Freaky Friday Head-Fog
So, I had to return a couple things to Target today. I bought a shirt and a belt in August that didn’t ultimately fit/work when I tried them on at home…and, no, I didn’t try them on in the store before I bought them. I have a weird quirk about not trying stuff on in stores. It’s not a fitting room hang-up or anything…it just takes too darn long. I’d rather use all my time shopping and none of it taking my clothes off and on and off again. If that makes sense.
The other reason I was in Target was to look for stacking cups. Ah, yes, you say, the interminable stacking cups. The One Toy every Chinese girl wants to wrap her little hands around in the hotel in China that every a-parent Must Be Sure To Bring With. Or so I’ve heard. And so I trust to be the case.
So I set off with my handydandy cart to find me some stacking cups.
First, I went to the baby and toddler section.
Last, I went to the baby and toddler section.
Because, my friends, I basically got SABOTAGED in the baby and toddler section by the amazing assortment of STUFF they have for babies and toddlers, about which I know NOTHING. No. Thing.
I bought some socks because somebody somewhere on a blog said “buy socks at Target because they have the no-slip rubber stuff on the bottoms.” Check. I bought navy, white, pink, and gray socks with the no-slip stuff, thanks to my bloggy pals.
I looked at the spoons. They had Gerber spoons with beautiful, long, slender, stainless handles with fun, colored, rubberized spoon-heads on them. They had long, slender plastic spoons in spastic colors that you could use or lose and not feel bad about it. They had short plastic spoons and forks in spastic colors that your toddler could use or lose and not care one way or the other about it.
They had thermometers for your butt. Thermometers for your mouth. Thermometers for your ear. And the new, “temple” thermometer that has a rubber ball on the end of it that you just run across your kid’s forehead and down her temple that measures the temperature of some artery right through the skin. Totally non-invasive. Now what?
They had cups. At first I thought they were the aforementioned stacking cups. Eureka, I thought. But no. At least, I think but no. They were colored, plastic stacking cups, but they seemed to have lids, and the packaging suggested they were to keep food (read: Cheerios) inside of. I don’t think that’s the same thing as the stacking cups. Although they are cups and my child COULD certainly stack them. Uh oh, I think.
They had sippy cups. So. Many. Sippy. Cups. So many: sizes, colors, shapes, widths of sip-nozzle, handled, non-handled, see-through, opaque, squat, tall, “gaseous” versus “non-gaseous” versions, “non-skid” this, “unbreakable” that…I mean, if there’s a “non-gaseous” version, why would there ever even need to be “gaseous” sippy cups again?
I was paralyzed. WTF? How come no one told me about all this stuff I am supposed to know? And it’s not exactly like I have a test subject at home, on whom I can try out all the options, now do I?
And then the ultimate humiliation…bottles. Bottles and nipples. Holy canoli. What is a new old mom to do? Sizes…small, medium, large…light flow…heavy flow…why does this sound like I’m shopping for menstrual pads? And, of course, I’ve read enough to know that Chinese infants are raised with rice mixed into their milk, and so they often need wider nipples younger than American infants do. Okay, check. But then I think, Emme Lu is a cleft baby. Cleft babies have special bottles/nipples to help them feed easier. Oh, crap. I’m back to square one. Not to mention that even if I knew which size opening to buy, the nipples come in both silicone and latex options, and then each of those multiple options come in both a “wide” and a “narrow” neck fit for the bottle. So, then I think: okay, SBird, you must first choose a bottle, so that the neck of the bottle can dictate the neck fit of the nipple.
Talk about a bottleneck.
I had been there about an hour, and I had four pairs of socks in my cart. And I felt totally, completely, overwhelmed. Geeeeesh.
I never did find the stacking cups. I bought a teething ring, the kind you cool in the fridge, and then I immediately wondered whether I would even have access to a fridge in the hotel room in China. Okay, that could be for home.
I bought some alphabet letters for the tub. (Yay, score!)
Then I wheeled my way over to the toy section and got even more freaked out. I did manage to find a Parents Magazine-recommended toy cell phone that you could record your voice into, and I again remembered that some blogmom had recommended doing this for your care package to your daughter. And it was on sale. I bought one.
But still no stacking cups.
And still no decision about anything without having Heard It On A Blog.
So, basically, people, I learned today that I cannot function without bloggy advice. Or assvice. Or whatever it’s called.
Because there are no seminars on sippy cups, as far as I can tell.
So I am depending on the University of Bloggers to educate me. Fast.
Excruciatingly fun isn’t it? So wonderful yet terrifying to shop for a child you’ve never met. Remember the soft photo album to send in the care package. It STILL a big deal to our son. He used to sleep with it. He recognized his siblings and knew their names when we went on our second trip.
I don’t know how old your beautiful “Bee” is but plenty of bibs is always a help.
Comment by: CAMomma - 10.13.2006 - 6.40 pm
Oh, I so empathize. I’m still overwhelmed by the baby/kid section at target, and we’ve been home for 3 months. I’ve been thinking about writing something about postmodern motherhood and the stuff factor we are bombarded with. I’m laughing, too, because I think our first target trip ended with a purchase of socks, tub letters and maybe a bib. All the stuff is a crapshoot anyway until you see what your daughter likes (ours is definitely choosey and opinionated). I owe you an email and to catch up on your blog. Soon. Congratulations!
