although I am usually opposed to studio photography, there is something about it that’s easy to look at. I guess that’s why our parents took us to Kmart for portraits all those years.

Your assignment: Take advantage of a free 8×10 portrait offered by any number of portrait studios on their website.  It seems the style of photography is a step up from the Kmart photos we grew up with. Cheesy or adorable – there is a fine line. And when it comes to your own baby, I’m guessing you’ll side with “adorable”.

This is the 33rd week of our rookie moms challenges.

Check these photography studio sites and use their store locator to find out if this is a feasible spur of the moment outing. Call ahead to make sure they’ll be available and honor your coupon.

• Olan Mills – Free offer only for newborns
• JC Penney Portrait Studios – Free 8×10 for family
• PictureMe studios (inside WalMart) – Free collage-style photo
• Sears Portrait Studio – Free “designer montage” photo

My professional advice (and yes, having done casting for catalogs, I am actually qualified to give this) is to have your baby wear something timeless such as a solid colored onesie and jeans or overalls. The more skin you show, the better. Bare feet and bare arms make baby photography even more irresistible. Jeans + Bare Feet = One Cute Picture. And don’t forget to take a couple of pictures with you in it, even if you think you have bad hair, are fat or unworthy. You are her mother, and you are beautiful. She will definitely want the photos later in life, when she’s done hating you.

Make a deal with yourself that you will not buy more of the pictures than the free one. You might be embarrassed to leave the place with only your single free picture, but that’s the only way we can keep this activity in the free/cheap category.

When Julian was a little guy and I needed to remove my cell phone from his little paws, a decoy cell phone was the way to avoid a mini-tantrum.

Save old sunglasses, cell phones, remotes and key chains that are no longer needed in a drawer.

To keep le baby busy: pull them out one at a time. As junior plays with one, you can usually sneak another back in the drawer for an endless supply.

Faced with all his usual toys, Holden turned toward his faux rattle and rolled it and shook it for 2 days. Here’s how to make this awe-inspiring toy:

1. Wash and remove the label from a small container
2. Let dry (important or it all turns to mush and is fun for noone)
3. Insert about 6 Cheerios or Oatios
4. Leave for baby to discover

And that’s it. I’m not kidding that this thing holds his attention right now better than his wiz-bang “real” toys. He likes to shake it and also roll it around the carpet and the floor.

This picture shows one-year old Julian giving it the once over while six-month old Holden looks on sadly.

This morning, Milo was throwing train tracks at me. And some legos. And some scrambled egg. And a fork. It reminded me that I need to harness this energy and find something he could throw.

Beach balls, like bubbles and 2- and 4-packs of crayons, are items I hoard and keep with me for when the need strikes.

For easy indoor fun:

1. Inflate a large plastic beach ball.
2. Roll the ball to your seated baby.
3. See if he will roll it back.

A baby this age might not catch on very quickly, but he will certainly be amused.

Time for the fifth edition of our Very Rookie Summer series.

Erin Goettsch shares two different days from her life as mom including her lessons learned the hard way taking a baby swimming. Baby Nathan taught his mama how to treat a baby at the pool; baby Anneliese benefited. Read more from Erin at her blog, Happy Noise.

Erin calls her post “A tale of two rookie summer swims”

I come from a family of swimmers. We swim. It’s our thing. If you want to be one of us, you have to swim too. True story.

My siblings and I were “pool rats” growing up, and I haven’t quite been able to shake off that awesome feeling of the sun on my shoulders and the water on my skin. (And, no, it’s not just because the weightless sensation of being underwater makes me feel mucho mom-skinny.) There’s almost no better way for me to pass the summer days than in the water, enjoying the sunshine.

