Hand Surgery

For those of you who keep up with me in ways other than my blog, you probably know I had hand surgery recently. Here is how that all happened:

The Beginning

Saturday, October 12, I knit a purse for a little girl I was babysitting. It was cute and awesome and super fast. The next morning when I woke up my right wrist was hurting. It was not that bad, and I figured I must have slept on it weird or been knitting a bit too much the day before. I went ahead and got a wrist brace to wear just in case I sprained it, in the hopes that it would heal faster. Over the next few days, it started hurting more. I called my doctor so he could check it out, but he was out of town that week. It was getting bad, so I just made an appointment with one of his associates. She told me I had De Quervain's tendinitis. Basically, the tendon that runs along the outside of my right thumb was inflamed. Not a huge deal, I just needed to wear a brace that immobilized my thumb for 2 weeks. I was told to stop wearing the wrist brace, and to wear this one instead. I started wearing it on Thursday, October 17. There is a sock on my hand under the brace because the exposed Velcro was itchy.

The Pain

Halfway through lunch the next day (Friday, October 18,) my wrist started hurting VERY badly. Just suddenly, almost-in-tears pain. First thing I did was call the doctor to see if I could get an "emergency" appointment that afternoon. As I was waiting for a call back, my fingers went numb. That scared me even more than the sudden pain did. I called the doctor back, in tears at that point, asking if I should go to the ER or something because I was afraid my nerves were dying. The doctor called me back shortly after that, and after getting more details told me it was just carpel tunnel and not to be worried about my nerves. I was told to wear BOTH braces, was given painkillers to take when needed, and I got an appointment with a hand "specialist" (actually a surgeon) the following week. During that week, my right hand started getting swollen when it was not raised up high. I kept it up and iced it twice a day. I wore both braces all the time, awake and sleeping. By Tuesday, my left wrist was starting to hurt like the right one did at first. Meanwhile, the right just kept getting more painful. Painkillers were my friend. The only risk to Baby Kylie is/was the risk of her getting addicted to them and then going through withdraw once she is born. As much as that would suck for both of us, it is really not that bad. 

The Shot

I met the hand surgeon on Friday, October 25. He told me that the tendinitis was all better, but the carpel tunnel is/was bad. There are only 3 things they can do for carpel tunnel. 
1. Wear a brace and deal with it. 
2. Steroid shot into the tendon. This works for 1-4 months, then needs to be done again.
3. Surgically cut the tendon to make the tunnel wider.
I had already tried the dealing with it, and it was not working out for me. I opted for the shot. There was no risk for Kylie because it was just a local shot. As soon as I said we should try the shot, he started putting out bottles and a needle. I didn't even have time to prepare myself for a shot! First was the lidocaine to numb it. Pinched a bit, but not too bad. Then the real shot. If you have never had a needle touch your nerves or tendons, you cannot imagine how much it can possibly hurt. I was in tears. I didn't want to be, but sometimes we don't get choices. It was okay though, this was going to make me better!

I was fine leaving the office, and in the elevator, and getting in the car. As George was driving us home, the lidocaine started wearing off. There have been 3 times in my life that I have labeled myself as being a 10 on the pain scale. Once was when I was in the ER for chest pain. The other was later during surgery. This was the second. I took another oxycodone, because IT WAS SO BAD. All to make it better though, right?

The Next Step

Wrong. The immediate pain got better over the next few days, but my wrist never got any better than it was the day I got the shot. I also developed a shooting nerve pain in my index finger, most likely due to the shot touching my nerve. November 1 I started wearing a wrist brace on my left hand as well, because it was getting worse. Friday, November 8, I had a follow-up with the hand surgeon. The shot did not work. At all. Either I have some really weird body chemistry that makes steroid shots ineffective, or my wrist just got worse as it was "getting better" so it ended up feeling the same. Regardless, it was pretty obvious this was becoming a huge problem. Even if I did decide to just tough it out (with painkillers, I am not a super-hero,) it would most likely be back at least with future pregnancies. Given that, he recommended surgery. Both hands needed to be done, as the left was obviously showing carpel tunnel signs as well. One at a time is the best approach, so you can still function at least a little bit without help. The surgery I had was 3 parts. Carpel tunnel release- cutting the tendon sheath to widen the tunnel. De Quervain's release- cutting the tendon sheath to help the thumb tendon. And Synovectomy- removing inflamed tissue.

