At 6 weeks old, Natalie is really starting to focus and track moving objects now. Here she’s in her Rainforest Swing checking out the rotating toucan, monkey etc above her. Also a great way to calm the dreaded colic.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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With baby looking to show her face on Dec 25th, it pretty much places her birthday within the flu season. Our house is also inhabited by Max and Coco (our cat and dog), so we figured we’d better get  the home’s air quality in order, prior to her arrival.

After extensive research it became apparent that consumers could splurge up to a thousand dollars on Air Purifiers. And with different (and controversial) technologies out there, it can be a very confusing shopping experience. For the best bang for your buck, this is what we picked:

Honeywell 17000 Permanent Pure HEPA QuietCare Air Purifier
This portable air cleaner is recommended for filtering the air in a closed room as large as 168 square feet (12 by 14 feet). As it continuously circulates a room’s air–about six times per hour–it employs two filters to remove smoke, pollen, dust, animal dander, dust mites, molds, bacteria, viruses, and odors. Especially useful for asthmatics and allergy sufferers, the cleaner contains a true HEPA filter that is at least 99.97 percent effective at trapping extremely tiny particles (as small as 0.3 microns) while a prefilter reduces odors.

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UPDATE: Giveaway has closed. Winners will be announced and contacted shortly. We’ll be giving away a set of Little Bear Hugs and My Little Monkey books to two lucky winners! All you have to do is submit your baby’s photo and you could win a set of these lovely books. Let the two cutest babies win! 

Send one cute photo and your contact information to: admin@babypatter.com before 9/21/2009. Winners will be announced shortly after, with their names and baby photos posted on BabyPatter. Good Luck!

About the Books
My Little Monkey and Little Bear Hugs (the newest addition to Sandra Magsamen’s award-winning Snuggle-Me Stories series) are beautifully simple and touching. And as you can see from the photo, a little plush bear and monkey accompany the books. These little guys are definitely snuggle-ready! The books are written as sweet rhyming stories that convey heartfelt sentiments of love. Playful rhymes like “my little monkey, I love you – for all that you are and all that you do..” and “I made a wish and it came true.. you’re my little bear to hug and kiss, too…” are sure to make both babies and parents smile. The books are sturdy and durable with vivid illustrations, and will definitely become a favorite for cozy laptime reading.

About the Author
Sandra Magsamen is an artist, mom, author of Living Artfully and creator of the Messages From The Heart brand. She designs gifts and ideas that encourage us to live with heart. Sandra Magsamen lives artfully with her family in the Maryland town in which she grew up. Please visit her website: www.sandramagsamen.com.

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Planning and arranging baby’s nursery not only helps parents prepare for their bundle of joy; it also lets them get used to the functions and layout of furniture in the nursery. Creating a comfortable and secure nursery for baby begins with the furniture you select. Each piece, from crib to dresser and hamper to toy chest, should be carefully chosen and strategically placed based on how it will integrate with the size and shape of the room, as well as with the room’s other accessories.  

1. Convertible Baby Crib

The Emily Crib easily converts to a daybed and a toddler bed that includes a guard rail. The full size headboard and footboard can be used later with a separate rail kit to convert this stylish piece of furniture into a full sized bed, perfect for older youths. And made from real pine with a handsome cherry wood design, this crib will nicely complement the decor in baby’s room.

2. Changing Table

This elegant baby changing table features functionality and style and its pure white finish will give a clean fresh look to your baby’s room. Profiled edges, clean lines and lots of convenient storage space are sure to make this piece the highlight of your child’s room or nursery. Whether you prefer storage space behind doors, or open storage space, our one of a kind table was designed to answer your needs.

3. Glider and Ottoman

A must-have for new moms, this Hoop Glider is perfect for rocking baby to sleep in the wee hours of the night. Glider features solid wood construction with metal, enclosed ball bearings for a smooth gliding motion. Chair features ample seating room with padded arms, and the arm cushions have a pocket for paper, magazines and other small supplies. Back and seat cushions are machine washable. Ideal for your nursery, or any other room in your house. Includes matching ottoman.

4. Chests, Armoires & Dressers

Pefectly store your clothes, toys, and other items in this chest, while adding a clean, classic look to your room. This mixture of storage options, allows you to conceal your items behind the cabinent doors and drawers while featuring your room decor. This model features durable construction and an attractive Pure White finish. Features: Constructed of particleboard with a Pure White finish One door chest, two drawers, three shelving units Ships Ready-to-Assemble 5-year manufacturer’s limited warranty Behind the door there are 4 shelves

5. Playard with Bassinet & Changer

Perfect for traveling, this mesh-sided Pack ‘n Play playard sets up in less than a minute. We’re sure that the Pack ‘n Play playard will quickly become one of you and your baby’s favorite Graco products. This Pack ‘n Play playard comes with a full-size bassinet with comfy quilted bumper pad and mattress pad, a great place for infants up to 15 pounds to nap peacefully and drift off to dreamland with the nature sounds or music from the electronics unit or just gaze happily at the soft, detachable toys hanging from the included mobile. The changing station supports babies weighing less than 25 pounds. and the parent organizer holds many of your diaper changing essentials. A convenient travel bag is also included – just fold the Pack ‘n Play playard, stow it in the bag, and you and your little one are off to see the world.