So when I had kids I was (of course) determined to have them be little swimmers too. Don’t you love it when we moms get these hare-brained ideas about how to project our own likes and wants onto our children? Yeeeeeah. Needless to say, I failed on many counts with my rookie baby, Nathan (now three):

1. We went to a lake instead of a pool. Even though we’re in Raleigh, smack dab in the middle of the south, the water was cold. Really cold. Do you know any newborns who like really cold water? Yeah I don’t either. Including Nathan.
2. He was only six weeks old. Old enough to know he doesn’t like cold water, too young to enjoy intentionally splashing in it. This is not the right age to teach a baby all the reasons swimming is rockin’ awesome.
3. We went right between dinner and bedtime. This was before I grasped what every mom (probably since caveman days) knows about the hours between 5pm and 7pm: they are evil. Even as a rookie mom, I should have known better. Needless to say, he wasn’t in a great mood. (I’m stating that as delicately as possible.)
4. I wore a workout racing swimsuit. Which, in case you’re curious, is quite possibly the worst. breastfeeding. outfit. ever. I ended up nursing, basically topless, in the front seat of my car while both Nathan and I soaked through the upholstery. Fail.
5. We went alone. Well, I had a non-mom friend there, but not Daddy. And when your baby is six weeks old, don’t attempt major outings (or major firsts!) without Daddy. It just isn’t worth it.

Baby Nathan hates the water

The result of his rookie swim? He hated it. In case the picture leaves any room for doubt. But the good news is, he was able to put the trauma behind him and now he loves swimming. So, he’s a keeper.

My second child, Anneliese, was born in October. This year is my “take two” of the rookie mom summer. And baby’s first swim went much better this time around:

1. We went to a pool. The water was still cool, but not bone-chillingly so. Also there was a baby pool and splash area. Full of other moms. Let the befriending and playdate-planning commence! Pool > lake, at least for the first swim! (There’s some rookie mom math for you.)
2. Anneliese was just shy of eight months old. Definitely of the age when kicking and splashing are fun. Also, old enough to be distracted from the chilly water by funny faces from her big brother. Also, old enough to look really really really cute in her first swimsuit. And isn’t a cute suit half the fun of the first swim? Drink in the compliments, mommies.
3. We went around lunchtime (AKA before naptime). Some more rookie mom math: Swimming + a “picnic” lunch (baby food in a plastic tub, no glass allowed!) + sunshine = best naptime ever. Works every time. Every time.
4. I wore a cute towel dress cover-up over my swimsuit. It wraps around and velcros in the front, plus has button-on shoulder straps. It’s a dream for breastfeeding at the pool (assuming you don’t want to get topless, which, while totally within your right, might not sound any more fun to you than it does to me). Baby can just tuck in a drink up, and the coverup stays on even when the swimsuit comes down. Sure, you could buy a nursing suit. But, I’m cheap. And my towel dress also hides my baby belly for those times when it’s not experiencing one of those weightless moments underwater.
5. Daddy was there. And an uncle too! Last piece of rookie mom math for the day: outnumbering the kids with grownups is just good sense. Lots of help with feeding, changing, splashing, and playtime.


Baby Anneliese is having a blast with Erin

Swimming is a great way to spend your rookie summer! Beats the heat, wears out the baby , and it can be a great way to meet other new moms! Just… learn from my rookie mistakes, mmkay? And do it right.

Related Rookie Mom Activities:
Activity #96: Go swimming

If you work away from home, odds are good that commuting back is a rushed frenzied time. If that’s true, you’re ruining it! This is prime-mama-alone time.

Take our advice and savor these tiny moments:

• If you’re driving a short distance: sing a song that takes you back in time. Really belt it out.
• If you’re driving a long distance: catch up on an audio book.
• If you’re biking: chill out and breathe.
• If you’re riding public transit (like me now!): zone out with a non-parenting book or music on your iPod.

Relish this gift of alone time and you’ll be a happier mama when you get home. For real. Or you could keep hurrying and cursing and feel totally frazzled again.

See also act the way you want to feel.

Free childcare is a precious thing. I am far too embarrassed to tell you how much money we spend on childcare (beyond preschool) every weekend.