George and I a few days before my surgery. I got cool arm warmers to wear under/over the braces.
George wore some too =)

Right Hand Surgery

The first surgery was Wednesday, November 13. We were going to have a fetal monitor on, but my OB said it was unnecessary. According to her, there was no more risk from the surgery than any other time. I did have to be awake though, because if I was asleep, Kylie would be asleep too, which did have some risk. All I have to say about that is awake surgery is not for the faint of heart. I did fall asleep for the very beginning of it, and when I woke up I quickly informed the entire room that THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH LIDOCAINE. That was the 3rd time in my life I was a 10 on the pain scale. There was a curtain between me and my arm, so I didn't get to/have to watch it. I had the anesthesiologist on my side of the curtain talking to me. Mostly making idle conversation, trying not to think about all the pressures I could still feel in my hand. When I could feel something I would tell her and she would pass that on to the surgeon who would put more lidocaine there. The sutures were unfortunately, the worst part. I could feel all the tugging going on =/ Kylie was kicking during a lot of the surgery, which made me feel a lot better. This was for her sake, so I can hold her and take care of her when she is born =)

The recovery was extremely long and painful. Actually, it's not all over yet. My right thumb is still numb, and my median nerve is still irritated, so I get sharp pains in it. My fingers are still stiff and it is difficult to squeeze things tightly. I can only bend my wrist maybe 3/4 of what I should be able to, but it is getting better. Even given all of that, it hurts significantly less now than pre-surgery. The surgeon said he was surprised at how much inflamed tissue he had to remove. Given that, it was most likely going to be a problem in the next few years regardless of what I did. Kylie just sped up the process.

Left Hand Surgery

My second surgery was Tuesday, December 3. I was going to wait longer between them, but we are moving to California on Friday and I needed to still be around Boston for my 1-week post-op appointment. (More about the move and why on my next post, hopefully tonight or tomorrow.) To be honest, I was terrified of the second surgery. My right hand was still in pretty terrible shape, and I was worried I ruined it by getting surgery. George said he was there for me, and it really is best for Kylie if I get both done now. As it turns out, I just had really irritated nerves in my right hand for no good reason. I felt like the surgery itself went a lot smoother, and the recovery went WAY better. My left hand is almost stronger and better than my right hand already. I have no numbness or nerve pain. I had almost as much inflamed tissue in my left as my right, so I have no idea what made the difference. Neither does the surgeon. I am happy I had it done though =) My post-op appointment was today, and everything is healing well! 

Aftermath

I can finally type using both hands again, and I just started being able to knit again a few days ago! Things only get better on a day-to-day basis. Is there still pain? Yes, but it feels more like soreness and stiffness than the numbness and burning the carpel tunnel gave me. Do I still take pain meds? Yes, but only once or twice a day. I take them right before intense physical therapy, because it is hard to cause yourself pain even when you know it's for the best in the long run. When I am not using my hands/wrists, they don't really hurt much. According to the surgeon, I should be able to knit all I want without risk of getting carpel tunnel again for at least 20 years =) Even with all the pain, it is totally worth it.

If you wondered why there have not been blog posts lately, that is why. Typing was painful until recently, and a blog post is a lot of typing. I am back though! =)

Rachael

Anxiety Issues

I have an anxiety disorder. This has been known for a long time, and was medically diagnosed when I was 16. It is not rational, and I can't help it. Sometimes things cause it in stupid ways, like things being on the floor making me freak out. Or not wanting to go into a room with a closed door. Should those things make me freak out? No. But I don't really get choices. 

