Emerald Baby is now offering a blog where you can read articles for your ‘Baby At Bedtime’. We welcome you to offer your ideas, suggestions, comments and experiences with others. A new article will be posted frequently to start the discussion, however, wherever you take the discussion as it deals with ‘Baby At Bedtime’ is most welcome!
Global Warming? It’s Just HOT!
Whew! Although some will argue global warming is just a hoax, it still doesn’t seem to stop the temperature to climb every year, and this summer seems to fall right into that pattern. And unfortunately, not every house has air conditioning. Houses like ours have to find tricks and tips to keep bedrooms at a reasonable temperature. Especially during baby’s nap time.
Many parents spend a lot of time bundling their children, or stripping them down to keep an eye on their temperature. Feeling the hands and feet is an old wives tale on how to do a quick check but this is WRONG. Instead, slide your hand down her back and feel. If her back is too hot, it’s time to cool her down. An easy rule of thumb? Baby’s generally need a single layer more than we would. So if you’re stripped down to a tank top and some short shorts, a blanket definitely isn’t necessary.
But during nap time it isn’t always possible to stick your hand on her back to see if the room is making her too hot. Easy fix, cut of the problem at the root. Cool down the room to begin with and avoid the worries.
Here are some of my favorite tricks:
- Remove the bedding that surrounds the crib! Sure, the prams and cradle bumpers and even the comforter all match the theme of the room and keep baby from bumping her head, but all that thickness will trap any hotness in the bed. Remove the bulk and instead try a breathable bumper for the crib so she doesn’t accidentally roll and bump herself, but will also allow air to travel freely.
- Fans help. But a fan in a stuffy room only pushes stuffy air. Open the window in the room and in any other rooms you can (creating a draft). Start the fan a few hours before the baby actually goes to sleep. It will help air flow and reduce the temperature by a few degrees.
- My personal favorite, Hang some cool wet towels around the room. Off a chair, off the window, as the water evaporates it will also drop a few degrees.
- Instead of waterproof sheets, try laying baby on top of some cotton ones. Yes, it means more laundry as they WILL get wet, but they will also do their job of soaking any sweat so she’s not sticky when she wakes up.
- Strip her down! Sleeping in just a diaper isn’t dangerous at all and is probably the number one thing to do in the summer seasons!
- Everyone loves waking up to some cool water on the bedside. In the morning fill her bottle or sippy cup halfway with water and put it in the freezer. Just before bed pull it out and fill the rest with water. Through the night it will melt, but stay nice and chilly.
The perfect baby temperature as stated by doctors is a room temperature of 65-70 degrees. (16-20 degrees c.) But if you feel the baby is still too hot try moving her to a different room. Your intuition isn’t going to be wrong. If you’re hot and sticky at night there’s a very good chance she is too.
Baby Bracelets!
Family heirlooms are a great way to pass on a personal history from generation to generation. Wedding rings, a china set, old necklaces or pocketknives, depending on the family, and depending on the significance anything can really be considered an heirloom. Though, for some families an heirloom stays with one member of the family and the others are left out, or maybe there never was something to pass down. For those cases, or even for those who have already passed one but need another, we offer an excellent selection of bracelets for baby and mommy.
Although a baby bracelet may not be something you use when you’re in your thirties and forties, it does provide a certain sentimental charm as you pass it to your child, who passes it to theirs and so forth.
Looking to add a more personal touch? You can add your initial (or baby’s) onto any of our bracelets. For fathers and mothers who are over seas, this is a great way to remind little ones at home they’re loved more than ever.
Have a big sister who is feeling a little upstaged lately? Matching big sister and little sister bracelets not only remind her of how loved she really is, but that her and her little sister have a special bond.
Although we focused mainly on the little princesses this week, don’t knock saving a bracelet for the little prince charming. Although he may not wear it every day, he will no doubt love eventually being able to pass it down to his own baby girl.
Precious Minutes with Your Precious Ones
A modern mommy is a busy mommy. And busy mom’s know that every second counts! So why not turn any spare second (remember those?) and turn them into minutes and maybe get a chance to remember when the first three things on your shopping list weren’t diapers, diapers, and more diapers.
Have a little one that isn’t exactly Rip Van Winkle? A lot of parents have babies that just don’t want to sleep, or won’t sleep for more than ten minutes. The last thing anyone wants is to have their cell phone go off and wake a sleeping baby. But… with our soft lullaby ring tones that’s never an issue. Loud enough so you don’t miss that important call, but still soft and sweet enough to keep baby happily in dream land.