If you are willing to put in some time watching other kids, then swapping babies is a great way to get some childcare.  Also known as a babysitting coop, these arrangements can run the gamut from casual to highly organized.  This picture was taken when Whitney watched my little guy (strapped in) as hers crawled away.

Here are some approaches if you don’t have Whitney for a BFF:

1) Regular “playdates” — With one trusted friend and similar-aged child, select a few hours on one day of the week where you take the kids and then a few hours where she takes the kids.

2) Host a “kid party” — With babies, toddlers, or preschoolers at your place for a Saturday night, several parents can go out for a real dates, and then get a date night in return. Read more details on the Adoptive Families website. The more the merrier, if you’re brave. The time really does pass quickly when you get outnumbered so it’s anything but boring.

3) Make new friends — HiveMoms.com, who sponsored this post, promises that life gets easier when you share childcare.  The website allows you to identify existing babysitting co-ops in your area, or to set up playdates if you’re not ready for the full shebang.  You can even read testimonials from other parents about parents with whom they’ve interacted. Think of it like Match.com for parents and kids. The website also keeps track of who watched the kids (and for how long) so that everyone can benefit equally. [There are some useful tips for getting started and staying active]

Now, go on a date already!

As a mom of five children, Meagan Francis is no rookie. When she launched The Happiest Mom, I invited her to share some of her experience to inspire moms to have more fun during the first years of motherhood.

She offers us some tips and reassurance that happy moms put themselves on top of the priority list. (Advice that I need to hear right about now as I’m juggling a full-time job, sick kids, sick husband, the sniffles, and a carb-free fortnight.)

She writes:

So you’re stuck at home with dropping temperatures and a toddler climbing the walls. Seems like a good time to sign up for that class guaranteed to turn your baby into a musical genius by the age of 3, right?

Not so fast. While activities aimed at the preschool set can be a great way for your child to burn off energy, make new friends, and nurture an interest in a new activity, I believe there has to be something in it for Mom, too.

Yes, moms, I’m giving you a pass. You don’t have to sit through a Mommy and Me music class so boring you want to claw your eyes out. You are not obligated to suffer through story hours that require you, a grown adult, to get up and “shake your sillies out” if you find the prospect so embarrassing you can barely make it through a single silly-shake. There is no need to go into forbearance on your student loan payments so you can start Suzuki violin lessons at the age of 4, unless your child is a prodigy (and let’s face it, parents, fewer kids are prodigies than we well-meaning parents might like to believe). You absolutely, 100% are not required to set up playdates with kids whose parents you find repulsive just because their child and yours had a brief moment of connection on the playground. In short, moms, you are driving this bus, and it’s perfectly OK if you’d rather steer it toward activities you can tolerate, classes you can afford, and kids with parents you actually like.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe we, as parents, have an obligation to guide our kids’ social lives and intellectual development. But when you’re talking about an infant or even a one- or two-year-old, their needs are simple. Kick a ball, play patty-cake, pick a flower—young kids can do all those things without much supervision and without Mom and Dad paying a dime. Sure, kids need time and support to pursue interests and find out what they’re really passionate about. But they’ll have plenty of time for that later—you know, when they can actually speak.

Moms, on the other hand? Our needs are more complex. We’re used to adult conversation and have developed to seek out entertainment that extends beyond watching colorful shapes spin on a mobile. We don’t have a grown-up or two attending to our every need, picking us up when we fall, or rubbing our behinds with powder. Instead, we have to seek our own comfort and stimulation. Parenting is isolating and exhausting and tedious. We’re tired. We’re lonely. We may even—though we are loath to admit it—be a bit bored.

And I think it’s OK if we’re a little selfish when it comes to what we do for fun.