Then sometimes, the anxiety presents in even more odd ways. Today, I woke up and I felt miserable  Just really anxious. Like I wanted to go into the corner and cry my eyes out for no apparent reason. Nothing happened, and nothing is different about today that I can see. I took a shower, and didn't feel any better. I cannot take my anxiety meds anymore because of the baby, so I had to figure out something I could do. Anything really, to make the anxiety go away. So I opened iTunes and turned on the new Bowling for Soup album. I played it loud on my speakers, and I made myself go into the kitchen and make a pesto sandwich (I think that is my new favorite food.) I was not hungry, but I had not eaten. I didn't want to listen to music, or sing, or dance. 

That was about an hour ago. Now there is an empty plate in front of me, and I am feeling much better. I guess maybe part of me is starting to understand how to deal with anxiety, even if all the rest of me screams, "NO. NO MUSIC. NO FOODS. GO CRY." 

Bowling for Soup, my favorite band since 6th grade, still making me feel better =) Also, food. Everyone loves food =)

Rachael

September Updates

Hello everyone!

Baby & I are doing well. Morning sickness went away around week 12. I have had a migraine every day since then, but drinking a glass of tea in the morning and in the afternoon makes that go away. Except for once, when I still had a bad migraine no matter what I did, FOR 6 DAYS. I ended up taking meds (per my OB) that are not so great for the baby, but it did stop the crazy migraine, and I only had to take them once. For the most part though, I feel great! I can stand, walk, go upstairs, and other things normal people take for granted all the time. =) My neurologist is not sure if this is a permanent change, or if I will go back to being broken once the baby is born. We shall see. That just gives me a good reason to have a lot of kids!

Baby is developing right on track, which is good. There was a slight scare with a potential neural tube defect, but it was just a false positive. I feel kicks every day now, and they are strong enough that George can feel them too. Baby has started "retaliating" kicks as well. George will poke my belly, and get kicked in return. =P My belly button started turning inside out a few days ago, which really weirds me out. In the beginning when my belly started growing it turned into an endless vortex (you could see the inside before then) and now it looks even more weird.

We were planning on going down to Virginia for Christmas/Yule, but I was told by my OB it might not be a good idea to travel so far away 6 weeks before the due date. We are still planning on going to Texas for Thanksgiving (and a baby shower!) though. =)

I will not be sharing the baby's sex or name on the blog until they are born =) Mostly because I cannot trust that everyone will stay open-minded about colors and styles of things if they know the sex. It really should not matter at all. Bright colors, in ALL colors, are awesome =)

Rachael

Gencon!

The story of Gencon.

I stayed up late Tuesday packing everything to be ready to go in the morning, including a backpack full of snacks to keep with me. We got up early Wednesday, showered, packed shower stuff, and headed to get the oil changed before the trip. Dropped off the car (2 hours?!) and walked to the donut shop for breakfast. That went well, car was ready, and we headed off at 11am-ish. GPS estimated the trip to be 14.5 hours. We speed a little (totally guilty) and we stop for bathroom breaks and quick foods. I was thinking maybe 15 hours total, which would put us there at 2am. I have been drinking copious amounts of water every day to prevent headaches, and I quickly learned that is not a fun habit in a car trip. So I started not drinking as much water, and got a migraine as it was getting dark. Bright lights on a road is just about the worst thing I could have been looking at =/ It kept getting worse and worse and I had (well, George did) to pull over to throw up around midnight. I layed down in the back, but I just felt pretty terrible the last few hours. We ended up getting into the hotel just before 4am, and crashed on the comfy bed. Our plan was going to be to get up at a decent time for an event at 1pm Thursday, but nope. Sleep is better.