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Corey Menscher, a father-to-be, has constructed a device called the Kickbee that notifies him when his unborn baby kicks inside the womb.

The Kickbee is a stretchable band with attached sensors, and is worn by a pregnant mother over her stomach. A microcontroller in the band then captures the movement of the baby kicking, and transmits the signals wirelessly to an application on a nearby computer. The computer in turn broadcasts short messages of “I kicked Mommy!” on Twitter, which can be shared with family and friends.

The device is not yet available for purchase, but you can follow the Kickbee on Twitter.

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The following books are highly recommended reads for expecting moms-to-be.  Whether you want a laugh, or an in-depth resource, these books cover a wide range of subject matter.

1. What to Expect When You’re Expecting | by Heidi Murkoff
Announcing a brand new, cover-to-cover revision of America’s pregnancy bible. What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a perennial New York Times bestseller and one of USA Today‘s 25 most influential books of the past 25 years. It’s read by more than 90% of pregnant women who read a pregnancy book–the most iconic, must-have book for parents-to-be, with over 14.5 million copies in print.

2. Taking Charge of your Fertility | by Toni Weschler
This comprehensive book explains in lucid, assured terms how to practice the fertility awareness method (FAM), a natural, scientifically proven but little-known form of birth control (which is notto be confused with the woefully ineffective “rhythm” method). Author Toni Weschler has been teaching fertility awareness for almost 20 years, and it’s only just now gaining in popularity.

3. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy | by Mayo Clinic
Would-be mothers looking for precise, accurate information from a reputable source will appreciate this mammoth pregnancy guide from the celebrated Mayo Clinic. The volume actually provides much more information than most parents will need: week by week accounts of the baby’s development, entries on how pregnancy can be affected by dozens of previous health conditions (such as HIV and diabetes), self-care tips for side effects like nausea and back pain, sidebars that explain the difference between identical and fraternal twins, etc.

4. The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth 
by Penny Simkin
The role of birth partner is a tough one. A birth partner may be expected to help a laboring woman make decisions and help her get through the pain and discomfort of childbirth. During this high-intensity time, the birth partner–whether father, partner, or friend–needs a book that can give thorough information for studying ahead of time, yet can be easily referenced in an emergency or for quick answers during labor and delivery. The Birth Partner fills both needs.

5. The Little Big Book for Moms | by Lena Tabori
The Little Big Book for Moms is packed with all the fun, magic, and wonder of early childhood in a beautifully designed, chunky little package. Illustrated throughout with early 20th-century work by artists like Jessie Wilcox Smith and Ida Waugh, this is a delicious treasure for the expectant mother to savor in anticipation, and for the new mother to share with her little ones.

6. The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book | by Marjorie Greenfield
Written by an obstetrician who is also a mother, it is chocked-full of information useful to all mothers, not just for the corporate woman. She takes the reader through the life-changing process starting with a pre-pregnancy life survey and shares fundamental advice for every demographic.  An in-depth A+ resource guide

7. Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth | by Jenny McCarthy
McCarthy applies her in-your-face manner and blue humor to the subject of pregnancy and childbirth in this little piece of fun. The former Playboycenterfold and all-around bad girl recounts her journey to motherhood with utter abandon, discussing topics that those other wholesome books tend to treat too gently, such as enemas, pubic hair growth, and sex in the ninth month.

8. Your Pregnancy Week by Week | by Glade B. Curtis
This book is a worthy addition in this subject area. Its format, information, and language are both highly accessible and current. As the title states, pregnancy is followed week by week. A chapter is devoted to each week, covering six basic areas: baby size; mother’s size; baby’s growth and development; changes in the mother; how the mother’s behavior affects development; and things “you should also know.”

9. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books | by Ann Douglas
A book that lives up to its name, author Ann Douglas has packed a remarkable amount of text, charts and tables into this 500-plus page volume that covers nearly every aspect of pregnancy, from considering pregnancy (is there ever a “good” time to do it?) to nutrition, exercise, breast-feeding and the top 10 worries for each trimester.

10. The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy | by Vicki Iovine
For first-time mothers-to-be, this candid, funny and very reassuring guide to pregnancy is just what the doctor ordered?or would if he/she knew about it. Iovine, who has had four babies and who seemingly has girlfriends with many more, believes that women learn the really valuable things about pregnancy from other women.

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