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Raising a child is expensive. Raising a child in New York City is ridiculously expensive! But as I just found out, filling your child's closet with great clothes can be a steal and a whole lot of fun! Yep, we just attended our very first swap event, hosted by Red Tricycle Awardee Little Swappies! Here's how it works (or at least how the one we went to on Saturday worked): 1. You pre-register for $20 or you pay $25 at the door, and you have to bring at least 5 items to donate (children's or maternity clothes, books, and/or toys). 2. You get to the event (doors opened at 10am), sign in, give the items you're donating to a staff member, and are handed one ticket and a huge tote bag which you will fill up during the swap (only get stuff for your kids now - no hoarding for their whole childhood!!). You print your name on the ticket and peruse the table of various raffle prizes, putting your ticket in the box for the prize you want. They had really great prizes from a ton of vendors (see photo below). It was a hard decision, but I put my ticket in the Kidz Central Station box for 1 month free Gymboree classes (P.S. I actually won!!!).  3. You've got some time to kill since the swap doesn't start until 11:15am, but no worries! There are loads of vendors stationed around telling you about their cool products, new apps, handing out freebies, etc!  You could even get your stroller cleaned for free by CleanBeeBaby. The wait was long, but actually it was like cleaning and stroller check in one. I filled out the stroller tag and left our stroller there, strapping Kenzo on for the rest of the event figuring the stroller would be too cumbersome to deal with during the chaos of the actual swap anyway!  Stroller parking waiting for their free cleaning by CleanBeeBaby!  He fell asleep soon after taking this photo, and slept through the rest of the swap! haha! 4. 11:15 am came around, everyone was lined up at the door chomping at the bit. I felt like I was at Filene Basement's annual wedding dress blowout!! My adrenaline was pumping! haha!! Doors opened, and everyone scurried to the table of the age and sex they were looking for. The room was laid out really well - it was huge and had boys stuff in the back row and girls stuff in the front row with toys and books and maternity gear at one end. Each table was for a different age group. I headed straight to the boys' 7-12 months table and started pillaging through the clothes. There were several other moms at MY table, but no one was aggressive or anything. Literally within about 5 minutes the table was bare save 3 or 4 random onesies that no one wanted (leftover clothes are donated to a different charity after each swap). I have to admit I then moved on to the next size up table, cheating?? I then headed to the toy/book section which was already picked over pretty well but I still found a few fun items! Here's a photo maybe 10 minutes into the swap, it's more or less over (well, I was done anyway, otherwise I wouldn't have wasted time to stop and take a photo LOL):  5. Now your bag is filled, you go pick your nice and clean stroller up, and wait for the raffle to be held at 12 noon. Some of the vendors have snacks, and there was free Starbucks coffee - HELLO!! I actually was talking to some of my Mommy Nearest friends and missed the raffle, but luckily enough they print your name on a poster and contact you afterward if you won! How nice! So, I know you're all dying to see... Here is my Little Swappies Swap Loot!!!  I know - we made a killing!!! I LOVE LITTLE SWAPPIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will never shop retail again, haha!!
 
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We were at the pediatrician yesterday for Kenzo's 9 month checkup and were asked by the nurse if we wanted to schedule a vision test for him. Huh? What? She explained that there is a vision test, not covered by insurance of course, that can detect a bunch of things such as lazy eye. My answer? "I'm going to have to look into that. Thank you". Here's the flyer they had up in the office:  Next I went to the Spot Vision Screening website. They use a machine that looks like a camera. From 1 meter away and in just seconds, this machine can supposedly detect the following:
 My first reaction is, what's the point of knowing if your baby has any of those things? They just want my hard earned $25. Then, if they do find something abnormal, it means off to a specialist for all kinds of tests and worries and is this really necessary at such a young age?? That said, I do worry about Kenzo's future vision. My husband has perfect vision and no issues there whatsoever. I on the other hand have some interesting vision issues. First, I have one eye that is nearsighted and one eye that is farsighted. Every vision test in elementary school ended in me crying because the nurse is saying I'm lying that I see an eye doctor and he says my eyes are just fine the way they are. They'd send me home with a note and my mom would have to follow up supporting my prior pleas and telling them they're idiots. Also, both me and my father have lazy eye. Mine was treated in many ways as a young child - eye patch, daily torturous eye exercises, and finally when all else failed surgery at the ripe age of 6. That didn't fix it either, not long term anyway, and to this day my right eye wanders if I get super tired or if I choose to freak someone out, haha, yes, I've learned to turn it out on cue - what a fun party trick eh?! With my history, I fail to find the benefit of learning whether or not my 9 month old baby has lazy eye... I know some eye problems can continue to get worse and even result in blindness or other terrible things if not treated with exercise or surgery. But I'm thinking if we find an issue now there is nothing we can do about it for another few years. So, I'd rather spend that time not knowing there is a problem. Am I being ignorant here? If anyone has some insightful info to share, please do so with a comment below!!
