Anne's Odds and Ends: Surprising "baby" items that we still use

It's true, I no longer have babies at my house. Some days that makes me say boo-hoo but mostly I say woot-woot! :) There are a few "baby" items that have lingered around my house and are still being used. Some for their intended use and others in perhaps surprising ways. I thought I'd share them with you!

Bumbo
First up the Bumbo. This bumbo is from my first daughter and I bought it second-hand, so it's at least 6 years old. As a result there are no "safety" straps that came after the recall (silly IMO, just don't put your kid up high!). The bumbo is designed for kids age 3-14 months, up to 22lbs. Well let me tell you, my first daughter LOVED the bumbo and we used it all the time. I'd use it in bathtubs when we traveled, as a seat to feed her, a way to keep her busy while we ate (she'd sit in the middle of the table like a super-cute decoration) and of course as a floor seat. My second daughter on the other hand had no interest in the bumbo as a baby. She'd cry and fuss and basically demand that I hold her instead. So we did baby wearing. However, when she was mobile (walking) she would find the seat and use it has a toddler lounging chair. She still uses it as a chair while watching movies or with her toys. She's 2 people! I should also point out that my almost 6 year old can still fit in it (what can I say, I make tiny kids) although we prefer her not to at this point!

Sophie
Next up the Sophie teether. This ultra-popular and very trendy teething toy is a hit with the baby set. It's been around for 50+ years (in France/Europe) but has only recently become the must-have toy here in the US. We received one for my second daughter as a baby shower gift and I proudly carried it in my diaper bag for all to see that we were oh-so-hip. ;) Once her teeth were all in (she was early so only 12 months) the toy lost some of it's excitement. However around that time we discovered that this toy is VERY attractive to our little dogs. They can't get enough of Sophie. Let's just say this is the most popular dog toy in our house. I ended up finding 2 more Sophies so that each dog could have their own to play with. As I write this I am literally sitting next to a Sophie that one of the dogs brought over.

Now I won't recommend that you go purchase a Sophie just as a dog toy, unless you either *really* love your dog or have lots of extra $$$ laying about. But...you can re-purpose your child's no-longer-used Sophie for your dog! Perhaps not a big dog, but if you have small dogs (Italian Greyhounds) they'd be perfect! Non toxic, cute squeak sound, long neck....perfect! You can also look for Sophie 2nd hand, that's where I found our extra 2.

Baby Food Pouches
This next is a little bit embarrassing, you see my 2 year old is still eating baby food out of pouches. Yes, that's right baby food pouches. Sigh. She started off so well, insisted on real foods and we even followed Baby Lead Weaning. Somewhere along the way that switched and now she'll eat any cracker, cheese or yogurt but will only eat fruits and vegetables if they are freeze dried or pureed. My pediatrician promises me that she won't be eating baby food by kindergarten but I'm not convinced, ha!

The upside to her eating baby food purees is that they are easy and simple! I've found the best deals (paying less than $1 a pouch) through Amazon. Specifically using their monthly subscription option.

Baby Bottles
We had baby bottles for both of our girls even though I breastfed them. However, I rarely used them for what they were intended. By the time both girls were drinking water or juice they were able to use a sippie cup or straw. So instead we use our baby bottles in the bath!

Even though our bathtub is full of lots of fun and mostly vintage bath toys the baby bottles are the most requested item! They use them for water-play and I use them to help me rinse out the shampoo from their heads.

So don't toss your baby bottles, repurpose them!

Boppy
Last but not least we still use our Boppy. A boppy is a nursing pillow designed to help support tiny babies while you are breastfeeding. I used it quite a bit with both my girls after they were first born. However, we've used it more long term as a pillow!

First as a pillow for babies just learning to sit up. (my eldest is the baby in this photo)

Then later as a floor cushion. We all use it for this purpose, even my husband! It's a nice firm pillow when laying on the floor to play with the kids or read them books.