We currently offer three of our most popular lullabies for easy download for your phone!
 |
“Cradle Time” |
| “Dancing Bear” | |
| “Simply Precious” |
A busy mommy usually means a busy baby as well. And busy babies love exploring their world and bringing a lot of it back with them. Constantly looking for something clean to wipe those cute toes and fingers with? Keeping a few extra burp cloths around in handy locations makes the search time down to zero. Our beautiful burp cloths are fashionable enough to fit in the most obvious places yet absorbent enough to clean the drips, slips, spills, dirt and drool of any baby. Available in different colors to match mommy’s particular style.
Another time saving trip is to cut back on just those! Instead of running around for ten minutes trying to grab everything you’ll need to go out why not try keeping everything in a tremendous tote? Large enough for all the spare diapers, extra outfits, toys, snacks and even a book or two for mom, this bag is stylish, and at a great price you’ll wonder why you haven’t had this you’re entire life!
The thing with time is no matter how hard you try to stop it, it’s only going to keep moving forward. So why chance missing any of it with silly things like trying to find a clean diaper or settle a fussy baby? Keep these handy tricks in mind and turn those precious seconds into hours with your precious little ones.
Seeing Through Baby’s Eyes
Every mother and father want nothing more for their new baby than to be healthy, strong, kind and smart. Luckily, we now have many ways to help our children reach their highest potential. But how many parents are concerned with their child’s vision growth? Many parents often believe an infants vision is the same as an adults. In actuality this is false.
In the first week of life a baby’s vision is without detail and based on shades of gray.
This is a great time to introduce a soft and cuddly blanket to the nursery. Although the baby only sees the world in shades of gray right now they’ll very shortly be able to expand on that. What better way to introduce a world of colors than with comfort and softness?
After the second week the baby can now start seeing basic colors such as red, orange, yellow and green. Blue is a trickier color and takes longer to develop due to its short wave lengths.
This illustration from our Soft Kisses book is a great example of how to encourage a baby’s vision to grow at this time. Use as wall art around the nursery as a way to stimulate and encourage baby’s focus. The colors are gentle enough on her new eyes while offering enough contrast to keep a baby interested.
By six months a baby can now see all colors of the rainbow and have much better hand eye coordination. This means many more things get easily popped into the mouth!
Start keeping lots of books around by this point as babies are going to crave the visual stimulation. And what better way to start a collection of visually stimulating books than our Twilight Dreams.
As they drift to sleep you’ll be happy knowing they’re growing as perfectly as ever with your help.
Reading to Your Unborn Child
You’ve got that little one growing inside you and you know you already love him or her more than you can possibly imagine….did you know…
1. Babies start hearing at 25 weeks.
2. Babies will recognize your voice before they are born.
3. It’s not just music or singing that babies will respond to.
4. You can start comforting your little one right now.
5. You can even start a bedtime routine with your little one right now.
We’ve talked about playing lullaby music to sooth your little ones even if they haven’t been born yet, but how about reading a book to your little one at bedtime? Yes..even if they haven’t been born yet. You feel them growing and moving inside you so why not incorporate a little bedtime routine with them now? There’s a good chance they will remember and respond to the routine once they’re born. Parents can take turns reading out loud each night and begin bonding with your child now. If you already have a little one and you have a second one on the way this can be great family bonding time and everyone can feel as though they are starting to connect with the little one yet to be born.
Emerald Baby’s Precious Series of childrens board books are fun, rhyming, sing-song books that can grow as your children grows. The first two books in the series are out and there are ten more on the way!
Next book due to be released will be ’Sleepy Little One’.
Where are these book titles coming from? Emerald Baby’s Precious Lullabies! Each book has a matching lullaby. 
Tis the Baby Gift Season!
Whether we’re getting the nursery ready ourselves or know someone who is getting ready for a little one that’s on the way or has recently arrived, we know we have to do some shopping!
We automatically think of baby blankets 
, stuffed animals , burp cloths and even nitelites…
Here are some items you might not have thought about…for your own little one or to give as a gift…
1. A Baby Bracelet 
2. A Matching Mom Bracelet 
3. How about personalizing those burp cloths? 
4. A Crib Mirror 
5. A Nursing Stool 
There are so many items to choose from and shopping online will let you explore what’s out there and give you some great ideas!! As always, we welcome your ideas and comments as well.
EmeraldBaby.com wishes you and your little ones…Sweet Dreams!
A Tisket, A Tasket, Give a Baby Gift Basket!
Giving the gift of gift baskets is one of the earliest forms of gift-giving. The story of Moses in a basket carries with it the symbol of hope and more traditional symbols include those of spring and new beginnings.