I can't believe my little guy has now been growing outside of my tummy as long as he was growing inside - happy 9 months to my baby Kenzo!!! At 3/4 of a year old, he has 4 teeth, loves to walk (with 1 or 2 hands assisting him), can stand unassisted for up to 20 seconds or so, loves to play "Find Mommy" (both the peek a boo variety and also crawling from one room to another towards mommy's silly voice), loves blowing VERY wet raspberries, and has just started to wave and clap sporadically. He's also just had his first illness - a very mild cold.  Time for some reflection :) Inside or Outside, which was... Easier: Inside More fun: Outside Faster: Outside More physically exhausting: Inside (and the process of coming outside, haha) More mentally exhausting: Outside More stressful on the marriage: Outside More worrisome / Google Search inducing: Both! More rewarding: Outside  I loved my pregnancy. I had a pretty easy one, thankfully. Other than extreme nausea from weeks 5-14, a couple of short bouts with back pain (because I cleaned the house too vigorously!), and minor sleeping discomfort toward the end, it was a really fun period of bonding with my husband, growing our little one, and enjoying the road toward parenthood! That said, nothing beats actually having your baby in your arms and watching him grow physically and mentally. Seeing him explore the world, laugh, and even cry - it's priceless!! It's hard work, don't get me wrong. It's exhausting physically and mentally, and will have you worrying about every single thing possible. But if you have the right support system, nothing beats being a mommy. NOTHING! Not even going at a tub of Nutella and sipping cocktails while being massaged on a tropical beach. Though, that does sound pretty damn nice right about now... ^_^ 
My almost 9 monther has 4 teeth and knows how to use them. Thankfully he's not biting people (yet), but his crib isn't quite so lucky...  I was upset to see the damage, but more so about what he's ingesting as he's gnawing away at the wood and varnish! So, off I went in search of crib rail covers. There are many choices on the market, and as always, I did my research!!  Kidkusion Gummi Crib Rail: A plastic cover that sticks onto your crib. Nice idea, but apparently it leaves a residue on the crib if you ever try to take it off. So, it's pretty much on there for life or until junior peels it off for you. ha!  Leachco Easy Teether: This one velcros on and they have little velcro loops that you can strap toys onto, which seems cool. The negatives: some reviews say young children learn to pull the covers off easily - little velcro strips are no match for a determined baby or toddler! Also, they come in white, brown, or green. Not cute at all. I actually got one from a friend and have it on our back rail. It's doing fine so far, but if you ask me, it looks like a straight jacket for a crib! haha!  Trend Lab Crib Wrap: This is similar to Leachco's except this one has ties instead of velcro. I think my little one would be very enticed by the ties and eat/pull at them endlessly. They have more color options than Leachco, but all solids and not especially interesting.  Raincoast Baby Crib Rail Covers: This is the one I ultimately went with and I have to be honest about the reason: THEY ARE FREAKING CUTE!!!!!! Tons of fun patterns to choose from :) They attach with cute Paddington Bear style buttons. More on these crib rail covers below... Raincoast Baby has 13 gorgeous crib rail cover patterns to choose from, which was a seriously tough decision!!  We finally decided on the "doodle paisley" pattern and here's the set laid out on our floor (3 pieces: 2 side covers and 1 long front cover):  The buttons made "installation" super easy - I literally had the covers on the crib ready to go in under 2 minutes. Here's Kenzo testing out the covers:    My thoughts? I love my Raincoast Baby Crib Rail Covers! Not only do they keep baby from chewing on the crib rails, but they're nice and stylish too! We never did the whole bedding set thing, so it's fun to have some decor on the crib for once! I just need to get some crib sheets to coordinate now :) The only slightly negative thing is that they're very thick (which is great for baby - protecting the crib rails from his teeth and protecting baby's head and mouth from bumps!) but it makes getting the mattress out of the crib a bit of an extra effort. Still, I was able to do it without removing the covers, so no big deal! So, if you're looking for a functional AND stylish way to protect your crib rails and your baby, Raincoast Baby Crib Rail Covers are the way to go! Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