Thursday we got up something like 1pm and headed over to the convention. They were out of landards for badges (!?!?) but I saved the day by having yarn in the backpack =) We talked to the creator of Killer Bunnies (who knows George from past Gencons) and jumped into a demo of the newest game in the line- Heros vs Villains. We got raffle tickets for playing, and I WON the raffle! That was pretty awesome. We met up with our friends and ate dinner at an Irish pub, that had GREAT mashed potatoes. I got extra to-go. Back to the convention center to walk around and figure out where things were. George and Megan got shakes from Steak-n-Shake and we continued walking, me eating mashed potatoes while walking. Hey, it is better than eating candy! Lol. We went back to the hotel early to get a full nights sleep. Got there around 10pm and headed to bed.

I woke up around midnight (to pee, of course) with EXTREME pain in my chest. I tried to lay back down to see if it went away in a few minutes (pregnancy comes with all kinds of weird pains I have learned) but it got a lot worse. I woke up George and we rushed to the nearest ER. Got there a total of 25 minutes after I first woke up. I got an EKG, which was normal. The doctor was thinking it might be a blood clot, so I got a CAT scan. (With contrast, which was really weird feeling.) Baby was exposed to radiation, which is not that great, but we did not really have choices. A blood clot would be a whole lot worse. The up-side (I guess) is that radiation in the 2nd trimester does the least amount of potential harm. Anyways, while waiting for the results, the pain got worse. I am really good at pain tolerance in general, but this got up to a 10. I don’t think I have ever actually told a nurse/doctor my pain was 10/10, but I was writhing in agony and it was uber terrible. They rushed me some morphine directly into my IV. It made the pain only mostly go away, which is even more crazy. The CAT scan was normal, which means they ruled out the 2 things that can cause chest pain that are super dangerous, and I was sent back to the hotel with orders to return if anything changes. And pain killers. Finally got back around 4:30am. So much for a full night’s sleep and early morning =/

Friday morning we woke up around 1pm, again. Walking around or pretty much doing anything remotely difficult or stressful made my chest hurt. I told George he could go do whatever fun activities he wanted, but I was going to go park myself in the craft room and knit. I got a lot of progress on a sleep sack, and I happen to hit the magic awesome pooling number! We ate dinner in the connected mall after plans with friends fell though because of time issues. A&W Chilli cheese fries! YUM! We headed back to the hotel early and I caught up a little with the nest and I did the sorting form before early bed =)

Saturday morning we actually got up in time for breakfast! The hotel had biscuits and sausage gravy, which is something George and I both miss from the South =) The pain in my chest was gone (with the bottle of painkillers untouched, yay!) so we walked around the vendor hall and picked up some cool dice and the last 2 expansions of Dominion. Had lunch with friends at Steak-n-Shake. We have a friend in Boston who LOVES DrunkQuest a ton. He made this crown out of a beer box and gems and glitter and such. We found the creator of the game and then brought the crown to him to get it signed. He thought it was awesome =P Then I had a chainmaille class at 4pm. Yes, at a gaming convention. It was under “spouse activities” as was the craft room. That lasted until 6pm and I have an awesome Slytherific bracelet that I need to photograph =) Then we had dinner with the creator of Killer Bunnies and the rest of our friends. After that, most of us went to the games library and played Shadows Over Camelot, which was a lot of fun. Got back to the hotel around midnight.

Sunday I wanted to sleep in, but George wanted to hang out early. I woke up at 8am and called him (he was downstairs) and he was like, “GOOD! RUSH RUSH WE HAVE TO DRIVE PEOPLE!” Ahh! That was not a kind way to wake up. At all. But everything was packed and ready to go and we drove some people so everything fit in cars (2 were flying home) and blah. I was sleepy. We played Shadows over Camelot again, but this time with one person being a secret traitor, which was interesting =) Then I got coffee. I was sleepy. I got to buy the pliers I used in the chainmaille class at 1pm (after her last class) so, AWESOME! Mine are bad or something, because it was way easier in the class than things I did things on my own. We left around lunchtime to head back home. The trip was mostly uneventful. We stopped for the night near Buffalo, NY.