When it’s time to start thinking about gifts for moms-to-be, whether it’s a shower, a holiday, or when the little one comes into the world…think about giving the gift of ‘A-Little-Bit-of-Everything” to mom’s who want to make sure they have what they need.
From blankets to stuffed animals, the list of must-haves for a newborn can be quite long. When you give the new mom a gift basket, she’s getting a little bit of everything and she’s also getting another storage basket that is perfect to add to a nursery or changing table shelf. 
Some baskets can be personalized for a boy or girl too! 
Some baskets have an adorable stuffed animal that could soon be your little one’s newest and ‘bestest’ friend! 
Don’t forget the obvious…Gift Baskets are so much fun to give and receive! So…have fun with it!
EmeraldBaby.com wishes you and your little ones…Sweet Dreams!
Tips for those Middle-of-the-Night Wake-Ups!
We all know that waking up in the middle of the night is part of motherhood. Since we know it’s going to happen, at least for a little while, here are some tips to help prepare for it and have things go as smoothly as possible.
1. 
If your little one is on formula, have the formula measured and in the bottle ready to go. When they wake up, add hot and cold water to the right temperature and you’re ready for the feeding.
2. 
We’ve mentioned it before…but it’s worth mentioning again…layer the crib or bed with waterproof pads and sheets. If your little one has wet through, pull away the top sheet and pad and you have another dry sheet underneath all ready for them! No more changing sheets in the middle of the night!
3. 
Stock up on night-light bulbs. If your little one wakes up in the middle of the night and their comforting night-light has gone out, they may get scared and start crying. Having extra light bulbs ready to go will help to quiet and comfort them quickly.
4. 
Keep water in a sippy cup in their crib or within reach. Little ones get thirsty in the middle of the night and having a full sippy cup of water handy will help keep spills to a minimum when they reach for their water.
5. 
Stock up on their favorite blanket. If your little one has a favorite, can’t-sleep-without blanket, you may want to keep a couple more on-hand. If one is in the wash or just not within reach, you can reach for another to give your little one that extra comfort they want.
EmeraldBaby.com wishes you and your little ones…Sweet Dreams!!!
Bedtime and the Baby ‘Essentials’
We’ve discussed essential oils and the benefits of their different aromas, but now that stuffy, running noses are more frequent as the colder months approach…here are some tips and tricks for helping to make your little ones a little more comfortable as they drift off to sleep…
Essential #1 – A Humidifier. 
If you don’t already have one, make the investment in one now. The moisture that fills their nursery will help make breathing so much easier. Especially if they have to breathe out of their mouths all night!
Essential # 2 – Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Eucalyptus oil can be compared to menthol and it works on the receptors in the nasal mucosa. This is what often helps to alleviate nasal congestion and can give some relief through the night.
Essential #3 – Lavender Essential Oil. The calming and soothing affects will help to ease your little one into a sweet slumber. Lavender can ease anxieties and if your little one is having difficulty breathing, alternating some lavender with the eucalyptus will help to calm them.
Essential #4 – Lullaby Music. Distracting their discomfort with some music will help to soothe and relax them so they can drift off to sleep faster. The best part…there are so many different kinds of music to choose from!
EmeraldBaby.com wishes you and your little ones…Sweet Dreams!
Sweet Dreams with Twilight Dreams
Getting your little one settled in for sleep time will include lots of different bedtime routines. We’ve discussed so many but there’s just nothing like snuggling with a bedtime story.
Not only does reading with your little ones help to calm and settle them for sleep, there are so many benefits as well. Here are just a few to think about…
1. It’s one more way to introduce them to and awaken their senses of hearing, seeing and touch.
Hearing - through our voice
Seeing through vibrant colors
Touch – through textures, even smooth and shiny textures like board books.
2. It’s a way to connect that varies from feedings and diaper changes. It allows us to ‘do’ something else with our little ones that comforts and nurtures them. 
3. It’s a way to not only introduce them to a book, but it’s a great way to introduce them to the world. It allows you to help them expand their mind and help them start to make sense of the world. 
A great gift for your precious little ones and something fun too, is to start collecting Emerald Baby’s precious series of childrens books. The vibrant colors and variety of illustrations will bring so much to story time.
Add Emerald Baby’s latest board book, Twilight Dreams to your child’s book collection. 
If you don’t already have it, the first board book in Emerald Baby’s series is Soft Kisses. 
One more way to make bedtime - special time.
Emerald Baby wishes you and your little ones…Sweet Dreams!!