Remember all of the postcards laying around at your OBGYN or midwife's office? The advertisements peppered through every pregnancy magazine? Cord blood banking has become a BIG business in the baby world. I honestly didn't give it much thought or put any time into researching my options, just shrugging it off as a luxury insurance policy for rich people's kids. I'm now second guessing my decision, not just about banking for my family but also for not donating. But of course, it's too late this time around >_< Anyway, enough about me, I'm here to introduce you to LifebankUSA, the only company that offers cord blood, placenta blood and tissue banking -- and the first to release placenta-derived stem cells for a successful transplant. Based in New Jersey, LifebankUSA is a technological leader that is pioneering key medical innovations in the field. Owned by the Celgene Corporation, a world-class biopharmaceutical company, LifebankUSA also operates a robust donation program and collects cells from anywhere in the US for use primarily in advancing medical research.  Through cord blood banking, you can collect and preserve potentially lifesaving stem cells, and doing so could one day save the life of your child or a blood relative. You can bank even more stem cells by collecting them from 2 usable sources of stem cell-rich blood: the umbilical cord and the placenta. This service is called Placental and Cord Blood Banking, and it's available only from LifebankUSA. Whether you choose Placental and Cord Blood Banking or Cord Blood Banking alone, there are many important reasons to choose LifebankUSA. The ability of stem cells to save lives via cord blood banking has proven successful for replacing abnormal or diseased cells, and treating life-threatening blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. In fact, since 1988 stem cell transplants have been used to treat some 80 diseases. When you bank with LifebankUSA, tissue banking (tissue from the placenta) is included for free (though storage fees apply after the first year). Placental tissue contains mesenchymal cells (MSCs) and MSC-like cells. While stem cells found in cord blood and placenta blood have been used to successfully treat patients, there are currently no approved uses for stem cells derived from the umbilical cord or placenta tissue. Possible therapeutic applications are in early research stages and LifebankUSA's parent company is actively involved in their development. LifebankUSA will store the placenta tissue for you as part of a complete banking package using cryogenic tanks for long-term preservation. In the event your baby's tissue cells are ever needed for future therapies, the tissue may then be processed and cultured using available technology at that time (clients will be responsible for the cost of shipping the tissue and any culturing or expansion of the cells). Tissue banking is just one more layer of protection and peace of mind offered by LifebankUSA. I know expecting parents already have a million things to research and think about, but why not add placental and cord blood banking or donation onto your list? LifebankUSA wants to give parents the chance to win one of the hottest baby items, the 4Moms mamaRoo. With the LifebankUSA mamaRoo Facebook contest (9/11 - 10/31/2013), TWO 4Moms mamaRoos (valued at $260 each) will be given away in a random drawing from entrants in this Facebook contest. The mamaRoo bounces up and down and sways from side to side, just like parents do when comforting their babies. It plays soothing nature sounds and has the option of plugging in your own MP3 player. Click here (or the banner below) for your chance to win the baby item that is on EVERY expectant Mom’s baby shower registry! This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. By entering the contest, you understand that you are providing your information to LifebankUSA and not to Facebook.  Sponsored Post Disclosure: I do my best to provide accurate and informative information through my blog but am only human and cannot be held responsible for the occasional oversight or being one-sided, outdated, or incorrect (yikes, I hope not, but please comment if I ever am!!). Opinions are my own and not swayed by compensation of any kind. This was a sponsored post, but I limit such posts to companies that meet my moral standards and I feel I can really stand behind (hey, I'm not a sell out!). Take my posts with a grain of salt and please be sure to do your research to come to your own informed decision for anything regarding you and your baby!
