Library Lapsit

There are lots of Library Lapsits in and around the Bay Area, and I must say I highly recommend them. First, they are FREE! Second, you meet new moms with babies around the same age as yours. And lastly, it's a half hour totally devoted to your baby with no other distractions...no phone calls, no dishes, no laundry...just you and Junior in blissful screaming, pooping company.


That being said, I must say my experience at the Santa Clara Central Park Library was far from fluffy. The librarian there meant serious business. She didn't strike any of us as the warmest of creatures, but she was very informational (Baby Einstein is the DEVIL, TV before the age of 2 will kill brain cells, and Literacy is KEY, people!...we called her the Lapsit Natzi). In any case, I took Alexander there faithfully every Thursday for 6 months. We liked it...there was something almost comforting in her passion to drive literate infants into the world, we also loved having the room after story time to chat and let the babies roll around. But, the best part to Thursday lapsit was when we'd all go out to lunch at Santana Row to commiserate about mothering and life :0)

Keepsake Companion

My book group ladies threw me a surprise baby shower for my second son, and one of the best gifts they gave me (besides the awesomeness of their friendship) was this Keepsake Companion.

A woman in our community created these, and I can't rave enough about them! Let's face it, when you're on your second (or third or fourth), most of us don't have the time or energy to meticulously craft the handmade scrapbook Junior truly deserves. This companion was exactly what I needed, and filled me with glowing pride that I was not dooming Alexander to life as "a baby-bookless malcontent." Another plus was it didn't take a million years to put together either. I really enjoyed completing it, and flipping through to recall those snuggly newborn days (I was too sleep deprived to fully appreciate them back then).


There's a nifty guide that comes ready with all kinds of quick-refrence answers and practical checklists. The calendar portion comes with every milestone you could ever imagine printed on little stickers. There are also spots to add momentos, photos, and special thoughts, too.


My only complaint is that it didn't go beyond 12 months...it was so simple I could have easily have kept this kind of crono-documenting up till college ;0)

You can purchase these on-line or at Postal Annex in Rivermark, Santa Clara.

Little Giraffe Blankets

Okay, no pun intended, I have a "soft spot" for blankets. I loved mine as a child. My older son is still attached to his, and when the second one arrived I was sure he'd love his blanket, too. Well...not so much...he's attached to a stuffed panda, go figure.


But, in a hormone induced, blanket-crazed, pregnant state I found the softest, snuggliest blanket at Nordstrom. Little Giraffe makes beautiful, warm, cloud-soft blankets, and I wholly back them. Just make sure not to put them in the dryer on high!