My goal was to have everything ready for the baby by December 1. It is crunch time. We’re off today to take care of all the last minute stuff and say goodbye to our hard earned cash to buy things like a car seat. I’m still having a hard time understanding why they have to make all this baby stuff in these bright patterns. My favorite stuff is like this great bassinet from Pottery Barn. Lots of natural colors and really interesting textures.
Sara
November 29, 2007
you should check out maxi cosi, they make lots of non-patterned simple carseats in europe.
megan
November 29, 2007
i agree…
love.boxes
November 29, 2007
..the reason is because there are lots of studies that show bright colors stimulate a babies and a childs brain.
Melissa
November 29, 2007
I was going to say what love.boxes said. Babies cannot see pastel colors.
nicole hill
November 29, 2007
that’s what toys are for… not their clothing and furniture.
please buy that… it’s so classic.
C-line
November 29, 2007
have you found a diaper bag yet? i’m looking for one that isn’t completely cheese-ball, but not $400. if you have any leads…do share! thanks!
Pink Wallpaper
November 29, 2007
believe me, the ugly colors are everywhere for baby stuff! i wanted to start my own baby line b/c of that problem.
Chelsea
November 29, 2007
Totally agree… yucky designs out there for babies. Hopefully you can track down a tasteful car seat.
ashlynn
November 29, 2007
It is no fun spending money on practical items like a car seat, we dropped too much last week getting prepared!
Cindy
November 29, 2007
I’ve only recently begun reading your blog, but I’ve described it to my girlfriends in just one word “lovely”. Thank you for sharing so much with your readers.
Anne
November 29, 2007
That basinette is beautiful! I hope your baby likes it. We are having such trouble getting our little guy to like his cradle. 🙁
I have really liked Haiku diaper bags. Not too big so you can be sure to keep it to the basics. 🙂
michelle
November 29, 2007
Amen Nicole Hill.
Miriam
November 29, 2007
You can get/make covers for most of the majors- and can even justify the one for the carseat because you Will be washing it.
It’s not the bright, primary-type saturated colors I mind, it’s the juggernaught of cutesy things and the insane business of every square inch.
I got the planest stuff I could find and covered a lot of it with my 7th-grade sewing “skills”. As an added bonus it makes it easier to resell later if you’re so inclined- I have fallen even more deeply in love with Craigslist since having Toby.
Anonymous
November 29, 2007
It is not really true that “that is what toys are for.” There is a significant amount of time when the babe can’t play or grasp things yet, this same time is the crucial time for developing their sight/focus….they still need lots of color and patterns to help their eyes develop. Ever heard of the poor korean orphans who only look at shades of white/beige/taupe during this time and who are now blind? Sorry, I am an RN and it pisses me off that everyone is trying to make a fashion statement with their baby things. It is not about you anymore. Their needs come first.
jordan
November 29, 2007
Well, I sure hope my baby doesn’t go blind.
Elise
November 29, 2007
I agree about the baby stuff. First off, what baby looks at his carseat. The carseat is more a parental statement that to stimulate the baby’s eyes. Anyway, we bought a Peg Perego carseat in black and red (not gender specific and not too babyish). As for diaper bags, I use a Storksak and love it – nice enough for church but also can be used every day.
swell.life
November 29, 2007
How delightful to fill your home with baby gear you love. Ooh, and Jordan, I owe you a huge thanks for tipping me off to great Christmas tree prices at Target in Colma. We bought ours yesterday…For half the price the 7-footers were in the city!
Greeneyes
November 29, 2007
No baby of yours will be going blind–not with the aesthetic you seem to infuse into everything you touch.
Emma
November 30, 2007
My favorite diaper bag was a tote from Longchamp. It was roomy enough to contain all my baby gear and the stuff normally found in a purse. I used smaller zippered pouches for diaper etc. and found it much easier to handle than a diaper bag with a million different compartments AND a handbag! Here’s the one I chose:
http://charmingthebirdsfromthetrees.blogspot.com/2007/02/longchamp-bags.html
The Nielsen's
November 30, 2007
There is way too much puffy, plastic, plaid out there! We all survived without it, I have to believe our children can too. We have worked hard to track down classic, simple baby things. One of my most cherished items is our highchair – something probably not on your radar yet – it’s over 100 years old and was my great-grandmothers. Good luck. =>
Shar
November 30, 2007
oh boy. the bad advice has begun!
Anonymous
November 30, 2007
I sure hope “shar” wasn’t referring to “the nielsens” comment. We too have been blessed to have older pieces passed down – our bassinet is a family heirloom, though we had to have a mattress and bedding specially made for it. It looks a lot like the Pottery Barn one you are looking at.
Rebecca
November 30, 2007
Shar if you don’t have anything nice to say….
Shar
November 30, 2007
all i’m saying is that infant blindness is something that should be taken seriously.
e
November 30, 2007
i’m sure there’s a happy medium that satisfies both the parents’ tastes and the baby’s developmental needs. something can be brightly colored or patterned and not be gaudy. there are tons of scandinavian-inspired prints that make beautiful wall art and work well with neutrals, too.
i’m with miriam on the whole cutsey saccharine aspect of the child goods industry.
michelle
November 30, 2007
Holy crap – it’s a bassinet! The kid needs to sleep – what’s the big deal?
I don’t think anyone is going to be blind because the bedding isn’t zebra print.
Babies also get overstimulated really quickly too…
HEY ANONYMOUS – If you’re so confident about your opinion, don’t post ANONYMOUSLY.
[EricaJ]
November 30, 2007
Haha! I love when people argue via internet.
Lame.
Jordan, I love that bassinet.
pillingfamily
November 30, 2007
it’s getting HOT in here.
brooke
November 30, 2007
I love it when RNs think they are doctors. Seriously? Are you comparing Jordan’s kid to a baby who is left in a crib in an orphanage all day? Gee Jordan, I hope you take your kid outside or out of his nursery some time!
Of all the lame things I’ve heard, this one takes the cake. Show me ONE statistic of a middle class American child going blind from a “boring” color scheme in the nursery!
When my kid is in his bassinet he is SLEEPING. With his eyes closed.
Thanks, I needed to yell at someone for being stupid today.
liz s
November 30, 2007
brooke, this is why i love you
LoGunns
December 17, 2007
I found it! So funny. And it’s over the color scheme of the bassinet. There are other parenting topics that are much more heated. I wonder what happend to babies born a long long time ago, in the winter, and their parents were wearing buckskin. Maybe that’s why the animals know to have their babies in the spring when there is more color. I like the bassinet.
bevq
January 5, 2008
I hope I am not out of line here, but I wanted to add a comment.
It is true that babies in orphanages worldwide lose their site because they spend most every minute of every day laying in their cribs staring at the white walls.
In regular homes with families, babies are (I would hope) picked up, cuddled, taken outside where there are colors, read to from colorful books, they look up into mama’s face and see colors etc etc.
As a mom of 5, I can tell you what matters is following your heart and giving lots of love and cuddles to that little one, read to them, talk to them, sing to them, even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, spend time with them. =)
Bev
http://bevscountrycottage.com