I should be thankful we made it almost 9 months without baby having even the slightest of illnesses. Don't get me wrong, I am. And now that he's come down with his first cold, they tell me it's a good thing - baby is building his immune system up! Well, I guess I can get on board with that? But you know what? I wish my baby would never get sick, like EVERRRRRRRR! He doesn't deserve to suffer. Who does? And he's breastfed, isn't that supposed to mean he'll live illness free for his entire life? Not even a sniffle, right? Oh yeah, and he'll be a genius and build much more satisfying and secure personal relationships. Hmph I guess breast milk is not ALL it's cracked up to be (it's still pretty damn awesome though!). Kenzo came down with a wicked case of the sniffles in the middle of the night last night. He was snorting and making all kinds of racket, waking up what seemed like every hour upon the hour. It was super fun, let me tell you! When he wakes up in the night (3+ times a night for the last 4 months, geeeez), I usually just pull him out of his crib, spin around, toss him in the middle of our bed (yes, his crib is in our bedroom since it's the ONLY bedroom in our apartment!), stick my boob in his mouth, and we're all off to lala land in about 5 minutes. But last night, he was so stuffed up and snotty he wouldn't even take my boob. Poor guy!! So, this morning it was off to my local/online mommy group for advice on helping little one (and me) get through his first cold. Here are some of the things that I was advised to run out and get:  1) Saline - you can spray it up the nose to moisten and help with congestion. Same idea as the neti pot I suppose, but you can't exactly get a baby to cooperate with the neti pot. You can't get me to cooperate with one either!! It was also recommended to use saline with a nebulizer, which I have borrowed from a friend but have yet to try.  2) The Baby Vac is a nasal aspirator that hooks up to your vacuum to give you some major suction power. Apparently it's sold at our doctor's office. Unfortunately our vacuum is ridiculously loud, and I fear between that and the suctioning, I will traumatize Kenzo for life!!  3) The Nose Frida is another nasal aspirator, but this one is powered by your own mouth!! Can i get a "EWWWWWWWWWW GROSSSSSS!!!!"?? Yeah, that's how I feel, but apparently those who use it swear by it!! I can only imagine the sensation as you're sucking the boogies out of your munchkin's nose. I know they get trapped in a little container and don't have a chance of actually making it to your mouth, but still, I just can't be convinced about this one!  4) The electronic nasal aspirator seems to be the perfect combo between the vacuum powered (too loud and also you have to lug out the vacuum and have it just sitting at the changing table taking up valuable real estate) and the mouth-powered Nose Frida. Unfortunately, reviews don't look so good - mostly saying they're weak and can't even suck water out of a glass. Hmmm... I might give this one a try, making sure about the return policy first!  5) A humidifier. We already have this one, but have yet to use it. I wonder if the reason Kenzo was such a snorting and grunting sleeper as a newborn was because our apartment was so darn dry. But I worry about using a humidifier because if it's not 100% clean - the device and the water - you're all inhaling the mold or bacteria or whatever else is in there. Scary... but I reckon emptying and cleaning it daily with a natural cleaner (maybe vinegar?) should be safe enough. Will have to give this a try. I've also increased our feeding sessions since the goodies in my milk can only help him fight this off. I know ear infections are quite common to accompany a cold, but Kenzo has always been an ear puller so I don't know if I'd notice the signs! And about fever... I don't know if I have the mom gene where you can just kiss your child's forehead and know they have a fever. Sometimes he feels cool, sometimes hot, but anytime I've ever taken his temp it's always been the same. I guess you go by how they're acting as well? So far, Kenzo is pretty much his same old self today - playing, whining, crawling and cruising around looking for trouble! ^_^ Hopefully he conquers this cold without much trouble!! It's really weird because when adults are sick, we usually go about our daily lives and regular schedule as usual unless we are feeling especially crappy. But with a baby, you pretty much have to cancel everything for the next week or two because they can't control their coughing, sneezing, drooling, and general ability to infect all those around them, especially other babies. So, this is looking to be a pretty lonely week of quarantine!! But at least I have this adorable dude to hang with!! 