Comment by: sara - 10.13.2006 - 6.47 pm
first of all, I too NEVER try on clothes in the store. And my reason IS because I have the “someone is watching me” feeling.
Yes, I’m a paranoid freak.
Second, it is all going to be trail and error with your baby. What works with one baby, may not work with yours. I have twins, and their preferences are soooo different.
With that said, I too can not find any damn stacking cups!! gonna try Toys R Us.
Comment by: Melissa - 10.13.2006 - 7.03 pm
It’s a lot of stuff isn’t it? I also got those grippy socks a few weeks ago.
The only place I was able to find the stacking cups was at Fred Meyer. Maybe you have one near you?
Comment by: WendyN - 10.14.2006 - 12.53 am
Hey SBird!! Target cup/spoon/bottle section is crazy. Toootally overstimulating.
I had some fun researching sippy cups for a cyber-shower gift a month or so ago. The mom I was shopping for had just received a SN referral for a wee girl with a cleft palate. I found this great website with all sorts of suggestions for sippy cups & I got one (at Target) for her. Here is the resource:
http://www.cleftadvocate.org/sippycups.html (I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to re-find this, you may have already - but if not, I hope that it is helpful).
I’ve also seen ALL of the pics of babies at the White Swan with their stacking cupz - and i got mine (unexpectedly browsing) at KBToys. They were $5!!!!
Good luck & hang in there. Avoid Target on the weekend - only adds to the overstimulation.
XOXO
Comment by: wzgirl - 10.14.2006 - 2.54 am
I’m laughing here. Not at you but WITH you. Of all that stuff that you mentioned the sippy cups got me flustered the most. The bloggy assvice I got for bottles were to go with the Playtex disposable liner ones. They’re different than long ago. The liners are form fitted to the bottles. You just drop them in. Bloggers told me they were great for China. As far as nipples, I was screwed there too, so I got a bunch of different ones. I was ok with the different flows. I, too, had done my research. But that whole latex vs. silicone thing blew my mind.
Oh, and I also got one of those teething things you put in the fridge. I figured, the cooler teething bone I got for my puppy was great, so it’s gotta help my kid, right?
Comment by: Jacquie - 10.14.2006 - 5.38 am
Target is crazy - too many choices! Try toys’r'us for the stacking cups. I’ve also seen them at tj maxx. Good Luck!
Comment by: Jenni - 10.14.2006 - 6.30 am
Talk about being overwhelmed - ever been in a Burlington’s Baby Depot? Geesh, it’s crazy.
Like Wendy, I found the stacking cups at Fred Meyer’s - many moons ago when we 1st started this process.
I love the stores where I can get everything in 1 stop.
Wham, bam and I’m outta there….
Comment by: nwpeace - 10.14.2006 - 9.38 am
I’m overwhelmed just reading about it!
Comment by: Maggie - 10.14.2006 - 12.51 pm
I KNEW you all would have the pointers I needed! This is why I love this community. Thank you!
Comment by: SBird - 10.14.2006 - 5.32 pm
This post makes my head spin. May be there is a wee advantage to having such a long wait to referral; I’ll have time to research all the Stuff. Yikes.
Comment by: walternatives - 10.14.2006 - 5.38 pm
Heh, I am an old mom myself but with old kids. I wandered into the infants department myself a few weeks ago, just to see what the blogs were talking about. It blew my mind. Dont worry, the old standards are still ok. Just because its available doesnt mean you have to have it.
I recommend shopping online. Heh
Comment by: Amy - 10.14.2006 - 6.25 pm
I only found the stacking cups at Toys R us, and Nordstrom Rack??? Weird I know. I can never seem to find the neat stuff I always read about. Maybe your agency can hook you up with another family that has already brought home a Cleft pallette child to see what they recommend for bottles.
Good job on the socks!! Good luck on finding the rest of your list.
Comment by: Averysmomflies - 10.15.2006 - 7.01 am
I only found the stacking cups at Toys R us, and Nordstrom Rack??? Weird I know. I can never seem to find the neat stuff I always read about. Good job on the socks!! Good luck on finding the rest of your list.
At least I have plenty of time to get what we need researched and bought.
Comment by: Averysmomflies - 10.15.2006 - 7.03 am
Hey, Target or BRU are nutty! I try to get in and out quickly, very quickly and have resorted to buying alot online as I feel somehow like a fraud at those places.
You can get the stacking cups at buybuybaby.com. They have the good ones and they aren’t expenisve.
Good luck, and I need ot buy those damn things too!
Comment by: Jenny - 10.16.2006 - 5.44 am
how exciting. no shopping advice. just trust your instincts. they will kick in. in fact, they are already.
Comment by: Kyran - 10.16.2006 - 6.15 am
Being a fellow comp teacher I am ALWAYS afraid that some of my students will see me in the Target trying stuff on. The only time I went in a Target dressing room, I took my Twins in and they crawled out under the doors. I ran out shirtless to rescue them…..last time I ever tried anything on in ANY store.
Comment by: peach - 10.16.2006 - 7.24 am
[…] Thank you to all my blogging peeps, who came through for me about the stacking cups issue I had a couple days ago. I found the ones I wanted at buybuybaby. And walternatives also sent me a cool website that explains why this particular toy is such a good one for enabling both a child’s cognitive development and her fine motor skills. […]
Pingback by: Lessons Learned…and Learning. « The Singing Bird - 10.16.2006 - 1.43 pm