To be honest, I thought this was a joke when I heard about it. Sadly, I am wrong and this is very very real. Yup, reality TV has struck again. Usually I don’t care about whats happening on TV these days, but this new NBC reality show, which has parents giving up their babies to 5 teenage couples made me do a triple take. Apparently, as the show goes on, these same couples will go from caring for babies, then toddlers, pre-teens, teens, and finally senior citizens.

The show is named “Baby Borrowers” and it aired tonight, June 25th at 8/7 C. I missed it. But I’m sure millions tuned in. I for one, would never give up my baby for a reality show or anything that could potentially place my baby in danger. You know that feeling you get one someone is holding your baby? that “please don’t drop my baby” feeling. Well, I can’t imagine what I would feel in a situation like this.

If anyone tuned in, please let me know what you thought of the show. I’m really curious to see if any good could come from what I think is a bad idea.

Read the Baby Borrowers Article from ABC

As I was hanging around the house with my 2 year old little boy, we took the time to watch 123 It’s a Fruity ABC from Knowknowledge. This DVD aims to give kids an early lesson of the alphabet with fruits and vegetables as animated characters. Each lesson is based on synthetic phonics along with vivid colors and funny sounds/songs.

I’ve never really seen animated characters entirely put together using pieces of fruits and veggies, but my son certainly found it entertaining. And I would imagine that in addition to teaching kids the alphabet, the bright colors and fun shapes promote a healthy diet as well.

Overall, this is a really fun DVD for young children - It’s bright and colorful, and the unique style of characters made entirely from fruit and vegetables is truly fun to watch.

Approx. 40min | $29.99 (via Amazon.com)

What’s this? A DVD that claims to show parents the “off switch” for their baby’s crying. This DVD, The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, claims just that. Most of us have tried numerous “techniques” to calm our baby to no avail. And of course we’ve all dealt with the many sleepless nights as well.

The DVD features step-by-step instructions by Dr. Karp, on how to “switch on” their baby’s powerful calming reflex. Dr. Karp has been featured on Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, and has even taught classes at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. His tips and techniques are based on research and facts and have been know to work. That’s music to any parents ears; to know there is a solution to sleepless nights or uncontrollable crying.

The DVD also contains 3 bonus chapters:

1) Dr. Karp answers questions submitted by parents about calming babies.

2) A Spanish dubbed audio track of the entire 38 minute teaching video.

3) 3 tracks of calming white-noise sound to help sooth and relax your baby

After doing my own research on this and reading numerous reviews and testimonials it’s clear that the instructions in this DVD work. There is a great FAQ on The Happiest Baby on the Block website that should answer a lot of questions any parents may have. I can’t wait to try the 5 S’s on my little one. Happy parenting.

I have an important announcement. I’m a tech geek. Show me a new toy or gadget and I’m drawn to it like a mosquito to a bug zapper. What makes things worse is that now that my little boy is getting older, I get to let me “geekiness” overflow into the things I can buy him.

Lets be honest, there’s no denying that technology is everywhere. So I wasn’t truly surprise me when I saw how it applied to the baby and child product market. And I know you may be thinking - “there’s no way a kid would really need techy stuff so early on.” And that may be true. But, that doesn’t mean these things aren’t great to have!

Here are some of my top picks:

Intellicot Cot from Cencio (Price Unknown)
Intellicot will rock your baby to sleep, keep your baby cool or warm with automatic temperature control sensors, and help you keep an eye on your baby with its built-in video montors as well as lift your baby up to meet you in an effort to reduce back strain while taking the baby out of the crib or changing a diaper.

*Intellicot will first be available in the UK and Europe, and the designers hope to expand their new business worldwide within the next few years.

Bebe Sounds Remote Fever Monitor ($15)
If you’re baby has ever been sick, you know how important it is to monitor your baby’s temperature. This can be a huge hassle for an already sick and cranky child who needs sleep. This gadget clips to the front of their diaper and sounds an alarm if your baby’s temperature goes above the temperature you preset.

VTech KidiArt Studio ($79.99)
I love to draw. I always have and I only hope my son will feel the same way as he gets older, especially since it would give me the opportunity to get him things like this!

The VTech KidiArt Studio has a built-in digital camera so kids can create their very own masterpieces or edit images of family and friends, and then display them directly on TV. Plus, there are tons of activities such as art lessons and play with wacky effects to personalize their artwork.

It goes for about $80, which is a pretty good price for high-tech toy for your little artist.

Wild Planet ATV-360 ($129.95)
It’s a remote-controlled video car that can climb over obstacles (such as piles of dirty laundry) and inspect enemy territory - need I say more? Why are still reading, go get one!

Did I mention that it then wirelessly transmits audio and video back to the driver? I’m not sure if my boy will be into army soldiers and remote control cars, but I know I am. So either way, when the Wild Planet ATV-360 comes out in August, rest assured that it will be cruising around my house - solely for reviewing purposes of course.

Every set of parents or parent-to-be that I know have their own ideas about what they feel are “must have” products, and changing tables always seem to be 50/50 amongst the people I have spoke to. Some parents think they’re a waste of space - while others think that they wouldn’t be able to live without one.

I’ll be honest, when we were decorating our baby’s room I thought that a matching crib, dresser and changing table was the it had to be. Plus, the idea of always having a designated and prepped changing area sounded great! But after spending about $200 and later realizing that when the time comes, you’ll change a baby whenever and wherever you have to (couch, bed, floor, etc,) a simple $15 dollar waterproof changing pad works fine.

Understandably, every parent-to-be will make their own decision, but I’m curious - does the idea and convenience of a changing table outweigh the cost and extra space?

Let us know what you think.