In honor of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 15-21), Safety 1st will be giving away a car seat right here folks. That's right!! Just enter through the rafflecoptor box at the bottom of this post - the winner will have their choice of 3 top rated car seats from Safety 1st!! But first... let's talk a little about child passenger safety... Did you know...
Scary stuff right? Apparently the government thinks so too. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the goal of Child Passenger Safety week is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly securing their children (ages 0-12) in the best car restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster, seat belt) for their age and size. Here's a quick 2 minute video by Julie Vallese, Consumer Safety Expert at Safety 1st, giving some helpful tips on how to properly use a car seat: And now on to the fun stuff!!! Safety 1st will give one car seat to the lucky winner of US-Japan Fam's Child Passenger Safety Week Giveaway. The winner will have his or her choice from the following three awesome products:  Safety 1st Elite 80 3-in-1 Car Seat The Elite 80 works in rear-facing mode for babies up to 40 pounds, then converts to forward-facing with harness, but features an extended weight range to keep children safely in harness all the way to 80 pounds. In its 3rd mode, the Elite 80 goes beyond the traditional convertible seat to convert into a belt-positioning booster car seat for children up to 100 pounds. Additionally Air Protect + combines the advanced protection of our Air Protect® cushion system with patented GCell HX™ foam designed with hexagonal shapes for 100% full body production.  Safety 1st Advance 70 Air+ This convertible car seat was inspired by race car drivers. Air Protect+ combines Safety 1st Air Protect® Technology with GCell HX™ - hexagonal rebounding foam used in the body of the car seat to protect the child from the multiple hits that occur in crashes. Coupled with this is the placement of Air Protect® Technology which takes crash forces away from a child’s head. This technology was developed in partnership with racecar engineers at Bald Spot Sports and INDY Car Driver Scott Dixon to better understand the energy dynamics a high performance driver faces in the event of a crash.  Safety 1st BoostAPak Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat The BoostAPak is designed to help keep kids in boosters longer, as it’s often hard to get an older child to stay in his or her booster seat. This booster seat also doubles as a backpack! For children 4 to 7 years old, booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to seat belts alone. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). Additionally, the AAP recommends children ride in boosters until the age of 12 or 57 inches; but only 13% of children 54-56 inches tall ride on one (NHTSA) I hope this post has inspired you to double or triple check that your car seats are installed correctly and that you are properly securing your child for the safest journey possible! Happy Travels and good luck in the giveaway!! Enter here: The winner will be contacted on October 1 by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Once confirmed, the winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter :)
Are you often up changing your baby's sheets in the middle of the night because baby's pee has managed to escape the diaper? Have to carry around several backup outfits because baby always manages a blowout while you're out and about? My first suggestion would be to make sure you're using the right size diaper and the right brand for your baby (check out Miny Moe 6-brand diaper samplers to try them all out!). My next suggestion would be to check out Melzy Baby, baby! Melzy Baby's products speak for themselves and have got the best names, like, ever!! Meet the Blowout Blocker:   and the Soaker Stopper:   I haven't had a chance to try these out on my lil' guy yet, so I can't vouch for them personally. We're past the blowout stage, or at least I hope so! One of those Blowout Blockers would have been AWESOME a few months ago!!! You can get one of these gems on their website today, or you can enter my Baby Bonanza Giveaway for a chance to win your choice of the Blowout Blocker or Soaker Stopper as well as 10 other awesome baby products ($250 value jackpot!). Enter here (ends 9/18)!
