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?

When our kids were younger, Heather was a little bit obsessed with putting them to bed at each other’s houses in order to allow us to have nighttime plans with each other. We pulled this off quite a bit when we were rookie moms. With two kids each now, it’s not really worth the hassle; we’re more likely to suck it up and pay for a sitter. Back in the day, however, it was not uncommon for me and Ryan to bring a a Pack and Play to a dinner party and put our baby to bed in our friend’s bedrooms.

When Julian turned two, he started sleeping on a mat at his little preschool. This liberated us from the pack and play, so we’d just bring his jammies and his objects d’securitie (I just invented that expression) and put him to bed anywhere. He is a champion sleeper, so this worked well for us. We went to dinner parties and enjoyed adult company while respecting our kid’s bedtime. Win/Win.

When we left our friend’s houses, we’d carry our sleeping toddler to the car, snap him into his carseat and drive home. He’d usually wake up, look around and ride quietly home where he would fall asleep the second we put him in his crib. Like I said, champion sleeper, and believe me, my second child does not behave this way. So, for those who can pull it off, take advantage!!

Heather, the big advocate of this idea, was once featured in “Be frugal but totally cool,” an article about parents finding ways to use babysitters less. Unfortunately for us, they did not mention our book which includes at least three date night ideas that don’t require sitters. In the picture, she and Alec are entertaining their friends Jeffrey and Ha with a game night, while their kids sleep in their own beds.

Your 43rd weekly challenge is to either entertain at home after your child has gone to bed — or to pack it all up and go out to someone else’s home and execute the  famous  Half-Sleepover Move.

Have you done it?

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.

Whitney ran into my friend Jeanine outside her house. Jeanine was helping her 9-month old daughter, Pepper, touch some furry lavender sticking out from Whitney’s garden, and didn’t realize whose house it was. The girls had been going on a sensory tour of the neighborhood.

Try it yourself to keep the neighborhood walks interesting:

1. Stop and smell the flowers.
2. Lean in so your baby can touch a fuzzy leaf.
3. Look at the bright colors and shadows.
4. Step on crunchy leaves and sticks, rustle paper or candy wrappers (err, I mean Luna Bar).
5. Are you eating or drinking something your baby can share? Squeezable applesauce maybe?

This is your 38th challenge. This baby tour of your block is great preparation for walking with a toddler.

Share your experiences in the comments.

The wonderful thing about an almost-nine-month old is that fabulous head control that just screams “put me in a baby jogger and let’s see how fast this thing can go.”

Thinking about the open road with Daddy

Send your partner out for a short run with the jogging stroller and you can catch up on sleep, phone calls, or reading. Make sure to check with your pediatrician before the first trip for any safety tips. This is your 36th challenge (and you don’t even have to leave your bed)! Love or shove it? Let us know.

I recall the supreme pleasure of sending my husband out for a run with not one baby, but both!! I had a full extra half hour of near-sleep (after loading everyone up and making some mini waffles for the road) and a blissful shower before making pancakes and bacon without anyone crawling up my leg. Yay!

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.

I am assuming that I am not the only rookie mom for whom leaving my child to be put to bed by a babysitter for the first time was scary. My kid never took a bottle, so I pretty much had to be there for a bedtime nursing for the first ten months. This feeling is the opposite of freedom, by the way.

Once your baby is reliably sleeping between 8 pm and midnight or beyond, you can resume the life you used to lead in restaurants and cafes by making dessert dates with girlfriends or your partner. This is the least stressful babysitter situation possible. Pretty much anyone is qualified to lay on your couch and watch TV while you enjoy a short evening outing, right?

Put your baby to bed the way you like. When you are confident he is asleep, head out to any of your favorite restaurants. Order dessert or a drink. Enjoy ambience. Leave.

This is your 31st rookie mom challenge. Let us know when you try it by commenting below or telling us on our Facebook page. Baby too young for this one? Pick a different challenge.

Today’s challenge, your thirtieth, is to discover a family-friendly pub in your area and test it out. Yes, we tried this a few times. Sure, baby Julian made a frat boy of himself and booted the first time. Nobody cared!

You don’t have to compromise on ambiance every time you go out for dinner with your baby. You want a beer after work (or after spending the day alone together), and your baby wants to bang spoons on the table. No problem.

Bars that serve food also service babies. Many of them have noise levels that will enable your family to blend right in. So don’t be afraid: Go to a sports bar or an Irish pub. Pull up a high chair and get rowdy with the rest of the crowd.

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Excerpted from The Rookie Mom’s Handbook. Photo from Greg Neate via flickr.

You probably did nice things to your baby’s room to get it ready for him. How about your own bedroom? Make a small change that will make you happy in your sleeping space. Move a piece of furniture, hang something on the wall, or get rid of a clutter pile. (I didn’t say clean up – just hide it somewhere else!)

Could you put your baby in a bouncy seat so that she can watch you re-arrange your bookshelves?

Every photo of  adult living quarters I considered for this post featured a vase of flowers on the nightstand. If you need an outing, how about to the farmer’s market to select a bouquet? Refreshing your bedroom is our 29th challenge for rookie moms.

Heather and I both painted our bedrooms in honor of this activity. It is one of the biggest impact, lowest cost design changes you can make. Our friend Wendy executed a marvelous makeover of an old typing table with spray paint last week. Check it out:

So what adult furnishings need a little love in your house?

The challenge for the day is to take advantage of a warm afternoon and feed your family outside; it’s time for a family picnic. It is so much easier to clean up Cheerio crumbs when I can just shake my blanket into the grass and leave the rest to the bugs.

I like to keep it simple by splitting planning duties with friends or just hitting the great outdoors with my lunch and my baby:

• Pack up the requisite baby gear during a naptime.
• Pick up your lunch at a favorite deli or take-out joint. In other words, don’t hurt yourself by cooking if you don’t have to.
• Head to your local park or favorite grassy patch with a blanket.
• Enjoy the first-rate free entertainment of light dancing through the leaves and cold, prickly grass. Watching other kids and dogs rounds out the fun. Holden can just sit there and watch a caterpillar (like for 30 whole seconds).

This is your twenty-eighth weekly challenge! Share your successes, attempts and photos with us here or on facebook.

Taking the baby in the pool is both scary and funny.

A kid’s gotta stick his toe into the water at some point, right?

Baby Anneliese is having a blast with Erin

Buy a package of disposable swim diapers or a reusable one, and plan your outing. This is our 27th rookie mom challenge.

If you are alone, think carefully through the logistics of how you are going to change your clothes, change baby, get in the pool, get out of the pool, get on dry stuff and get back in the car. You are not as smart as you used to be and you will probably mess up part of this process and end up walking out to your car in just a bra and towel holding your baby in one arm and a diaper between your teeth. Let me just help you out: Take your stroller with you into the dressing room. That way you have someplace to put the baby, towels, wet bathing suits and diaper bag while you get dry yourself.

This is also a fun activity with a very pregnant friend.

Do you plan to take your baby into the pool this summer? Have you done it already?