Let’s face it: you and your child are going to have conflicting desires and needs every single day, probably for the rest of your lives. 97% of the time, your child’s needs are going to win out. So when it comes to activities and friendships, I say Mommy gets to choose. Sign your 2-year-old up for art if you find it more tolerable than that pricey toddler music class. Or just listen to music at home while you color. If you’re like me and the idea of putting on a swimsuit and slipping into a frigid pool makes you cringe, by all means put off swimming lessons until they’re old enough to do them without you (at the YMCA, that’s age 3. Not that I would know, or anything…) And it’s perfectly OK to seek out moms you like and set up a time to get together, even if your kids aren’t automatic best friends or even the same age.

Of course, it’s important to watch your kids closely to make sure they’re getting something out of the deal too (or at the very least, aren’t being bullied or mistreated). But don’t limit yourself to seeking out friends with kids whose personality or age seem a perfect complement to your child’s: a two-year-old can play happily with a four-or-five year old under the right circumstances, and both the kids might actually learn something from the interaction.

Small children are, for the most part, easy to please. Give them time and space to move their bodies and raise their voices, a play-based activity (organized or not), and another small person to interact with, and they’ll have a ball. They don’t have to engage with a mini-soulmate at every playdate or train with the most renowned musical instructors before they’re out of Pull-Ups.

Someday—sooner than you might think—your kid will be begging you for hockey equipment and karate lessons. You’ll be roped into PTA committees and booster clubs and find yourself working closely with people you might not have otherwise chosen to spend time with.

Until then, exercise your right to be a little selfish. Choose the activities you can easily afford, the ones you enjoy. Spend your limited time pursuing friendships with other parents you really like, ones you can see yourself staying friends with for the long haul.You need them now, and you’re going to need them later.

And when Mom’s engaged, happy, not stressed over finances, and supported, her kid will be happier. Even if he never sets foot in that acclaimed foreign-language for tots program.

—
Thanks again Meagan. Want more of her? See if you’re bored, then you’re boring. Read her blog. Or check out her book, Table for Eight: Raising a Large Family in a Small-Family World.

Did you know that government assistance programs like food stamps cannot be used for diapers? Also, food banks don’t stock diapers. This means that mothers without the means to pay for the supply of diapers their babies require may be using dirty diapers for more hours or reusing soiled diapers in order to make their supplies stretch farther. Imagine having to choose between food, shelter for the night, or diapers. It’s not easy.

What can you do?

Hold a diaper drive.

Rally your family and friends, your mom’s group or neighbors. More inspiration and instructions can be found courtesy of Help A Mother Out, a small group of women who are working to raise awareness of this issue. They have organized drop-off destinations for diapers in my area.

I am personally pledging to round up 1000 diapers during the month of September to donate to mothers who need them. I will hit up my preschool, my co-workers, and my family. If I can get 25 people to contribute 40 diapers each, I can do it.

Consider holding a diaper drive in your area. Anyone can do it, at any time.

Help A Mother Out provides us with some creative ideas and a toolkit.

• Throw a baby shower for a homeless baby. Invite the girls over for brunch and ask them to bring diapers. Make it fun with baby shower games.
• Host a bake sale. This is a great idea to involve lots of people for little cost, with a great payoff. Use the money to buy diapers!
• Collect loose change. At work you can do this over a period of time. Community groups might choose one month to dedicate to this. Go to Coinstar and redeem 100% of the money for an Amazon.com gift certificate to buy things from wish lists.
• Ask people to go shopping in their own closets. Maybe kids have outgrown a diaper size? Organizations will take individual diapers from an opened package.
• Parties: lots of people are coming together already, why not ask everyone to bring diapers? This is a great idea for baby showers, bridal showers, and kids’ birthday parties.

If you are inspired, I’d love to hear your goal.

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Bay Area drop offs for diapers and pull ups:
Sadie Dey’s Cafe ~ 4210 Telegraph Ave., OAKLAND, CA
Natural Resources ~ 1367 Valencia St SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Baby Buzz ~ 1314 Lincoln Ave, #1A SAN JOSE, CA