Monday was just more driving. I had a migraine Monday night, but I kept being on my computer anyways, and ended up throwing up =/ Grr. Yesterday I had a migraine, AGAIN. Then guess what friendly face is here again now!? This seriously needs a solution. I have been drinking tons of water, I have been eating meals, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

Baby pictures

I have a bunch of baby-related pictures, so I thought I would share them. =)

These are my tests I took over 2 (3?) days. It never really got past the "Am I crazy or is that a real line!?" stage before I had a blood test, which was positive.

Ultrasound at 6 Weeks, 5 Days
The ball on top is the proto-Baby, and the ball on bottom is the yolk sack.

Ultrasound at 8 Weeks, 6 Days
Arm and Leg buds!

Ultrasound at 11 Weeks
Baby looks like a baby! We also got to see Baby move for the first time.

 Baby belly at 11 Weeks, 1 Day.

We had a really big NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days. Baby was moving around a LOT the whole time, and Baby very much LOOKS like a baby now. The results were that Baby has a normal neck fold, which means no Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18. The tech took a bunch of pictures of Baby for us =) George scanned these so they look better than the others that I just took a picture of =P

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

Baby has 2 Legs!

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

Baby has 2 Arms!

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

NT ultrasound at 11 Weeks, 5 Days.

Baby belly at 12 Weeks. My belly is getting so big so soon! Weird, but kinda cool =)

George will keep taking Baby belly pictures each week and I will eventually share them. I might do it each week, I might not. Morning sickness decided to go away partway through Week 10, so I am feeling much better now. I still have an injured hip, so I have trouble walking. It was getting better, then it got worse again -.- My POTS has completely gone away, which happens about 1/3 of the time in pregnancy, so overall I feel great! I can actually STAND for a while without getting dizzy for the first time since I was about 18. Except for the hip issue, which means standing and walking hurts. I am still not eating enough, because when I eat more than about half of a usual meal I get nauseous, yet I don't want to eat more often. Hopefully that will get better soon before I start starving Baby. I am pretty sure Baby will take over my brain before that happens =P

Rachael

Registry

George and I spent a lot of time today at Babies R Us making a registry. Then we did more research and fiddled with some things once we got home to make it even better. =) Our registry number is 50516828, or you can find it under my name. You do NOT have to get anything. Plenty of people want to get stuff, so here is some stuff I want. If nothing else, PLEASE read the "Things to avoid" at the end if you want to buy something. 

Here is what I have on it so far with more information. Babies R Us seems to actually have decently priced baby gear, but I cross-referenced everything on Amazon as well. 

Important things:


Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages - Keaton
Rather than a traditional crib, we have decided to get a "lite" crib. It can easily be moved into or out of our bedroom depending on what works for us best. It is also collapsible for easy traveling. It is rated safe for daily sleeping, so no worries there. 
~$110 at Babies R Us


Chicco Cortina Magic Stroller - Rattania
We spent quite a while pushing strollers around, reading reviews, and comparing prices. This is the one we like best. 
~$200 at Babies R Us


Graco My Size 70 Convertible Car Seat - Odyssey
This is the best reviewed car seat that is not super expensive. It can be used as an infant rear facing seat, and a forward facing toddler seat.
~$180 at Babies R Us


Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle Swing
We decided we prefer a swing to a rocking chair. Mostly because a rocking chair invites injury to little hands that get in the way. We also looked at gliders, and all had the same issue. This swing moves from the top, meaning little fingers are less likely to get in the way. It can swing side-to-side or front-to-back. We also liked the moving mobile with mirror =)
~$140 both at Babies R Us and Amazon


Sassy Sensory Gym
This is a floor mat with toys on bars over the babies head. They are generally used before a baby can roll over. This might not be the "coolest" mat you have seen, but it is the best for a baby. Sassy is actually a very nice company that takes baby development into account for its toys. There are a lot of high contrast black and white stripes, and a lot of red. Fun fact- the only colors babies can see 0-3 months is those in the red spectrum. 
~$50 at Babies R Us