As the time comes for your baby to go home for the first time, there are plenty of things that go through your mind: Do I have everything I need? Is the house prepared? Did we forget anything that the baby will need? Will I ever sleep again?

With the exception of the last one - in which the answer is “No,” I ended up being quite surprised at the small amount of things that we actually used the first week or so.

Don’t get the wrong idea, every baby is different and some may require more than others, but for the most part, you can run down this checklist of items for your baby’s first week (or so) at home.

Clothing

• 5-10 onesies, but this really depends on how often you want to do laundry
• 5-7 baby sleepers or nightgowns
• 1 cold weather sleeper (depending on the climate)
• 5-7 pairs of baby socks
• 1-2 newborn hats (depending on the climate)

Diapers and Bath Items

• Theres no real limit to the number diapers you can have - buy a lot. You can always exchange unopened packs for larger sizes later on.
• Waterproof pad for diaper changes
• 3-5 baby washcloths (again, this depends on your laundry schedule)
• 1-2 hooded towels, if desired. Adult towels will work, too.
• 1 bottle of gentle baby wash and shampoo
• Baby nail clippers and nail file
• Digital thermometer

Bedding and Feeding

• 3-4 fitted sheets for crib, cradle, cosleeping bassinet or traditional bassinet
• 5-7 lightweight blankets
• 1-2 heavier blankets (depending on the climate)
• 10 burp cloths
• 5-8 bottles (if you’re bottle feeding)
• A Breastfeeding pillow (if desired)

That’s pretty much it! Although, I would recommend a baby swing. It may not be a “necessity,” but it certainly was worth it a number of times when you’re too tired to stand up let alone rock your baby back to sleep.

Thats not to say that there are tons of baby products out there that can make a parent’s life easier, but for those on a money and/or space restrictions, most of these things are wants, not needs.

As new parents, one of the questions you may have is whether you need to wash your babys clothes in special detergent? I know that for the first 9 or 10 months, we washed all my sons clothes with Dreft because we didnt want to use the “normal” detergent on his clothes and blankets. But that was merely personal preference.

It really boils down to your own personal preference, family history and any skin reactions after your baby arrives. As it stands, most of the special detergents are different in the sense that they are scent free and use fewer ingredients that may be likely to irritate sensitive skin. Although some of these detergents have a light scent to them that can be described as that “class baby” smell.

On the other hand, you can certainly wash your baby’s clothes in regular detergent, but keep an eye out and make sure your baby doesn’t have any allergic reactions or skin irritation afterwards.

There is currently a class action lawsuit against Playtex Products because of the use of bisphenol A (BPA). The suit claims that “Playtex failed to adequately disclose that its plastic bottle products are formulated using BPA.”

There’s been some discussion regarding some “concern” about BPA from experiments on animals, which leads people to believe that there could be possible effects on humans - hence the lawsuit.

Since there is no REAL evidence to support either argument, I guess it’s just better to use your own judgment. Personally, If I knew there were (potentially) harmful chemicals used to make my child’s bottle, I wouldn’t use it. But the again, my son seems to like Avent bottles regardless of any other type we give him, so in the end - he’’s the boss!

Simmons Kids Crib Mattresses
June 5, 2008 - About 20,000 Simmons Kids crib mattresses are recalled because some mattresses can measure less than the 27-1/4″ minimum width standard for cribs, and could allow a child to become entrapped. Pottery Barn Kids by Simmons Kids Lullaby, Simmons Kids Slumber Time Evening Star Luxury Firm, Simmons Kids Baby Mattress Series 400 and Simmons Kids Baby Mattress 234 Coil Count are possibly affected.

View model numbers, manufacture dates and instructions for measuring the mattress.

Wendy Bellissimo Hidden Hills Cribs
June 5, 2008 - About 550 Wendy Bellissimo Hidden Hills cribs sold at Babies R Us are recalled because spindle spacing may not meet federal standards and could allow a child to become entrapped. Only cribs in Navajo pine finish with model #5446-0521 printed on the bottom headboard rail are recalled.

Call 866-618-5446 for info.

Mini Chef Toy Kitchens
June 5, 2008 - About 65 Mini Chef toy kitchens sold at BabyStyle are recalled because the pegs supporting the oven and refrigerator shelves can come out, posing a choking hazard. The kitchens also can tip over, posing a risk of injury.

Stop using the toy and call 877-378-9537 for store credit.

Toy Cell Phones
May 28, 2008 - About 1 million Little Tikes toy cell phones are recalled because the plastic hinge cover can detach, posing a choking hazard. The flip-style toy phones have buttons with numbers and animal pictures on them. Toy phones with a screw visible on the hinge cover are not included in the recall.

Call 888-620-0930 for a replacement.

Read more about Latest Infant and Child Product Recalls

I’m glad I started using these wipes and I’m never going back to anything else. My boy is glad too, I can tell by the look on his face when I use them on him. That, ‘you’re the best dad, these wipes are amazing!’ look.

First, they are way better for your child and the environment than standard baby wipes. I never imaged I would be helping the environment and making the world a safer place all while wiping my baby’s bum which by the way won’t suffer any skin irritations from these wipes. Don’t believe me? Below is some more information directly from the manufacturer:

Product Features:

• Natural baby wipes don’t contain synthetic ingredients
  that may irritate baby skin
• Chlorine-free whitening process eliminates chlorinated
  hydrocarbons from harming the environment
• Contains aloe vera, Vitamin E, and water for natural
  moisturization
• Contains no alcohol or fragrances
• Saves natural resources and makes the world a safer place

Other things I noticed about these wipes: They are smooth, very moist, and thick. So you actually can feel that these are quality wipes. There are refills available as well, since the plastic container is reusable. There is also a very convenient travel pack available for mommies and daddies on the go.

Visit www.seventhgeneration.com for more info and other Seventh Generation Products