The last couple of weeks with our new resident Pee Master have been marvelous. And Laurel recently surprised us by making a couple of unexpected solid deliveries into the toilet.

It’s only a couple of data points, but we’re wondering whether our “play it cool” approach is contributing to the ease of this new development. Despite Laurel’s clear preference to use a diaper for pooping, we decided to simply continue to offer a choice of diaper or potty when she needs to poop, assuming she’d come around at some point (plus, it’s all about having choice with her). This process has worked really well; it seems to provide some practice thinking about bodily control, and has helped avoid soiled underpants, potty regression, and constipation (from not wanting to let go in the potty).
We’ve also extended the play it cool approach to the recent instances where Laurel unexpectedly started pushing after a pee. While quietly elated at the prospect of retiring our Diaper Champ, I just continued to read books with her so she would stay relaxed and keep trying. When she finished, I said “Good for you!” (our typical potty verbiage) and she was excited to check out her work and then say goodbye to it. I was too.

Good things can happen when a mom and daughter put their heads together.

Susan Slatmyer and Shaughna Giracca, the mother-daughter team behind Susie’s Swaddlers, found that while swaddling was a powerful means to achieve nighttime infant sleep, babies outgrow traditional 30” blankets well before they outgrow the need to be swaddled. The crafty response to this need evolved into Susie’s Swaddlers. Simple in concept but spectacular in effect, these 43” square, extra large receiving blankets are made to order from soft 100% cotton flannel in singles ($15) or 3-pack gift sets ($40) for boys, girls, or unisex.

And once your swaddling days are over, these blankets serve well in the stroller, crib, or car seat, or as a play mat in the yard or at the beach.

Our friends Andrew & Nooshi always have the coolest gadgets, so it’s no surprise that they introduced us to an amazingly innovative childproofing system.

The Rev-A-Shelf Rev-A-Lock system ($29.95 at SafeBeginnngs.com; includes 5 locks, 2 keys, installation screws, and instructions) is the perfect solution for cabinets (or drawers) with standalone handles (i.e., adjacent handle loop latches won’t work). This lock system is based on a powerful magnet; it’s impossible to open doors or drawers even a crack when the system is engaged, preventing pinched little fingers. The lock disengages when the magnetic key is positioned over the lock installation area, and snaps back into the locked position when the key is removed. Once the lock system is no longer needed, just flip the red disengage bar on the back of the lock.

Your babe will be happy to head to school with this super cute Fairfax Pre-School Backpack ($19) from Pottery Barn Kids. The wraparound alligator or elephant pattern is appliquéd, adjustable shoulder straps are padded for comfort, and hanging loops go well on a hook or the backpack easily stows in a cubby. Add your babe’s name or initials for $6. Measures 11 x 3 x 12" H.

Miracles do happen. Just ask my mama friend Paige, whose otherwise peaceful 9-week old babe was waking every couple of hours through the night. Pediatric suggestions to slightly elevate the babe or administer Maalox (in case the problem was reflux) were attempted in vain. Things were getting ugly.

Then one of Paige’s mama friends turned her on to the Amazing Miracle Blanket. No joke. This extra long 100% cotton knit swaddling blanket resulted in an immediate result of 9 straight hours of sleep. Basically, while we all experience sleep-disturbing twitches through the night (I have been known to knee my husband in the kidney), infants haven’t yet learned to soothe themselves back to sleep. Swaddling helps prevent the big twitches that lead to night waking while creating a cozy, womb-like environment.

Machine washable and dryable, the blanket retails for $26.95 at Amazon (green, undyed natural, blue), or more colors are available for $29.95 at BabyCenter. Locally, Paige picked hers up at Isis Maternity.

While I love trundling around little boutiques on foot, sometimes one stop shopping is the way to go. Boston area mama Jeniphir Taylor-McIntire, a sales consultant for Natural Family Boutique, recently pointed me to her online store.

Natural Family Boutique offers eco-friendly products to support families from conception to weaning. The site offers Haba toys (my favorite toy line, period!) and apparel for babes, indulgent jewelry, spa, and home items for mamas, and lots of products for new parents (breastfeeding, baby care, and cloth diapering supplies, pregnancy, birth and postpartum products, books & CDs, slings). The site also offers resource material on breastfeeding, pregnancy and birth, nutrition, parenting, natural living, and activism.

Host a mama’s night out NFB party with Jenipher and get discounts and freebies along the way. Send Jenipher an email to find out more.

UPDATE 8/15/07: Sadly, Natural Family Boutique has closed its virtual doors. Please visit our category links to the left for more fabulous toy, gear, and pregnancy resources.

I love optimization and organization. So I was thrilled to discover the Mothers Milkmate Storage Rack ($26.99 at Amazon). It optimizes because the bottles hook up directly to most breast pumps and can attach to a universal nipple and collar to feed the babe directly. The system organizes by featuring a space saving storage rack designed to allow ten five-ounce bottles to rotate so that the milk is used in a "first-in, first-out" basis (i.e., you pull the first bottle out, and the others roll in behind it).

The Kosher certified storage system includes a heavy-duty wire rack, 10 polypropylene plastic bottles, 10 plug and cap sets (to eliminate leaking), and freezer grade labels.

Is it too dramatic to say that the Baby Bjorn 1-2-3 Baby Sitter ($114 at Amazon) saved my life? Even on an indulgent day my typical shower routine takes 15 minutes tops. But for some reason, as a new mom I found it incredibly difficult to find the time to take a shower; impossible seeming actually, if my husband had already left for work and I was on my own during the day.

One day I realized that, by virtue of the spit up chunks in my hair, I was redefining the term “bad hair day.” So I set the babe up in the Bjorn bouncy chair right outside the shower, peeked out frequently while I lathered up, and emerged from the shower spit up free (even if only for a few minutes) and rejuvenated. A mere seven minutes in the shower left me with a massively improved frame of mind from which to embark on my day of baby adventures. After all, a happy mom makes for a happy baby. The Bjorn chair also served well when I tried bottles with the babe (if I held her, she was obviously confused by the lack of booby access), as well as when she started solid foods but was too little to sit up in a high chair.

The Baby Bjorn 1-2-3 Baby Sitter can be used up to 29 lbs and has a three-point fabric safety harness, three-position recline, and removable toy bar with solid (nontoxic paint) wood toys. It folds for storage and the seat padding is washable.

More on the great high chair debate. Another mama friend who favors modern designs is thrilled with her Ikea Antilop High Chair. For a mere $18.99, this chair will sit inoffensively amidst your décor and is so inexpensive that you can pick up an extra one to leave out on the deck.

The Antilop measures 22 7/8 inches wide, 24 3/8 inches deep, and 35 3/8 high with a seat height of 21 5/8 inches. You also can purchase a matching high chair tray for $5.