Fisher-Price Little Superstar Step 'n Play Piano Walker
This toy will not get any use until the baby can hold their head up, obviously. They can push the piano keys on the bottom with their feet to make sounds. This helps teach motor skills in their feet. It also has all kinds of little things to explore with their hands. Once they can walk, the seat part is removable and it becomes an area for standing play.
~$100 at Babies R Us


Angelcare Bath Support
Rather than a "baby bathtub" we would prefer this seat for the normal bathtub. It would make transitioning to normal baths less complicated or confusing.
~$25 on Amazon, ~$30 at Babies R Us


Fisher Price Mini Diaper Bag - Brown
I like this diaper bag. Not much more to say =)
~$30 at Babies R Us


Babies R Us Contoured Changing Pad
Rather than a "changing table" that seems a bit useless after 6 months, we will be getting a standard dresser for clothes & clean diapers and then putting this changing pad on top of it. After 6 months, changing will most likely be done on the floor in the bathroom, so solids can be dealt with properly.
~$27 at Babies R Us


Brica Corner Bath Basket
Since I like bath toys so much, we are going to need somewhere to keep them all.
~$12 on Amazon, ~$15 at Babies R Us


OXO TOT Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers - 2 oz Set
Rather than buying baby food in little jars, I will be making it myself. As a 6 month old baby cannot eat a whole carrot or banana in one sitting, we need a way to store food in small amounts. I love OXO, and these look perfect. I put 3 on the registry, because I will most likely be making food for a whole week at once. =)
~$10 Each on both Amazon and at Babies R Us x 3


Graco Travel Lite Portable Crib Sheet - Cream
Unfortunately, it seems the only color of sheets available for the Travel Lite crib is cream. Cream is not bad, but if you magically find blue, green, or brown, get them please! I would like at least 2 sets.
~$9 at Babies R Us x 2




Toys (Listed from most to least expensive):

Imaginarium Textured Foam Building Blocks - 60-Piece
Building blocks before hard objects like LEGOs are safe/liked. These particular blocks are 3 thin foam pieces glued together, making each block 3 colors. 
~$30 at Babies R Us


Fisher Price ABC Block Set
ABC blocks are always nice for learning letters, but this set is AWESOME. Each block has uppercase, lowercase, an object from that letter (Airplane, Ball, etc.), and part of a puzzle of a barn.
~$20 on Amazon, $22 at Babies R Us


LEGO Duplo Toddler Starter Building Set (10561)
LEGOs are amazing for development. Duplos cannot really be used until 18 months, but then they will be used all the time! This set has a lot of faces and textured blocks.
~$20 at Babies R Us


LEGO Duplo Bricks & More Brick Box - Pink (4623)
Some pink duplos to mix in with the rest. All colors should be represented. It also has some little flowers and bunnies.
~$15 at Babies R Us


LEGO Duplo Brick Box (4624)
More Duplos! This set has a cat and a puppy.
~$15 at Babies R Us


Sassy Baby's First Books
Cloth, machine washable, very simple books. One of them has a baby-safe mirror in it.
~$15 at Babies R Us


Little Tikes Play Cube
Lots of stimulating things on this cube, including a mirror!
~$15 on both Amazon and at Babies R Us


LEGO Duplo Read & Build Busy Farm (6759)
This duplo set comes with a book. It has things on the pages and it wants you to build them as the story goes. Most of the builds are 3 pieces, so very good for an 18 month old. This will help direction-following and spatial awareness.
~$13 at Babies R Us


LEGO Duplo Read & Build Grow Caterpillar Grow (6758)
Another Duplo book. This one you keep adding to the caterpillar who gets bigger and bigger.
~$13 at Babies R Us

LEGO Duplo Read & Build Peekaboo Jungle (Not on website)
This Duplo book for some reason, appears to not be online. I saw it in the store today. It has the toddler building jungle animals just like the farm book.
~$13 at Babies R Us (in store only)


Sassy Go Go Bugs
These are little rattles that attach to a car seat or stroller for entertainment. Notice the high contrast and much use of red for eye development. I love Sassy.
~$12 at Babies R Us


