Pure genius!

When you have a baby, you stock up on everything (usually through baby showers)! I had every baby gear & gadget known to Mom--the baby swing, the entertainer, the walker, the jumper, the bouncy seat, bumbo chair--all of which Connor wouldn't last more than 1 minute in before having a giant meltdown. I remember feeling so successful when he sat in his swing for more than a few minutes without fussing. I miss baby days sometimes, but those moments I like to erase from memory! While many items Connor could have cared less about, I was so grateful to have owned the following things--

1. Connor's musical mobile for his carseat **My child HATED life in his car seat. A two minute drive felt like an eternity with a crying baby in the backseat. You are supposed to drive slower & more cautiously as parent, but I found myself flying to any destination as fast as possible to stop the screaming! We introduced the mobile after Nana received a recommendation on it & WHAM--happy child in the car!**

2. Sound machine **Every day before nap and before bed was screamfest time in my house. I tried the hum of the vacuum for a while, but was afraid to burn out my vacuum & plus, I hated the fact that my vacuum was displayed in my living room all the time. I ordered a sound machine that plays several sounds- Connor's favorites were the heartbeat & the fuzz sound. It worked WONDERS getting him to stop crying & to fall asleep. As he got older, it was wonderful to take on trips to play to help drowned out any surrounding noises during bedtime. I am amazed it hasn't burned out yet after all the use it has received!**

3. All Dora products! **I'm not sure how his love affair with Dora the Explorer began, but it has always been the show that catches his attention no matter what he's doing. He adores the Map and the Backpack, but has always been able to point out Dora on any product or advertisement anywhere. Connor holds his Dora dvds, Dora tent, and Dora action figure very dear to his heart.**

4. Special Agent Oso cartoon! **As my 100% boy was busy adoring his Dora, I was secretly trying to find a slightly more masculine cartoon for him to love. One day we flipped onto Oso and Connor was locked in on his new favorite! For anyone that doesn't watch the Disney Channel on a daily basis, Oso is a cartoon version of 007 with educational tasks each episode. I love the lessons (and the fact that the whole show is in english!!). God Bless you, Oso!**

5. Crib fish tank! **At first it was rarely used. Then it became a pulling-up device to assist Connor in standing in his crib. Then it became a gift from God!!! Ever since Connor has become acquainted with his fish tank, he will crawl into bed at night time, flip it on like its television, sprawls out in bed, watches it for a few minutes, then falls asleep without a peep. In the morning, he may flip it on and talk to it...giving mommy some time to wake up before he starts squawking to get outta bed!**

I'm sure there are more, but those are the only ones that come to mind at this moment. I listed all of these items above to bring me to what item I am thankful for today! Drum roll please...

Connor's water slide & kiddie pool!!

It was pure genius for me to buy the pool. It was Nana's pure genius idea to hook Connor's slide onto the side of the pool. He spends hours playing in this thing! It works wonders in the evening after supper when its just a countdown until bedtime! Not sure what big item I will get to top this one for his b'day....