So, yesterday I saw Ana...

She's so cute. *grins* She crawls and she looks for people. And if you're eating in front of her, she guilt trips you for not sharing. *giggles* I spent quite a bit of time hiding my head as she looked for me because I didn't want to see her staring at me as I ate my cookie.

And today I'm seeing SETH! Yay! It's been too long since I've seen him, so I'm gonna hug him and kiss him and see how much he's grown. Update when I get back.

UPDATE

Both babies can pull themselves to standing from sitting (with something to hold onto), and can go to crawling from sitting. Seth turns towards his name, both babies look for people who have left the room. Seth can *sometimes* kiss on demand. He's gained weight (well, both of them have, but his weight gain is more dramatic, as he was always a bit undersized) and grown taller (he's very tall for a baby).

I have a short list of crissie pressies for Seth that I'll give to Jenn later. That is all.

Gift ideas for Seth and Ana...

I don't have a job yet, so these are still theoretical... I think some of these will have to be joint gifts, like Babybug. I'm a huge fan of Cricket magazines, and would gladly pay for them to be getting babybug, ladybug, spider, and cricket all their childhood... but at $36, I can't afford more than one subscription. *sighs* So I guess I'll have to get one for Jenn to share with Lizziey (she would). Or Jenn can get a subscription for herself, and Lizziey can get one on her own. Whatever. It's also gonna have to wait until their birthday.

I'm going to go start posting toy ideas for CHRISTMAS through their next birthday, when they're a year. This is a reference for me, Jenn, and Lizziey, primarily, though if people feel ridiculously generous, go ahead and ask for my address, I'll certainly let you send toys. What I want, though, is critiques. If you have a good suggestion for a gift, or if you dislike what I posted, tell me. Don't suggest anything for any baby older than two years, though. Thankies!

( More toy ideas and linkies... )

Of course, the odds of me being able to get any, much less all, of these for either of them is slim at best... I'm just being dreamy.

Also, for anyone making suggestions (please do) I'll willingly say that I've never been a huge fan of those toys that light up and play music and shake and need batteries. That always seemed like it would either overstimulate any normal baby, or desensitize them so that they wouldn't have fun with anything else. I have nothing against a few toys like that, but.... Like I'm reading the reviews on amazon.com and people are saying "it would need lights to be more fun" or "I don't know why my kid likes it, it doesn't have music or lights or anything interesting!". *rolls her eyes* Well, if you get your kid used to that sort of hyperstimulation, of course that's all they'll like! I also would like, if I'm spending any money on these kids, to buy stuff they'll play with for more than three months. I want them using it for AT LEAST half a year, if possible. Not like most of my friends have great depths of experience with baby toys, but go ahead anyway, I don't care, advise me.


(edit) I've found some cheap ones I should be able to afford... now I just need to know about how good they are... update later.

Okay. I'm trying to pick out christmas gifts for my niece and nephew

And I think I'm making some headway into the world of children's toys, too. But I've noticed something...

All these toys for six month olds, or many of them, at least, are a sensory nightmare. They don't just light up, they blink. They don't just make sounds, or even loud sounds, they make lots of different sounds that stop and start erratically. Sometimes they shake.

These toys scare me. I don't want to be near them. When I was little, I think they would have sent me straight into overload. That or I would've been addicted to them for some time, like a video game, then gone into withdrawal when removed. Honestly, I don't understand why parents say things like "it would've been more fun if it had lit up" or "I don't know why she likes it, it doesn't make sounds or light up or anything interesting" (actual buyer reviews). Are my experiences so different from theirs? Do most kids actually do well with that sort of sensory stimulation? I can't see it as a good thing, and don't want to buy them for Ana or Seth, but should I consider it anyway, on the theory that I am an anomaly?

Better question, does this question belong at asperger? Because there may be the source of my confusion....