Bumpy Ball by Sassy
High contrast, lots of red, some blue thrown in for magic at 6 months, cloth AND plastic. A pretty awesome ball. 
~$10 at Babies R Us


Little Tikes 3-Pack Tickle Balls
Very squishy plastic balls with texture on them. It seemed kinda cool.
~$10 at Babies R Us


Fun Years Deluxe Bath Stickers
These are NOT stickers. That is a horrible name. They are foam blocks, which happen to stick to things when wet. Excellent bath-time toys. This set has 52 letters, 25 numbers and math symbols, 20 sea animals, and 8 shapes. A lot of toys for cheap!
~$10 at Babies R Us


Sassy Illumination Station
This has a suction cup on the bottom so it can stick to a highchair or... whatever else. It is a sassy toy. It is good =)
~$9 at Amazon and at Babies R Us


Sassy Rock & Roll Stacker
This stacker set is better than most because each donut has a different texture! Of course, it is by sassy.
~$7 on Amazon, ~$9 at Babies R Us


Sassy Wonder Wheel
Suction cup on the bottom to stick to things. When you turn the wheel, beads cascade through the toy, making fun sounds.
~$7 on Amazon, ~$9 at Babies R Us


Sassy Letter Links
Everyone knows about normal links, but these are LETTERS! Some are striped, some have texture, and they all interlink with each other.
~$6 on Amazon, ~$7 at Babies R Us


Sassy Discovery Loop
It is small, and cool. It has high contrast, red, and I think it makes a sound. I saw too many toys to remember them all.
~$6 at Babies R Us


Sassy Ring Tone Rattle
A rattle! With contrast!
~$5 at Babies R Us


Babies R Us Inflatable Peek 'n Roll
This seemed interesting. I think it would help object permanence. 
~$5 at Babies R Us


GRAPES TEETHER W/HANDLE by Sassy
You put ice in the "grape" part and let teething baby suck on it. The terry cloth apparently is a good texture for soothing along with the cold, and it is cute!
~$5 at Babies R Us


Babies R Us Color Change Ducky
Duckys are cool. This one changes colors and squeaks without having a water-trap hole. 
~$5 at Babies R Us


Sassy Flip & Grip Rattle - 2 Pack
Tiny Baby rattle. That is why they are red and orange. Sassy knows their child development =)
~$4 at Babies R Us


Sassy Spin Shine Rattle
Another tiny baby toy. High contrast + reds.
~$4 at Babies R Us


Sassy Inc. Wrist Rattles - Set of 2 
Wrist rattles are great for babies too young to be able to grab and hold accurately. They still like sounds.
~$4 at Babies R Us


Sassy Hello Baby Phone
Another little toy. Reds and high contrast.
~$3 at Babies R Us



Things to AVOID:

• Anything that takes batteries below the age of 4. That is completely unnecessary. I will make farm sounds and sing the alphabet. We do not need toys to do it for us.
• PASTELS!
• Play kitchen.
• Frilly girly things. I really just do not like them.
• Dolls. I will get a doll if I want, but I do not want to end up with 15 of them. There are better things to buy for kids that help develop their brains, rather than their parenting skills.
• Baby shoes. They do not make much sense for non-walking babies. When they walk, I will figure out what fits them.
• Used non-toys from Ebay or similar  There are way to many safety things to check when you get a used item from a stranger. I just want to avoid that. Toys that can be washed in the washer on hot or plastic toys that can be bleached would be okay.

What about things not on here?
Well, I did not see everything in existence. If it is a toy by Sassy that does not require batteries, it is perfect. They seem to know what they are doing. Stuffed animals are okay, but we already have a bunch from my sister. Clothes are ok, but NO PASTELS! Found something on here in a different color? If it is a toy, I do not much care, so great! If it is one of the "important things" I chose the colors I wanted specifically. 

Think this is all too complicated, but want to get something? Babies R Us gift cards will be put to good use =)


Rachael