I've been wearing my baby since he was about 2 weeks old. I had 3 different carriers handed down to me: two of which I never figured out how to properly use, and 1 which we've loved using for the past 8 months. I love it, but that's not to say it has it's issues. Mostly that it's a bit bulky to carry with me for the just-in-case situation in which little one is screeching in the stroller and needs to be held, and also that it takes a bit of effort to wrap and tie on. Not to mention every time my husband wears it, little one ends up sagging down further and further until he has to be hoisted up and carrier retied.
So, yes, I'm always on the look out for child carriers that address above issues and was so excited to come across Bitybean child carrier recently. When they say that it's "ultralight and portable" they are not kidding!! Look at this thing packed up, weighing in at all of 8 ounces, ready to easily slide into your diaper bag: 
So, it's ridiculously light weight and portable - check! But is it comfortable?? Hubby and I had to give it a good test run...
Here are the boys showing off the back-carry position (suitable for babies over 6 months and under 40 pounds), ready for a walk through the mean streets of Brooklyn!
Me and Kenzo using the front-carry position, suitable for babies over 3 months, from 8-25 pounds.
Never having worn a buckle carrier before, I was really curious as to how it would do. I'm not gonna lie, I did my best to get baby in the back-carry position by myself and was a hot sweaty mess before I finally had to give up and ask hubby for help. Maybe after baby can stand on his own it'll be doable? The front carry position was easy peasy, MUCH quicker than my current tie-system carrier (and less dirty because none of the straps are long enough to hit the ground!!). It's also much cooler because it's such a leightweight nylon and mesh material (not to mention quick drying - great for a beach trip!).
I took my 20 pounder for a 30 minute stroll around the neighborhood and it was so comfortable! Seriously!! No aching shoulders - the weight is distributed well between the shoulder and waist straps (full disclosure, I'm a regular baby wearer; someone wearing their child for the first time might not find it ache free until their body and muscles get used to it). Not a pinch or a rub or any issues whatsoever! Kenzo was happy as could be, snug as a bug in a rug. Of course, he always loves being worn!! You can see the Bitybean is very supportive for baby's legs/hips/spine, distributing weight out to the knees (or nearly) rather than leaving them hanging with all weight on the spine and hips in an unnatural position (such as some popular carriers which I will not name). 
The next day I had to venture into The City by myself, which is always an adventure since the New York City MTA is so completely stroller and wheelchair unfriendly. None of the subway stops I'd be using had an elevator or escalator, so I usually just wear baby all day when I go in by myself. But as you can imagine, this is so tiring - carrying a 20 pound baby and 5+ pound diaper bag. Agh!! But Bitybean, being so tiny it fits into my diaper bag, gave me an idea!!! We took our stroller, then I quickly put Kenzo into the carrier when we reached the subway, and I just bumped the stroller (now super light without baby inside) down the stairs to the train! It worked just as easily coming up out of the subway. No more stress of having to ask someone to help me with the stroller. No more being super exhausted after a whole day of walking around wearing my baby. HOORAH!!! Bitybean has cured me of my dread of taking mass transit alone with my baby!! THANK YOU BITYBEAN!!!
You can buy a Bitybean on Amazon today for $59.95, or you can enter to win one along with 10 other awesome baby products in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway ending September 18, 2013 - enter HERE!!
Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
Burp cloths have a dirty job to do, but who says they can't be cute? Certainly not BlueStitchBaby!! Candace, a stay at home mom to a 17 month old boy and a second lil' one due to arrive next month, has taken her love of sewing and knitting to the next level by opening up her Etsy shop where she sells adorable quilts, burp cloths, leg warmers, and blankets. This adorable and incredibly soft set of 5 flannel and minky backed burp cloths (10x17") is one of 11 awesome baby products ($250 value) up for grabs in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway ending September 18. Go here to enter today!!  Care: These burp clothes can be machine washed and tumble dried low, but minky should not be ironed. Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
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About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, saving moms time finding the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! 
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